#720: Life Lessons from Taylor Swift, Conquering Anxiety, Coaching Teens, Career Reinvention, Supposedly Gay Bulls, Your Shadow Side, and More — Soman Chainani

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Feb 6, 2024

Soman Chainani, bestselling author of The School for Good & Evil series, dives into a range of fascinating topics. He discusses the anxiety that artists often face and how honesty fuels creativity. The conversation touches on the unique challenges today’s teens encounter in a digital age and the importance of mentorship. Soman also explores Taylor Swift's influence on personal reinvention in the arts. With humor, he speaks about embracing life’s uncertainties and how unconventional experiences, like ketamine treatment, can lead to profound self-discovery.

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ADVICE

Follow the Flow

Let creative decisions come to you naturally, rather than forcing them.
Be the manager of your creativity, not the sole creator, and let your subconscious guide you.

ANECDOTE

The Neverland Sequel That Wasn't

Soman Chainani had a fully planned Neverland sequel, but it didn't feel right.
He followed a different, more compelling idea despite external pressures, trusting his intuition.

ADVICE

Give Stories Away

Test your story ideas' longevity by sharing them for several years.
If no one else pursues them and your interest remains, you might be the right person to tell it.

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The Body Keeps the Score

Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

Bessel van der Kolk

In this book, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma reshapes both the body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores various treatments, including neurofeedback, meditation, sports, drama, and yoga, which activate the brain’s natural neuroplasticity to aid in recovery. The book emphasizes the power of relationships in both causing and healing trauma and offers hope through descriptions of novel approaches to treatment. It is based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists in the field[1][2][5].

The 4-Hour Body

An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman

Tim Ferriss

In 'The 4-Hour Body,' Tim Ferriss shares the results of over a decade of self-experimentation and research, involving hundreds of elite athletes, dozens of MDs, and thousands of hours of personal testing. The book covers more than 50 topics, including how to lose weight quickly, gain muscle without steroids, sleep less and perform better, and improve sexual health. Ferriss emphasizes the importance of finding the smallest changes that produce the biggest results, making it accessible for readers to achieve significant improvements in their physical health and performance.

The Year of Living Biblically

One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

A.J. Jacobs

In this book, A.J. Jacobs embarks on a year-long experiment to live according to the Bible's rules as literally as possible. Raised in a secular Jewish family, Jacobs delves into the world of religion to understand its relevance in modern life. He follows over 700 biblical rules, from the well-known Ten Commandments to the lesser-known laws such as avoiding clothes made of mixed fibers and stoning adulterers. The book is a humorous and profound account of his journey, where he interacts with various religious groups, including Amish, Hassidic Jews, and evangelical Christians. Jacobs' experiment leads to surprising insights and personal growth, challenging his initial skepticism about religion and highlighting the complexities of biblical literalism[1][3][5].

The Goldfinch

Donna Tartt

The novel centers around 13-year-old Theodore Decker, whose life dramatically changes after he survives a terrorist attack at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where his mother is killed. During the chaos, Theo takes the famous Dutch painting 'The Goldfinch' by Carel Fabritius. The story follows Theo's journey through grief, guilt, and his complex relationships, including his friendship with Boris and his involvement in the art underworld. The novel spans several years, detailing Theo's struggles with identity, loss, and the impact of the painting on his life[5][6][2].

A Little Life

Oliver Wyman

Hanya Yanagihara

This novel follows the lives of four friends—Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a painter; Malcolm, an architect; and Jude, a brilliant and enigmatic litigator—after they graduate from a small Massachusetts college and move to New York. Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, influenced by addiction, success, and the profound impact of Jude's unspeakable childhood trauma. The book is a vivid, hyperreal portrait of human existence, exploring themes of male friendship, race, sexuality, and love in the twenty-first century.

Conversations With Friends

Sally Rooney

The book follows Frances, a 21-year-old college student and aspiring writer, and her best friend Bobbi, as they navigate their relationships with an older married couple, Melissa and Nick. The novel delves into themes of youthful idealism, the challenges of intimacy, and the intricacies of human connections. Frances's inability to be vulnerable and her complex relationships with Bobbi, Nick, and Melissa form the core of the narrative, highlighting the tensions and misunderstandings that arise from their interactions. Rooney's writing is praised for its sharp dialogue, insightful character observations, and its exploration of modern romance and friendship[1][3][4].

The School for Good and Evil

Soman Chainani

Blank, Michael

The School for Good and Evil follows Sophie, a beauty-obsessed girl, and Agatha, an introverted girl deemed a witch, as they are kidnapped and enrolled in a school for fairy tale heroes and villains. The story explores themes of friendship, identity, and the blurred lines between good and evil. As Sophie and Agatha navigate their roles, they must confront their own natures and the true meaning of love and friendship.