The Aviary Cocktail Book is a groundbreaking publication that elevates the art of mixology. It features over 100 recipes from The Aviary, a renowned cocktail bar known for its theatrical and visually stunning drinks. The book is notable for its large-format photographs and detailed culinary approach to cocktails.
Blue Trout and Black Truffles is a charming collection of essays that delve into the culinary wonders of Europe, especially France, during the early twentieth century. Wechsberg recounts his personal experiences with notable restaurants and vineyards, offering a glimpse into a bygone era of haute cuisine. The book also touches on his personal tragedies related to World War I and II, while celebrating the gastronomic achievements of Europe before the wars.
In 'The Swerve', Stephen Greenblatt explores the impact of Poggio Bracciolini's discovery of Lucretius' 'De Rerum Natura' in 1417. This ancient Roman poem, which posits a universe governed by natural laws rather than divine intervention, had a profound influence on the Renaissance and beyond, shaping the thought of figures like Galileo, Darwin, and Einstein. Greenblatt's book is both a biography of Bracciolini and an intellectual history of how this text helped shape modernity.
In 'Nudge,' Thaler and Sunstein argue that by understanding how people think, we can design 'choice architectures' that nudge people toward better decisions for themselves, their families, and society. The book introduces the concept of 'libertarian paternalism,' where gentle nudges guide people toward beneficial choices without limiting their freedom. It explores various aspects of human decision-making, including the distinction between the 'Automatic System' and the 'Reflective System' of thinking, and provides numerous examples of how nudges can be applied in real-life scenarios to improve outcomes in health, finance, and other areas[1][3][5].
De Rerum Natura is a six-book poem written in Latin hexameters by Lucretius. It sets forth the physical theory of the Greek philosopher Epicurus, explaining the principles of atomism, the mortality of the soul, and the natural explanations for various phenomena. The poem is divided into six books, each addressing different aspects of Epicurean philosophy, including the atomic structure of the universe, the nature of mind and soul, the mechanics of sense perception, and the origins of the world and human society. Lucretius argues that the universe operates according to natural laws without divine intervention, and he aims to eliminate fear of death and the supernatural by demonstrating that all phenomena can be explained by natural causes[2][3][4].
Published on November 24, 1859, 'On the Origin of Species' by Charles Darwin is a seminal work in scientific literature. The book presents a comprehensive theory of evolution, arguing that species evolve over generations through the process of natural selection. Darwin supported his theory with evidence collected during his voyage on the HMS Beagle, as well as from subsequent research, correspondence, and experimentation. The book addresses the struggle for existence, the variability of species, and the principle of divergence, explaining how natural selection leads to the adaptation and diversification of life on Earth. It has been a cornerstone of evolutionary biology and has had significant impacts on both scientific and public discourse[2][4][5].
This book tells the story of Grant Achatz, from his early days in family restaurants to becoming one of America's top chefs. It details his journey with Alinea, which was named Best Restaurant in America by Gourmet magazine. The narrative also includes Achatz's diagnosis with stage IV squamous cell carcinoma-tongue cancer and his miraculous recovery through alternative treatments. The book is a tale of survival, creativity, and profound friendship, offering insights into the culinary world and the personal struggles of a renowned chef.
Originally published in 2005, Poor Charlie's Almanack is a collection of eleven talks delivered by Charles T. Munger between 1986 and 2007. Edited by Peter D. Kaufman, this book draws on Munger's extensive knowledge across various fields to provide a framework for rational and rigorous approaches to life, learning, and decision-making. It is renowned for its sharp wit and rhetorical flair, making it an essential read for investors, entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking to enhance their wisdom and critical thinking skills.
The Alinea Project is a comprehensive and visually rich memoir that documents Allen Hemberger's five-year journey of cooking every dish from the renowned Alinea cookbook. The project combines Hemberger's technical background as a visual effects artist and computer engineer with his passion for cooking, resulting in a detailed and photographic account of each recipe. The book serves as both a cooking guide and a personal narrative, highlighting Hemberger's meticulous approach and the challenges he faced in recreating the intricate dishes from Alinea.
In this book, Bertrand Russell delves into the core problems of philosophy, particularly focusing on epistemology. He examines the distinction between appearance and reality, the nature of matter, and the types of knowledge we can have. Russell introduces concepts such as 'sense-data' and contrasts them with physical objects, questioning the existence of external objects independent of our perception. He also discusses the theories of various philosophers, including Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, and others, to lay the foundation for philosophical inquiry. The book emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and the value of philosophy in challenging common sense and habitual beliefs[2][3][4].
The Book of Life presents 365 timeless daily meditations developed thematically over seven days. It illuminates concepts like freedom, personal transformation, and living fully awake. Inspired by Krishnamurti's belief that truth is found through living, the book compels readers to introspect and understand the deep-rooted fears, anxieties, sorrows, and pleasures that are part of human experience. Each quotation can be read daily to provide motivation and a new perspective on life and the self[2][4][5].
Striking Thoughts is a compilation of Bruce Lee's personal notes and aphorisms, organized into eight sections. It covers 72 topics and 825 aphorisms, ranging from spirituality and personal liberation to family life and filmmaking. The book reflects Lee's unique blend of Western and Eastern philosophies and offers insights into his successful life as an actor, martial artist, and inspiration to many. The sections include topics such as life, existence, health, love, work, goals, faith, success, and the principles of Tao and Zen Buddhism.
In 'Fooled by Randomness', Nassim Nicholas Taleb discusses the pervasive influence of chance and randomness in our lives and financial markets. The book argues that humans tend to underestimate the role of luck and overestimate the role of skill, leading to biases such as hindsight bias, survivorship bias, and the narrative fallacy. Taleb emphasizes the importance of recognizing and coping with uncertainty, and he critiques the tendency to seek deterministic explanations for random events. The book is part of Taleb's Incerto series, which also includes 'The Black Swan', 'The Bed of Procrustes', 'Antifragile', and 'Skin in the Game'.
Herman Hesse's "Siddhartha" is a philosophical novel that follows the spiritual journey of a young man named Siddhartha Gautama. The story explores themes of self-discovery, enlightenment, and the search for meaning beyond material possessions. Siddhartha's experiences with various aspects of life, including sensuality, asceticism, and worldly pursuits, lead him to a deeper understanding of himself and the universe. The novel's evocative prose and profound insights into the human condition have resonated with readers for generations. Hesse's exploration of spiritual awakening and the interconnectedness of all things makes "Siddhartha" a timeless classic.
In 'Lying', Sam Harris explores the consequences of dishonesty, from small 'white lies' to large-scale deceptions. He argues that lying, even with benevolent intentions, damages personal relationships and public trust. Harris advocates for honesty in all interactions, suggesting that it simplifies life and improves society. He also discusses the psychological and social impacts of lying, emphasizing that maintaining lies can be stressful and ultimately harmful. The book promotes 'skillful truth-telling' as a better alternative to lying, even in situations where tact is required to avoid harm[1][3][4].
Meditations is a series of private writings composed by Marcus Aurelius, one of Rome's greatest emperors, as he struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe. Written between 170 and 180 CE while on military campaigns, this work combines Stoic philosophy with personal observations on leadership, duty, mortality, and human nature. Through twelve books of intimate thoughts never intended for publication, Marcus Aurelius explores themes of self-improvement, resilience in the face of adversity, and living virtuously while accepting what cannot be changed.
This episode is a two-for-one, and that’s because the podcast recently hit its 10-year anniversary and passed one billion downloads. To celebrate, I’ve curated some of the best of the best—some of my favorites—from more than 700 episodes over the last decade. I could not be more excited. The episode features segments from episode #97 "Naval Ravikant — The Person I Call Most for Startup Advice" and episode #341 "Nick Kokonas — How to Apply World-Class Creativity to Business, Art, and Life."
Please enjoy!
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Timestamps:
[00:00] Start
[04:34] Notes about this supercombo format.
[05:53] Enter Naval Ravikant.
[06:05] On uncompromising honesty.
[08:05] What Naval looks for when deciding to invest in a founder.
[11:03] Recommended reading from outside the startup world.
[18:38] Who Naval considers successful.
[21:02] Cultivating non-judgmental awareness.
[26:08] How to replace bad habits with good habits.
[29:31] Naval's advice for his younger self.
[32:01] Naval's billboard.
[35:46] Enter Nick Kokonas.
[36:05] Is pressure Nick's default setting, or are perceived risks an illusion?
[36:55] How do behavioral economics and Richard Thaler influence Nick's approach?
[41:38] Nick's transition from philosophy to finance; was philosophy an asset?
[42:43] Why Nick's professor gave him shorter assignments than classmates.
[44:57] Nick's introduction to trading; dumbing down academics for clerk job.
[46:42] Why philosophy majors often become traders.
[47:19] Why Nick is glad he didn't pursue an MBA in 1992.
[48:41] Why Nick thinks his professor singled him out from his peers.
[52:52] Recommended books for aspiring entrepreneurs without philosophy background.
[57:31] Did being a Merc clerk meet Nick's expectations?
[1:00:02] How Nick followed his father's entrepreneurial model in trading.
[1:04:38] Why Nick left his mentor after a year to start his own company.
[1:05:41] How Nick and employees trained to quicken mental agility for trading.
[1:08:17] The moment Nick realized he could thrive in trading.
[1:09:02] Recommended resources for becoming a better investor.
[1:11:22] Nick seeks out "high, small hoops" for investment risks.
[1:14:00] Do businesses fail due to difficult model or lack of due diligence?
[1:16:55] When and why Nick decided to enter the restaurant business.
[1:18:26] The dinner leading to Nick and Grant Achatz's partnership.
[1:27:52] Why Nick chose to open a restaurant out of many risky options.
[1:30:33] How Nick spots talent early that others notice late.
[1:34:07] Questioning restaurant conventions like candles and white tablecloths.
[1:37:09] A now-famous chef was Alinea's first customer.
[1:38:03] Nick and Grant wouldn't let designers override their ideas.
[1:38:47] How Nick contributed effectively as a restaurant industry newcomer.
[1:14:19] Why Nick was "horrified" when Alinea won Best Restaurant in 2006.
[1:43:50] Grant's cancer diagnosis; writing a book and revolutionizing reservations.
[1:45:28] Traditional restaurant reservation systems and Nick's improvements.
[1:57:17] Bickering at press dinner; avoiding Next becoming "Disneyland of cuisine."
[2:02:14] Reservation software problems; variable pricing based on day of week.
[2:05:48] The moment Nick realized "This is the best thing I've ever built."
[2:07:41] Why the reservation system's rewards were worth the asymmetric risks.
[2:10:16] Using Marimekko charts to visualize restaurant and sponsorship data.
[2:16:57] The next industry Nick wants to disrupt: truffles.
[2:18:55] Illuminating black boxes.
[2:26:24] Self-selection of job roles; how Nick's hiring process has changed.
[2:32:01] Systems Nick uses to cope with a lot of email.
[2:37:43] Importance of engaging on social media, even if unable to respond to all.
[2:39:35] What "puzzle" filters and mini-hurdles in correspondence accomplish.
[2:40:36] Comparing similarities between the music and publishing industries.
[2:49:55] The agency problem as another black box.
[2:54:58] The Hembergers, The Alinea Project, and the upcoming independent Aviary Book.
[3:01:42] A brief discussion about cocktails.
[3:05:42] Books Nick has gifted most and how he personalizes gifts.
[3:08:10] Nick's billboard.
[3:09:49] Parting thoughts.
*
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Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.
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