The Harry Potter series, written by J.K. Rowling, follows the journey of Harry Potter, an orphan boy who discovers he is a wizard. The series spans seven novels, each corresponding to one year of Harry's life at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry, along with his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, navigates the magical world, confronts various challenges, and ultimately faces off against the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who murdered Harry's parents and seeks to dominate the wizarding world. The series explores themes of friendship, love, and the struggle between good and evil.
First published in 1936, 'How to Win Friends and Influence People' by Dale Carnegie is a timeless guide to improving interpersonal skills. The book is divided into four main sections: Six Ways to Make People Like You, Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking, and Nine Ways to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment. Carnegie's principles emphasize the importance of genuine interest in others, active listening, and avoiding criticism and argument. The book offers practical advice on how to build strong relationships, communicate effectively, and influence others by aligning their self-interest with yours. It has been a cornerstone of personal development and business success for generations[2][3][5].
In 'The 4-Hour Workweek', Timothy Ferriss presents a step-by-step guide to 'lifestyle design', encouraging readers to question the traditional notion of retirement and instead create a lifestyle that prioritizes freedom, adventure, and personal growth. The book teaches how to outsource life tasks, automate income, and eliminate unnecessary work using principles like the 80/20 rule and Parkinson’s Law. Ferriss shares his personal journey from a corporate workaholic to a location-independent entrepreneur and provides practical tips and case studies to help readers achieve similar results. The book emphasizes the importance of focusing on high-value activities, taking 'mini-retirements', and living life to the fullest in the present rather than deferring enjoyment until retirement.
In 'Show Your Work!', Austin Kleon provides a manifesto for succeeding as any kind of artist or entrepreneur in the digital age. The book emphasizes the importance of generosity over genius, getting 'findable' by using the network, and self-discovery through sharing your creative process. It offers ten transformative rules for being open, generous, brave, and productive, including chapters on sharing something small every day, engaging with your audience, and the etiquette of sharing online. The book is filled with illustrations, quotes, stories, and examples to inspire and guide readers in their creative journeys[2][3][4].
The Way of Kings is an epic fantasy novel that introduces the world of Roshar, where powerful magical forces known as Surgebinding and Shardwielding shape the destiny of its inhabitants. The story primarily follows three characters: Kaladin, a former surgeon turned soldier who is now a slave; Shallan, a young woman seeking to apprentice under the scholar Jasnah Kholin; and Dalinar Kholin, a highprince troubled by visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant. The novel explores themes of honor, loyalty, and the struggle for power in a world torn apart by war and the looming threat of the Desolation and the Voidbringers. The book is known for its detailed worldbuilding, complex characters, and the slow but intense build-up to a dramatic climax[3][4][5].
This book provides a comprehensive history of how America's presidents and generals have thought about, threatened, and just barely avoided nuclear war since the dawn of the atomic age. Fred Kaplan takes readers into the White House Situation Room, the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s 'Tank' in the Pentagon, and the vast chambers of Strategic Command to reveal untold stories based on his deep research and reporting. The book discusses theories and nightmare scenarios involving mass destruction, highlighting the enduring reality of nuclear war and its dire consequences.
In 'The Psychology of Money,' Morgan Housel delves into the psychological and emotional aspects of financial decisions. The book consists of 19 short stories that illustrate how personal history, worldview, emotions, and biases influence financial outcomes. Housel emphasizes the importance of behavior over knowledge in managing money, highlighting the power of compounding, the dangers of greed, and the pursuit of happiness beyond mere wealth accumulation. He advocates for a frugal lifestyle, long-term perspective, and a balanced approach to investing, stressing that financial success is more about mindset and discipline than about technical financial knowledge[2][3][4].
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Cliff Weitzman is one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met, he’s the CEO and founder of Speechify, which is the #1 text-to-speech app that converts books and anything on the internet into an audiobook. Cliff originally built Speechify because he has dyslexia and growing up struggled to read, but after sharing it with the rest of the world the app has now been downloaded by 20 million+ users. Cliff is only just getting started having done all of this in his 20s and being listed in Forbes’ magazine's 30 Under 30 list. In the conversation we talk about how Cliff developed the Speechify app, the life lessons he learned along the way, how speed listening is a superpower and why the best thing you can do is put more love out into the world. Enjoy!
(00:00) Intro
(02:12) Your childhood and growing up with dyslexia
(11:09) Your ambitiousness
(14:17) Building a text-to-speech program
(18:12) Why listening is a superpower
(24:00) Reading 100 books a year with speed listening
(40:20) Do you have a note taking process for listening?
(45:24) Life lessons from building Speechify
(01:02:44) Expanding your network & the power of adding value
(01:17:45) How to avoid procrastination
(01:22:11) Organising your life and maintaining relationships
(01:37:29) Tips for putting more love into the world
🔗 CONNECT WITH CLIFF
🎥 YouTube Channel
💻 Website
📸 Instagram
🐦 Twitter
👥 Linkedin
🔗 CONNECT WITH ALI
📚 Download my FREE 100 Books To Live Your Best Life Reading List
🎥 YouTube Channel
💻 Website
📸 Instagram
🐦 Twitter
👥 Linkedin
Find the show notes and the transcript on the website: https://aliabdaal.com/podcast/
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Creators & Guests
- Amber Baxter-Clarke - Producer
- Ali Abdaal - Host
Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal 
