Finding Ultra recounts Rich Roll’s remarkable journey from an out-of-shape, mid-life couch potato to one of the world’s top ultrarunners. The book chronicles his battle with alcoholism, his transformation into an elite endurance athlete, and his adoption of a plant-based lifestyle. It includes his experiences in the elite Ultraman competition and the EPIC5, five Ironman-distance triathlons completed in less than a week on different Hawaiian islands. The revised and updated edition provides practical tools, practices, and strategies for optimal performance, longevity, and wellness, making it a guide for anyone seeking to transform their life through self-discovery and a healthier lifestyle.
Getting Things Done (GTD) is a personal productivity system developed by David Allen. The book provides a detailed methodology for managing tasks, projects, and information, emphasizing the importance of capturing all tasks and ideas, clarifying their meaning, organizing them into actionable lists, reviewing the system regularly, and engaging in the tasks. The GTD method is designed to reduce stress and increase productivity by externalizing tasks and using a trusted system to manage them. The book is divided into three parts, covering the overview of the system, its implementation, and the deeper benefits of integrating GTD into one's work and life[2][3][5].
In 'Digital Minimalism', Cal Newport argues that we need to be more intentional about the technologies we allow into our lives. He proposes a philosophy of digital minimalism, where individuals focus their online time on activities that strongly support their values and ignore the rest. The book highlights the negative effects of behavioral addictions created by technology, such as solitude deprivation and the fleeting nature of social media satisfaction. Newport suggests a 30-day 'digital declutter' process and other practices to help readers integrate digital minimalism into their lives, emphasizing the importance of optimizing technology use to support personal goals and values[2][3][5].
In 'Blockchain Revolution,' Don and Alex Tapscott explain the profound impact of blockchain technology on global commerce and society. The book discusses how blockchain facilitates peer-to-peer transactions without intermediaries, ensuring privacy, security, and transparency. It highlights the potential of blockchain to transform various industries, from finance and government to the Internet of Things, and its role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The authors provide a high-level primer on blockchain, making it accessible to readers new to the technology while also exploring its deeper implications and future possibilities.
In 'Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow', Yuval Noah Harari examines the future of humanity, predicting that in the 21st century, humans will strive for happiness, immortality, and god-like powers. The book discusses how technological developments, such as artificial intelligence and genetic engineering, will shape human society. Harari speculates on the possibilities of overcoming death, creating artificial life, and the potential risks and philosophical implications of these advancements. He also explores the impact of humanism, individualism, and transhumanism on our future and questions the continued dominance of humans in a world increasingly driven by data and algorithms.
The E-Myth Revisited challenges the common assumption that most businesses are started by entrepreneurs. Instead, Gerber argues that most businesses are started by technicians who understand the technical work but not the business itself. The book introduces the concept of the E-Myth and explains that successful business owners must balance three roles: the Entrepreneur (the visionary), the Manager (the planner and organizer), and the Technician (the one who performs the technical work). Gerber emphasizes the distinction between working 'in' your business and working 'on' your business, and he provides strategies for systemizing and scaling businesses, including the concept of the Franchise Prototype.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast.
ANNOUNCEMENT: I'm hiring! [0:20]
DEEP DIVE: The Elements of the Deep Life [3:51]
DEEP WORK QUESTIONS
- How should I get started in a new remote work job? [16:56]
- How I time block a purely reactive job? [21:56]
- Should I bother capturing tasks that are fast to complete? [25:26]
- How do I tame multiple concurrent projects? [29:00]
- How do I schedule optional deep work in an exhausting job? [31:58]
DEEP LIFE QUESTIONS
- How much time is left for family after goals and deep work? [38:32]
- Is there such a thing as deep fun? [41:20]
- I am addicted to my phone. What do I do? [43:24]
- How do I make a big life decision when I have lots of options? [49:11]
Thanks to Jay Kerstens for the intro music and Mark Miles for mastering.
Deep Questions with Cal Newport 
