The Productivity Show 6 Underrated Books Every Productive Person Should Read (TPS589)
Explore the world of underrated books that can truly transform your productivity. Discover a journaling book with 3,001 questions to unlock self-discovery. Delve into frameworks like 'Start Finishing' that help complete projects and confront mental barriers. Learn how to conduct premortems to prevent future regrets and make smarter decisions. Uncover insights from titles like 'The Road Less Stupid' and 'Slide:ology' for effective communication. These hidden gems are essential reads for anyone looking to boost their productivity!
52:31
Testing An AI Wearable For Capturing Actions
- Tian described trying a Limitless AI pendant that transcribes conversations and drafts follow-up emails for you.
- He expects this wearable to speed capture of action items and daily digests once he receives it.
Use A Question Book For Deep Reflection
- Use a question book like 3001 Questions All About Me for focused journaling during trips or thinking sessions.
- Randomly open the book and journal 10–15 minutes per question to increase self-awareness and decision clarity.
Using Questions During A Fasting Retreat
- Tian used 3001 Questions during a three-day water fast retreat to stay off his phone and journal deeply.
- Random prompts led him into rabbit holes of self-discovery and productive strategic thinking.
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Intro
00:00 • 2min
Defining 'Underrated' Books
01:38 • 1min
3001 Questions for Self-Discovery
02:40 • 10min
Using Thought Prompts During Travel
12:51 • 4min
Ad break
16:21 • 3min
Start Finishing: Finish What You Start
18:55 • 4min
Practical Frameworks and Head Trash
22:30 • 4min
The Road Less Stupid: Premortems
26:45 • 4min
Ad break
30:58 • 4min
Slide:ology — Visual Persuasion Skills
34:59 • 6min
Sapiens: Understanding Human Behavior
40:45 • 6min
Four Obsessions of Extraordinary Executives
47:00 • 5min
Outro
52:23 • 7sec
#13
• Mentioned in 365 episodes
Sapiens
A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah Harari
This book surveys the history of humankind from the Stone Age to the 21st century, focusing on Homo sapiens.
It divides human history into four major parts: the Cognitive Revolution, the Agricultural Revolution, the Unification of Humankind, and the Scientific Revolution.
Harari argues that Homo sapiens dominate the world due to their unique ability to cooperate in large numbers through beliefs in imagined realities such as gods, nations, money, and human rights.
The book also examines the impact of human activities on the global ecosystem and speculates on the future of humanity, including the potential for genetic engineering and non-organic life.
#7372
• Mentioned in 5 episodes
Start Finishing
Charlie Gilkey
In 'Start Finishing', Charlie Gilkey offers a systematic approach to productivity, focusing on converting ideas into actionable projects and completing them.
The book provides strategies like 'chunking', 'linking', and 'sequencing' to manage projects effectively.
It emphasizes the importance of collaboration, setting meaningful goals, and creating a supportive environment to achieve success.
#7521
• Mentioned in 5 episodes
slide:ology
The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations
Nancy Duarte
slide:ology, written by Nancy Duarte, combines conceptual thinking and inspirational design to help readers create influential presentations.
The book provides practical approaches to visual story development, including connecting with specific audiences, turning ideas into informative graphics, and utilizing presentation technology effectively.
It also includes insightful case studies from leading brands and emphasizes the importance of being a visual thinker to create impactful presentations.
#2
• Mentioned in 1,061 episodes
Atomic Habits
James Clear
Atomic Habits by James Clear provides a practical and scientifically-backed guide to forming good habits and breaking bad ones.
The book introduces the Four Laws of Behavior Change: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying.
It also emphasizes the importance of small, incremental changes (atomic habits) that compound over time to produce significant results.
Clear discusses techniques such as habit stacking, optimizing the environment to support desired habits, and focusing on continuous improvement rather than goal fixation.
The book is filled with actionable strategies, real-life examples, and stories from various fields, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to improve their habits and achieve personal growth.
#778
• Mentioned in 36 episodes
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living
Dale Carnegie
In 'How to Stop Worrying and Start Living', Dale Carnegie provides a set of practical formulas and techniques to help readers overcome their worry habits.
The book, first published in 1948, has been updated and remains highly relevant today.
It offers advice on how to eliminate business and financial worries, avoid fatigue, improve sleep, and cultivate a mental attitude that brings peace and happiness.
Carnegie's approach includes rules such as living in 'day-tight compartments', accepting the worst-case scenario, and keeping busy to crowd out worry.
The book is filled with inspiring examples and stories of people who have successfully applied these principles to achieve a more enjoyable and fulfilling life.
#209
• Mentioned in 90 episodes
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
A Leadership Fable
Patrick Lencioni
This book explores the fundamental causes of team failure and organizational politics through a narrative about a fictional company, DecisionTech, Inc. It outlines five dysfunctions: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results.
The book provides practical advice and real-world examples to help teams overcome these dysfunctions and become high-performing teams.
#881
• Mentioned in 33 episodes
The Road Less Stupid
Keith J. Cunningham
The Road Less Stupid is a business guide that emphasizes the need to minimize dumb decisions and maximize critical thinking.
The book, written by Keith J. Cunningham, highlights the concept of 'dumb tax' – the financial and emotional costs of making poor business decisions.
It advocates for regular 'Thinking Time' to reflect on business challenges, separate problems from symptoms, and make informed decisions.
The book is structured with short chapters and reflective questions to help business owners improve their decision-making skills and avoid costly mistakes.
#17577
• Mentioned in 2 episodes
The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive
A Leadership Fable
Patrick Lencioni
In 'The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive,' Patrick Lencioni uses a business fable to illustrate four essential disciplines for organizational health: building a cohesive leadership team, creating organizational clarity, over-communicating clarity, and reinforcing clarity through human systems.
The book emphasizes the importance of organizational health over intelligence or strategic prowess for long-term success.
#16062
• Mentioned in 3 episodes
How to have a good day
Caroline Webb
In 'How to Have a Good Day', Caroline Webb translates recent findings from behavioral economics, psychology, and neuroscience into actionable strategies for enhancing daily work performance.
The book provides step-by-step guidance on setting priorities, managing time effectively, and boosting energy levels, helping readers navigate common workplace challenges with ease.
#29
• Mentioned in 270 episodes
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Stephen R Covey
This book, first published in 1989, outlines seven habits that are designed to help individuals become more effective in their personal and professional lives.
The habits are grouped into three categories: Private Victory (habits 1-3), Public Victory (habits 4-6), and Renewal (habit 7).
The habits include being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, putting first things first, thinking win-win, seeking first to understand and then to be understood, synergizing, and sharpening the saw.
Covey emphasizes the importance of personal integrity, effective time management, empathetic communication, and continuous self-improvement.
#1746
• Mentioned in 20 episodes
The Power of Full Engagement
Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal
Tony Schwartz
Jim Loehr
This New York Times bestseller provides a scientifically based approach to managing energy more skillfully both on and off the job.
The book outlines key training principles to mobilize four key sources of energy (physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual), balance energy expenditure with intermittent energy renewal, expand capacity systematically, and create positive energy management rituals.
It offers a life-changing roadmap to becoming fully engaged, meaning physically energized, emotionally connected, mentally focused, and spiritually aligned.
#1472
• Mentioned in 23 episodes
30 lessons for living
Karl Pillemer
In this book, Karl Pillemer compiles 30 key lessons for living a fulfilling life, derived from his five-year project of interviewing more than 1,000 Americans over the age of 65.
The book covers a wide range of topics including marriage, parenting, career, aging, and living without regrets.
It weaves together personal recollections and hard-won advice from these 'wisest Americans,' providing practical and inspirational guidance for readers.
The lessons are categorized into areas such as happy marriages, successful careers, effective parenting, and aging fearlessly, offering a comprehensive guide to living well.
#13
• Mentioned in 365 episodes
Sapiens
A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah Harari
This book surveys the history of humankind from the Stone Age to the 21st century, focusing on Homo sapiens.
It divides human history into four major parts: the Cognitive Revolution, the Agricultural Revolution, the Unification of Humankind, and the Scientific Revolution.
Harari argues that Homo sapiens dominate the world due to their unique ability to cooperate in large numbers through beliefs in imagined realities such as gods, nations, money, and human rights.
The book also examines the impact of human activities on the global ecosystem and speculates on the future of humanity, including the potential for genetic engineering and non-organic life.
#881
• Mentioned in 33 episodes
The Road Less Stupid
Keith J. Cunningham
The Road Less Stupid is a business guide that emphasizes the need to minimize dumb decisions and maximize critical thinking.
The book, written by Keith J. Cunningham, highlights the concept of 'dumb tax' – the financial and emotional costs of making poor business decisions.
It advocates for regular 'Thinking Time' to reflect on business challenges, separate problems from symptoms, and make informed decisions.
The book is structured with short chapters and reflective questions to help business owners improve their decision-making skills and avoid costly mistakes.
#7521
• Mentioned in 5 episodes
slide:ology
The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations
Nancy Duarte
slide:ology, written by Nancy Duarte, combines conceptual thinking and inspirational design to help readers create influential presentations.
The book provides practical approaches to visual story development, including connecting with specific audiences, turning ideas into informative graphics, and utilizing presentation technology effectively.
It also includes insightful case studies from leading brands and emphasizes the importance of being a visual thinker to create impactful presentations.
#17577
• Mentioned in 2 episodes
The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive
A Leadership Fable
Patrick Lencioni
In 'The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive,' Patrick Lencioni uses a business fable to illustrate four essential disciplines for organizational health: building a cohesive leadership team, creating organizational clarity, over-communicating clarity, and reinforcing clarity through human systems.
The book emphasizes the importance of organizational health over intelligence or strategic prowess for long-term success.
#7372
• Mentioned in 5 episodes
Start Finishing
Charlie Gilkey
In 'Start Finishing', Charlie Gilkey offers a systematic approach to productivity, focusing on converting ideas into actionable projects and completing them.
The book provides strategies like 'chunking', 'linking', and 'sequencing' to manage projects effectively.
It emphasizes the importance of collaboration, setting meaningful goals, and creating a supportive environment to achieve success.
Ever wonder why some books quietly change your life while the big bestsellers barely move the needle? In this episode, we spotlight six underrated reads that never make the productivity “top 10” lists—but absolutely should. These are the books that have shaped how we think, plan, lead, and make decisions, even though they rarely get the attention they deserve.
If you’re looking for your next meaningful read (and not just the next trendy one) this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
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An unexpected air-fryer trick you’ll wish you knew sooner [00:29]
Top 3 Productivity Resources [01:30]
What really makes a book “underrated”? [04:40]
The journaling book that unlocks 3,001 questions about yourself [07:32]
The framework that helps you finally finish what you start [18:56]
How AI can quietly supercharge your productivity systems [24:36]
A smarter way to get past resistance and overwhelm [25:38]
Why “The Road Less Stupid” might save you from costly mistakes [26:40]
How a simple pre-mortem can prevent future regrets [28:19]
The visual-thinking skill most presentations are missing [34:59]
The human-evolution insight that explains modern behavior [40:49]
Four habits that set exceptional leaders apart [46:58]
Links:
- Masterclass
- Gusto
- DripDrop
- 25X Productivity Coaching
- Atomic Habits — James Clear
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People — Stephen R. Covey
- The Power of Full Engagement — Jim Loehr & Tony Schwartz
- How to Have a Good Day — Caroline Webb
- How to Stop Worrying and Start Living — Dale Carnegie
- 30 Lessons for Living: Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans — Karl Pillemer
- 3001 Questions All About Me
- Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done — Charlie Gilkey
- The Road Less Stupid: Advice from the Chairman of the Board — Keith J. Cunningham
- Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations — Nancy Duarte
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind — Yuval Noah Harari
- The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive — Patrick Lencioni
- Productivity Academy
- The Productivity Show on Youtube
- The Productivity Show Youtube Clips
- Become a member of TPS+
- Take the Productivity Quiz
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