In 'Your Turn: How to Be an Adult', Julie Lythcott-Haims provides a groundbreakingly frank guide to adulthood. The book focuses on the process of becoming an adult, rather than adhering to traditional markers such as finishing education, getting a job, leaving home, marrying, and having children. Lythcott-Haims offers compassion, personal experience, and practical strategies for living a more authentic adulthood. She includes interviews with diverse individuals who have successfully launched their adult lives, emphasizing the importance of personal integrity, moral behavior, self-compassion, and self-love. The book encourages readers to take an active role in shaping their lives, learn to fend for themselves, and build meaningful relationships and careers[3][4][5].
In this book, Julie Lythcott-Haims draws on research, conversations with admissions officers, educators, and employers, and her own insights as a mother and student dean to highlight the ways in which overparenting harms children, their stressed-out parents, and society at large. She offers practical alternative strategies that emphasize the importance of allowing children to make their own mistakes and develop the resilience, resourcefulness, and inner determination necessary for success. The book is relevant to parents of toddlers, teens, and twentysomethings, and serves as a rallying cry for those who wish to ensure the next generation can take charge of their own lives with competence and confidence.
In 'Real American,' Julie Lythcott-Haims shares a deeply personal and candid look at her experiences growing up as a biracial woman. The book is a collection of vignettes that address her internal struggles with race, identity, and belonging. It delves into microaggressions, discrimination, and racism, and how these factors have shaped her life. The memoir also highlights the healing power of community in overcoming the isolation and self-loathing that often accompany being considered 'the other.' Lythcott-Haims' narrative is a powerful exploration of what it means to be Black in America and her path to self-love and acceptance.
In this book, David Epstein examines the success of generalists in various fields, including sports, arts, music, invention, forecasting, and science. He argues that generalists, who often find their path late and juggle multiple interests, are more creative, agile, and able to make connections that specialists cannot. Epstein uses stories and research studies to show that wide sampling and late specialization can be more valuable than early specialization, especially in complex and unpredictable environments. He also discusses the distinction between 'kind' and 'wicked' learning environments and the importance of balancing specialization with range for long-term success[2][4][5].
Voicing Change is a culmination of Rich Roll's eight-year journey of interviewing unique thinkers and visionaries on his acclaimed podcast. The book distills the collective wisdom from these conversations into thoughtful essays and first-person wisdom, focusing on themes of intentional living, life lessons, and enduring inspiration.
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.
Created by Rich Roll and Julie Piatt, this book shares their experiences and the health benefits of a plant-based lifestyle. It includes a variety of easy-to-prepare whole food recipes, such as hearty breakfasts, lunches, dinners, smoothies, juices, and desserts. The book is not just a recipe collection but a comprehensive guide to long-term wellness, body, mind, and spirit health, and a celebration of a simple and sustainable lifestyle.
I love my parents. I grew up with a world-class education. And yet, nobody actually ever taught me how to be an adult.
As a result, I made a ton of avoidable mistakes. I suffered far more than necessary. And I fumbled in the dark for years until eventually, I figured a few things out. Unfortunately, my experience is all too common.
Today’s guest—a woman who spent years mentoring and advising some of the brightest young people in the entire world—would agree, so she decided to do something about it.
Julie Lythcott-Haims is the former dean of freshmen and undergraduate advising at Stanford University, where she earned her B.A. (as my classmate) before obtaining a law degree from Harvard and a master’s in fine arts and writing from California College of the Arts.
Today Julie is an author and authority on what we now call—in Millenial parlance—adulting. Her TED Talk 'How to raise successful kids without over-parenting' has over 5 million views, and her books include the New York Times bestseller, How To Raise An Adult and Real American—a memoir centered on coming to terms with her racial identity.
Julie’s latest work and the focus of today’s conversation is Your Turn: How To Be An Adult. For those just emerging into the grown-up world, it’s a must-read life handbook. For parents, it’s a must-gift for your young ones entering their adult phase of life. All in all, it’s a guide I very much wish existed during my formative years.
This conversation is packed with practical insights for both parents and young people alike. We cover the downfalls of being a helicopter parent, the importance of learning conversation skills, and why paying attention to what you like and don’t like is more important than finding a purpose.
But more than anything, this conversation is about why diversity and inclusivity are vital in parenting, educating, and adulting.
To read more click here. You can also watch listen to our exchange on YouTube. And as always, the podcast streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
This is appointment listening for young people emerging into the world or parents striving to best guide their kids into maturity. But no matter your age, we can all use some wisdom about how to grow up a little bit more.
Peace + Plants,
Rich
The Rich Roll Podcast 
