
Book Insights Podcast
Check us out at podcast.memod.com for our entire library of podcast episodes!
Each week we do a deep dive into a nonfiction bestseller. Self-Help. Psychology. Business. Philosophy. In around 30 minutes we cover the major themes and ideas of a recent hit, an important work, or an ancient classic.
The result: concentrated wisdom that goes beyond the headlines, makes you think and helps you succeed in relationships, career, or business.
The podcast builds on the work of Tom Butler-Bowdon, author of the “50 Classics series”.
Latest episodes

Jun 30, 2021 • 27min
Are You #CrushingIt @ Social Media?: Book Insights on Crushing It by Gary Vaynerchuk
*Crushing It sets out the basic principles for an innovative mindset and understanding the social media landscape as it is today.
*Through many examples, it provides a blueprint on how to succeed in social media marketing.
*Crushing It breaks down in detail the importance of building a personal brand to further yourself in your niche or trade.
Note: This Book Insight contains explicit language and mature themes.
Theme 1: Your Personal Brand - 0:29
Theme 2: Social Media Success - 9:00
Theme 3: Journey as Content - 17:39
Like what you hear? Be sure to like & subscribe to support this podcast! Also leave a comment and let us know your thoughts on the episode.
You can also get a free weekly email about the Book Insight of the week. Subscribe at memod.com/insights
Want quick save-able, share-able bullet points on this book? Check out the Memo: https://memod.com/MrBusiness/how-can-i-make-a-living-from-social-media-234
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO BOOK INSIGHTS. READY FOR MORE LEARNING? Get unlimited access to our entire collection of Book Insights on over 100 nonfiction bestsellers with a subscription at http://memod.com/insights
HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEWS MENTIONED IN TODAYS' EPISODE HERE:
Vaynerchuk, Gary. “Gary Vaynerchuk on Crushing It!” YouTube, Fox, 13 Feb. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=voCAk0XQis8.
Xavier, Brittany. “I Designed My First Clothing Collection // BrittanyXavier.” YouTube, YouTube, 6 Dec. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBGrsJbKO98&list=PLG1-IHekZ7bQcShLZ75bjZj4GKbmn8w4E.
Vaynerchuk, Gary. “Charging Clients, Personal Brand or Business Brand & Advice to a Senior in College | #AskGaryVee 239.” YouTube, YouTube, 24 Jan. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=h346DR1kf0c.
WineLibraryTV. “Episode 1 - Verite.” YouTube, YouTube, 17 May 2006, www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vo0nykupIo.
Confidential, The Skinny. “Corrective Double Jaw Surgery Experience | Post OP Swelling & Recovery.” YouTube, YouTube, 12 Oct. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=T60VKRGSvmQ.
Vaynerchuk, Gary. “Document, Don't Create.” YouTube, YouTube, 6 Sept. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVKofRN1dyI.
G, Mimi. “Mimi G on Women Being Submissive to Men.” YouTube, YouTube, 10 Jan. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yG3l249PC4.
Durgam, Chithra. “Chit-Chat with Dr. Chithra Durgam Featured in ‘Crushing It’ by Garyvee at Wine Library, Episode 2.” YouTube, YouTube, 10 Dec. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHmlGLY5cgU&index=6&list=PLIsAs6P3dNq4wFCXNPZ1pMIc-uuaBMmiv.
Full Title: Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too
Year of Publication: 2018
Book Author: Gary Vaynerchuk
To purchase the complete edition of this book click here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077MPRHKJ/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_B7MYD3YY4575SDKD1D08
Book Insight Writer: William Sims
Editor: Tom Butler-Bowden
Producer: Gabriel Mara
Production Manager: Karin Richey
Curator: Tom Butler-Bowden
Narrator: Elliott Schiff

Jun 23, 2021 • 38min
Book Lounge - The One Thing with guest Katrina Aronson
Today in the Book Lounge, Tom & Karin discuss the book The One Thing with special guest Katrina Aronson.
Each week Book Insights creator and author of The 50 Classics Series Tom Butler-Bowdon and Memo’d Program Manager Karin Richey invite you to join their fun and casual conversation about the book of the week. Hear what they love it about, what they don’t, how they rate it, and how it can advance your work and life. You’ll learn why it was selected to be part of the curated list of Book Insights, and what’s new with the book or the author currently.
This week, Tom and Karin offer you insight on:
*Katrina shares client stories about entrepreneurs who found their "one thing", focused on that, and the results they saw.
*Explore examples like Steve Jobs and learn about the things they allowed to fall off the priority list in order to make space for their "one thing."
*Learn how anyone can determine their "one thing" and begin to practice prioritizing it instead of mindlessly multitasking while accomplishing very little.
Want quick saveable, shareable bullet points on today's podcast? Check out the Memo: https://memod.com/KarinRichey/the-one-thing-with-katrina-aronson-2648
Show Notes:
Meet Katrina Aronson, she is a marketing and strategy coach for small businesses and entrepreneurs. She's helped dozens and dozens of creative female business owners scale their companies and make a profit.
https://www.katrinaaronson.com/
What is the difference between Book Insights episodes and Book Lounge episodes?
Book Insights are formal, structured summary, analysis and exploration of a bestselling nonfiction book. Each episode is read by a professional voice actor and will introduce a new title selected specifically for its value to your work and life. Book Lounge episodes are casual discussions about the book, the author, and anything else that comes along through the course of conversation. It’s more of a broad chat about how the book relates to current, everyday life.
Should I listen to both the Book Insight and the Book Lounge episode on the same book?
Sure! Each episode works fine as a standalone piece, so no requirement to listen to both or to listen in any particular order, but we definitely recommend (and think you’ll enjoy!) both. Think of it like reading a book and liking it so much you want to chat about it on the porch with a friend. That is the vibe at the Book Lounge.
Like what you hear? Be sure to like & subscribe to support this podcast! Also leave a comment and let us know your thoughts on the episode.
You can also get a free weekly email about the Book Insight of the week.
Subscribe at memod.com/insights
Audio Producer: Daniel Gonzalez
Hosts: Tom Butler-Bowdon & Karin Richey

Jun 16, 2021 • 27min
Find Your 1 Thing: Book Insights on The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
Explore the power of focus as discussed in a fresh take on success! Discover how narrowing your attention to one primary goal can lead to extraordinary results. The conversation debunks common myths that may be hindering your achievements. Learn the difference between mere activity and genuine productivity. Delve into the concept of time blocking as a strategy to maximize focus and efficiency in your daily life.

Jun 9, 2021 • 55min
Book Lounge - Mindset by Carol Dweck with guest Trevor Ragan
Today in the Book Lounge, Tom & Karin discuss the book Mindset with special guest Trevor Ragan.
Each week Book Insights creator and author of The 50 Classics Series Tom Butler-Bowdon and Memo’d Program Manager Karin Richey invite you to join their fun and casual conversation about the book of the week. Hear what they love it about, what they don’t, how they rate it, and how it can advance your work and life. You’ll learn why it was selected to be part of the curated list of Book Insights, and what’s new with the book or the author currently.
This week, Tom and Karin offer you insight on:
*What Growth and Fixed Mindsets are, and the fluid nature of both. How we all can encompass each of the mindsets at different times, situations and as they relate to particular skills.
*The risk of praising outcomes rather than efforts and how to foster Growth Mindset in yourself, your students, children, employees or those around you.
*How Trevor Ragan has used Growth Mindset when consulting with everyone from MLB coaches to CEOs to kindergarten students.
Want quick saveable, shareable bullet points on today's podcast? Check out the Memo: https://memod.com/KarinRichey/mindset-with-trevor-ragan-2634
Show Notes:
Meet Trevor Ragan: He's a TedX speaker, podcaster and founder of The Learner Lab - which focuses on the science of learning. He’s worked with professional athletes, Fortune 500 companies, and in hundreds of schools helping people understand and apply become better learners.
https://thelearnerlab.com/
BONUS: Want a laugh? SNL has a hilarious sketch that perfectly illustrates what can happen when we get stuck in a Fixed Mindset:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o_rwJwqkDc
What is the difference between Book Insights episodes and Book Lounge episodes?
Book Insights are formal, structured summary, analysis and exploration of a bestselling nonfiction book. Each episode is read by a professional voice actor and will introduce a new title selected specifically for its value to your work and life. Book Lounge episodes are casual discussions about the book, the author, and anything else that comes along through the course of conversation. It’s more of a broad chat about how the book relates to current, everyday life.
Should I listen to both the Book Insight and the Book Lounge episode on the same book?
Sure! Each episode works fine as a standalone piece, so no requirement to listen to both or to listen in any particular order, but we definitely recommend (and think you’ll enjoy!) both. Think of it like reading a book and liking it so much you want to chat about it on the porch with a friend. That is the vibe at the Book Lounge.
Like what you hear? Be sure to like & subscribe to support this podcast! Also leave a comment and let us know your thoughts on the episode.
You can also get a free weekly email about the Book Insight of the week.
Subscribe at memod.com/insights
Audio Producer: Daniel Gonzalez
Hosts: Tom Butler-Bowdon & Karin Richey

Jun 2, 2021 • 28min
How Growth Mindset Can Change Your Life: Book Insights on Mindset by Carol Dweck
* Carol Dweck's Mindset: The New Psychology of Success is a very influential book in the field of social psychology.
* It contrasts the ‘fixed’ mindset with the ‘growth’ mindset. With a growth mindset, we see our natural traits or abilities simply as a starting point, and through experience, effort and learning move towards what we want to do or be.
* Our IQ or personality form part of our potential only, rather than restricting us. Life is about the excitement of wondering how far we can go by developing our interests and skills to the max. If the fixed mindset sees our qualities as carved in stone, the growth mindset sees them as a moveable feast.
* Each puts us on quite different paths of thought and action. Dweck’s research shows how the unspoken beliefs we have can affect our chances for self-confidence, happiness and success.
Theme 1: The Psychology of Mindsets - 0:29
Theme 2: How Mindsets Work in the Real World - 9:19
Theme 3: From Fixed to Growth Mindsets - 19:09
Like what you hear? Be sure to like & subscribe to support this podcast! Also leave a comment and let us know your thoughts on the episode.
You can also get a free weekly email about the Book Insight of the week. Subscribe at memod.com/insights
Want quick save-able, share-able bullet points on this book? Check out the Memo:
https://memod.com/KarinRichey/carol-dweck-s-mindset-tips-to-help-your-student-succeed-207
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO BOOK INSIGHTS. READY FOR MORE LEARNING? Get unlimited access to our entire collection of Book Insights on over 100 nonfiction bestsellers with a subscription at http://memod.com/insights
HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEWS MENTIONED IN TODAYS' EPISODE HERE:
Dweck, Carol. “Transcript of ‘The Power of Believing That You Can Improve.’” Ted, Ted, www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve/transcript.
Full Title: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Year of Publication: 2006
Book Author: Carol Dweck
To purchase the complete edition of this book click here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N48NM33/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_HCC68TD2970VQE09FWJ2
Book Insight Writer: Dinsa Sachan
Editor: Morwenna Loughman
Producer: Daniel Gonzalez
Production Manager: Karin Richey
Curator: Tom Butler-Bowden
Narrator: Kristi Burns

May 26, 2021 • 46min
Book Lounge - Women and Money by Suze Orman with guests Anjie & RJ
Today in the Book Lounge, Tom & Karin discuss the book Women and Money with special guests Anjie & RJ.
Each week Book Insights creator and author of The 50 Classics Series Tom Butler-Bowdon and Memo’d Program Manager Karin Richey invite you to join their fun and casual conversation about the book of the week. Hear what they love it about, what they don’t, how they rate it, and how it can advance your work and life. You’ll learn why it was selected to be part of the curated list of Book Insights, and what’s new with the book or the author currently.
This week, Tom and Karin offer you insight on:
*Anjie & RJ share their most valuable tips for cutting down expenses and reaching your financial goals.
*Hear about the struggles women in particular face as well as the unique strengths they have when it comes to personal finance management.
*Learn Suze Orman's advice on stimulus payment use and her recommendations for post-pandemic budgeting.
Show Notes:
Meet Anjie & RJ! They are the married millennials who run the popular personal finance Instagram account @RichByIntention. The two are budgeting pros as demonstrated by their having paid off over $100k in student loan debt in less than 12 months.
https://www.richbyintention.com/
https://www.instagram.com/richbyintention/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/richbyintention?lang=en
https://www.facebook.com/richbyintention/
What is the difference between Book Insights episodes and Book Lounge episodes?
Book Insights are formal, structured summary, analysis and exploration of a bestselling nonfiction book. Each episode is read by a professional voice actor and will introduce a new title selected specifically for its value to your work and life. Book Lounge episodes are casual discussions about the book, the author, and anything else that comes along through the course of conversation. It’s more of a broad chat about how the book relates to current, everyday life.
Should I listen to both the Book Insight and the Book Lounge episode on the same book?
Sure! Each episode works fine as a standalone piece, so no requirement to listen to both or to listen in any particular order, but we definitely recommend (and think you’ll enjoy!) both. Think of it like reading a book and liking it so much you want to chat about it on the porch with a friend. That is the vibe at the Book Lounge.
Like what you hear? Be sure to like & subscribe to support this podcast! Also leave a comment and let us know your thoughts on the episode.
You can also get a free weekly email about the Book Insight of the week.
Subscribe at memod.com/insights
Audio Producer: Daniel Gonzalez
Hosts: Tom Butler-Bowdon & Karin Richey

May 19, 2021 • 18min
Suze Orman's $ Advice for Women: Book Insights on Women and Money by Suze Orman
* Working as a waitress, Suze Orman had dreams of opening up a café of her own. She was lucky enough to receive $20,000 to help get her idea off the ground, but less fortunate in her investment choices.
* With no financial know-how, she allowed her broker to put the cash into highly risky investments, and eventually lost it all.
* Fast forward a couple of decades, and Orman is one of America’s most recognized authorities on personal finance, with a thriving financial planning business, many books to her name and a popular television show.
* In Women and Money, she taps into her own transformative experience to explain the obstacles women face, how to educate yourself in money matters, master negotiation and financial organization, and ultimately sort out your finances so that you can be free to focus on what you love.
Theme 1: Women, Money & Love - 0:29
Theme 2: Money & Happiness - 9:03
Like what you hear? Be sure to like & subscribe to support this podcast! Also leave a comment and let us know your thoughts on the episode.
You can also get a free weekly email about the Book Insight of the week. Subscribe at memod.com/insights
Want quick save-able, share-able bullet points on today's podcast? Check out the Memo:
https://memod.com/JorgeF/what-does-financial-guru-suze-orman-advise-women-to-do-to-improve-their-personal-finances-284
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO BOOK INSIGHTS. READY FOR MORE LEARNING? Get unlimited access to our entire collection of Book Insights on over 100 nonfiction bestsellers with a subscription at http://memod.com/insights
HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEWS MENTIONED IN TODAYS' EPISODE HERE:
FM, Breakfast Club Power 105.1. “Financial Expert Suze Orman Talks Women And Money, Arguing With Master P + More.” YouTube, YouTube, 17 Sept. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAQ2SS_6R2c&t=1138s.
JennyMcCarthyTV. “Suze Orman on The Jenny McCarthy Show.” YouTube, YouTube, 13 Sept. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7yrAtR5ixo.
Full Title: Women and Money
Year of Publication: 2007
Book Author: Suze Orman
To purchase the complete edition of this book click here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G2LF27G/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_4GCHJDKR2MKRPQG63WC6
Book Insight Writer: Tom Butler-Bowden
Editor: Tom Butler-Bowden
Producer: Daniel Gonzalez
Production Manager: Karin Richey
Curator: Tom Butler-Bowden
Narrator: Carrie Steele

May 12, 2021 • 55min
Book Lounge - The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber with guest Marcus Garrett
Today in the Book Lounge, Tom & Karin discuss the book The E-Myth Revisited with special guest Marcus Garrett.
Each week Book Insights creator and author of The 50 Classics Series Tom Butler-Bowdon and Memo’d Program Manager Karin Richey invite you to join their fun and casual conversation about the book of the week. Hear what they love it about, what they don’t, how they rate it, and how it can advance your work and life. You’ll learn why it was selected to be part of the curated list of Book Insights, and what’s new with the book or the author currently.
This week, Tom and Karin offer you insight on:
*Author Michael Gerber's tough love approach to entrepreneurship and why most small businesses fail.
*How both Marcus and Karin got swept up into MLM sales types jobs and how the dream of unlimited potential can get in the way of the logistics necessary to make it happen.
*How Marcus Garrett handles seeing himself as a "technician" and even sees his own successful business as "in infancy" stages in some ways, and what he is doing about it.
Show Notes:
Meet Marcus Garrett: Marcus co-founded an award-winning personal finance business dedicated to helping working professionals make money, save money, and get out of debt--reaching over 2 million downloads--before selling his stake in 2020.
Today, his brand and business, The Marcus Garrett, LLC., helps employees and entrepreneurs like you reach financial independence by monetizing their online brands as he has repeatedly done over the last decade.
https://www.themarcusgarrett.com/
https://www.instagram.com/TheMarcusGarrett/
https://twitter.com/TheMarcusGarret
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNPNmvnU4JTHyPMHXMu7itQ
What is the difference between Book Insights episodes and Book Lounge episodes?
Book Insights are formal, structured summary, analysis and exploration of a bestselling nonfiction book. Each episode is read by a professional voice actor and will introduce a new title selected specifically for its value to your work and life. Book Lounge episodes are casual discussions about the book, the author, and anything else that comes along through the course of conversation. It’s more of a broad chat about how the book relates to current, everyday life.
Should I listen to both the Book Insight and the Book Lounge episode on the same book?
Sure! Each episode works fine as a standalone piece, so no requirement to listen to both or to listen in any particular order, but we definitely recommend (and think you’ll enjoy!) both. Think of it like reading a book and liking it so much you want to chat about it on the porch with a friend. That is the vibe at the Book Lounge.
Like what you hear? Be sure to like & subscribe to support this podcast! Also leave a comment and let us know your thoughts on the episode.
You can also get a free weekly email about the Book Insight of the week.
Subscribe at memod.com/insights
Audio Producer: Daniel Gonzalez
Hosts: Tom Butler-Bowdon & Karin Richey

May 5, 2021 • 31min
Entrepreneurship Myths - Busted!: Book Insights on The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber
* When Michael Gerber’s The E-Myth was first published in 1986, the internet was but a glimmer in the eye of Tim Berners-Lee.
* The revised version, The E-Myth Revisited, may have come out in the 21st century, just, but 2001 was still too early for the text to contain any mention of internet pioneers like Mark Zuckerberg or wildly successful YouTubers.
* Nevertheless, this business classic has much to offer entrepreneurs, whether digital revolutionaries or brick-and-mortar store owners.
* Gerber guides readers through the life cycle of a business, from infancy to maturity, and draws the key distinction between working on your business and working in it.
* With more than 25,000 small and emerging business owners as clients, and over two million copies of the book sold, Gerber’s small business theories have stood the test of time.
Theme 1: Understanding the E-Myth - 0:29
Theme 2: The Turn-Key Revolution - 9:45
Theme 3: Creating a World of Your Own - 22:05
Like what you hear? Be sure to like & subscribe to support this podcast! Also leave a comment and let us know your thoughts on the episode.
You can also get a free weekly email about the Book Insight of the week. Subscribe at memod.com/insights
Want quick save-able, share-able bullet points on today's podcast? Check out the Memo: https://memod.com/KarinRichey/the-ent...
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO BOOK INSIGHTS. READY FOR MORE LEARNING? Get unlimited access to our entire collection of Book Insights on over 100 nonfiction bestsellers with a subscription at http://memod.com/insights
HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEWS MENTIONED IN TODAYS' EPISODE HERE:
Podcast, The BiggerPockets. “The Key To Business Success | BiggerPockets Podcast.” The BiggerPockets Blog, 22 Jan. 2019, www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2015/06/04/bp-podcast-125-the-key-to-business-success-with-michael-gerber/.
Full Title: The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It
Year of Publication: 2001
Book Author: Michael Gerber
To purchase the complete edition of this book click here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00094F0ES/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_ZBVYJK3M4RAY2ZBFM6GX
Book Insight Writer: Joe Barnes
Editor: Tom Butler-Bowden
Producer: Daniel Gonzalez
Production Manager: Karin Richey
Curator: Tom Butler-Bowden
Narrator: Elliott Schiff

Apr 28, 2021 • 31min
Get Ruthless With Your Finances! Book Insight on I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
* Ramit Sethi hates big banks and unscrupulous financial advisers. But more than anything else, he hates the laziness and fear that keeps everyday people from educating themselves on finances.
* Step by step, he guides readers on attaining financial independence from paying off student loan debt, to optimizing credit card perks, to learning how to properly invest with minimal effort.
* Sethi admits it’s daunting, but all you ever have to do is get started. Aim for getting 85 percent of the way there and you’ll be 100 percent better off than nearly everyone else.
Theme 1: The 85 Percent Solution 0:29
Theme 2: Be Aggressive in Everything But Investing 8:55
Theme 3: How To Have a Rich Life 22:06
Like what you hear? Be sure to like & subscribe to support this podcast! Also leave a comment and let us know your thoughts on the episode.
You can also get a free weekly email about the Book Insight of the week. Subscribe at memod.com/insights
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO BOOK INSIGHTS. READY FOR MORE LEARNING? Get unlimited access to our entire collection of Book Insights on over 100 nonfiction bestsellers with a subscription at http://memod.com/insights
HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEWS MENTIONED IN TODAYS' EPISODE HERE:
“Ramit Sethi - I Will Teach You to Be Rich.” Mad Fientist, https://www.madfientist.com/ramit-sethi-interview/.
S, Pangambam. “Ramit Sethi Talks@Google on I Will Teach You to Be Rich (Transcript).” The Singju Post, 3 Nov. 2014, https://singjupost.com/ramit-sethi-talksgoogle-will-teach-rich-transcript/6/?singlepage=1.
Full Title: I Will Teach You to Be Rich: No Guilt. No Excuses. No B.S. Just a 6-Week Program That Works
Year of Publication: 2009, 2019
Book Author: Ramit Sethi
To purchase the complete edition of this book click here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QR7GYF7/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_WB563R1Q1A88F515985T
Book Insight Writer: Gabe Mara
Editor: Morwenna Loughman
Producer: Gabe Mara
Production Manager: Karin Richey
Curator: Tom Butler-Bowden
Narrator: Elliott Schiff