Talking Books

(1:19) Succeeding as an independent media personality (8:11) Thoughts on trans issues (15:30) Handicapping Trump's chances in 2024 vs 2016 and Kamala Harris compared to Hillary Clinton (24:05) Thoughts on legal action against Trump (30:10) How politicians have changed; improving life in America through community

Dedicated to Lewis’s friend and colleague J.R.R. Tolkien... The narrative takes the form of a series of letters from Screwtape, a devil high in the Infernal Civil Service, to his nephew Wormwood, a junior colleague engaged in his first mission on earth trying to secure the damnation of a young man who has just become a Christian. Although the young man initially looks to be a willing victim, he changes his ways and is ‘lost’ to the young devil.

Neither plant nor animal, they are found throughout the earth, the air and our bodies. They can be microscopic, yet also account for the largest organisms ever recorded. They enabled the first life on land, can survive unprotected in space and thrive amidst nuclear radiation. In fact, nearly all life relies in some way on fungi.These endlessly surprising organisms have no brain but can solve problems and manipulate animal behaviour with devastating precision. In giving us bread, alcohol and life-saving medicines, fungi have shaped human history, and their psychedelic properties have recently been shown to alleviate a number of mental illnesses. Their ability to digest plastic, explosives, pesticides and crude oil is being harnessed in break-through technologies, and the discovery that they connect plants in underground networks, the 'Wood Wide Web', is transforming the way we understand ecosystems. Yet over ninety percent of their species remain undocumented.

Until it was pulled down, the Walled City was Hong Kong's most foreboding territory. It was a lawless place, dominated by the Triads, and which the police hesitated to enter. Strangers were unwelcome. Drug smuggling and heroin addiction flourished, as did prostitution and pornography, extortion and fear.

Until it was pulled down, the Walled City was Hong Kong's most foreboding territory. It was a lawless place, dominated by the Triads, and which the police hesitated to enter. Strangers were unwelcome. Drug smuggling and heroin addiction flourished, as did prostitution and pornography, extortion and fear.

Exploring love in all its forms from romance, friendship, and parenting to grief and heartbreak. 

Atlas of the Heart maps out a series of human emotions and their meaning and explores the psychology behind a human's feelings and how they make up our lives.

A memoir by Lori Gottlieb highlighting the transformative power of therapy through Lori's personal journey and experiences working as a therapist.

(1:41) What Sergey is working on at Google (5:45) Is Google chasing a "God Model"? (8:49) Thoughts on the massive AI chip buildout (12:54) Future of human-AI interaction (14:58) Changing Google's conservative product culture (18:21) Is the "Race to AGI" overblown?

0:00 How This Conversation Happened 1:03 Simon and Trevor's Latest Obsession 2:40 The Sacrifice of Friendship for Success 6:15 Addiction and Community 8:20 Are You a Good Friend? 11:30 Maintaining Friendships While Traveling 14:18 The Power of Asking for Help 15:28 Do Women Understand Friendship Better Than Men? 16:25 The Rise of Angry, Isolated Men and The Global Crisis of Loneliness 19:21 Friendship vs. Success: Prioritizing People Over Work 22:01 How Ignoring Friendships Affects Romantic Relationships