
3 Books With Neil Pasricha
3 Books is a completely insane and totally epic 22-year-long quest to uncover and discuss the 1000 most formative books in the world. Each chapter discusses the 3 most formative books of one of the world's most inspiring people. Sample guests include: Brené Brown, David Sedaris, Malcolm Gladwell, Roxane Gay, Cheryl Strayed, Rich Roll, Soyoung the Variety Store Owner, Derek the Hype Man, Kevin the Bookseller, Shirley The Nurse, Vishwas the Uber Driver, Angie Thomas, David Mitchell, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Mark Manson, Seth Godin, Judy Blume, and Quentin Tarantino. 3 Books is published on the lunar calendar with each of the 333 chapters dropped on the exact minute of every single full moon all the way up to 10:37 PM EST on April 26, 2040. 3 Books is an Apple "Best Of" award-winning show and is 100% non-profit with no ads, no sponsors, no commercials, and no interruptions. 3 Books has 3 clubs including the End of the Podcast Club, the Cover to Cover Club, and the Secret Club, which operates entirely through the mail and is only accessible by calling 1-833-READ-A-LOT. Each chapter is hosted live and in-person at the guest's preferred location by Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Awesome, The Happiness Equation, Two-Minute Mornings, etc.
For more info check out: https://www.3books.co
Latest episodes

Mar 24, 2020 • 1h 3min
Chapter 50: Marcus Buckingham on soul ciphers and strength of self
3 Books is a completely insane and totally epic 15-year-long quest to uncover the 1000 most formative books in the world. Each chapter is hosted live and in-person at the guest's preferred location by Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Awesome, The Happiness Equation, Two-Minute Mornings, etc. Each chapter of 3 Books uncovers and discusses the three most formative books from one of the world's most inspiring people. Sample guests include: Judy Blume, David Sedaris, Chris Anderson of TED, the founder of the world's largest feminist magazine, the world's greatest Uber driver, Pete Holmes, Angie Thomas, and Malcolm Gladwell. Each of the 333 chapters is dropped on the exact minute of every single new moon and full moon until September 1, 2031. 3 Books is an Apple "Best Of" award-winning show and 100% ad-free, commercial-free, sponsor-free, and interruption-free. For more info check out: https://www.3books.co/ Marcus Buckingham is a global researcher, bestselling author, and thought leader focused on unlocking strengths, increasing performance, and pioneering the future of how people work. He is the co-author of two of the bestselling business books of all time including FIRST BREAK ALL THE RULES and NOW, DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS as well as his newest bestseller NINE LIES ABOUT WORK. Building on nearly two decades of experience as a Senior Researcher at Gallup Organization, he currently guides the vision of ADP Research Institute as Head of People + Performance. He founded The Marcus Buckingham Company in 2006 with the clear mission to instigate a "strengths revolution." Chapter Description: Welcome to Chapter 50 of 3 Books! Yes, in the midst of Coronavirus chaos we’re going to hang out on a hotel room couch in Vancouver for a little bit of calm. (PS. If you haven’t listened to the Surprise Waning Crescent episode of 3 Books all about Coronavirus please check that out first.) I am very excited to have you on the couch beside me and the absolutely incredible Marcus Buckingham. Who is Marcus? Well, if you’re in the business world, you’ve probably heard of him. Why? Well, he’s written books sitting on every executive’s bookshelf and his assessments and work is used everywhere. Marcus Buckingham is a global researcher and thought leader focused on unlocking people's strengths, increasing their performance, and pioneering the future of how people work. I have a feeling his work is going to be much needed after Coronavirus! How did Marcus end up doing this job? Well, after working as Senior Researcher inside Gallup for a couple of decades he co-authored some of the most popular business books of all time including First Break All The Rules, Now Discover Your Strengths, and his latest bestseller, Nine Lies About Work. What does Marcus do now? He guides the vision of ADP Research Institute as Head of People and Performance and in 2006 he founded the Marcus Buckingham Company, with the clear mission to instigate a “strengths revolution.” I love the optimism behind his work. That people are born as acorns, with an imprint inside them on what they could be, and what their true potential could lead them to. I sat down with Marcus overlooking the foggy mountains over Vancouver Harbour just before he took to the stage for the headlining slot at The Art of Leadership. We cover a lot of topics in this chapter including: How do we learn to truly see our children? How can the education system be improved? How do we avoid tribalism? What is the real definition of weird? What’s the single best question to ask yourself when trying to articulate your strengths? And how can we find our own unique way to draw strength and love from life? I found Marcus to be brave, vulnerable, and inspiring in this conversation. Years ago, when I worked at Walmart, we used Marcus’s books and videos in our training sessions. Getting a chance to sit down with him many years later to discuss his 3 most formative books was a rare treat. Let’s go… What You'll Learn: How do we learn to truly see our children? How can the education system be improved? How do we avoid tribalism? What is the real definition of weird? What’s the single best question to ask yourself when trying to articulate your strengths? How can we find our own unique way to draw strength and love from life? You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.3books.co/chapters/50 Leave us a voicemail. Your message may be included in a future episode: 1-833-READ-A-LOT. Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list

Mar 20, 2020 • 1h 9min
Surprise Waning Crescent: Leslie and Neil on cultivating calm during coronavirus chaos
3 Books is a completely insane and totally epic 15-year-long quest to uncover the 1000 most formative books in the world. Each chapter is hosted live and in-person at the guest's preferred location by Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation. Each chapter of 3 Books uncovers and discusses the three most formative books from one of the world's most inspiring people. Sample guests include: Judy Blume, David Sedaris, Chris Anderson of TED, and the world's greatest Uber driver. Each of the 333 chapters is dropped on the exact minute of every new moon and full moon until September 1, 2031. 3 Books is an Apple "Best Of" award-winning show as well as the world's only podcast by and for book lovers, writers, makers, sellers... and librarians. For more info check out: www.3books.co It's not a full moon. It's not a new moon. The moon is currently a crescent and slowly waning before Chapter 50 arrives with the new moon next week. So why this episode of 3 Books? Because we are swimming in unprecedented seas. I am feeling stress and anxiety around coronavirus. And I can tell by your DMs, tweets, comments, and voicemails to 1-833-READ-A-LOT that you're feeling it, too. Of course we are!! I am worried about what happens when we all wake up feeling scared and mortal and alone at the same time. I am worried an invisible enemy that may already be inside us or people we love. I am worried for my sister and friends on the front lines. I am worried about the health of my parents and grandparents-in-law. I am worried about feeling isolated and distanced... and so many more things. Today I welcome back my wife Leslie and we sit down on our basement couch, after putting the kids to bed, to have an open-hearted talk about cultivating calm during coronavirus chaos. We discuss things like: - How do we create systems to control our media consumption? - How do we stay connected in this disconnected time? - What do we say to children and preteens? - How can we take care of ourselves as we go through this trauma? - What are some ways we can practice self-care? - And much, much more... If you need an empathetic voice, a compassionate voice, a loving voice, a tender voice, or a guiding voice, I can’t wait for you to meet or remeet my lovely wife, Leslie. (Chapter to Chapter Club members will of course know Leslie from Chapter 1 of 3 Books.) During our chat we set up a chair for you in the basement beside us. (We honestly did.) It has a thick wooly blanket and a cup of lavender chamomile tea. I hope you'll join us. Let's go! Leave us a voicemail. Your message may be included in a future episode: 1-833-READ-A-LOT. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: www.3books.co/chapters/corona1 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list

Mar 9, 2020 • 1h 23min
Chapter 49: Dr. Andrea Sereda’s oddly original offerings on opioid overdosing
3 Books is a completely insane and totally epic 15-year-long quest to uncover the 1000 most formative books in the world. Each of the 333 chapters discusses the 3 most formative books of inspiring people such as Judy Blume, David Sedaris, Dr. Jen Gunter, Malcolm Gladwell, or the world's greatest Uber driver. 3 Books is hosted by Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Awesome series, The Happiness Equation, and Two-Minute Mornings. 3 Books is recorded in a special "two-ear" format so you are in the middle of the conversation and the show is released on the lunar calendar with every chapter dropping on the exact minute of every single new moon and every single full moon up to September 1, 2031. 3 Books is an Apple "Best Of" award-winning podcast and 100% ad-free, sponsor-free, and commercial-free. For more info check out: www.3books.co Dr. Andrea Sereda graduated from Schulich Medicine in 2007. She provides care through the London Intercommunity Health Centre in London, Ontario. Dr. Sereda is a family physician who practices street outreach medicine, caring for people living in homelessness, women working in the survival sex trade and people who inject drugs. Dr. Sereda is an avid harm reductionist who has pioneered Canada’s first oral take-home Safe Supply program, which provides prescription opioids to people at risk of death from the fentanyl contaminated street drug supply. Safe Supply challenges the paradigms of how the healthcare system interacts with people who use drugs and is saving lives by dismantling the harms of drug prohibition. Dr. Sereda also provides primary care for “Street Level Women at Risk” (SLWAR), a Housing First model of care that strives to rapidly house women while concurrently addressing a woman’s physical health, mental health and substance use problems. SLWAR is a program unique within Canada, bringing together a team of women supporting women. SLWAR is seeing profound successes in their work of housing and caring for chronically homeless women. In 2018, Dr. Andrea Sereda was recognized as one of Canada’s top 40 under 40 Chapter Description: Today we sit down with Dr. Andrea Sereda at the Sherbourne Health Centre on the east side of downtown Toronto, an area of the city sometimes known for its challenges with drug abuse. Who is Dr. Andrea Sereda? Dr. Andrea Sereda is a family physician who practices street outreach medicine. She provides care through the London InterCommunity Health Centre in London, Ontario and works with the emergency safer supply substitution program to prescribes hydromorphone, an opioid used by injection drug users to reduce the risk of contaminated street drugs. Wait! What? Yes, on the face of it, Dr. Andrea Sereda ‘gives drugs to drug users but there is a lot more to the story. We are going right to the front lines of the opioid epidemic which, even before the end of this conversation, will take 10 lives in North America alone. (To illustrate the issue more deeply, 8,048 Americans died of opioid related drug overdoses in 1999. What about now? Well, the number was 47,600 in 2017, which is the most recently available data.) It will take ingenuity, creativity, and passion to address this issue. As you’ll hear, Dr. Andrea Sereda offers all three in spades. Her views are often provocative, sometimes controversial, and she will argue that drugs should be decriminalized and why we should indeed give drugs to drug users. What about the challenges to these ideas? The critics? The controversies? We get into that, too. And we are fortunate enough to use Andrea’s three most formative books as a launchpad into this conversation. I am so grateful to Dr. Andrea Sereda for sharing so much of her life, her journey, and her practice with all of us. I find her and her work incredibly challenging, intriguing, and inspiring. I hope you do, too. Let’s go! What You'll Learn: Why should drugs be given to drug users? Should drugs be decriminalized? Why or why not? What is actually more harmful -- the drugs themselves or the quality of drugs? How can we reduce stigma on people in our communities living with mental illness, drug addiction and homelessness? Can drugs be considered a ‘basic need’? You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.3books.co/chapters/49 Leave us a voicemail. Your message may be included in a future episode: 1-833-READ-A-LOT. Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list

6 snips
Feb 23, 2020 • 1h 40min
Chapter 48: Michael Bungay Stanier on massive moons and the magic of metaphor
3 Books is a completely insane and totally epic 15-year-long quest to uncover the 1000 most formative books in the world. Each chapter is hosted live and in-person at the guest's preferred location by Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation. Each chapter of 3 Books uncovers and discusses the three most formative books from one of the world's most inspiring people. Sample guests include: Judy Blume, David Sedaris, Chris Anderson of TED, and the world's greatest Uber driver. Each of the 333 chapters is dropped on the exact minute of every new moon and full moon until September 1, 2031. 3 Books is an Apple "Best Of" award-winning show as well as the world's only podcast by and for book lovers, writers, makers, sellers... and librarians. For more info check out: www.3books.co Michael Bungay Stanier is a Rhodes Scholar and author of The Coaching Habit, which is the #1 selling coaching book with over 700,000 copies sold over 2,000 Amazon reviews. In 2019, he was named the #1 thought leader in coaching, and was shortlisted for the coaching prize by Thinkers50, the “Oscars of management.” His work has been featured in HBR, Fast Company, and Forbes, and his company, Box of Crayons, has helped trained over 100,000 people in becoming more coach-like. His new book The Advice Trap comes out February, 2020. He lives with his wife in Toronto, Canada. Chapter Description: I am so excited to sit down with the one and only Michael Bungay Stanier on a pair of folding lawn chairs on his front porch in the Roncesvalles neighborhood of Toronto. Michael’s mind is like a box that you open and a whole bunch of springs suddenly fly out in all directions. Here’s his Amazon biography to give you a taste of this guy: “Michael was banned from his high school graduation for the ‘balloon incident’, he was sued by one of his law school lecturers for defamation, he gave himself a concussion digging a hole one day as a laborer, he was fired on his first shift as a garage attendant and he’s held a number of jobs where he had little to no impact.” Should we stop there? No, I’ll keep going. Michael is an Australian who goes to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He meets a beautiful Canadian woman who he falls in love with and follows back to Canada. He founds company called Box of Crayons which teaches 10-minute coaching strategies so busy managers can build stronger teams. He wins numerous awards for Coach of the Year and writes a book called The Coaching Habit which turns into a huge phenomenon with (in only 3+ years) sold over 700,000 copies and scored over 2000 Amazon reviews. (Sidenote: The book was published by Jesse Finklestein of Page Two Publishing, our guest in Chapter 23) Never one to rest on his laurels, as this chapter drops Michael is just about to release the follow up to The Coaching Habit which is called The Advice Trap: Be Humble, Stay Curious & Change the Way You Lead Forever. I love Michael Bungay Stanier. He’s one of the most fascinating minds in my life, and I feel so grateful and honored to call him a friend. I hope you fall in love with him too. In this chapter, we talk about making complex things simple, finding And of course, his three most formative books. Let's go! WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: What surprising thing actually gave us civilisation on the planet? In a world of endless everything, how do we develop the critical skills to be filterers and translators? From that, how do we go about making complex things simple? (Michael is a virtuoso at this.) How do we actually think about maximizing our tiny, short lives? When should you zig when others zag? When should you think about provoking curiosity rather than create certainty? And, of course, what are the incredible Michael Bungay Stanier’s 3 most formative books? Leave us a voicemail. Your message may be included in a future episode: 1-833-READ-A-LOT. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.3books.co/chapters/48 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list

Feb 9, 2020 • 1h 32min
Chapter 47: Derek The Hype Man on gingers jumping for joy and justice
3 Books is a completely insane and totally epic 15-year-long quest to uncover the 1000 most formative books in the world. Each chapter is hosted live and in-person at the guest's preferred location by Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation. Each chapter of 3 Books uncovers and discusses the three most formative books from one of the world's most inspiring people. Sample guests include: Judy Blume, David Sedaris, Chris Anderson of TED, and the world's greatest Uber driver. Each of the 333 chapters is dropped on the exact minute of every new moon and full moon until September 1, 2031. 3 Books is an Apple "Best Of" award-winning show as well as the world's only podcast by and for book lovers, writers, makers, sellers... and librarians. For more info check out: www.3books.co Derek Forgie was born in North Bay, Ontario. At the age of 17 he became the host and producer of his own television show, called Planet Skwirl on MTV, before becoming an activist and founding an organization called HSSE, Heterosexuals for Same-Sex Equality, with the slogan ‘straight not narrow.’ He was also recognized as a leading voice by the World Wildlife Foundation. Derek is a standup comic who has toured and presented to over 2000 audiences and has even been featured on NBC’s Last Comic Standing. He is a huge, passionate believer in so many cause and travels around on his own, going from school to school, to present environmental presentations called Eco-Allies, as well as anti-bullying presentations. He is also the founder of International Kiss a Ginger Day! Currently, you can find him entertaining and hyping up the in-studio audiences of CTV’s The Social, and when he’s not hyping up the crowd, you can catch him on the 10 Minute Talk Show, hosted by Derek. He lives in Toronto with his wife and daughter. Chapter Description: In chapter 47, I sit down with Derek The Hype Man, also known as Derek Forgie. Who is Derek Forgie? Well, as background, there’s a huge daytime talk show in Canada called The Social. (Some people say it’s similar to The View— a series of interesting women, talking about interesting issues of the day, in a really interesting way.) I’ve been lucky enough to have been a guest on The Social a number of times and have always noticed that it has an incredible chemistry and audience connection. And every single time I go on that TV show, I notice that there is this guy hanging around, an energy-packed red-headed guy, dressed really snazzily dressed in a vest and brightly colored shoes, and he is just working the audience like nobody’s business. Yes, he is … the hype man! This man is Derek Forgie. He stands on a little box, he cheers, he yells, he laughs, he gets everyone clapping. When you’re on The Social or when you watch The Social, you notice the audience basically, in Derek’s words, brings out their inner Jerry Springer. They cheer or they boo or they laugh or they clap after every point made on the show. As a guest it fills you with energy and what I feel is happening is Derek’s energy, the energy that erupts from this one guy, helps fill an audience, fill a set, fill the hosts, fill the guests, fill the TV show, and, of course, fill the millions of viewers watching on TV. Derek’s energy beams out of him like the sun! Every time I talk to him I get such a warm glow inside me. In addition to being a hype man Derek became the host and producer of his own television show, called Planet Skwirl on MTV, when he was 17 years old. He became an activist (you’ll hear why) and founded HSSE (Heterosexuals for Same-Sex Equality), with the slogan ‘straight not narrow’, and was also recognized as a leading voice by the World Wildlife Foundation. Derek is also a standup comic who’s toured and presented to over 2000 audiences and has been featured onNBC’s Last Comic Standing. And he currently hosts a great show called the 10 Minute Talk Show. Derek is a passionate believer in many causes and gives environmental and anti-bullying presentations in schools as well as — get this — even founding of International Kiss a Ginger Day! I was thrilled when Derek Forgie accepted my invitation to sit down in the green room of The Social, live in the CTV studios, and share his 3 most formative books with us. Let's go! WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: How does hate inflame and fuel purpose? How do we get comfortable embracing the unknown? How do we the energy to challenge social beliefs? How do we develop the strength of mind to change the negative stories in our heads? How do you think about changing the world … one day at a time? Leave us a voicemail. Your message may be included in a future episode: 1-833-READ-A-LOT. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.3books.co/chapters/47 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list

Jan 24, 2020 • 1h 35min
Chapter 46: Dr. Laura Markham on prioritizing presence to parent peacefully
3 Books is a completely insane and totally epic 15-year-long quest to uncover the 1000 most formative books in the world. Each chapter is hosted live and in-person at the guest's preferred location by Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation. Each chapter of 3 Books uncovers and discusses the three most formative books from one of the world's most inspiring people. Sample guests include: Judy Blume, David Sedaris, Chris Anderson of TED, and the world's greatest Uber driver. Each of the 333 chapters is dropped on the exact minute of every new moon and full moon until September 1, 2031. 3 Books is an Apple "Best Of" award-winning show as well as the world's only podcast by and for book lovers, writers, makers, sellers... and librarians. For more info check out: www.3books.co Dr. Laura Markham creates Aha! moments for parents of kids from babies through teens. She trained as a clinical psychologist at Columbia University, is founding editor of AhaParenting.com which has over 150,000 newsletter subscribers, and is the author of three bestselling books including Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids. Visit her on Twitter @DrLauraMarkham, on Instagram @DrLauraMarkham_AhaParenting, and online at www.ahaparenting.com Chapter Description: Today we are nestled into a beautiful century-old brownstone in Park Slope, Brooklyn with the amazing Dr. Laura Markham, a preacher of love, letting love in, sending love out, and using that as a way to deepen our connection with ourselves and our children. Who is Dr. Laura Markham? She’s a Colombia-trained clinical psychologist, founder and editor at AhaParenting.com, author of three parenting books including my favorite Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids, a parenting expert for many websites, and a life-changer for many, many families including mine. (You’ll hear what my wife Leslie thinks at the beginning of this chapter!) Dr. Laura Markham translates proven science into practical and simple solutions to live an intentional life. So in chapter 46, let’s stop and pause and choose how we respond to help drive a movement towards love and compassion. I partly resonate so deeply with Dr. Laura Markham’s work, because I feel like the higher place she’s leading us towards is also the same place I want 3 Books to lead us toward. In this chapter, we chat about the complexities of parenting and how we can be more present as parents. Dr. Laura Markham shares many valuable insights, from communicating through play, navigating our own traumas, mastering the skill of sending love to strangers, and how we need to develop a closer relationship with death. And, of course, we talk about Dr. Laura Markham’s 3 most formative books. Let's go! WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: How can we heal our inner trauma first so we don’t project that onto our children? How is sitting in stillness an important key to ‘getting things done’? Why do we need to bring awareness to our pain? Why do we project our emotions and our pain onto the people we love? How has our understanding of mental illness progressed over history, and where do we need to go from here? How can you make death your peer instead of your persecutor? Leave us a voicemail. Your message may be included in a future episode: 1-833-READ-A-LOT. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.3books.co/chapters/46 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list

10 snips
Jan 10, 2020 • 2h 3min
Chapter 45: Rich Roll on wrestling with recovery and running to redemption
3 Books is a completely insane and totally epic 15-year-long quest to uncover the 1000 most formative books in the world. Each chapter is hosted live and in-person at the guest's preferred location by Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation. Each chapter of 3 Books uncovers and discusses the three most formative books from one of the world's most inspiring people. Sample guests include: Judy Blume, David Sedaris, Chris Anderson of TED, and the world's greatest Uber driver. Each of the 333 chapters is dropped on the exact minute of every new moon and full moon until September 1, 2031. 3 Books is an Apple "Best Of" award-winning show as well as the world's only podcast by and for book lovers, writers, makers, sellers... and librarians. For more info check out: www.3books.co A graduate of Stanford University and Cornell Law School. Rich Roll is a 53-year old, accomplished vegan ultra-endurance athlete, wellness advocate, bestselling author and host of the Rich Roll Podcast. A former entertainment attorney turned full-time wellness & plant-based nutrition advocate, popular public speaker, husband, father of 4 and inspiration to people worldwide as a transformative example of courageous and healthy living. His inspirational memoir FINDING ULTRA became a bestseller upon it's release in 2012 and THE PLANTPOWER WAY cookbook graces kitchens across the world. Along with his wife and four children, Rich resides in Malibu Canyon outside of Los Angeles. Chapter Description: Today we are headed West, perched atop the hills of Calabasas, California, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I’d love for you to be my guest for an incredible conversation with the one and only Rich Roll. Who is Rich Roll? Well, Rich was introduced to me by Jonathan Fields, our guest in Chapter 24 and host of the Goodlife Project. Jonathan told me Rich was one of his favorite people and he soon became one of my favorite people. I love his mind, his words, his outlook, and his incredible podcast … and was thrilled to have a chance to ask him which 3 books most shaped his life. Rich went to Stanford and Cornell and was a national athlete at Stanford in swimming, but his career was cut short by a decade-long struggle with drugs and alcohol, eventually landing him in jail and rehab. On the eve of his 40th birthday, as he walked up the stairs he was left totally winded… and decided it was time to make a change. The next day Rich overhauled his life. He switched to a 100% vegan, plant-based diet, grabbed his running shoes, jumped back into the pool, and two years later, fueled only by plants and after losing 50 pounds, he became the first vegan to ever compete in the 320-mile ultra-marathon and finished as the 3rd fastest American in the race. Are you kidding me?? He then went on to complete five Ironman Triathlons on five islands of Hawaii in one week! In 2012, he wrote his inspirational memoir FINDING ULTRA: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World’s Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself, which became a bestseller upon its release and is still ranking highly to this day. It’s a fantastic book and memoir. I’ve read it. I loved it and can’t recommend it enough. In 2013, he launched the Rich Roll Podcast. An incredible podcast, often ranking in the top 50 on iTunes, he does a deep exploration and mindmeld with people such as Russell Brand, Kevin Smith, Lance Armstrong, and Edward Norton. He calls it a two-hour experience, where he covers huge themes around fitness, creativity, and the human condition. I was very lucky to link my mind with Rich in Chapter 45 of 3 Books. Let’s go! WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: How do you decide which once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to do? How far should you lean into your art? What are some tools that help you be fully present and available? How do you build a successful podcast? How do you overcome deep addiction? Leave us a voicemail. Your message may be included in a future episode: 1-833-READ-A-LOT. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.3books.co/chapters/45 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list

Jan 1, 2020 • 3h 34min
The Best of 2019: Neil Pasricha reminisces on relationships, romance, and radical reading
3 Books is a completely insane and totally epic 15-year-long quest to uncover the 1000 most formative books in the world. Each chapter is hosted live and in-person at the guest's preferred location by Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation. Each chapter of 3 Books uncovers and discusses the three most formative books from one of the world's most inspiring people. Sample guests include: Judy Blume, David Sedaris, Chris Anderson of TED, and the world's greatest Uber driver. Each of the 333 chapters is dropped on the exact minute of every new moon and full moon until September 1, 2031. 3 Books is an Apple "Best Of" award-winning show as well as the world's only podcast by and for book lovers, writers, makers, sellers... and librarians. For more info check out: www.3books.co Episode Description: And we’re here! It’s 11:59 pm on December 31, 2019 and we’re about to enter into 2020. We’re winding down the holiday cheer and staring ahead at a brand new year. It’s a time to reminisce and remember all we’re grateful for, it’s a time to look back on our struggles, and it’s time to open the next waiting door. Welcome to the second annual “Best Of” episode of 3 Books. I hope this serves as a great welcome mat into the show for new listeners and a way to reflect and remember some of the goldiest gold nuggets from Chapters 20-44 which aired through 2019. We are publishing a new chapter of 3 Books on the exact minute of every new moon and full moon from 5:36 am on March 31, 2018 to 5:52 am on September 1, 2031. Please explore the show further at www.3books.co, read our values, see our show notes, and catch up on our growing list of The Top 1000 most formative books in the world. Thanks again for joining me on this wild and crazy ride. Neil Leave us a voicemail. Your message may be included in a future episode: 1-833-READ-A-LOT. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.3books.co/chapters/the-best-of-2019 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list

5 snips
Dec 26, 2019 • 1h 28min
Chapter 44: Kevin the Bookseller on subtracting stuff and sorting Star Wars
3 Books is a completely insane and totally epic 15-year-long quest to uncover the 1000 most formative books in the world. Each chapter is hosted live and in-person at the guest's preferred location by Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation. Each chapter of 3 Books uncovers and discusses the three most formative books from one of the world's most inspiring people. Sample guests include: Judy Blume, David Sedaris, Chris Anderson of TED, and the world's greatest Uber driver. Each of the 333 chapters is dropped on the exact minute of every new moon and full moon until September 1, 2031. 3 Books is an Apple "Best Of" award-winning show as well as the world's only podcast by and for book lovers, writers, makers, sellers... and librarians. For more info check out: www.3books.co In this chapter, I walk into a full-blown Indigo bookstore, inside of a hospital and run into my old friend Kevin, who has been working there for 11 years. As we begin talking about his three most formative books, I decide to bring out my iPhone and record the conversation. Chapter Description: I love Kevin Marusic. He’s a book nerd and bookseller and bookstore manager (and moustache aficionado) who runs the Indigo bookstore in the Mount Sinai hospital in downtown Toronto. Whenever I talk to Kevin our conversation rolls like a river so this time (this time!) I pulled out my cell phone after I walked in and recorded the very first guerrilla style chapter of 3 Books! No prep, no research, no notes, no books read in advance. In Chapter 44 of 3 Books, join me inside the Indigo Books in Mount Sinai hospital as we discuss how to learn to look at worlds beyond our own, what order you should watch the Star Wars movies in and why, what the dangers are of the ‘pants computer’, why you should separate your phone into tool and toy, why books are magic (new 3 Books value!), and, of course, the incredible Kevin Marusic’s three most formative books. There are so many nerdy tic-tacs buried in this chat that I am not coming anywhere close to doing Kevin justice. Trust me. He is a gem! He is a lover. He has a wonderful heart. And I am so delighted to share his incredible wisdom with all of you. The world will be a better place if we can all be a bit more like Kevin. Let’s go! What You'll Learn: What is the other definition of USSR? Why is it important to lose yourself in art or in stories? Why should a conversation flow like a river? Who did JRR Tolkien go to school with to help inspire Lord of the Rings? Why are booksellers and librarians ‘doctors of the mind’? How can living with less give us more? What are the dangers of the ‘pants computer’? You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.3books.co/chapters/44

Dec 12, 2019 • 1h 49min
Chapter 43: Lisa Labute on life lessons from loving legumes
3 Books is a completely insane and totally epic 15-year-long quest to uncover the 1000 most formative books in the world. Each chapter is hosted live and in-person at the guest's preferred location by Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation. Each chapter of 3 Books uncovers and discusses the three most formative books from one of the world's most inspiring people. Sample guests include: Judy Blume, David Sedaris, Chris Anderson of TED, and the world's greatest Uber driver. Each of the 333 chapters is dropped on the exact minute of every new moon and full moon until September 1, 2031. 3 Books is an Apple "Best Of" award-winning show as well as the world's only podcast by and for book lovers, writers, makers, sellers... and librarians. For more info check out: www.3books.co Lisa is the founder of the Goods, a cafe located on Roncesvalles Avenue in the West End of Toronto, that specializes in hand crafted, radically healthy food. Her inherent understanding of the medicinal potential of plant based cuisine has made her a leader in the functional food movement in Toronto. The Goods’ simple, yet meticulously crafted meals remind us of the deep connection between food and our wellbeing. Lisa left a career as an advertising executive to start The Goods which is ranked one of the ten healthiest restaurants in Toronto. Chapter Description: I am so excited to introduce you to Lisa Labute. Lisa ratcheted up the ladder of the advertising world, working 100-hour weeks as an ad executive helping to sell everything from fast food to luxury cars. And then she eventually burned out — had a “food incident” — and realized, like Emily McDowell told us in Chapter 18, that it’s a lot better to make things people want than making people want things. After traveling the world to lean into her new passion for mindful and intentional eating she returned to her home of Toronto to found The Goods, a cafe located in the west end of Toronto in the Roncesvalles neighborhood, that serves vegan, hand-crafted, radically healthy foods. Lisa’s understanding of the medicinal potential of plant-based cuisine has made her a leader of the functional food movement. I stumbled upon The Goods while on one of my Life-Changing Magical Walks during an Untouchable Day and struck up a conversation with Lisa. I loved her energy, vibrancy, and passion. I sensed immediately that she was a true community leader and somebody who was happy “getting off the program” to live a purpose-filled life. At The Goods every single food is made from scratch. Even the mustard! They buy mustard seeds, let them sprout, and then make their own. The kitchen is radically transparent and open concept and the walls are lined with jars full of ingredients visually listed in the ratio in which they’re used. All of the ingredients are clearly listed, and despite being a health conscious vegan restaurant, the food is presented in a non-dogmatic and non-judgemental fashion. Lisa is not a “you should” kind of person as you’ll hear. Lisa and I explore themes around how we eat well, how to exit “the program,” how to discuss mental illness, and how we find our most adventurous, wild, and truest selves. I hope you enjoy Chapter 43 of 3 Books. Let’s go! What You'll Learn: How can we stop ‘shoulding’ on ourselves? Why is there so much confusion surrounding health? How can diet alter mental health and even our oral structure? Why shouldn’t you eat any food that has a health claim on it? How do we eat healthy even when we’re travelling or busy? Why and how should we strive for a more ‘wild’ lifestyle? Leave us a voicemail. Your message may be included in a future episode: 1-833-READ-A-LOT. You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.3books.co/chapters/43 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list