3 Books With Neil Pasricha

Oh, this life, this world. As Mitch says, once you find purpose, and once you find style… what's left? Beauty. What's left is finding and putting out beauty into the world. There are not many writers who have genuinely figured this out … but one of them is Mitch Albom. Mitch is the bestselling author of Tuesdays with Morrie, the bestselling memoir of all time, as well as The Five People You Meet in Heaven and his new book, The Next Person You Meet In Heaven, which just debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list this week. His books have sold over 40 million copies. Mitch just doesn't turn off. He's like a Tasmanian Devil. He's hosting a radio show, he's on TV, he's writing columns in the Detroit Free Press, he's a musician, he's even running an orphanage in Haiti. Mitch is full of energy and life and moves quickly and talks quickly … and so we talked about that. We go deep into why he moves through life so fast. We unpack his relationship with Morrie and talk about how I actually misinterpreted parts of the book. We talk about what the worst thing you can say to an artist is (which he learned from Maya Angelou) and what the true enemy of getting things done is (and surprise, it's not time or energy). I hope you enjoy learning what Mitch Albom's three most formative books are as much as I did. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: What's the worst thing you can say to an artist? How do we balance parental expectations with chasing our own dreams? How does Mitch say music and writing comes together? What encouraged Mitch invite more purpose and faith into his life? Which book inspired Mitch to transition from a reader to a writer? What does Mitch think is the best compliment a writer can receive? What will Mitch be sharing in his next book based on his own life? 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/15 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

"On the one hand, information wants to be expensive because it's so valuable. The right information in the right place just changes your life. On the other hand, information wants to be free because the cost of getting it out is getting lower and lower all the time." Recognize that quote? It's from a conversation between Steve Wozniak and Stewart Brand at the very first Hacker's Conference in 1984. We've heard it so many times. Information wants to be free. And in many ways, it already is. We live in The Information Age, a time when you can find the answer to just about any question with the push of a button. But if that is the case, then why is the paid speaking industry expanding? Why pay five or six figures to bring a big name athlete or author to your conference when you could just watch the video for free online? We have all this free content everywhere, yet the value of live is going up. Well, maybe when we have more online content, we miss out on other things. We have less … attention. We have less … connection. We have less … alignment. If you want to get a room full of people excited about one thing, it's hard to do that unless you all physically talk about that one thing. Unless you all feel that one thing … together. And nobody understands this better than my next guest … Rich Gibbons. Rich is President of Speak Inc, the largest speaking bureau in the western United States, and was formerly President of the International Association of Speaking Bureaus. And Rich is one of the most interesting and articulate people I've ever met. How can you become a paid public speaker? How does the industry work and what do speaking bureaus do? What is the "99th Floor" metaphor to inspiring feelings of gratitude? Buckle up, buckle in, and please enjoy Chapter 14 of 3 Books. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: How can you become a paid public speaker? How does the speaking industry work and what do speaking bureaus do? What's the biggest skill that makes for a great public speaker? What's the counterintuitive benefit to exposing ourselves to depravity in books? What's the next evolution of parenting after "The Helicopter Parent"? Why did one of Rich's dad friends describe himself as a benevolent dictator? How can parents balance desires for children to be happy … and rich? What is the "99th Floor" metaphor to inspire feelings of gratitude? How can writing be compared to telepathy? What's Stephen King's trick to read more books even if you're a slow reader? 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/14 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

Do you remember the first person who introduced you to the love of reading? Was it a teacher? A parent? A friend? For me, it was my third-grade teacher. I remember on the first day of class we all gathered on this old, dusty green carpet and Mrs. Dorsman asked us all where we went that summer. "I went to Japan," she began, with her eyes bugged open, "… and to Australia … and the waterfalls of South America … and to the Moon… and to Mars!" And then she looked around the room and dropped the final bomb. "Through … books!!!" Mrs. Dorsman lit a fire inside me that day. But what if you don't have an incredibly soulful teacher who loves books? Who flicks the lighter to ignite that burning passion within you, within any of us? Well, these days, we have BookTube. According to The New York Times the BookTube community has gotten over 200 million views and engagement is up 40 percent versus last year. And one of the most popular BookTubers in the world is Ariel Bissett. With hundreds of thousands of subscribers, Ariel feels BookTube kindles a passion and love for books. So, I traveled to Ottawa to sit down with Ariel, and we discussed BookTubing, how to grow your Youtube channel, why you need a book 'medicine cabinet,' how to reinvent yourself, and how to navigate loss. I hope you're as excited about this Chapter as I am. Let's begin. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN What is a BookTuber? How does BookTube work? How did Ariel grow her channel to hundreds of thousands of subscribers? Why should you start a "book medicine cabinet" and what goes in? Why (scientifically) should you reread books? Why should you never read 1-star reviews? How do we create trust online in an era where trust is at an all-time low? 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/13 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

What was the first TED Talk you ever watched? Was it Do schools kill creativity? by Ken Robinson? Was it The power of vulnerability by Brené Brown? Whatever it is I bet you felt a bit like you stumbled onto an oasis. The Internet is junky! The whole thing feels like a pack of cougars just ran through a dollar store. Pop-up everything, ads screaming at you, and everything feels like a fish-hooks tugging at your eyeballs. TED is the opposite. TED doesn't beg for personal info, force you to open an account, quick-pick your wallet for your credit card, or do anything other than help spread ideas to shape, grow, and inspire your thoughts. It is beauty in the scat-filled dollar store. So, who's Ted? Who runs TED? Who's the 18-minute-or-less Emperor? It's Chris Anderson. The Pakistani-born, Oxford-educated, New York Times bestselling... Chris Anderson. In this Chapter, I fly down to New York City and sit with Chris in his office. We uncover his three most formative books and discuss developing willpower, tackling deeper issues, supporting ambitious spouses, and what being a dreamer really means... I hope you enjoy this conversation with Chris Anderson, Head of TED. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: Which book taught Chris more in a weekend than his entire Oxford philosophy degree? What does Chris say is one of the chief criticisms of TED? What does Chris see as humanity's greatest superpower? Should you work with your spouse? What is Chris's view and why? What is the "shooting an asteroid out of space" view of intelligent life? How do we inspire others to feel wonder, awe, and optimism? What media tricks must we watch out for these days? How can we regain control over our attention? How do we become better dreamers? 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/12 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

Our world is so full. Our world is so busy. Our world is so cluttered. Newspaper boxes. Pop-up ads. TVs in elevators. There are so many things trying to grab our attention. So many reaching out with their little fish lures to poke and grab us into signing up for their newsletters. Don't you ever feel like it's just too loud? I say what we need in this world of constant stimulation are ... editors. Not the people who correct your spelling and grammar. I'm talking about those among us who can be bastions of clear thinking. Pinnacles of clear communication! Who can strip away the noise and give us clear ideas in the simplest ways. Our next guest is the very first editor to be interviewed on 3 Books. Kerri Kolen is the super editor behind mega-hits #Girlboss, A Stolen Life, Lion, and even my very own The Happiness Equation ... I was delighted to visit Kerri in her home in Washington DC to chat about her three most formative books. We discuss escaping into armoires, preserving imagination, fighting for feminism, and even carefully wade into a new dialogue about suicide... amongst a dozen other topics that touch on themes today. I hope you enjoy this chapter of 3 Books as much as I did with the incredible Kerri Kolen. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: How do we preserve imaginations as we get older? What's the difference between a writer and an author? What exactly does an editor do? (And what do they look for?) What is "world building" and how does it work in writing? How do we create the element of voyeurism in our writing? 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/11 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

Do you make your own luck? Do you really control what happens? Or do you simply dump everything you can in the system, press the big green button, and then hang on for the hairy-scary ride? Elan Mastai is the award-winning screenwriter and novelist behind one of my favorite books of last year – the incredibly fast-paced, head-twisting, and emotionally moving sci-fi epic All Our Wrong Todays. I was crying hot salty tears when I reached its final pages and was delighted when Elan accepted my invite to share his three most formative books on our show. And! Just to tease the very first story he shares. Elan received a $1,250,000 advance for his first book. You read that right. A seven-figure book advance for All Our Wrong Todays. His first book! How did that happen? Well, I ask him, and you're going to love the story he shares. And then we get deeper into ambition versus contentment, how hard you push versus what you get, and whether or not we control the inputs and the outputs… or whether we all have to really learn to just practice getting comfortable dumping whatever we can into the system. Pressing the green button. And holding on for the hairy-scary ride. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: How did Elan get a $1,250,000 advance on his first book? Why did Elan choose to make each chapter of his book 2-3 pages? Which book helped Elan become more grateful and gave him perspective at a young age? Why are our values less important than our actions when we're trying to discover who we truly are? Which body part does Elan compare a writer to, and how is it considered a "documented form of pain"? Which of Elan's three most formative books was the only one he chose to read since he was forced to read the other two? Why did Elan, Kurt Vonnegut, and I all choose not to put semicolons in our books? How do you wrestle with book shame when you don't love classic novels you assumed you'd enjoy? What book reminds Elan of listening to a Pink Floyd's song? What should aspiring authors keep in mind when looking for a literary agent? How do royalties and advances work in publishing? How does an author entrench universal themes so deeply into their work that their stories stick with people and transcend time? What's the process of getting another author to write a blurb for your book? How do you find your voice as an author? 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/10 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

Do you remember the comedy dry zone? I'm talking about the barren, hardscrabble times when getting a free laugh from the comfort of your toilet wasn't easy. Before Internet memes, before parody Twitter themes, before viral SNL skits, before ShowerThoughts subreddits, before LOLCats and even before giant email chats… … there was one man. The inimitable, indomitable, indefatigable Dave Barry. Beginning in 1983 and running for over twenty years, Dave Barry sent his syndicated humor column out to over 500 newspapers from his home base at The Miami Herald. Every single week his columns offered guaranteed laughs and a fresh, head-tilting way of seeing the world. Dave Barry poured perspective on political conventions, kicked socialites off soapboxes, cajoled critics into colonoscopies, and even popularized International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Together with MAD Magazines and Calvin and Hobbes cartoons, Dave Barry columns gave me and millions of others a drink … in the dry zone. I was beyond nervous to fly down to Miami and meet up with Dave at Books&Books in Coral Gables, Florida where he shared a fresh dose of his head-tilting way of looking at the world as only he sees it. Please enjoy my conversation with screenwriter, novelist, performing musician, Pulitzer Prize winner, and New York Times bestselling author of over thirty books… Dave Barry. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: How is comedy changing these days? What is the "cue card" approach to developing a story? What are some key guidelines for giving introductions or appearing on a TV show? In Dave's view, who has the most unique voice in modern American comedy writing? How should every stand-up comedian end their performances? How do we balance ambition with contentment ... and feeling like you have "enough?" What's the one thing anyone can do to improve their writing? 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/9 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

It's getting tougher to grow up these days. We're surrounded by endlessly reflecting images of everyone else having fun without us. There are incredible pressures to achieve, to be ourselves and be different, to stand up and stand out, to follow big footsteps… and follow our hearts at the same time. A friend said to me the other day "When I was in high school and I'd stay at home on a Saturday night I assumed my friends did, too. Now my daughter sees all her friends out partying without her on social media. Right after they told her they were busy." It broke my heart. But it's happening right alongside rising anxiety, loneliness, and depression rates around the world. So what does coming-of-age look like these days? How do we keep our children safe, raise our families, tap back into our best selves, and stay focused on what matters most? These days I don't think anybody is addressing those big questions better than Sarah Andersen, author of Sarah's Scribbles. Every one of her cartoons taps into the feelings of anxiety, awkwardness, and stresses of growing up in the digital age. It's no wonder her work has gained millions of followers, scored numerous awards, and resulted in three bestselling comic books including her award-winning debut Adulthood is a Myth and her newest Herding Cats. I am so excited to share my conversation with the incredible Sarah Andersen of Sarah's Scribbles, recorded above the clouds at the very top of the western hemisphere's tallest building. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: How do we balance our desire to stand out and fit in? How can we tap into the purest versions of ourselves? How can we break free from the rigid rules of artwork and unleash our artistic freedom? Which systems enable online abuse and how can we curb this without provoking censorship? Why is it so difficult for artists to monetize their work online? Where should aspiring artists start if they'd like to start publishing their work? How do we balance our desire to learn more and contentment with where we're at? How do we connect with our most childlike parts of ourselves? How do we disappear into other worlds while remembering who we are? How do our family reading habits affect our own -- and what should we watch out for? What new distribution channels can we harness to share our art? And what are the risks? Which areas of online harassment can we be more aware of and how do we protect ourselves and our families? 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/8 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

In this Chapter of 3 Books, I jump into the backseat of Vishwas Aggrawal's Uber and take a trip you won't soon forget. This is a story about setting your own standards in a world constantly hammering us into "human resources." This is a story about setting your own winning lines in a world that wants us to be widgets. This is a story about raising the bar for yourself and deeply valuing the human connection and love that has the potential to exist between every single one of us. Uber has no formal leaderboard, reward mechanism, or pay-for-performance tied to driver rating. So why would Vish care? Why would he care about giving thousands of rides and pouring in day after day of high-end customer services to establish an incredible 4.99 rating? Why would he clean his mats between every trip, only eat raw vegetables in his car, and develop masterful scripts that help riders feel deeply valued in the middle of their busy days? Why bother? Join me in the backseat of Vish's Uber as we slowly circle closer and closer to what we're really playing for in our short time on the planet. We discuss the books that shaped Vish from his upbringing in central India to his sales roles at Coca-Cola to his journey to give his daughter a better education on the other side of the world... even if it meant starting back at the beginning. Vishwas Aggrawal is one of the most engaging and inspiring people I've ever met. After you listen to his story, I hope you feel the same way. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: What business is Vish really in? What master service lessons can we learn from Vish to apply to our lives? What is the "yes man" / "no man" paradigm? What is the "Every Single Day" lesson and what does it do for customers? How does Vish earn customer trust in the first few minutes? What universal need does Vish tap into? Why does Vish only eat raw vegetables in his Uber? How can you be amazing at your craft even if you're ashamed to tell your family what you do? What does it mean to truly "think big" and how can we adopt this mindset? How do you achieve a perfect customer rating from the thousands of people you serve? 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/7 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

Did you grow up with Judy Blume? My mom says I "found my voice" reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing to my sister in the bathtub when I was a little kid. Well, I grabbed that tattered copy and carried it with me down to Key West, Florida where I had the extreme privilege of sitting down with the one and only Judy Blume (@JudyBlume). Join us as Judy shares her three most formative books, how they inspired her, and we pull out some themes relevant to today. Judy and I met on a hot and sweaty day in her Books & Books bookstore … where she works! I'm not joking. Step off your cruise ship and Judy Blume will ring up a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey if you like. We grabbed a little circle table, set it up in front of the bestseller wall you see behind us, and then talked about her most formative books. (As a special bonus, near the end of the chat we get up out of our seats and Judy gives us a walking tour of her store!) In this chapter, Judy and I discuss censorship, why sexy scenes should be kept in books, how to get kids to love reading, the role of bookstores in a community, and a surprise reveal on which book Judy says is the only one she has left to write... WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: What is one of the greatest gifts parents can give their children? How can a writer create a world that readers can easily fall into with relatable characters? How does Judy free her mind in order to come up with incredibly imaginative stories? What book could Judy not put down in her 20s? Why does Judy prefer not to reread books? How do you recommend the right books to encourage children to love reading? Why aren't there sex scenes in books anymore? What do Judy and Neil disagree on? What's the first thing Judy does once her books are published? What's the only book Judy has left to write? What book did Judy steal... and why? What was Judy's household policy on reading censorship? 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/6 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/