Great Books Distilled: Summaries of Bestselling Business and Investing Books

Steven Pressfield’s The Warrior Ethos is a deep historical examination of the values and ethics of warriors throughout history—from the ancient Spartans to Japan’s Samurai to Alexander the Great—and how these values can be applied to the battles we each fight. We all struggle daily to find and defense our sense of purpose, to show up as our best ourselves, and to overcome the obstacles we face in our own pursuits. In that struggle, there's much we can learn and apply from the world's great warriors and warrior cultures. The Warrior Ethos is really a mini-book. The book’s content is drawn almost exclusively from the ancient world, from Herodotus and Arrian, Plutarch, Vegetius, Xenophon, Thucydides, etc. There are anecdotes about the Spartans, the Romans, the Macedonians, with a few thrown in from the modern British and Israelis and even the Afrika Korps under Rommel. Here’s one story about Alexander the Great, taken from Plutarch, to give you the flavor of the book: Once, Alexander was leading his army through a waterless desert. The column was strung out for miles, with men and horses suffering terribly from thirst. Suddenly, a detachment of scouts came galloping back to the king. They had found a small spring and managed to fill a helmet with water. They rushed to Alexander and presented this to him. The army held in place, watching. Every man’s eye was fixed upon his commander. Alexander thanked the scouts for bringing him this gift, then, without touching a drop, he lifted the helmet and poured the precious liquid into the sand. At once, a great cheer ascended, rolling from one end of the column to the other. A man was heard to say, “With a king like this to lead us, no force on earth can stand against us.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore becoming a better writer. We’re joined by Verlyn Klinkenborg, author and Yale professor. We cover learning from farm life and work, finding rhythm in writing, and debunking writing cliches. “So what I do now is essentially help students escape from their education. That's my enterprise every year. And it's always fun, because they escape quite readily. They all know that what they're making in their classes is an artificial product that doesn't actually have any particular interest for anyone except them.” – Verlyn Klinkenborg  EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED) https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/verlyn-klinkenborg-outliers-show-notes  FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/verlyn-klinkenborg-outliers-transcript  CHAPTERS This episode is our definitive guide to becoming a better writer. In it we cover: (00:00:00) – Introduction (00:01:54) – Rural life and the “home place” (00:04:50) – Raising animals and eating meat (00:11:07) – Learnings from farm life and work (00:15:35) – Verlyn’s reading habits (00:28:40) – Verlyn’s book Several Short Sentences About Writing (00:34:49) – What is academic prose? (00:40:08) – Why people should use shorter sentences in writing (00:44:43) – Finding rhythm in writing (00:48:49) – Self authorization and noticing the world around you (00:55:26) – Writing cliches that are untrue (01:06:43) – Writing is rooted in experience more than language ABOUT SEVERAL SHORT SENTENCES ABOUT WRITING Verlyn Klinkenborg teaches creative writing at Yale University, and was a member of the editorial board of The New York Times for 16 years. His work has been featured in The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, Esquire, and National Geographic, and he has authored several books, including Several Short Sentences About Writing. This book aims to debunk general cliches about writing and creativity and remove obstacles keeping us from clear self-expression. 💌 FREE NEWSLETTER https://www.outlieracademy.com/newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joey Cofone, Founder & CEO of the much loved “tools for thinkers” company Baronfig, joins me on Outlier Book Club to decode his new book, The Laws of Creativity. We cover why creativity isn’t magic, how creators across history from Albert Einstein to Grace Hopper and Bruce Lee wielded creativity to reach incredible heights, practical ways to hone your creativity, a framework for generating ideas, Joey’s process for writing the book, and so much more. “At this point in my career, I have art directed over 100 products from a rough idea into consumer’s hands. I’ve collaborated with incredible creators like James Clear and Roxane Gay. There came a point where it was very obvious how it all worked and fit together—because I was always interested not just in what I was doing but how I was doing it.” — Joey Cofone EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED) https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/laws-of-creativity-joey-cofone   FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/laws-of-creativity-joey-cofone-transcript    CHAPTERS (00:00:00) - Introduction (00:01:49) - Origin Story of The Laws of Creativity (00:06:39) - Distilling Down the Laws of Creativity (00:08:17) - What Creativity Is and Why It Isn’t Magic (00:18:17) - On Zeno’s Paradox and Choosing to Finish (00:22:58) - The Laws of Mindset, Action, and Greatness (00:25:57) - Joey’s Favorite Law: The Law of Competition (00:29:55) - The Law of Precision (00:33:00) - The Law of The Muse (00:36:06) - On Borrowing vs Stealing Ideas (00:39:42) - The Law of Simplicity (00:42:56) - The Law of Good Enough (00:46:51) - Joey’s Process for Writing the Book (00:55:54) - Knowing When the Book Was Done (01:02:07) - The Highs and Lows of Creating Baronfig (01:04:54) - Creativity vs Business (01:08:21) - Baronfig: The Idea Company ABOUT THE BOOK In his book The Laws of Creativity, Joey debunks why creativity isn’t magic and shares what it is, how it works, and how you can harness it in your everyday life. Learn how to unlock your originality and awaken your creative genius with Joey Cofone—award-winning designer and Founder & CEO of the much loved “Tools for Thinkers'' brand Baronfig. Each of the 39 Laws of Creativity are illustrated with inspiring, enlightening, and surprising stories of iconic creators across history—including Albert Einstein, Serena Williams, Martin Luther King Jr., Harry Houdini, Grace Hopper, Bruce Lee, and many more. Joey breaks down how these titans of history wielded creativity to reach incredible heights. “Drawing on decades of experience, Joey Cofone has distilled the elements of creativity into an excellent, easy-to-use guide. The Laws of Creativity provides a roadmap for unleashing the creative force inside you.” — James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits 💌 FREE NEWSLETTER https://www.outlieracademy.com/newsletter 🎙 LISTEN ON iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outlier-academy/id1523851182 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/58edVNgqaPNaCSGSxM6pef?si=88f37a5d20434775 Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listen to one of our favorite moments from tomorrow’s episode featuring Joey Cofone, author of The Laws of Creativity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicolas Cole, a renowned writer and co-founder of Ship 30 for 30, shares insights from his journey of ghostwriting for top-tier creatives to developing scalable writing strategies. He discusses the importance of niche specialization for writers, emphasizing that those with defined categories succeed. Cole delves into the art of category creation, urges writers to embrace uniqueness, and debunks myths surrounding content success. With his transformative approach, he encourages aspiring content creators to innovate rather than conform, ultimately focusing on delivering real value.

Listen to one of our favorite moments from tomorrow’s Book Club episode featuring Nicolas Cole’s book, Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create A Category Of One. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore achieving peak performance through experimentation. We’re joined by Chris Sparks, author of Experiment Without Limits and Founder of Forcing Function. We cover productivity vs. peak performance, eliminating dissonance between goals and reality, and writing your personal vision statement. “Rather than thinking about these tactics and how they can work harder, are you working on the right things? This comes back to some of the questions we've been asking today, what do you value? What are you optimizing for in your life? What is your vision? What are you trying to create?” – Chris Sparks EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED) https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/experiment-without-limits-chris-sparks  FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/experiment-without-limits-chris-sparks-transcript/  CHAPTERS This episode is our definitive guide to achieving peak performance through experimentation. In it we cover: (00:00:00) – Introduction (00:02:36) – From poker pro to peak performance (00:06:25) – Productivity vs. peak performance (00:09:51) – Team Performance Training (00:19:33) – Understanding your own values (00:25:16) – Dissonance between goals and reality (00:37:51) – Writing your personal vision statement (00:51:31) – The plan, experiment, reflect flywheel (01:07:08) – Systems minimize downtime (01:21:25) – Maximizing attention and energy ABOUT EXPERIMENT WITHOUT LIMITS Almost exactly two years ago Chris Sparks joined me as our very first guest on Outlier Academy. In this episode he’s back to explore his peak performance and productivity coaching work at Forcing Function. This time, to decode how he works with elite founders, investors, and even artists, to optimize their performance, clarify their goals, and make more progress each day. Chris works with elite founders, investors, and operators in his twice-yearly program, Team Performance Training, which accepts fifteen students at a time and takes them through his ten-week program. If you're ready to become an elite performer, consider applying for Chris Sparks's group coaching program, Team Performance Training. In Team Performance Training, Chris will teach you how to optimize your productivity, increase your personal leverage, and show up as your best self every day. There are fifteen spots available in Cohort 4 with applications open until the 27th of September. Learn more at teamperformancetraining.com. 💌 FREE NEWSLETTER https://www.outlieracademy.com/newsletter 🎙 LISTEN ON iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outlier-academy/id1523851182 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/58edVNgqaPNaCSGSxM6pef?si=88f37a5d20434775 Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182 ABOUT OUTLIER ACADEMY Learn timeless lessons on work and life from iconic founders, world-renown investors, and bestselling authors. Outlier Academy is the forever school for those chasing greatness. Past guests include Gokul Rajaram of DoorDash, Scott Belsky of Benchmark and Adobe, Joey Krug of Pantera Capital, Mark Sisson of Primal Kitchen, Luke Gromen of The Forest for the Trees, and Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK. Website: https://www.outlieracademy.com Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/outlieracademy ABOUT DANIEL SCRIVNER Outlier Academy is hosted by Daniel Scrivner. Over the last 15 years, Daniel has led design teams at Square and Apple, turned around a $3M+ ARR SaaS business, and invested in more than 100 companies. He launched Outlier Academy in 2020 to learn from the world’s best founders, investors, authors, and peak performance experts. Website: https://www.danielscrivner.com Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/danielscrivner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we explore how failure can be your key to success. We’re joined byBrian Scudamore, Author & Founder of 1-800-GOT-JUNK. We cover embracing competition, bouncing back from struggles, and turning down a buyout offer. “A brand is a selection of promises that we make and keep.” – Brian Scudamore EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED) https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/800-got-junk-failure-can-be-key-to-success-brian-scudamore-spotlight-show-notes  FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/800-got-junk-failure-can-be-key-to-success-brian-scudamore-spotlight-transcript  CHAPTERS This episode is our definitive guide to using failure as a key to success. In it we cover: (00:00:00) – Introduction (00:02:22) – How Brian’s grandparents influenced his path to entrepreneurship (00:04:41) – The birth and growth of 1-800-GOT-JUNK (00:09:35) – The power of a brand (00:16:33) – Creating a franchise (00:21:45) – Embracing competition (00:26:00) – Bouncing back from struggles (00:33:55) – Turning down a buyout offer (00:39:24) – Growth over time as an entrepreneur ABOUT WILLING TO FAIL (WTF) Entrepreneurship is a roller coaster of trial and error, laughter and tears, confusion and triumph. In WTF?! (Willing to Fail), serial entrepreneur Brian Scudamore takes you on an adventure that will convince you once and for all that you have exactly what it takes to succeed. With engaging stories from his thirty-plus years of failing upward, his book is full of lessons you can apply to your own endeavors—developing a clear vision, creating an awesome culture, finding gratitude in challenging times, and using setbacks to change your business for the better. Being an entrepreneur means letting go of fear. WTF?! (Willing to Fail) gives you the encouragement and wisdom you need to begin stumbling toward greatness. 💌 FREE NEWSLETTER https://www.outlieracademy.com/newsletter 🎙 LISTEN ON iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outlier-academy/id1523851182 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/58edVNgqaPNaCSGSxM6pef?si=88f37a5d20434775 Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182 ABOUT OUTLIER ACADEMY Learn timeless lessons on work and life from iconic founders, world-renown investors, and bestselling authors. Outlier Academy is the forever school for those chasing greatness. Past guests include Gokul Rajaram of DoorDash, Scott Belsky of Benchmark and Adobe, Joey Krug of Pantera Capital, Mark Sisson of Primal Kitchen, Luke Gromen of The Forest for the Trees, and Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK. Website: https://www.outlieracademy.com Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/outlieracademy ABOUT DANIEL SCRIVNER Outlier Academy is hosted by Daniel Scrivner. Over the last 15 years, Daniel has led design teams at Square and Apple, turned around a $3M+ ARR SaaS business, and invested in more than 100 companies. He launched Outlier Academy in 2020 to learn from the world’s best founders, investors, authors, and peak performance experts. Website: https://www.danielscrivner.com Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/danielscrivner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we explore technological progress and how innovation and invention happens. We’re joined by Jason Crawford, Founder of Roots of Progress. We cover nurturing progress as a moral imperative, the growth of progress studies, and how bureaucracy can slow progress. “We can pay it forward to future generations by making sure that progress continues and by making sure that future generations are living as well off compared to us today, as we are compared to the past. So let's have that ambition for the future.” – Jason Crawford  EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED) https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/progress-studies-roots-of-progress-jason-crawford-ig-show-notes  FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/progress-studies-roots-of-progress-jason-crawford-ig-transcript  CHAPTERS This episode is our definitive guide to technological progress and innovation. In it we cover: (00:00:00) – Introduction (00:02:09) – About Jason’s work with The Roots of Progress (00:04:30) – Nurturing progress is a moral imperative (00:06:24) – On Louis Pasteur (00:14:20) – What is progress? What is technology? (00:21:06) – On starting The Roots of Progress  (00:25:18) – The growth of progress studies (00:30:30) – Is progress really stagnating? (00:37:38) – How bureaucracy can slow progress (00:42:18) – The speed of innovation (00:48:26) – Advancements in biotech, artificial intelligence, energy technologies, and nanotech (00:56:00) – Appreciating the progress we see on a daily basis ABOUT ROOTS OF PROGRESS Jason Crawford is one of the researchers and writers at the forefront of the progress studies movement, which seeks to understand what's driven human progress historically in order to cultivate and accelerate it moving forward. Jason Crawford, through his blog and non-profit Roots of Progress, has studied and written about everything from the invention of the bicycle and why it took so long to be invented, to the smallpox vaccine. He's one of the world's leading thinkers on how progress happens, why it seems to have slowed in recent years, or at the least narrowed, and what we need to do to accelerate human progress in the coming years. 💌 FREE NEWSLETTER https://www.outlieracademy.com/newsletter 🎙 LISTEN ON iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outlier-academy/id1523851182 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/58edVNgqaPNaCSGSxM6pef?si=88f37a5d20434775 Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182 ABOUT OUTLIER ACADEMY Learn timeless lessons on work and life from iconic founders, world-renown investors, and bestselling authors. Outlier Academy is the forever school for those chasing greatness. Past guests include Gokul Rajaram of DoorDash, Scott Belsky of Benchmark and Adobe, Joey Krug of Pantera Capital, Mark Sisson of Primal Kitchen, Luke Gromen of The Forest for the Trees, and Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK. Website: https://www.outlieracademy.com Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/outlieracademy ABOUT DANIEL SCRIVNER Outlier Academy is hosted by Daniel Scrivner. Over the last 15 years, Daniel has led design teams at Square and Apple, turned around a $3M+ ARR SaaS business, and invested in more than 100 companies. He launched Outlier Academy in 2020 to learn from the world’s best founders, investors, authors, and peak performance experts. Website: https://www.danielscrivner.com Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/danielscrivner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we explore the fight between democracy and autocracy for the future of the internet. We’re joined by Jacob Helberg, author of The Wires of War. We cover the definition of autocracy, watershed moments in geopolitics, and how the physical infrastructure of the internet can be manipulated. “We have to see the world for what it is, not as we wish it were.” – Jacob Helberg EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED) https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/jacob-helberg1-outlier-academy-show-notes  FULL TEXT TRANSCRIPT https://www.danielscrivner.com/notes/jacob-helberg-outlier-academy-transcript  CHAPTERS This episode is our definitive guide to the fight between democracy and autocracy for the future of the internet. In it we cover: (00:00:00) – Introduction (00:03:13) – Jacob's background and introduction to geopolitics (00:05:45) – Jacob's book, The Wires of War (00:08:16) – Defining autocracy (00:12:02) – Watershed moments in geopolitics (00:15:27) – The physical infrastructure of the internet, and how it can be manipulated (00:18:13) – China is a peer competitor (00:28:20) – The need for US proactivity with autocracies (00:36:52) – Cold war, gray war, and hot peace (00:40:02) – How the US should work to preserve democracy (00:48:12) – Optimism in geopolitics ABOUT THE WIRES OF WAR The Wires of War is all about the battle being waged that will determine the future of the internet, and in many ways, the future of global society. And it's a battle that's being waged both on the front and back end of the internet. On the front end, that's taking place in the apps we use every day, from Google to Facebook, to TikTok, to Twitter. On the back end, in the hardware, routers, protocols and even the undersea cables that travel hundreds of thousands of miles crisscrossing and connecting the entire world. The Wires of War is deeply compelling, expansive, and an incredibly detailed picture woven together of the world that we're in and what we face.  The Wires of War is out now and available on amazon.com. 💌 FREE NEWSLETTER https://www.outlieracademy.com/newsletter 🎙 LISTEN ON iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outlier-academy/id1523851182 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/58edVNgqaPNaCSGSxM6pef?si=88f37a5d20434775 Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1523851182 ABOUT OUTLIER ACADEMY Learn timeless lessons on work and life from iconic founders, world-renown investors, and bestselling authors. Outlier Academy is the forever school for those chasing greatness. Past guests include Gokul Rajaram of DoorDash, Scott Belsky of Benchmark and Adobe, Joey Krug of Pantera Capital, Mark Sisson of Primal Kitchen, Luke Gromen of The Forest for the Trees, and Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK. Website: https://www.outlieracademy.com Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/outlieracademy ABOUT DANIEL SCRIVNER Outlier Academy is hosted by Daniel Scrivner. Over the last 15 years, Daniel has led design teams at Square and Apple, turned around a $3M+ ARR SaaS business, and invested in more than 100 companies. He launched Outlier Academy in 2020 to learn from the world’s best founders, investors, authors, and peak performance experts. Website: https://www.danielscrivner.com Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/danielscrivner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices