Mindful Reading

A discussion on the Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson. Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson is a fable that teaches us, the subtitle suggests, “An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life”. The story is about four characters in a maze, and how they navigate the maze to find their cheese. There are two mice, Sniff and Scurry, who act instinctively without overanalyzing...

A discussion on the book The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle explains that much of human suffering comes from how we relate to our own thoughts and identify with them. Most people spend a large part of their time thinking about the past and future. Over time, this creates a constant mental “story” about who we are, what is wrong, and what needs to change. Tolle cal...

A discussion on the book The Enchiridion by Epictetus. The Enchiridion, often translated as The Handbook, is a collection of teachings by Epictetus recorded and compiled by Arrian, one of Epictetus’s students. Epictetus was born a slave, his Greek name roughly meaning “acquired one.” After gaining his freedom, he became a well-known Stoic philosopher and teacher. One of the main themes of the Hand...

A discussion on the book The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday. The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday explores how adversity can be transformed into opportunity. Structured around three disciplines - perception, action, and will - it draws on Stoic philosophy and historical examples to illustrate how great figures have faced challenges and turned them into a path forward. Hosted by Peter Banda...

A discussion on the book The Practice by Seth Godin. The Practice by Seth Godin is a book about shipping creative work. It argues that creativity is not something you’re born with but rather it’s something that comes from having a consistent disciplined practice, with a focus on generously shipping the work rather than keeping it to ones self. Elements of a healthy practice include trusting yourse...

A discussion on the book The Lessons of History by Ariel Durant and Will Durant. The Lessons of History by the historians Ariel Durant and Will Durant. These lessons of history range from morals and character to religion and economics, put together by reflecting on their larger work, a series of books called “The Story of Civilization”. Hosted by Peter Banda & James de Klerk This is a public episo...

A discussion on the book Rework by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson. Rework by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson is written in the style where each chapter is made up of a handful of mini articles, with the articles being about one and a half pages on average. There are about 90 of these mini articles, with each being a nugget of wisdom on how to rework work and run a business. Hosted b...

A discussion on the book Start With Why by Simon Sinek. Start With Why by Simon Sinek introduces The Golden Circle, an idea he developed while trying to understand why some marketing worked better than others. Over time, he realized the concept explained not just effective marketing, but how great leaders and organizations inspire action. The Golden Circle consists of three layers - Why, How, and...

A discussion on the book All About Love by bell hooks. All About Love by bell hooks is a call to return to love in a culture of lovelessness. It digs in to the difficulties of life and love through the lens of feminism. Touching on the importance of defining love clearly, on the importance of a love ethic, and how love is found in community and communion with others. She urges readers to forgo the...

A discussion on the book The Courage to be Disliked by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi The Courage to be Disliked by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi, is written as a Greek style dialog between a young man and a philosopher. The young man, dissatisfied with life, went to the philosopher to learn how, or even if, he could ever be happy. Over the course of five nights the philosopher walks the youn...

A discussion of the book The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy is a classic type of self-help book, being a mixture of motivational stories and a collection of Darren's techniques for achieving consistent success in work and life. The focus of the book is on how, if you apply his tips and techniques, you can achieve consistent progress, which will compound and en...

A discussion of the book The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm. The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm argues that one of the core problems we face as humans is that of separateness. The solution, he suggests, is unity, achieved through love - not merely a feeling, but an art, the result of the active, productive orientation of one’s whole character. Fromm suggests that, as with any art, learning to love beg...

A discussion of the book As a Man Thinketh by James Allen. As a Man Thinketh by James Allen is a book about how our thoughts shape our reality. To quote from the book, "This little volume...its object being to stimulate men and women to the discovery and perception of the truth that - *They themselves are makers of themselves* by virtue of the thoughts which they choose and encourage; that mind is...

A discussion of the book Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman. Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman challenges the conventional approach to productivity and time management, arguing that the modern obsession with "getting everything done" is an attempt to control the uncontrollable. Instead, the book encourages readers to embrace their finitude. Burkeman suggests t...

A discussion of the book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is a fictional story about a man named Julian Mantle, a successful lawyer who faces death, from that, he realizes he needs to change his ways. Through a discussion with a friend John, Julian passes on the wisdom he gained on his personal odyssey. Along his journey, he encountered a wise sage in th...

A discussion of the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a story about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago. It follows his mystical journey from being a shepherd with a dream, to traveling the world and encountering many people along the way, from bakers to thieves, gypsies to alchemists. It's a story about following your dreams and allowing your heart to guid...

A discussion of the book Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. Man's Search for Meaning is a book by Holocaust survivor and psychotherapist Viktor Frankl. The book looks at the suffering experienced in the concentration camps, and how finding meaning allows one to survive even the harshest of conditions. For Frankl, there are three sources of meaning: work (creating a work or doing a deed), l...

A discussion of the book Lessons in Stoicism by John Sellars. In the book Lessons in Stoicism, John Sellars takes one through some of the core teachings of Stoicism. He focuses on the works of the well known Stoics: Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. Covering topics such as: * What is the philosopher’s role in life? * What is within our control? * How do we live in community? Ultimately, as w...

A discussion of the book Do the Work by Steven Pressfield. Do the Work by Steven Pressfield, as with many of Steven's non-fiction books, is about battling Resistance. It's about how to do the work, and the the challenges Resistance will throw your way for any meaningful project. The book is broken into a beginning, middle, and an end - as Steven would recommend you do for your project. Hosted by P...

A discussion of the book Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday. Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday is a book about ego and all its dangers. It looks at how ego is the enemy throughout different stages in our lives such as when we aspire, when we succeed, and even when we fail. Through various stories and quotes these ideas are explored, and we see how ego leads to demise, with humility being the better o...

A discussion of the book Range by David Epstein. Range explores the debate between generalists and specialists, examining why, as the subtitle suggests, “Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World.” The book contrasts “kind” learning environments - where patterns are repetitive and predictable - with “wicked” environments, which mirror our everyday experience, filled with unpredictability and cons...

Essentialism by Greg McKeown presents a philosophy centered on the "disciplined pursuit of less." The book explores the mindset of an essentialist, then outlines a systematic approach for achieving this disciplined pursuit. The core components of this approach are to "explore," "eliminate," and "execute." As McKeown delves into each of these, he contrasts how a non-essentialist and an essentialist...

Letters from a Stoic by Lucius Seneca is a collection of letters addressed to Lucilius, but intended for a public audience. The letters use different aspects of daily life to reflect on philosophical ideas - reflecting on those ideas through a Stoic lens. Hosted by Peter Banda & James de Klerk This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus...

The Enchiridion was likely compiled by one of Epictetus's students and attributed to Epictetus himself - a prominent Stoic Philosopher in the Roman Empire. It is a famous book in the world of Stoic philosophy, a philosophy that focuses on self-control, particularly, controlling ones emotions in the face of adversity. The Stoics also emphasize living a life aligned with nature, which loosely equate...

*Apologies for any rain noise that came through or distorted the audio. Slow Productivity by Cal Newport is about the philosophy of Slow Productivity, which in turn is about, as the subtitle suggests, "The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout". It looks at the structure of work over time, from hunter gatherers to modern knowledge workers, focusing on the foundations of how we came to a point...