The 232 Degrees Podcast: Unlocking Great Books

We reflect on our last batch of 10 books, known as Season 5. We discuss what moved us, what changed us and kick around a few ideas for what is next. Let us know what you think and please rate the show. Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-) Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube or wherever you listen (or watch!) your podcasts. Connect with us here: ⁠⁠⁠the232podcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with Zen and Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig ZAMM, as it is affectionately known, is a huge book in so many dimensions. Carl describes it as a "cultural phenomenon". We have been itching to take on this on for a while. Carl referred to the Smithsonian exhibit - this is a great article that explores Pirsig, the t...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with handfuls of fiction!! Today we chat fiction, why we read fiction, and why you should read fiction too. Carl introduces the Sorbet/Teppenyaki/Kale framework, and Seán discusses books to share with others, and books to escape. The longlist of what we covered: Gregg Hurwitz Orphan X series (we talked about the latest episode, "Ne...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with The Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. Welcome to the dawn of computing, but not as you know it. This book tells the story of leading black female mathematicians and their pivotal role in aeronautics and the space race. A truly important story, but did we love this book? Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-) or fi...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with The The Radium Girls by Kate Moore. Truly heartwrenching and a gripping read about a fight for justice. Welcome to book one of our historic non-fiction double header! We found ourselves often lost for words as we unpack this amazing book. Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-) or find out where to grab the book here: ht...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with The The Theory of the Leisure Class by Thorstein Veblen. This seminal book needs unpacking, with a crowbar and claw hammer! We draw together 50 Cent, the Robber Barons, wealth and affluence as we review this 19th century classic. Plus a shocking confession…. Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-) or find out where to gr...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with The Slow Productivity by Cal Newport. Slow Productivity is a recent book from a prolific author and we dive into knowledge work, protecting your calendar and whether this book is fresh or just drawing on the lineage of Newport?  Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-) or find out where to grab the book here: ⁠https://boo...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter. The Comfort Crisis questions whether modern life has become and proposes how we can take steps to reclaim some meaning in our lives and to embrace a little healthy discomfort. Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-) or find out where to grab the book here: https://booko.co.nz/w/95970...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with The Resilience Project by Hugh van Cuylenburg. The Resilience Project is a massive Australia-based mental health initiative that is now in schools, professional sports and of course, a bestselling book. Find out more about the project, what it's based on and where this book lands in the wellbeing landscape. Support your local books...

*It's hard to review a book like this without repeating the title often! So if you dislike cuss, or listen with young ears around just be aware! We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with Calling Bullshit by Jevin West and Carl Bertgstrom. One of the seminal 'thinking better' books that will dive into the tips, tricks and skullduggery that goes on with statistic...

We're back!!! We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with The Filter Bubble by Eli Pariser. The Filter Bubble, despite being written over a decade ago, is a thought-provoking book about the internet age and how our behaviour is subtlely, and not so subtlely, manipulated by the platforms we use. It also explores the consequences of this. Support your local bookstore or li...

A little show to put a bow on Season 4 - our longest season yet! We dive into the books of the season and share our favourite moments, totally off the cuff! Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-) Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. Connect with us here: the232podcast@gmail.com Get Sean’s book The Impact Professional at: impactprofessional.nz

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with Working Backwards by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr Business books; are they all they are hyped up to be? Meet the “insights, stories and secrets” of Amazon presented by a couple of senior ex-employees. We dive into the formulaic nature of business books and how the Amazon story has a lot more Jeff and a lot more luck than perhaps this...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with Skunkworks by Ben R Rich and Leo Janos Plane geek alert! This week we look at innovation, planes and whether the key lessons of one of the most infamous innovation labs can be translated into business, government and everywhere. A slight warning and apology - when Seán says “lets talk about the planes for 30seconds” it went a lot l...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with The Big Con by Mariana Mazzucato and Rosie Collington Following hot on the heels of last weeks episode, we stay in business consulting world and look at that outsourcing and embedding has had on the public and private sectors in many Western countries. How does it turn out? And what are the worrying long term trends?  Support your...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with The Management Myth by Matthew Stewart Where philosophy meets business consulting! Matthew’s book is an epic story of personal experience, asking some serious questions of todays business consulting practice, business books and the high-profile business schools. Carl also wanted to apologise for calling him Thomas :-) Matthew calls...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with Outlive by Peter Attia and Bill Gifford. This bestselling book is focussed on living long and healthy lives, but does it really live up to its promise? There is a lot in here that walks on shaky ground and we dive into some of the concepts and ask some hard questions. Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-) or find out w...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with The Good Life by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz. This book covers one of the worlds most amazing longitudinal studies of peoples’ lives, and what we have learned. It’s powerful stuff and of course, full of amazing wisdom that we can bring to our lives. Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-) or find out where to grab t...

First the omnibus, and today we have an interview show. Following on from our foray into the importance of reading children’s books, we catch up with bestselling author Elissa Brent Weissman and dig into how she creates new books that capture both our younger and ‘slightly older’ audiences. Find out more about Elissa here: https://www.ebweissman.com/   And her amazing books like Hannukah Upside Do...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with a handful from the amazing Katherine Rundell. A three-for! The boys check out Rooftoppers, The Explorer and her little book that lives up to it’s title: Why you should read children’s books….even though you are so old and wise. Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-) or find out where to grab all the Rundell books here:...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with Life’s a Pitch by Stephen Bayley and Roger Mavity. We dig into art of a good pitch, and question whether life really is a pitch and debate whether this big-selling business book is worth your attention. Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-) or find out where to grab the book here: https://booko.info/w/792399/Life-s-a-P...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott.  Is it a book about writing, or a book about life? How do we dig into our inner creativity? So many questions - so little recording time. And this book is celebrating it’s 30th birthday! Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-) or find out where to grab the book here: https://booko.info/w/1002...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with The Road to Character by David Brooks. This is a deep deep book. We get all philosophical with Carl and explore character traits and what makes up a good human, while learning about some characters from history.  Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-) or find out where to grab the book here: https://booko.info/w/7750553...

We’re back in the studio for Season 4 after a hiatus. We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with Same as Ever by Morgan Housel. A tasty morsel from 2023, there is a lot of fascinating stuff in this book about what our wee human brains get wrong. Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-) or find out where to grab the book here: https://booko.info/w/10017152/Same-as-...

Welcome to The 232 Degrees Podcast! We love books and reading, and those who know us know that we love a good conversation. This is a special one for Seán - his new book The Impact Professional was released in March and we recorded live at the launch at Addington Coop in Ōtautahi-Christchurch. Its a fun conversation exploring our potential to deliver positive change in our professional roles.  The...