The James Altucher Show

Probably the books I've recommended most in the past five years was "Sapiens" by Yuval Harari. And not only me: it's Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg's top recommendation. I'm releasing this episode because there's so much to know about our past as humans. And our future.   Show Notes: Read New York Times bestseller "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari Read "Homo Deus: A Brie...

Jim Cramer is one of the most well known financial experts on the planet. I've known him for 16 years. We worked together. I was a writer for TheStreet.com and he was doing "Mad Money" for CNBC. So we have history. And I wanted to check in with him. But I didn't ask about his success or how his career is going. I wanted the hidden truth. "Are you happy?" That's what I asked Jim Cramer. 22 years la...

This podcast episode is action packed. It's not philosophy. It's action. It's HOW to actually get to the top of Amazon's best seller list, how to get an idea for your book, how to create daily writing habits, etc. Steve Scott has written 70+ books. And each one generates income. He makes 30, 40, 50 thousand dollars A MONTH! He's been on the podcast before. And broke it all down. I brought him back...

Self-care. What does that even mean? I called the expert: Cheryl Richardson. She's written several New York Times bestsellers and I owe her credit for helping me cultivate new thinking whenever I needed it. When I was most scared, I'd call Cheryl. And she'd say, "Your best thinking got you here, (to the worst situation of your life, to your complete bottom), so you probably need the thinking of so...

Wait! Before I say "comedian." Let me tell you who Paul Mecurio really is. He's a transformer. A true re-inventor. He started out at as a lawyer on Wall Street. Because it was logical. And he got used to making 2, 3... 4 million dollars a year (after bonuses vested). It was hard to give it up... at first. But he still made little efforts. And those efforts add up. Overtime Paul stopped taking note...

For two decades Annie Duke ranked as one of the top poker players in the world. Which means she won a lot. But she couldn't win without losing. I'll explain. It's hard to learn when you win, I think. Because if you win, then you think you're a genius, but if you lose you blame your opponent for being "lucky". So how do you become a real master... Skip the 10,000 hour rule. There's a hack. And Anni...

Aaron Berg is "the fearless comedian." And I think that's a compliment. How would you like if someone call you "the fearless (whatever you are)." Fill in the blank. I wanted to learn that skill. And that's what I think you'll learn from this interview.  Show Notes: "American Etiquette: Failing Upwardly in a Fox News Nation" by Aaron Berg?  "Mr. Manners: Proper Etiquette for the Modern Degenerate"...

Kevin Allocca is "Head of Culture and Trends" at YouTube. He's been there for 8 years. So he knows how videos go viral. But more than that, Kevin knows the economics of entertainment. He told me how to get a message out (because no one reads books anymore. It's easier to get hits online than hits on Kindle.) So what's the first step? "You gotta start making something," he said. "Especially when yo...

Sara Blakely is a self-made billionaire. She's the founder and creator of Spanx. I interviewed her exactly a year ago. But all of her advice (learned directly from DOING) is still impacting me today. I had to re-listen. And I hope you do, too.   I wrote an article "What I Learned From Spanx Founder Sara Blakely." Sometimes I re-read it to remind myself of everything she taught me. Some people are...

This podcast is all about getting in control of your food. Food is medicine. It's fuel. Listen to Dr. Oz, leading cardiac surgeon, featured health expert, host of The Dr. Oz Show and author of 8 New York Times bestselling books, including his newest, "Food Can Fix It: The Superfood Switch to Fight Fat, Defy Aging, and Eat Your Way Healthy".   Show Notes: Dr Oz's 8th NYT Bestseller: "Food Can Fix I...

Jordan thinks about things, people pay attention, and he gets paid for it. His YouTube channel has tens of millions of views. He's a clinical psychologist, professor and author of "12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos."     Show notes: 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson Jordan's popular YouTube channel and lectures "Tools of Titans" by Tim Ferriss  Jordan's interview...

"It's weird to do something that you didn't really plan on doing," Todd Barry said. He's a comedian and actor. But he wanted to be a musician. "I didn't go on stage with the conscious goal of pursuing comedy. In my mind, I still wanted to be in a band," he said. "And at some point, I think it was like 8 months in where, I was like, 'I guess I guess I'm doing this.'" I wanted to know what kept him...

We live in this society where there's "rules of etiquette"... but there aren't really "rules of etiquette" when someone's trying to kill you. Sometimes violence is the answer. "This is a key mind shift people need to take for their own self protection," Tim Larkin said. Tim's an American self-defense expert, the founder of Target Focus Training, and author of the "New York Times" bestselling book...

Happy chemicals = the key to happiness. So I interviewed Dr. Loretta Breuning, author of "Meet Your Happy Chemicals," "The Science of Positivity," "I, Mammal," and "Habits of a Happy Brain." Show Notes:  "Meet Your Happy Chemicals" by Loretta Breuning "The Science of Positivity" by Loretta Breuning "I, Mammal: How to Make Peace With the Animal Urge for Social Power" by Loretta Breuning "Habits of...

Erika Ender was just nominated for "best song of the year." She wrote "Despacito." (Which has 7billion+ views on YouTube.) I first interviewed her in October '17. And I wanted to re-release our conversation to celebrate her. She has so much wisdom and gave me so many powerful takeaways. But one of my favorites is "everybody has their own talent." And when she says it, I believe her.  I write about...

NBA's all-time leading scorer? Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Six-time NBA champion? Kareem Abdul Jabbar. 50 years of athleticism. THAT'S peak performance. Then he combined his career with activism, philanthropy (President Obama awarded him with "The Presidential Medal of Freedom," the nation's highest civilian honor.). He's also collaborated with HBO documentaries to create the highest rated sports documen...

PJ told me some unconventional ways to vote for president. "Who would you road trip with?" A lot of people might think they'd say Trump, "but think again," he said. I didn't vote. But I still wanted to know how it happened... (Also, this episode is airing just days before the one year inauguration of President Donald J. Trump.) Full show notes and links here. Show Notes: The National Lampoon, PJ w...

It's weird. Normally, the people I interview on this podcast are at the end of their career. Bill is just starting. He spent years in law school. And then made up his mind (after a day of fasting) that he's going to be a comedian. I wanted to know why... "I calculated it out," he said. "I figured I can out work a lot of these guys. I cultivated this really huge love for stand-up and it imbued my l...

It's easy to just be an entertainer, but it's a lot harder to be an artist. Dov Davidoff is learning this. And he taught me how he's figuring out how to use his vulnerabilities to his advantage. To set him apart. For him, humor is a way of telling the truth (in an odd sort of way). I'll explain. The truth can be hard to hear. Even if it means trashing your wife on stage. This is Dov's interpretati...

Jeff is the bestselling author of "Real Artists Don't Starve." I've wanted him to come on this podcast for over a year. Because he knows the secret to become a "thriving artist." "That's somebody who makes money so they can make more art," he said. The key is to combine your art with a business sense (even if it's just the basics). Start with your natural talents. Turn those talents into skill (th...

Aaron Carroll is a pediatrician and the author of "Bad Food Bible: How and Why to Eat Sinfully". I threw every argument ever made about coffee, carbs, alcohol, MSG, BACON, antioxidants, the list goes on. He's about to dismantle the rumors. And give you your control back. Show Notes: Read Aaron's book "The Bad Food Bible: How and Why to Eat Sinfully" Aaron writes for the New York Times, read his ar...

He had a panic attack on air. Live.  A meltdown in front of 5 million people.  Dan was struggling with PTSD, which led to drug abuse and depression. Then he found meditation. Show Notes:  "10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works--A True Story" By Dan Harris  "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-to...

I'm celebrating my 300th episode. With a GIANT episode. I took all the best clips from years and years of podcast. And recorded some new "behind the scenes" thoughts and ideas about each clip (what I learned and why I loved this guest, how they helped me and how they can help you, too). You'll hear advice and EXCLUSIVE stories from Mark Cuban, Tony Robbins, Arianna Huffington, Sara Blakely, Tim Fe...

Why would anyone want to pursue a career in comedy? There are no benchmarks, no paychecks and definitely no guarantees. It's too risky. Unless you have that pull... the one that tells you, "this is the right thing. This is what you're meant for." Paul Reiser knew. And never looked back. That's what I want for everyone listening to this podcast. That's what I hope for you.   Show Notes: some of Pau...

If I compete with you, I'm a loser. It means I'm not helping anyone in a new way. Ryan said, "Competition is for losers." He was quoting Peter Thiel. Instead, you have to invent your own category... here's how Show Notes: "Trust Me I'm Lying" by Ryan Holiday "The Obstacle is The Way" by Ryan Holiday "Ego is The Enemy" by Ryan Holiday "The Perennial Seller" by Ryan Holiday "The Daily Stoic" by Ryan...