3 Books With Neil Pasricha

Latest Episodes:

Chapter 46: Dr. Laura Markham on prioritizing presence to parent peacefully Jan 24, 2020

Show notes

3 Books is a completely insane and totally epic 15-year-long quest to uncover the 1000 most formative books in the world. Each chapter is hosted live and in-person at the guest's preferred location by Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation. Each chapter of 3 Books uncovers and discusses the three most formative books from one of the world's most inspiring people. Sample guests include: Judy Blume, David Sedaris, Chris Anderson of TED, and the world's greatest Uber driver. Each of the 333 chapters is dropped on the exact minute of every new moon and full moon until September 1, 2031. 3 Books is an Apple "Best Of" award-winning show as well as the world's only podcast by and for book lovers, writers, makers, sellers... and librarians. For more info check out: www.3books.co

Dr. Laura Markham creates Aha! moments for parents of kids from babies through teens. She trained as a clinical psychologist at Columbia University, is founding editor of AhaParenting.com which has over 150,000 newsletter subscribers, and is the author of three bestselling books including Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids. Visit her on Twitter @DrLauraMarkham, on Instagram @DrLauraMarkham_AhaParenting, and online at www.ahaparenting.com

Chapter Description:

Today we are nestled into a beautiful century-old brownstone in Park Slope, Brooklyn with the amazing Dr. Laura Markham, a preacher of love, letting love in, sending love out, and using that as a way to deepen our connection with ourselves and our children.

Who is Dr. Laura Markham?

She's a Colombia-trained clinical psychologist, founder and editor at AhaParenting.com, author of three parenting books including my favorite Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids, a parenting expert for many websites, and a life-changer for many, many families including mine. (You'll hear what my wife Leslie thinks at the beginning of this chapter!) Dr. Laura Markham translates proven science into practical and simple solutions to live an intentional life.

So in chapter 46, let's stop and pause and choose how we respond to help drive a movement towards love and compassion. I partly resonate so deeply with Dr. Laura Markham's work, because I feel like the higher place she's leading us towards is also the same place I want 3 Books to lead us toward.

In this chapter, we chat about the complexities of parenting and how we can be more present as parents. Dr. Laura Markham shares many valuable insights, from communicating through play, navigating our own traumas, mastering the skill of sending love to strangers, and how we need to develop a closer relationship with death.

And, of course, we talk about Dr. Laura Markham's 3 most formative books.

Let's go!

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

How can we heal our inner trauma first so we don't project that onto our children?
How is sitting in stillness an important key to 'getting things done'?
Why do we need to bring awareness to our pain?
Why do we project our emotions and our pain onto the people we love?
How has our understanding of mental illness progressed over history, and where do we need to go from here?
How can you make death your peer instead of your persecutor?

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/46

Chapter 45: Rich Roll on wrestling with recovery and running to redemption Jan 10, 2020

Show notes

A graduate of Stanford University and Cornell Law School. Rich Roll is a 53-year old, accomplished vegan ultra-endurance athlete, wellness advocate, bestselling author and host of the Rich Roll Podcast. A former entertainment attorney turned full-time wellness & plant-based nutrition advocate, popular public speaker, husband, father of 4 and inspiration to people worldwide as a transformative example of courageous and healthy living. His inspirational memoir FINDING ULTRA became a bestseller upon it's release in 2012 and THE PLANTPOWER WAY cookbook graces kitchens across the world. Along with his wife and four children, Rich resides in Malibu Canyon outside of Los Angeles.

Chapter Description:

Today we are headed West, perched atop the hills of Calabasas, California, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

I'd love for you to be my guest for an incredible conversation with the one and only Rich Roll.

Who is Rich Roll?

Well, Rich was introduced to me by Jonathan Fields, our guest in Chapter 24 and host of the Goodlife Project. Jonathan told me Rich was one of his favorite people and he soon became one of my favorite people. I love his mind, his words, his outlook, and his incredible podcast … and was thrilled to have a chance to ask him which 3 books most shaped his life.

Rich went to Stanford and Cornell and was a national athlete at Stanford in swimming, but his career was cut short by a decade-long struggle with drugs and alcohol, eventually landing him in jail and rehab. On the eve of his 40th birthday, as he walked up the stairs he was left totally winded… and decided it was time to make a change.

The next day Rich overhauled his life. He switched to a 100% vegan, plant-based diet, grabbed his running shoes, jumped back into the pool, and two years later, fueled only by plants and after losing 50 pounds, he became the first vegan to ever compete in the 320-mile ultra-marathon and finished as the 3rd fastest American in the race.

Are you kidding me??

He then went on to complete five Ironman Triathlons on five islands of Hawaii in one week!

In 2012, he wrote his inspirational memoir FINDING ULTRA: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World's Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself, which became a bestseller upon its release and is still ranking highly to this day. It's a fantastic book and memoir. I've read it. I loved it and can't recommend it enough.

In 2013, he launched the Rich Roll Podcast. An incredible podcast, often ranking in the top 50 on iTunes, he does a deep exploration and mindmeld with people such as Russell Brand, Kevin Smith, Lance Armstrong, and Edward Norton. He calls it a two-hour experience, where he covers huge themes around fitness, creativity, and the human condition.

I was very lucky to link my mind with Rich in Chapter 45 of 3 Books.

Let's go!

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

How do you decide which once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to do?
How far should you lean into your art?
What are some tools that help you be fully present and available?
How do you build a successful podcast?
How do you overcome deep addiction?

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/45

The Best of 2019: Neil Pasricha reminisces on relationships, romance, and radical reading Jan 01, 2020

Show notes

Episode Description:

And we're here!

It's 11:59 pm on December 31, 2019 and we're about to enter into 2020.

We're winding down the holiday cheer and staring ahead at a brand new year.

It's a time to reminisce and remember all we're grateful for, it's a time to look back on our struggles, and it's time to open the next waiting door.

Welcome to the second annual "Best Of" episode of 3 Books.

I hope this serves as a great welcome mat into the show for new listeners and a way to reflect and remember some of the goldiest gold nuggets from Chapters 20-44 which aired through 2019.

We are publishing a new chapter of 3 Books on the exact minute of every new moon and full moon from 5:36 am on March 31, 2018 to 5:52 am on September 1, 2031.

Please explore the show further at www.3books.co, read our values, see our show notes, and catch up on our growing list of The Top 1000 most formative books in the world.

Thanks again for joining me on this wild and crazy ride.

Neil

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/the-best-of-2019

Chapter 44: Kevin the Bookseller on subtracting stuff and sorting Star Wars Dec 26, 2019

Show notes

In this chapter, I walk into a full-blown Indigo bookstore, inside of a hospital and run into my old friend Kevin, who has been working there for 11 years. As we begin talking about his three most formative books, I decide to bring out my iPhone and record the conversation.

Chapter Description:

I love Kevin Marusic.

He's a book nerd and bookseller and bookstore manager (and moustache aficionado) who runs the Indigo bookstore in the Mount Sinai hospital in downtown Toronto.

Whenever I talk to Kevin our conversation rolls like a river so this time (this time!) I pulled out my cell phone after I walked in and recorded the very first guerrilla style chapter of 3 Books!

No prep, no research, no notes, no books read in advance.

In Chapter 44 of 3 Books, join me inside the Indigo Books in Mount Sinai hospital as we discuss how to learn to look at worlds beyond our own, what order you should watch the Star Wars movies in and why, what the dangers are of the 'pants computer', why you should separate your phone into tool and toy, why books are magic (new 3 Books value!), and, of course, the incredible Kevin Marusic's three most formative books.

There are so many nerdy tic-tacs buried in this chat that I am not coming anywhere close to doing Kevin justice.

Trust me.

He is a gem! He is a lover. He has a wonderful heart.

And I am so delighted to share his incredible wisdom with all of you. The world will be a better place if we can all be a bit more like Kevin.

Let's go!

What You'll Learn:

What is the other definition of USSR?
Why is it important to lose yourself in art or in stories?
Why should a conversation flow like a river?
Who did JRR Tolkien go to school with to help inspire Lord of the Rings?
Why are booksellers and librarians 'doctors of the mind'?
How can living with less give us more?
What are the dangers of the 'pants computer'?

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.3books.co/chapters/44

Chapter 43: Lisa Labute on life lessons from loving legumes Dec 12, 2019

Show notes

Lisa is the founder of the Goods, a cafe located on Roncesvalles Avenue in the West End of Toronto, that specializes in hand crafted, radically healthy food. Her inherent understanding of the medicinal potential of plant based cuisine has made her a leader in the functional food movement in Toronto. The Goods' simple, yet meticulously crafted meals remind us of the deep connection between food and our wellbeing. Lisa left a career as an advertising executive to start The Goods which is ranked one of the ten healthiest restaurants in Toronto.

Chapter Description:

I am so excited to introduce you to Lisa Labute.

Lisa ratcheted up the ladder of the advertising world, working 100-hour weeks as an ad executive helping to sell everything from fast food to luxury cars.

And then she eventually burned out — had a "food incident" — and realized, like Emily McDowell told us in Chapter 18, that it's a lot better to make things people want than making people want things.

After traveling the world to lean into her new passion for mindful and intentional eating she returned to her home of Toronto to found The Goods, a cafe located in the west end of Toronto in the Roncesvalles neighborhood, that serves vegan, hand-crafted, radically healthy foods.

Lisa's understanding of the medicinal potential of plant-based cuisine has made her a leader of the functional food movement.

I stumbled upon The Goods while on one of my Life-Changing Magical Walks during an Untouchable Day and struck up a conversation with Lisa. I loved her energy, vibrancy, and passion. I sensed immediately that she was a true community leader and somebody who was happy "getting off the program" to live a purpose-filled life.

At The Goods every single food is made from scratch. Even the mustard! They buy mustard seeds, let them sprout, and then make their own. The kitchen is radically transparent and open concept and the walls are lined with jars full of ingredients visually listed in the ratio in which they're used. All of the ingredients are clearly listed, and despite being a health conscious vegan restaurant, the food is presented in a non-dogmatic and non-judgemental fashion. Lisa is not a "you should" kind of person as you'll hear.

Lisa and I explore themes around how we eat well, how to exit "the program," how to discuss mental illness, and how we find our most adventurous, wild, and truest selves.

I hope you enjoy Chapter 43 of 3 Books.

Let's go!

What You'll Learn:

How can we stop 'shoulding' on ourselves?
Why is there so much confusion surrounding health?
How can diet alter mental health and even our oral structure?
Why shouldn't you eat any food that has a health claim on it?
How do we eat healthy even when we're travelling or busy?
Why and how should we strive for a more 'wild' lifestyle?

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/43

Chapter 42: Molly Bloom on poker princess privileges and pushing past pomposity Nov 26, 2019

Show notes

Molly Bloom formerly ran one of the most exclusive, high-stakes underground poker games in the world, raking in millions annually and featuring players like Alex Rodriguez, Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Ben Affleck. After the dramatic takedown, she wrote the New York Times bestselling book Molly's Game detailing her life's story, which turned into a $59 million Oscar-nominated film starring Jessica Chastain and directed by Aaron Sorkin. Molly had previously trained as an Olympic skier and reached #3 in North America, despite having been told she could never ski again after having surgery for her scoliosis.

Chapter Description:

In Chapter 42 of 3 Books, I sit down with Molly Bloom at the Four Seasons after she had just spoken to 10,000 (no big deal — 10,000 people!) with other big stars like Tony Robbins and Rachel Hollis.

Who's Molly Bloom?

Molly began her career as a world-class skier, but while training as a pre-teen she was diagnosed with severe scoliosis. Her doctor told her she could never ski again, but even as a pre-teen Molly had incredible strength of mind, which you'll recognize in our podcast, and she ended up back on the slopes only a year after her surgery.

By age 21, she was ranked #3 in North America. She then took off to LA and began running one of the most exclusive, high-stakes, underground poker games in the world featuring players like Alex Rodriguez, Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, and was raking in millions of dollars per year.

So, what happened? The feds went after her! The mafia went after her! And there was a dramatic takedown. While waiting for her sentencing, she ended up writing her life's story in her memoir Molly's Game. That book became a bestseller and was turned into a movie written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, writer of The West Wing and The Social Network, starring Jessica Chastain (as Molly), Idris Alba, and Kevin Costner.

Molly has been featured on Ellen, NPR, LA Times, VICE, and many more. But what was happening below the surface is a story that, as she says in this chapter, has never been shared before. There was a journey happening inside Molly that forced her to look at the downsides of her ambition and addictive personality.

In this conversation we discuss: How do you recover from a life altering public defeat? Why is losing everything so liberating? How exactly do you get Aaron Sorkin to turn your life story into a movie? What is the counterintuitive way to prepare for a huge meeting? How do you find the 'monetizable asset' in your life?

And, of course, what are Molly Bloom's three most formative books?

Let's go!

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

What's one unusual way to get a book deal?
How can you train yourself to become calmer prior to meetings and life events?
What are the positive and negative effects of having a strong mind?
How do you know if you're pursuing the wrong path?
How can you leverage negative qualities to become strengths?

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/42

Chapter 41: Jen Gunter on beating bullying, bigotry, and body bashfulness Nov 12, 2019

Show notes

Dr. Jen Gunter is a Canadian-American OB/GYN and a pain medicine physician. Jen is commonly referred to as Twitter's resident gynecologist, the Internet's OB/GYN, and is one of the fiercest advocates for women's health. Jen writes the New York Times columns "The Cycle" and "You Asked Jen Gunter." She hosts the popular TV show Jensplaining and she has written the bestselling books "The Preemie Primer" and "The Vagina Bible."

Chapter Description:

Question for you.

Let's say you were scheduled to give birth to triplets, but they arrived prematurely, and one of them died during birth at the hospital …

In that painful situation, what would you do?

You'd search for answers!

You'd ask questions!

And if you're Dr. Jen Gunter, you would recognize that, even to a doctor, the answers were confusing, misleading, and sometimes contradictory. So what did she do? Well, Jen wrote an entire book on premature babies called the The Preemie Primer. The book became popular and helped Jen develop a massive following to the point where she's known today as Twitter's OB/GYN.

Why?

Because she's not afraid to give people the cold, hard truth.

Today Jen hosts the TV show Jensplaining and writes not one but two New York Times columns!

Jen recently wrote another book called The Vagina Bible which took off and has been climbing bestsellers lists.

Due to the success of her books Jen is often on promotion tours so I was able to catch up with her at the PenguinRandomHouse offices in Toronto when she came through town for TV shows and to give speeches.

Jen and I discuss how medicine became rooted in mansplaining, how to teach kids sex ed, and of course, her three most formative books.

Let's go!

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

How do we break the cycle of "those who get bullied become bullies?"
How did Dr. Jen Gunter become known as Twitter's OB/GYN?
How should parents teach their children sex ed?
How is the stigma surrounding STIs impacting rates of transmission and treatment?
When is shame a wasted emotion and when is it an appropriate emotion?
What are the key ingredients for good sex?

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/41

Surprise Waxing Gibbous: My new book YOU ARE AWESOME launches today! Nov 05, 2019

Show notes

Happy waxing gibbous! What does that mean? Well, it's not a new moon, and it's not a full moon, and in between is the waxing gibbous moon. Waxing means getting bigger. Waning means getting smaller. So as the gibbous waxes today on November 5th, 2019, I wanted to send a special short little "book launch" podcast for my brand new book which launches everywhere today! YOU ARE AWESOME: How To Navigate Change, Wrestle With Failure, And Live An Intentional Life is a 288-page hardcover from Simon & Schuster which offers a smacking takedown of our never-good-enough cell-phone culture and helps us develop resilience to shift from:

change-resistant to change-ready
failure-prone to failure-proof
thin-skinned to thick-skinned
and anxious to AWESOME

Order it now: https://www.neil.blog/you-are-awesome-book-neil-pasricha And I'd love to see you on book tour! https://www.neil.blog/book-tour

Chapter 40: Pete Holmes on infinite infinities and the insanity of is-ness Oct 28, 2019

Show notes

Pete Holmes is a comedian, writer, cartoonist, "Christ-leaning spiritual seeker", and podcast host. His wildly popular podcast, You Made It Weird, is a comedic exploration of the meaning of life with guests ranging from Deepak Chopra and Elizabeth Gilbert to Seth Rogen and Garry Shandling. Pete also created and stars in the semi-autobiographical HBO show Crashing which he executive produces alongside Judd Apatow. An accomplished standup with three hour-long television specials and innumerous late night appearances, he continues to tour regularly to sold-out crowds. He lives with his wife and daughter in LA.

Chapter Description:

A few years ago, I went to a Judd Apatow comedy show and I was completely blown away by the lineup of friends he brought out.

Ray Romano! Zach Galifianakis! And, of course, the incredible Pete Holmes.

Pete was my favorite comic that night, which is saying something because of who his company was.

I loved Pete's brand new book Comedy Sex God and praised it in my monthly book club. I'm not a religious person, and Pete was, and then wasn't, and now is but in a really thoughtful, interesting, and spiritual way. And this book, which is essentially his memoir, chronicles his journey through faith with a ton of laughs and mind-altering insights along the way.

Pete Holmes is a comedian, writer, cartoonist, podcast host, HBO star, and Christ-leaning spiritual seeker.

His podcast You Made It Weird is a comedic exploration of the meaning of life, with guests ranging from Deepak Chopra to Elizabeth Gilbert to Seth Rogan. Pete also starred in the semi-autobiographical HBO show Crashing which he executive produced with Judd Apatow (no big deal!).

We go deep in this chat and talk about why we withhold love, why myths are always true and sometimes really happened, why our brains want certainty but our hearts are comfortable with mystery, the salty sweet conundrum of life, and, of course, Pete's three most formative books.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

How do you say 'yes' to what is?
Why doesn't the game of infinite orgasms work?
How do we shift from thinking of travelling through the world … to realizing we are the world?
How can God be seen as a metaphor?
Why do we withhold love?
Why are cell phones manifestations of a mental problem we all have?
And much, much more..

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/40

Chapter 39: Soyoung the Variety Store Owner on Korean culture, connecting community, and cultivating calm Oct 13, 2019

Show notes

Soyoung Kim lives in downtown Toronto and has run a variety store with her husband since she emigrated from Seoul in the late 1990s.

Chapter Description:

Have you ever developed a relationship with your local corner shop owner?

Maybe you pop into a convenience store every day to grab a drink or you walk into the same coffee shop every afternoon.

Leslie and I have developed a relationship with Soyoung Kim, a beautiful, kind, Korean woman who has run the corner store by our house for years.

My wife Leslie has long trained me to buy her fresh flowers every week. And I always buy them from Soyoung's shop.

Soyoung reads 50 books per year and credits them to helping her form her identity and better understand English when she first emigrated to Canada.

I asked Soyoung to come on 3 Books to share her three most formative books and we grabbed two milk crates and sat down in the garden center at the side of her store.

I hope you enjoy this talk with Soyoung Kim as much as I did.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

Why do older siblings often feel pressure to take care of the family?
How can we learn to take care of ourselves when we're responsible for taking care of others?
Who should take care of us when we grow older?
How can we learn to empty our minds on a daily basis?
Why should we place less importance on money?

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/39

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