3 Books With Neil Pasricha

Latest Episodes:

Chapter 28: Mark Manson on constant cursing and clearing clutter May 04, 2019

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

Mark Manson is the New York Times and international bestselling author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, with over 6 million in sales in the US alone. His blog, markmanson.net, attracts more than two million readers per month. Mark just released a brand new book titled Everything is F*cked: A Story About Hope, and will be publishing another book, Will Smith's memoir, later this year.

Chapter Description:

Have you by chance heard of a book called The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck?

I'm guessing you have since it's sold, oh, no big deal, over six million copies over the past three years in the US alone. Is there a bigger book in the world right now? No. There is not. And there hasn't been a non-fiction book this big and this disruptive in a long, long time… So: Is Mark Manson a one-hit wonder? A one-trick pony? Was the success of his book a total random fluke? His fifteen minutes of fame?

I'm gonna say it straight up.

No.

Absolutely not.

Mark's first book, and it's meteoric success, is the ultimate product of an unbelievably large mind which has mastered the art of taking the biggest, densest books on the planet and then simmering, simmering, and simmering them down into beautifully simple, profanity-laced models and stories that hit you like a ton of bricks.

The world is so loud! So busy. So full. Everything is screaming at us to buy this, buy that, do this, do that. And you know what we need in this wild crazy world? We need guides. We need clear voices. We need people to give us simple and practical advice that we can follow and put into place…

Mark Manson is one of those guides for me and millions of others.

So in his cramped hotel room at The Drake Hotel in Toronto, on the eve of his release of his second book Everything is Fucked: A Book About Hope (which is mind-expandingly beautiful), Mark and I go deep, really deep, on how to build trust in an era of clutter, why he swears so much in his writing, why he poo-poos self-help gurus, what is the root problem with the "advertising model", why Mark played video games for months straight after the success of his first book, and what his writing routines and principles are…

Welcome to Chapter 28 with Mark Manson.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

Why is it important to be selfish when it comes to your writing?
Why is swearing an important form of self expression?
What is the root problem with the "advertising model"?
How do we make the most of our time in our short, tiny lives?
How are science and spirituality interrelated?
How does knowledge from ancient philosophers relate to modern psychology?
How do we choose the path that's most aligned with our morals instead of most profitable?
Why is there no such thing as atheism?
Why do we need to be more comfortable with quitting?
How can you chew on and digest huge, complicated topics?
Why should you consider unfollowing all news?
How can you read more without losing your free time?

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/28

Chapter 27: Robin the Bartender on fiddling with frankincense and fighting for freedom Apr 19, 2019

Show notes

Robin Goodfellow, founder of Little Bones Beverage company is part owner of Bar Raval, Prettyugly, and Harry's in Toronto with many new projects on the go. He started Bartending 16 years ago in Toronto and boasts about the constant need to change and evolve. His passion belongs to training new bartenders, fine tuning his existing establishments, helping new proprietors develop their bar programs, and throwing unique and creative events that push the beverage industry to new territory. Bar Raval was named #1 in the 2018 Canada's Best Bars list and Prettyugly Bar was #8. Bar Raval is currently #70 Best Bar in the World.

Chapter Description:

A few years ago my friend Rita was raving to me about Bar Raval, a new bar in downtown Toronto, and took me there one night.

She said the interior was this unreal Antoni Gaudí-inspired pattern of curved mahogany which I had to see to believe.

So we get there and I go up to the bar and come face to face with this bartender completely covered in tattoos and say, "Can I grab a drink?" And he shoots back, "What do you want?" And I say, "Well, what do you have?" and he says "No, what do you want?" And I say "Well, I don't want anything sweet." And he does this sort of slow swivel to look back at the huge display of glass jars full of colorful tinctures behind him and then stares back and me and says, "Does it look like a fucking sweet place to you?" I was taken aback. But he kept challenging me to say what I wanted, what I felt like, what I was going for … and so finally … I did. I exploded in this giant passionate diatribe about how I wanted to feel optimistic and refreshed and nostalgic … and then he gets to work. He begins smashing ice cubes, picking glasses from fridges, shaving limes, adding drops of who knows what to my glass and then finally puts down in front of me a bubbling neon green concoction like I'd never seen.

And you know what?

The drink was optimistic… and refreshing … and nostalgic. It was like a magic trick! I couldn't believe it.

Over the years I got to know and fall in love with this fiery, passionate bartender named Robin Goodfellow. Turns out he owned the place together with some partners. As well as other bars including PrettyUgly and Harry's.

In 2018, Bar Raval was ranked #1 of Canada's top bars and PrettyUgly was ranked #8. Also, Bar Raval is currently ranked #70 best bar in the world.

Robin has been bartending for sixteen years and spent eight years studying social theory.

Robin and I go deep into the purpose of a bar, what everyone is looking for in life and how we can find it, what underpins all great service, how to become more mindful eaters, the paradox between authenticity and quality, and why the farm-to-table movement is over.

I hope you enjoy Chapter 27 of 3 Books with my favorite bartender Robin Goodfellow.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

How do we find what we are looking for in an era of loneliness, separation, and anxiety?
What should bosses never say to employees?
What's the paradox between authenticity and quality?
Why should you try to sell a feeling rather than a product?
How can eating animals and certain plants be seen as exerting power over nature?
How has the 'ideal body image' changed over centuries?
Does cultural appropriation exist within the food industry?
What's the difference between 'good' and 'bad' traditions, and when should we argue against tradition?

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/27

Chapter 26: Angie Thomas on righting racist wrongs and remembering radicals Apr 02, 2019

Show notes

Angie Thomas was born, raised, and still lives in Jackson, Mississippi. A former teen rapper, she holds a BFA in creative writing from Belhaven University. Her award-winning, acclaimed debut novel, The Hate U Give, is a #1 New York Times bestseller and major motion picture from Fox 2000, starring Amandla Stenberg and directed by George Tillman, Jr. Her second novel, On the Come Up, is on sale now and is already a #1 New York Times bestseller as well.

Chapter Description:

No one gets it like Angie.

Her books are putting their fingers right on the pulse of America today. Racial tensions, police shootings, citizen uprisings. Does this sound like the setting of a YA novel? How about two of them? Well, as I write this her debut The Hate U Give and her sophomore release On The Come Up are #1 and #2 on The New York Times bestseller list.

We sat down together at the busiest hotel in downtown Toronto on the tail end of Angie's 15-city book tour to discuss how we find the truth for ourselves, when do we bring up harsh realities to kids, and what place media and religion have in society today. We dive deep into the heightened racial and political tensions today and we search for a way out…

And, as always, we get to learn Angie Thomas's three most formative books.

I hope you enjoy.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

How and when do we expose children to harsh political realities
Why can we no longer trust the media to give us the honest truth?
How can we build BS-meters to filter out fake news?
What lawsuit did Martin Luther King Jr's family win against the US government?
Was Jesus a radical?
What's the potential first step needed in the US today to help start to sow deep racial divisions?

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/26

Chapter 25: James Frey on drunk, defiant differentiation Mar 21, 2019

Show notes

James Frey is the author of the international bestsellers A Million Little Pieces, My Friend Leonard, Bright Shiny Morning, The Final Testament of the Holy Bible, and his latest hit, Katarina, and has sold over 20 million copies of his books in 42 languages. In 2009, Frey founded the publishing company Full Fathom Five, through which he wrote and released The Lorien Legacies series under the pseudonym Pittacus Lore as well as the YA series Endgame. Frey is well-known for writing about his struggles with substance addiction and his path to sobriety.

Chapter Description:

What do you know about James Frey?

Or what do you think you know about James Frey?

I'm guessing it's not nothing. Everyone has an opinion! When I first spotted A Million Little Pieces on my wife's bookshelf when we were moving in together I was like "Oh? Really? That book? The Oprah guy?"

And she was like "Have you read it?"

And I was like "No, no idea what it's even about. Just that it's not real or whatever."

She looked at me with disappointed eyes. Understandably so! I hadn't bothered to go below the surface. To read about it on my own. I had just soaked in some distant fumes off the story.

"Read it," she said, and pushed the book into my hands.

That night I opened A Million Little Pieces and was completely pulled into this pulsing, frenetic, endlessly climactic story of addiction, growth, and finding yourself. The book shook me. It was a masterpiece. I couldn't believe it existed. I almost felt anger towards the Oprah saga because it headfaked me into thinking I knew what the book was about… when I couldn't have been more off. I went deeper into James Frey's catalogue and found myself similarly seduced by books like Bright Shiny Morning and Katerina.

His stories have a pace and staccato to them that's perfect for distracted brains like mine. He doesn't mince words, he doesn't shy away, and his characters always punch you in the gut.

I sat down with James with a lot of questions and I loved our discussions around fatherhood and living an intentional life. We talk about teaching children to read, the importance of secular bibles, and why (and how) we can slowly stop comparing ourselves to others.

We talk about critics and he shares an incredible story on what true pain really is. (Hint: It's not getting yelled at on TV.) We explore what getting drunk really means and talk about how to step outside and learn to fall in love with whatever you see.

I hope you enjoy Chapter 25 of 3 Books with James Frey.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

How can 'getting drunk' help you enjoy life more?
How do we avoid comparing ourselves to others in the age of social media?
Why should writers focus less on following rules and expectations of the literary world?
How can we learn to live more in alignment with our morals and what we think is right?
How can different activities be forms of meditation?
How do we learn to accept ourselves?

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/25

Chapter 24: Jonathan Fields on winning with will and weaving why into work Mar 06, 2019

Show notes

Jonathan Fields is the bestselling author of five books and currently runs the media and education giant Good Life Project®. Jonathan hosts the Good Life Project podcast, which attracts one million listeners every single month. His podcast has been dubbed one of the best self-development podcasts by Wall Street Journal and made it onto The Guardian's Top-25 Episodes of the Year. Jonathan is a world renowned speaker, hosts an annual summer camp, and created Sparketypes™, a set of archetypes designed to reveal the source-code for the work you're here to do. Jonathan's latest book How to Live a Good Life was an instant international bestseller.

Chapter Description:

How do we focus more on meaning and what matters?

What's the key to living a good life?

Enter my good friend, Jonathan Fields.

Jonathan is the bestselling author of five books and the host of Good Life Project podcast, which attracts over a million listeners a month. His podcast has been dubbed one of the best self-development podcasts by Wall Street Journal and made it onto The Guardian's Top-25 Episodes of the Year.

Jonathan is a maker. He's made books such as How To Live A Good Life, which was an instant international bestseller. He has made products such as the Sparketypes™, a set of archetypes that allows individuals to discover their unique source-code for work that fuels purpose, deepens engagement, and unlocks the fuller expression and performance of who they are. He's even hand made his own guitar!

So, it probably comes as no surprise that we cover gigantic themes in this chapter such as how to find leanness in an era of fat, how to touch on bigger life questions without being prescriptive, how to shift from a fixed to a growth mindset, and how everything in the world is endless … except attention and life.

With that, let's head to the upper west side of New York City to visit the Good Life Project's headquarters and sit down with the incredible Jonathan Fields.

Welcome to Chapter 24.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

How can we find leanness in an era of fat?
How can enforcing creative restraints help people produce better work?
What's more important: the conquest or the journey?
Which book should every aspiring writer read?
How can a short story paint a very elaborate and moving picture in so few words?
How should we deal with our kids experiencing failure?
What's the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset?
How can we navigate changes that don't seem like we're moving 'forward,' such as the transition from teacher to student, doctor to patient, spouse to divorcee?

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/24

Chapter 23: Jesse Finkelstein zooms into the zeitgeist and zeroes in on zesty Zora Feb 19, 2019

Show notes

Jesse Finkelstein is the co-founder and principal of Page Two Publishing, a premium author-centric publishing house. Prior to founding Page Two, Jesse was Chief Operating Officer at D&M Publishing leading the company's digital and international sales strategies, and Associate Publisher at Raincoast Books. Jesse holds a Master of Publishing from Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from McGill University.

Chapter Description:

Have you ever found something you love doing but one tiny part of it you hate?

You love the company, the job, the values, the people … but hate your boss.

You love the school you teach at, the kids, the classroom … but can't stand the commute.

We encounter these decisions all the time. You love something but you just can't deal with this little part of it.

Enter Jesse Finkelstein, co-founder and principal of Page Two Publishing, a premium author-centric publishing house.

Why did I bring up the deal-breaker conundrum?

Because Jesse always felt this way about the publishing industry.

She went up through the ranks at the big publishing companies, all the way to COO at D&M Publishing. But she kept asking herself: What if there was a publishing company that put the author's goals first?

So Jesse created Page Two, which sits somewhere in between self-publishing and traditional publishing.

Page 2 takes an author's idea, looks at whether it has market potential, and then supplies the author with all the tools a big publishing house would: editors, copy-editors, graphic designers, distribution channels, everything.

In Chapter 23 of 3 Books, Jesse and I go deep into how the publishing landscape is evolving … and then we dive into her three most formative books.

We discuss how acclaimed political writers can actually not be political enough, how books can get over-edited, the Harlem Renaissance, and how reading acts as therapy, and much, much more…

I absolutely loved listening to Jesse and think you will, too.

Welcome to Chapter 23.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

When is it okay to be a quitter?
How can authors retain creative control in the strict world of publishing?
What are the most important steps to take when publishing a book?
How have self-published books radically changed over the past decade?
How did the Harlem Renaissance affect book publishing, particularly for black authors?
How has poetry transformed over the past century and why is it resurfacing again?
What makes a book accessible to readers and how do writers tap into that?
What book can help us learn from trauma and look past it with a fresh perspective?

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/23

Chapter 22: Tim Urban on shivering in shorts and shifting from sheep to chef Feb 04, 2019

Show notes

Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy) is the author of the blog Wait But Why and has become one of the Internet's most popular writers with over 1.5 million readers per month. According to Fast Company, Tim has "captured a level of reader engagement that even the new-media giants would be envious of." Tim's series of posts after interviewing Elon Musk has been called by Vox "the meatiest, most fascinating, most satisfying posts I've read in ages." Tim's TED Talk, Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator, has received more than 30 million views.

Chapter Description:

Pop quiz!

Who's the first person who comes to mind when you think of the word philosopher?

Aristotle, Plato, Socrates … Karl Marx?

If you asked me today, the first person that comes to my mind is Tim Urban. Because a philosopher is someone engaged with the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence. Wrestling with the big questions! And sure, lots of folks are doing that. But I can't think of anyone doing it better right now than Tim Urban.

Tim Urban is co-founder and writer of the popular blog Wait Buy Why, which has over 1.5 million readers per month and scores of big-name fans including Elon Musk. Why? Because Tim has a beautifully simplistic way of distilling big, complex topics like artificial intelligence, picking a life partner, and, say, The Fermi Paradox, into simple language.

He's an incredible teacher, an incredible philosopher. His TED Talk on procrastination is a great example of this, which has over 30 million views.

Tim's intellectual curiosity is huge. Despite being a Harvard grad, Tim's going against the grain of typical Harvard grads and spending his days writing long blog posts using simple words to explain big things. And we're lucky enough to get a glimpse into how Tim's brain works in Chapter 22.

We discuss breaking convention, retaining curiosity, Stitches vs Band-aids, why you should let your children wear shorts in the winter, the difference between cooks and chefs, and much, much more....

Join us over avocado toast in the corner of Ludlow Coffee Supply in Manhattan's Lower East Side.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

Why should you let your kids wear shorts in the winter?
Why is it important to separate art from the artist?
How can conservatism and progressivism work together?
How can we learn to break free from normalcy and follow our own paths?
How can we tell if old wisdom is still useful or if it no longer applies?
What's the difference between reasoning with first principle versus reasoning by analogy?
How can we learn to appreciate children's curiosity and tendency to ask 'why'?
If someone is remorseful of something, does that mean they deserve forgiveness?
How can we make things people love, instead of things people already have?

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/22

Chapter 21: Paulette Bourgeois on family foundations, frightening fiction, and forging Franklin Jan 21, 2019

Show notes

Were you one of the sixty million people who grew up reading Franklin The Turtle?

We were handed a dog-eared stack of them when my first son was born.

As my wife and I flipped through them, we couldn't help but just buy into the whole Franklin universe.

There's Beaver and Bear and Fox and good values and good parenting and good life lessons all delivered in a way that super appetizing for children… and their parents.

So I expected Paulette to choose, you know, three children's books for her three most formative books. But she couldn't have surprised me more with her picks.

(Spoiler alert: Chapter 21 contains the first ever horror book on The Top 1000.)

Now, who is Paulette? Well, she studied journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa. She used to be a reporter for CBC News. She lived in Washington, DC while writing for magazines like Reader's Digest and Chatelaine.

And she's the incredible mother of two children who inspire her to be intentional as a parent and family leader.

How do we raise intentional children?

What does ADD feel like inside your brain?

How can we turn anger into empathy?

We get into these questions and many more in Chapter 21 of 3 Books.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

Do we all have 'dark sides' within us despite how seemingly normal our lives appear?
Why is it so important right now to find your voice?
How can we teach and encourage children to speak up and fight for what's right?
How can we pass on our core values through generations?
What new book idea did Paulette come up with during our podcast?
How can we inspire children to look at all sides and come up with alternative explanations?
How can we best support people with ADHD?

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/21

Chapter 20: Debbie Stoller on frenzied female fandom, fighting for freedom, and fourth-wave feminism Jan 06, 2019

Show notes

Do you remember Chapter 4 of 3 Books with Sarah Ramsey?

She introduced me to BUST Magazine, the largest feminist magazine in the world, and waxed on about how BUST had incredible book recommendations…

Well, they sure have a lot more than that.

I picked up a copy of BUST and was blown away by the urgency, voice, and community. I also wasn't surprised to see The New York Times and Fast Company both profile BUST over the past few months.

So I trucked down to Brooklyn to see if we could learn what's behind the curtain. I'm so delighted to introduce you to my next guest on 3 Books — founder of BUST, Master's and PhD graduate of Yale University with thesis in the psychology of women, and rampant feminist since age six …

The one and only Debbie Stoller.

In addition to her three most formative books, Debbie shares her inspiration behind BUST and how pop culture influences societal views and laws.

Debbie has taken the powerful influence culture has on society by turning cultural narratives on their heads, striving to make BUST into a magazine that reads like the world that would exist 'if women won.'

Debbie sits down with me in the middle of her office in the 'warehouse district' in Brooklyn, NY where I ask basic questions like: What is feminism? Who got us to where we are today? And what are the major gaps between men and women in the world right now?

I feel like I sound like an ignorant fool a lot in this chapter but I hope you enjoy and learn as much as I did. Huge thank you to Debbie for this opportunity.

And now let's get into Chapter 20.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

How does culture reflect male and female desire differently—and what has been left out?
What's the difference between first-wave, second-wave, and third-wave feminism?
How has pop culture amplified and influenced gender roles and stereotypes?
How has the definition of feminism changed and shifted over the years?
What would media look like if sexism didn't exist?

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/20

The Best Of 2018: Neil Pasricha peers into the past and plucks perfect podcast pieces Jan 01, 2019

Show notes

So here we are. It's 11:59pm on December 31, 2018 and we're releasing our first annual Best Of 3 Books for 2018. It's a time to look back. It's a time to look ahead. It's a time to look inside and think about which lessons, which insights, and which paths we will follow in the year ahead. For long time listeners of 3 Books, I hope this hopscotch through the first 19 of 333 chapters gives you poignant reminders, tiny amplifications, and little lightbulb ideas as you look to your year ahead. For new listeners, I hope this gives you a little sampler platter of what we're all about here. We believe books change lives and we're so grateful you decided to listen in to our epic quest to uncover the 1000 most formative books in the world. 3 Books just won the Apple Best of 2018 Podcasts award and is routinely ranked in the Top 100 on Apple Podcasts. And what else do we believe in? We believe in 100% live in-person conversations, we believe in 100% ad / sponsor / interruption-free content, we believe in publishing every single chapter of 3 Books on the exact minute of every new and full moon from 5:36AM on March 31, 2018 to 5:52am September 1, 2031. Please visit www.3books.co to read about all our values, see all our show notes, and catch up on the list of The Top 1000 books in the world. Thank you for joining us. This is a powerful pilgrimage and I am so honored to be your host. I can't wait for the year to come. Let's keep going. Neil --

Leave us a voicemail! Your message may be included in a future episode: 1-833-READ-A-LOT

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