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3 Books With Neil Pasricha

3 Books is a completely insane and totally epic 22-year-long quest to uncover and discuss the 1000 most formative books in the world. Each chapter discusses the 3 most formative books of one of the world’s most inspiring people. Sample guests include: Brené Brown, David Sedaris, Malcolm Gladwell, Roxane Gay, Cheryl Strayed, Rich Roll, Soyoung the Variety Store Owner, Derek the Hype Man, Kevin the Bookseller, Shirley The Nurse, Vishwas the Uber Driver, Angie Thomas, David Mitchell, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Mark Manson, Seth Godin, Judy Blume, and Quentin Tarantino. 3 Books is published on the lunar calendar with each of the 333 chapters dropped on the exact minute of every single full moon all the way up to 10:37 PM EST on April 26, 2040. 3 Books is an Apple “Best Of” award-winning show and is 100% non-profit with no ads, no sponsors, no commercials, and no interruptions. 3 Books has 3 clubs including the End of the Podcast Club, the Cover to Cover Club, and the Secret Club, which operates entirely through the mail and is only accessible by calling 1-833-READ-A-LOT. 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, The Happiness Equation, Two-Minute Mornings, etc.

For more info check out: https://www.3books.co

Copyright: © 3 Books

Latest Episodes:

Chapter 19: Chip Wilson on living large, launching Lululemon, and leaving a legacy Dec 22, 2018

Show notes

Our next guest is the first billionaire entrepreneur of a global brand we've had on 3 Books. We fly over to Vancouver to talk with the founder and former CEO of Lululemon, Chip Wilson.

Chip founded the company Westbeach, a snowboard, ski, and apparel company, which he eventually sold in 1997. Then one day while flipping through the paper, he came upon a piece of fascinating information…

There are now more woman than men graduating from colleges and universities.

Then he got all prophetic.

"Women will have more money! They're gonna want to live downtown! They're going to want clothing that fits their lifestyle!"

So he launched this brand called Lululemon. The first store was opened in 2000 in the Kitsilano neighborhood of Vancouver. Chip served as the company's CEO for six years before transitioning to Chief Product Designer.

These days, although Chip is technically "retired," he's still doing so much. He's raising five boys. He founded the Imagine1Day foundation with his wife to work on improving education in Ethiopia. And he just released a book called Little Black Stretchy Pants: The Unauthorized Story of Lululemon.

This chapter is filled with so much thrilling conversation and content. From redefining masculinity and our definition of success to the importance of investing in our minds and our families.

I think this is the perfect chapter to finish off the year, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Welcome to Chapter 19.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

What helps prevent bureaucracy in big companies as they grow?
Why is there so much cynicism around motivation?
How can we stop ourselves from complaining too much?
Why are 'mental workouts' just as important as physical workouts?
How can we improve our communication skills?
What's next for masculinity in the world?
How do we raise our children into the best people they can be?
What do all successful people have in common?

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/19

Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

Chapter 18: David Sedaris on holding happiness hostage and healing holes in our hearts Dec 07, 2018

Show notes

I discovered David Sedaris after asking my college writing mentor how to become a better comedy writer. He handed me a strange looking book with a pair of boxer shorts on the cover …

Naked by David Sedaris.

I'd never heard of David before, but when I went home and started paging through his book, I was completely blown away.

His autobiographical essays were incredibly sardonic, witty, and laugh-out-loud funny, and dealt with his homosexuality and his obsessive compulsive tics and dropping out of school.

Like millions of people around the world, I quickly became obsessed with David Sedaris. I've read all of his books and every article he's written in The New Yorker.

I even went to see him speak, which is how I learned that after every single event he does, he'll stay late (up to 10 hours!) just to talk to anyone who wants to meet him.

So it was with a lot of excitement that I squeezed into the back of his limo on his North American book tour for Calypso. I rode with him all over Toronto from his hotel to his CBC interview to his book signing to uncover and discuss his three most formative books.

What was supposed to be a tight half hour interview turned into a beautiful hour and a half long conversation.

Welcome to Chapter 18 with the generous and beautiful David Sedaris.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

What's the "secret to getting old"?
Why can't you be a writer if you're not a reader?
How do we remain artistically and ethically pure after commercial success?
Why do we try to hide our love for money when we generally need it to live?
How do we transition from mimicking other writers to establishing our own voice?
Why does David ask random people he meets who he thinks are funny to open for him at huge events?

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/18

Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

Chapter 17: Emily McDowell on family fallouts, finding phrases, and forging false fairytales Nov 23, 2018

Show notes

Have you ever looked through a bunch of greeting cards and felt like nothing reflected the way you feel?

The greeting card industry is 150 years old, and yet they haven't quite mastered this skill yet…

But Emily McDowell has. Emily has an uncanny ability to characterize the relationships we have, not the relationships we want to have.

Emily runs Emily McDowell Studio, an online hub of greeting cards, tote bags, and other gifts that articulate things in an emotional way that we often can't express ourselves. Emily finds the right words to say … when we can't. For our Valentines when we haven't quite defined our relationships yet. For our loved ones who were just diagnosed with cancer.

Emily is also the New York Times bestselling author of There Is No Good Card For This, which acts as a guidebook on how to navigate our relationships so we can understand our pain, work through our challenges, and develop resilience and empathy.

I think she has really put her finger on something that we desperately need in the world right now: how to create more empathy.

We discuss some really interesting themes including how our pasts affect us, how to raise creative children, and how to use lessons from advertising to make things people want… not make people want things.

I hope you enjoy Chapter 17.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

How can we identify universal truths to better relate to others?
How can we turn pain into humor?
How do you raise children out of your own shadow?

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/17

Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

Chapter 16: Mitchell Kaplan on cultivating connection, Colorado quests, and creating community Nov 07, 2018

Show notes

Did you know the average person lives for 1,000 months?

Or that the average person is awake for 1,000 minutes per day?

That's why I like the number 1,000 so much, and partly why I started my blog 1,000 Awesome Things about ten years ago. It's why I'm on this quest with you to uncover the 1,000 most formative books in the world.

And that quest is what brought me to the independent bookstore Books & Books with Mitchell Kaplan.

Why did I decide to sit down with Mitchell?

Because he started the entire Books & Books chain. Back in the early 1980s, Mitchell opened a 500-square-foot bookstore because he was passionate about community and wanted to create a "third place."

But it's not just a bookstore chain. Mitchell has grown it to the point where there are rooms dedicated to publishers, outdoor magazine stands, and about 600 author events per year.

And although he runs what he jokes is a "no-profit" bookstore, he is wealthier than many of us ever will be because he's living such a rich life. Rich in purpose, relationships, connection, and meaning.

Welcome to Chapter 16.

I hope you enjoy this soulful and passionate chat as much as I did.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

What is a "third place"?
Why don't we spend as much time and money on mental health as we do physical health?
How do you create an authentic community without it feeling manufactured?
How do teachers play a powerful role during our most formative years?
What is the "producer high"?
What should a bookstore try and be?

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/16

Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

Chapter 15: Mitch Albom on making music, managing mojo, and memorializing Morrie Oct 24, 2018

Show notes

Oh, this life, this world.

As Mitch says, once you find purpose, and once you find style… what's left?

Beauty.

What's left is finding and putting out beauty into the world.

There are not many writers who have genuinely figured this out … but one of them is Mitch Albom.

Mitch is the bestselling author of Tuesdays with Morrie, the bestselling memoir of all time, as well as The Five People You Meet in Heaven and his new book, The Next Person You Meet In Heaven, which just debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list this week.

His books have sold over 40 million copies.

Mitch just doesn't turn off. He's like a Tasmanian Devil. He's hosting a radio show, he's on TV, he's writing columns in the Detroit Free Press, he's a musician, he's even running an orphanage in Haiti.

Mitch is full of energy and life and moves quickly and talks quickly … and so we talked about that. We go deep into why he moves through life so fast. We unpack his relationship with Morrie and talk about how I actually misinterpreted parts of the book.

We talk about what the worst thing you can say to an artist is (which he learned from Maya Angelou) and what the true enemy of getting things done is (and surprise, it's not time or energy).

I hope you enjoy learning what Mitch Albom's three most formative books are as much as I did.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

What's the worst thing you can say to an artist?
How do we balance parental expectations with chasing our own dreams?
How does Mitch say music and writing comes together?
What encouraged Mitch invite more purpose and faith into his life?
Which book inspired Mitch to transition from a reader to a writer?
What does Mitch think is the best compliment a writer can receive?
What will Mitch be sharing in his next book based on his own life?

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/15

Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

Chapter 14: Rich Gibbons on paid public preaching, parenting prescriptions, and pickles with perfectionism Oct 09, 2018

Show notes

"On the one hand, information wants to be expensive because it's so valuable. The right information in the right place just changes your life. On the other hand, information wants to be free because the cost of getting it out is getting lower and lower all the time."

Recognize that quote?

It's from a conversation between Steve Wozniak and Stewart Brand at the very first Hacker's Conference in 1984.

We've heard it so many times.

Information wants to be free.

And in many ways, it already is. We live in The Information Age, a time when you can find the answer to just about any question with the push of a button.

But if that is the case, then why is the paid speaking industry expanding? Why pay five or six figures to bring a big name athlete or author to your conference when you could just watch the video for free online?

We have all this free content everywhere, yet the value of live is going up.

Well, maybe when we have more online content, we miss out on other things.

We have less … attention.

We have less … connection.

We have less … alignment.

If you want to get a room full of people excited about one thing, it's hard to do that unless you all physically talk about that one thing.

Unless you all feel that one thing … together.

And nobody understands this better than my next guest … Rich Gibbons.

Rich is President of Speak Inc, the largest speaking bureau in the western United States, and was formerly President of the International Association of Speaking Bureaus.

And Rich is one of the most interesting and articulate people I've ever met.

How can you become a paid public speaker? How does the industry work and what do speaking bureaus do? What is the "99th Floor" metaphor to inspiring feelings of gratitude?

Buckle up, buckle in, and please enjoy Chapter 14 of 3 Books.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

How can you become a paid public speaker?
How does the speaking industry work and what do speaking bureaus do?
What's the biggest skill that makes for a great public speaker?
What's the counterintuitive benefit to exposing ourselves to depravity in books?
What's the next evolution of parenting after "The Helicopter Parent"?
Why did one of Rich's dad friends describe himself as a benevolent dictator?
How can parents balance desires for children to be happy … and rich?
What is the "99th Floor" metaphor to inspire feelings of gratitude?
How can writing be compared to telepathy?
What's Stephen King's trick to read more books even if you're a slow reader?

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/14

Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

Chapter 13: Ariel Bissett on brag-worthy book hauls, brainwashing beasts, and building BookTube Sep 25, 2018

Show notes

Do you remember the first person who introduced you to the love of reading?

Was it a teacher? A parent? A friend? For me, it was my third-grade teacher. I remember on the first day of class we all gathered on this old, dusty green carpet and Mrs. Dorsman asked us all where we went that summer.

"I went to Japan," she began, with her eyes bugged open, "… and to Australia … and the waterfalls of South America … and to the Moon… and to Mars!"

And then she looked around the room and dropped the final bomb.

"Through … books!!!"

Mrs. Dorsman lit a fire inside me that day.

But what if you don't have an incredibly soulful teacher who loves books? Who flicks the lighter to ignite that burning passion within you, within any of us?

Well, these days, we have BookTube.

According to The New York Times the BookTube community has gotten over 200 million views and engagement is up 40 percent versus last year.

And one of the most popular BookTubers in the world is Ariel Bissett.

With hundreds of thousands of subscribers, Ariel feels BookTube kindles a passion and love for books.

So, I traveled to Ottawa to sit down with Ariel, and we discussed BookTubing, how to grow your Youtube channel, why you need a book 'medicine cabinet,' how to reinvent yourself, and how to navigate loss.

I hope you're as excited about this Chapter as I am. Let's begin.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

What is a BookTuber?
How does BookTube work?
How did Ariel grow her channel to hundreds of thousands of subscribers?
Why should you start a "book medicine cabinet" and what goes in?
Why (scientifically) should you reread books?
Why should you never read 1-star reviews?
How do we create trust online in an era where trust is at an all-time low?

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/13

Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

Chapter 12: Chris Anderson on tackling tribalism, trusting trust, and transforming TED talks Sep 09, 2018

Show notes

What was the first TED Talk you ever watched?

Was it Do schools kill creativity? by Ken Robinson?

Was it The power of vulnerability by Brené Brown?

Whatever it is I bet you felt a bit like you stumbled onto an oasis. The Internet is junky! The whole thing feels like a pack of cougars just ran through a dollar store. Pop-up everything, ads screaming at you, and everything feels like a fish-hooks tugging at your eyeballs.

TED is the opposite.

TED doesn't beg for personal info, force you to open an account, quick-pick your wallet for your credit card, or do anything other than help spread ideas to shape, grow, and inspire your thoughts.

It is beauty in the scat-filled dollar store.

So, who's Ted? Who runs TED? Who's the 18-minute-or-less Emperor?

It's Chris Anderson.

The Pakistani-born, Oxford-educated, New York Times bestselling... Chris Anderson.

In this Chapter, I fly down to New York City and sit with Chris in his office. We uncover his three most formative books and discuss developing willpower, tackling deeper issues, supporting ambitious spouses, and what being a dreamer really means...

I hope you enjoy this conversation with Chris Anderson, Head of TED.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

Which book taught Chris more in a weekend than his entire Oxford philosophy degree?
What does Chris say is one of the chief criticisms of TED?
What does Chris see as humanity's greatest superpower? Should you work with your spouse? What is Chris's view and why?
What is the "shooting an asteroid out of space" view of intelligent life?
How do we inspire others to feel wonder, awe, and optimism?
What media tricks must we watch out for these days?
How can we regain control over our attention?
How do we become better dreamers?

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/12

Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

Chapter 11: Kerri Kolen on creepy closets, crafting cosmos, and courageously confined kids Aug 26, 2018

Show notes

Our world is so full.

Our world is so busy.

Our world is so cluttered.

Newspaper boxes. Pop-up ads. TVs in elevators. There are so many things trying to grab our attention. So many reaching out with their little fish lures to poke and grab us into signing up for their newsletters.

Don't you ever feel like it's just too loud?

I say what we need in this world of constant stimulation are ... editors.

Not the people who correct your spelling and grammar. I'm talking about those among us who can be bastions of clear thinking. Pinnacles of clear communication! Who can strip away the noise and give us clear ideas in the simplest ways.

Our next guest is the very first editor to be interviewed on 3 Books.

Kerri Kolen is the super editor behind mega-hits #Girlboss, A Stolen Life, Lion, and even my very own The Happiness Equation ...

I was delighted to visit Kerri in her home in Washington DC to chat about her three most formative books.

We discuss escaping into armoires, preserving imagination, fighting for feminism, and even carefully wade into a new dialogue about suicide... amongst a dozen other topics that touch on themes today.

I hope you enjoy this chapter of 3 Books as much as I did with the incredible Kerri Kolen.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

How do we preserve imaginations as we get older?
What's the difference between a writer and an author?
What exactly does an editor do? (And what do they look for?)
What is "world building" and how does it work in writing?
How do we create the element of voyeurism in our writing?

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/11

Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

Chapter 10: Elan Mastai on astronomical advances, artistic ambitions, and advice for aspiring authors Aug 11, 2018

Show notes

Do you make your own luck?

Do you really control what happens?

Or do you simply dump everything you can in the system, press the big green button, and then hang on for the hairy-scary ride?

Elan Mastai is the award-winning screenwriter and novelist behind one of my favorite books of last year – the incredibly fast-paced, head-twisting, and emotionally moving sci-fi epic All Our Wrong Todays.

I was crying hot salty tears when I reached its final pages and was delighted when Elan accepted my invite to share his three most formative books on our show.

And! Just to tease the very first story he shares.

Elan received a $1,250,000 advance for his first book. You read that right.

A seven-figure book advance for All Our Wrong Todays.

His first book!

How did that happen?

Well, I ask him, and you're going to love the story he shares.

And then we get deeper into ambition versus contentment, how hard you push versus what you get, and whether or not we control the inputs and the outputs… or whether we all have to really learn to just practice getting comfortable dumping whatever we can into the system.

Pressing the green button.

And holding on for the hairy-scary ride.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

How did Elan get a $1,250,000 advance on his first book?
Why did Elan choose to make each chapter of his book 2-3 pages?
Which book helped Elan become more grateful and gave him perspective at a young age?
Why are our values less important than our actions when we're trying to discover who we truly are?
Which body part does Elan compare a writer to, and how is it considered a "documented form of pain"?
Which of Elan's three most formative books was the only one he chose to read since he was forced to read the other two?
Why did Elan, Kurt Vonnegut, and I all choose not to put semicolons in our books?
How do you wrestle with book shame when you don't love classic novels you assumed you'd enjoy?
What book reminds Elan of listening to a Pink Floyd's song?
What should aspiring authors keep in mind when looking for a literary agent?
How do royalties and advances work in publishing?
How does an author entrench universal themes so deeply into their work that their stories stick with people and transcend time?
What's the process of getting another author to write a blurb for your book?
How do you find your voice as an author?

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/10

Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/

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