Book Is the Hook

Latest Episodes:

Dr. Edith Eger on Healing, Choice, and Writing the Story You Lived Mar 09, 2026

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What does it mean to be free, even after unimaginable suffering?

In this live, in-class conversation, Dr. Edith Eger, Holocaust survivor, psychologist, and author of The Choice, shares profound wisdom on trauma, healing, and the power of response.

She explains why “the opposite of depression is expression,” why you cannot heal what you don’t feel, and why perfectionism keeps people imprisoned long after the external danger is gone.

Dr. Eger also reflects on writing her first book at age 90, the tears behind every page, and why it’s never too late to tell the story you lived.

This episode is for anyone carrying pain, carrying a story, or trying to find the courage to begin.

Dan Pink on Making Progress When Writing a Book Feels Endless Mar 02, 2026

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Writing a book doesn’t come with a progress bar.

In this live, in-class conversation, Dan Pink explains why long projects feel so disorienting, how writers lose their sense of momentum, and what actually keeps people motivated over months and years.

He shares how his research into motivation shaped his own writing habits, why routines matter more than inspiration, and the simple end-of-day ritual he uses to stay grounded in progress.

This episode is especially helpful for writers and creators who feel stuck in the middle of big projects and need a clearer way to measure forward motion.

Gretchen Rubin on Why Nothing Works for Everyone Feb 16, 2026

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Most advice sounds good on paper.

But that doesn’t mean it works for you.

In this live, in-class conversation, Gretchen Rubin explains why universal solutions fail, why habits need to be customized, and how self-knowledge is the real foundation of behavior change.

She breaks down her Four Tendencies framework, shares how she uses her own experience as a testing ground, and explains why trying things yourself matters more than following expert rules.

This episode is especially useful for writers, creators, and high-achievers who’ve tried every system and still struggle to make progress.

Apolo Ohno: Identity, Deep Work, and Life After the Olympics Feb 09, 2026

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What happens after you achieve the dream you trained for your entire life?

In this live, in-class conversation, Apolo Ohno, the most decorated Winter Olympian in U.S. history, shares what it was really like to compete at the highest level, and what came next when the Olympic chapter ended.

Apolo talks about the mundane, repetitive road behind elite performance, the identity crisis that follows retirement, and why reinvention requires speed, experimentation, and self-honesty.

He also reflects on writing his book Zero Regrets, the role of storytelling in processing experience, and why deep focus is harder, and more important, than ever in the age of distraction.

This episode is for anyone navigating a pivot, writing a book, or trying to build the next version of themselves.

Julia Cameron on How to Silence Your Inner Critic Feb 02, 2026

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Creative blocks aren’t a lack of talent. They’re usually a lack of permission.

In this live, in-class conversation, Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, explains why simple, repetitive practices like Morning Pages are still the most effective way to unblock creativity.

She breaks down how perfectionism shuts writers down, how the inner critic loses its power through daily practice, and why starting exactly where you are matters more than finding the perfect system.

This episode is especially valuable for writers and creators who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or quietly afraid of getting it wrong.

Marc Randolph on Why Ideas Don’t Matter (Iteration Does) Jan 26, 2026

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Most people think success starts with a great idea.

Marc Randolph, co-founder of Netflix, says that’s wrong.

In this live classroom conversation, Marc breaks down why ideas rarely survive first contact with reality, how iteration actually works in the real world, and why the best founders and authors learn by trying things that don’t work.

He also shares how writing his memoir forced him to confront distorted memories, survivorship bias, and the temptation to tell a flattering story instead of an honest one.

This episode is for anyone building something long-term, a company, a book, or a body of work, who wants a clearer picture of what the process actually looks like.

Seth Godin on Why Writing Is a Practice, Not a Performance Jan 19, 2026

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Writing isn’t about talent, motivation, or finding the right system.

In this live, in-class session, Seth Godin challenges the way most people think about writing. He explains why writer’s block is a myth, why bad writing is part of the process, and why committing to a practice matters more than waiting for clarity or confidence.

Rather than focusing on publishing or outcomes, Seth pushes writers to do the work that actually leads somewhere, showing up, writing things worth standing behind, and shipping creative work even when it feels uncomfortable.

This episode is especially relevant for writers, creators, and thought leaders who know they have something to say but haven’t built the habit of saying it yet.

Simon Sinek on Why Writing a Book Should Feel Hard Jan 14, 2026

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Writing a book is hard, and Simon Sinek thinks that’s the point.

In this conversation, Simon joins Eric Koester for a candid, unscripted discussion about what separates meaningful books from forgettable ones. He breaks down why most ideas don’t deserve book-length treatment, why chasing bestseller lists misses the mark, and why depth, not speed, is the real value of authorship.

They also explore how writers actually find their rhythm, why “writer’s block” is often a signal to change your approach, and how Simon thinks about worthy rivals, long-term impact, and writing books that still matter ten years later.

This episode is especially relevant for first-time authors, thought leaders, and anyone who wants their book to do more than spike sales for a few weeks.

The moment your story stops being performative and starts being useful May 07, 2023

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Most people wait for the “right time” to tell their story.
That’s usually the reason it never lands.

In this episode, Eric Koester sits down with Roy Choi, acclaimed chef, television personality and the author of L.A. Son, to talk about what actually makes a personal story work, and why forcing meaning onto your past almost always backfires.

Roy shares how his darkest periods didn’t become useful material until he stopped trying to make them inspiring and started telling the truth without performance. The result wasn’t just a better book, it was clarity about who the story was really for.

This conversation is for anyone who feels called to write but is stuck between oversharing and self-protection, or polishing a story that no longer feels honest.

In this episode, we cover:

Why timing matters less than readiness
How your history shapes your voice, whether you acknowledge it or not
The difference between vulnerability that builds trust and vulnerability that repels it
What Roy actually thinks about while shaping a memoir that feels lived-in, not curated

Writing your story isn’t about exposure.
It’s about choosing the version of the truth that creates movement, for you and for the reader.

Why you quit hard things, and how to build commitment that actually lasts Apr 30, 2023

Show notes

Most people don’t fail because they aren’t talented.
They fail because their ego can’t survive the early stages of being bad at something.

In this episode, Eric Koester talks with Matt Thomas, world champion in chessboxing and founder of Brawl for a Cause, about what actually creates commitment when the work gets uncomfortable.

Matt has taken hundreds of everyday people through a 90-day fight program built on the hero’s journey. He’s seen the same pattern over and over: when the goal is status, people quit. When the goal is purpose, people get gritty.

They also dig into a wild personal story, Matt goes from losing to an eight-year-old at speed chess to winning a world championship in India, by mastering the one skill most people ignore: the transition between intensity and focus.

In this episode, you’ll learn: