Merlin Sheldrake is a biologist, writer, and speaker with a background in plant sciences, microbiology, ecology, and the history and philosophy of science. He received a Ph.D. in tropical ecology from Cambridge University for his work on underground fungal networks in tropical forests in Panama.   His book Entangled life was a Sunday Times Bestseller.   www.buymeacoffee.com/aneedtoread   A-need-to-read is the code for an additional 10% off your first purchase with Urban Farm It, who do...

In this episode, I chat about some fiction books that you might like to read this year.    Books discussed   When We Cease To Understand The World by Benjamin Labtut Kim Jiyoung Born 1982 by Cho Nam Joo A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley Someone To Love You In All Your Damaged Glory by Raphael Bob-Waksburg First Person Singular by Hariku Murakami If Cats Disappeared From The World by Genki Kawamura The Virgin Suicides & Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides  A Little Life by Hanya...

Dan Osman is a Health and Wellbeing Educator, who has worked in the health and fitness industry for 17 years.    We discuss; problems with social media, People’s relationships with diets, exercise, and themselves, Self-awareness, How to use values to guide you, confusing avoidance with enlightenment, body-image issues across genders,  society’s contribution to body image issues, self-objectification, and have a general moan about empty mental health advocacy. Support for the podcast   I'm an...

Support for the podcast   I'm an independent podcaster, which is a fancy way of saying no one pays me a regular wage. And, to level with you, that is terrifying- all of the time. So, if you like what I do and want me to keep doing it please support the show in one of the following ways.   - Share the podcast with a friend, or review the podcast.    - Make a one-off donation with BuyMeACoffee   - The show is sponsored by BetterHelp, so you can get matched with a therapist within 48 hours and...

Dr. Alan Flanagan, PhD, holds an MSc and PhD in nutrition from the University of Surrey, and is a former practicing Lawyer (Barrister) from Dublin, Ireland. In this podcast we discuss; nutrition, the protein problem for plant-based diets, what we’re seeing in British politics, philosophy, and Alan’s favourite books.    

Bill McGuire is a Professor Emeritus of Geophysical and Climate Hazards at University College London, and a writer, who is regularly published in The Guardian, The Times, and The Observer. He is the author of many books, notably the newest, Hothouse Earth - an inhabitants guide, which is a look towards the future of our planet.      In this podcast we discuss: The impact of rising sea levels on the earth's crust, volcanos, coastal cities, and marine life Humanity’s downward spiral due to the...

Professor Anil Seth is a Computational and Cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Sussex. His book Being You was a Sunday Times Bestseller.    Take part in Anil's research   In this podcast we discuss: Anil’s latest project ‘The Dream Machine’ What dreams are for? How your brain creates experience  How we see colour Why we all see things differently  What happens to your brain on Psychadelics What happens to your brains when you learn something new The illusion of Self Free...

Kieran Setiya is a Professor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was born in Hull, UK. He is known for his work in ethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of mind.    We discuss:  Utilitarianism and the problems with focusing on happiness The Good Enough life Dealing with injustice Effective altruism Dealing with powerlessness and the limits of individualism Meaning in an absurd world  Assessing hope How to face your midlife crisis  Dealing with regret  Meditation...

Dr. Mike Banna is a GP in the South of England, a GP educator, and a Director of the British Society for Lifestyle Medicine. He also writes a weekly newsletter for Gymshark called The Doctors Note.   This podcast discusses mental health services in the UK, Instagram wellness advice, behaviour change journeys, shamelessly being bad at things, and a few of his favourite books.    Dr. Mike is on Instagram and Twitter as @DrMikethe2nd   Support for the podcast   I'm an independent podcaster,...

George Monbiot is one of Britain's finest writers on Climate. He has a weekly column where he writes on political and environmental issues with The Guardian and is the author of multiple books.  His book feral has inspired a rewinding movement in the UK, and his latest book Regenesis looks at the future of farming.    In this podcast we discuss The complexity of soil  How common farming practices are destroying the structure of soil   What working on a pig farm is like  How much DEFRA...

David Robert Grimes is a Science communicator and author. His book The Irrational Ape has been discussed on this show many times. He joins me today to discuss the Law of Attraction, the pseudoscientific craze that has made millennials, Gen-Zers, and Gwyneth Paltrow believe they can bend the universe to suit their will.   More from David is on his website: https://www.davidrobertgrimes.com   I highly recommend reading his book if you have ever wondered what on the flat earth makes people...

Dr. Nicola Fox Hamilton is a cyberpsychology researcher and lecturer at the Institute of Art, Design, and Technology, in Dublin. She has authored a new series called 'The Psychology of Online Behaviour' on audible, and regularly appears in the media to discuss her research.    We discuss - How Tinder changed online dating - Social Media use - Why social media gets the blame for the mental health crisis - The psychology of Dick Pics - How men can be more successful with online dating -...

Mark Maslin is a Professor of Earth System Science at University College London, a thought-leader on global heating, and the author of popular books on climate change and human evolution, most recently How To Save Our Planet: The Facts.   Mark joined me to discuss: - How much it will cost to limit further damage and save the planet, - Why Jordan Peterson is wrong about environmentalists, - Who will be dealing with the worst of the consequences of global heating, - How capitalism can...

Siobhan O'hagan is a Personal Trainer and Content Creator, she is also a good friend of mine. She's back on A Need To Read for the third time to discuss; Tony Robbins, self-help, effective altruism, whether or not the laptop lifestyle is sustainable, Angel numbers, the meaning of suffering, Whether books REALLY helped me as much as I thought, The recently UCL study on the chemical imbalance narrative around depression, the effectiveness of IAPT (Immediate Access to Psychological Therapies) in...

Azeem Azhar is one of the world’s most trusted voices in technological innovation. He has worked within the tech industry since the early 90s with companies like the BBC, The Guardian, and The Economist. More recently, Azeem has become an active startup investor and has advised organizations like the World Economic Forum. He is a contributor to publications including the Financial Times, Wired, and the MIT Technology Review. He's been producing the Exponential view newsletter— which looks at...

Professor Rory O’Connor is Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Glasgow in Scotland and Past President of the International Academy of Suicide Research. Rory leads the Suicidal Behaviour Research Laboratory) at the University of Glasgow, one of the leading suicide and self-harm research groups internationally. His book, When It Is Darkest, was the winner of the 2021 British Psychological Society Popular Science Book Award   He can be found on twitter...

I chatted with Emily Kenway who's a writer, an activist, and the author of The Truth About Modern Slavery. In the past, Emily has advised the first Anti-Slavery Commissioner for the UK, and she now researches and writes about crucial forces shaping our lives and communities.   We discussed: We look at the statement: “There are more people enslaved today than at any other point in history.” What’s meant by “Modern Slavery” The Rwanda flights  What Human Trafficking really looks like The...

In this episode, I cover some of my favorite books on religion, my religious experiences, and explore the article I wrote the other day on the Roe Vs Wade overturning (+religions role in that decision).   Books discussed God is Not Great & The Missionary Position by Christopher Hitchens Waking Up, The Moral Landscape, The End of Faith & Letters to a Christian Nation By Sam Harris Support   The best thing you can do is share the podcast with a friend, or sign up for my new...

Nichola Raihani is a professor of Evolution and Behavior at University College London. She joined me to discuss her new book The Social Instinct. We also spoke about: cooperation from cell to society, what makes us different from the great apes, what we have in common with meerkats, peacocking and why reputation matters, paranoia as a normal function of life, the impact of community on mental health and the idea of self-interested altruism.   You can find Nichola on Twitter:...

This episode is about the different ways we deceive ourselves, and why we do so.  Self-deluded_8fszt   If you want to find out more you can read Elephant in the Brain by Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson.   Support   The best thing you can do is share the podcast with a friend, or sign up for my new weekly newsletter. You can also see my older newsletters with this link.   This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp, so if you want to learn to understand your behaviour or emotions with the...

I had a great chat with Ben Aldridge, the author of both How To Be Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable, and How To Control The Uncontrollable. Ben's most recent book How To Control The Uncontrollable is a practical guide to Stoicism and how to bring it into your daily life.   We chatted about; combining fear and play, Ben’s favorite Stoic, how he got over himself, voluntary discomfort, the misconceptions about Stoicism, how to do negative visualization, how to become more grateful for the...

  I spoke with Dan, the man behind the Nice-Ish-Psychologist Instagram and Twitter accounts, and the Nice-ish Ramblings podcast. He is a HCPC registered Forensic and Clinical Psychologist, and uses his spare time to educate people on the internet about issues relating to masculinity, sexual violence against women, gender, and sometimes how all these aspects of society and culture interlink.   In the podcast we discuss; Masculinity and the ManBox culture, #Notallmen, How to speak about...

In this episode I’m joined by Otto English — he’s a journalist who writes for; Politico, The Byline Times, and The Independent, among other publications. We talk about his new book Fake History, which looks to dispel some of the myths we are taught about historical figures and events. In the podcast we chat about; Churchill, Nationalism and Fake History, What really happened at Dunkirk, Boris Johnson, Whether we should be wary of China (or feel bad for doing so), and much more!   More from...

In this meta-episode, I review Alain de Botton's review of Marcel Proust's life and work. Marcel Proust is one of the 20th Century's most influential authors and his In Search Of Lost Time spanned 7 volumes on love, art, time, and memory. His personal life is also on display in this book as Alain de Botton asks what Proust can teach us about; loving life, expressing emotions, suffering, reading, being a good friend, and how to be happy in love.    Support   The best thing you can do is...