On today’s 100th episode of the book basement podcast, I compile the 6 most valuable teachings from the books I’ve covered on this podcast. You’ll get coverage of stoicism, personal development, philosophy, writing, and much more condensed into one episode. Free Weekly Newsletter (Click Me) The Book Basement Bulletin is a free weekly newsletter in which every Monday, readers receive book recommendations as well as three weekly useful tools or pieces of media that I have found throughout the...

Growth mindset and habit formation are more linked than you may think! In today’s episode, I talk about a quote from Mindset by Carol Dweck and tie it in with lessons from Atomic Habits by James Clear. We talk about goals, identity, why becoming is better than being, and what exactly helps you build a good habit, if that sounds useful, listen! A growth mindset is a concept popularized by psychologist Carol Dweck. We talk about it here while also learning a little about how to form good habits...

Robert Kiyosaki is a business mogul, having sold millions of books all of which contain timeless information on money. In today’s episode, however, we’ll be taking a look at the less financial side of Kiyosaki and seeing what his perspective on conversation, listening, openness to ideas and experiences, and asking questions is by taking a look at Rich Dad Poor Dad. If you want to learn about the art of listening, paying attention and being open to discomfort and new ideas, then this book...

Getting things done is notoriously difficult. In today’s episode, we’ll be taking a look at a quote from Deep Work by Cal Newport which reveals the formula on how to achieve your best productive moments. We’ll be cross-referencing this concept with psychology and ultimately answering the question of When do we work best? If you're looking for podcast episodes on: how to be more productive, how to reach flow state, how to like work, how to make work easy, how to achieve deep work, or how to...

In today’s episode, I’ll be breaking down three of my favorite quotes from book 5 of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius and trying to see how they could be applied to modern life as many of Stoicism's teachings can be.  “At the break of day, when you are reluctant to get up, have this thought ready to mind: “I am getting up for a man’s work. Do I still repent it, if I am going out to do what I was born for, the purpose for which I was brought into the world? Or was I created to wrap myself in...

Discomfort is normal, yet we avoid it at all costs. In today’s episode, we discuss a quote from Daring Greatly by Brene Brown where she talks about normalizing discomfort. I expand on the ideas shared in her book on how the modern educational system is doing a poor job of inspiring innovation and instead breeding fear and shame. If you’re a student or teacher of any kind there ought to be something you can derive from this episode, so stay tuned. How do you perceive the education system to...

Should you aim to be mediocre? In today’s episode, I’ll be sharing a quote from The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson where he argues for embracing mediocrity. I’ll look at how this ties in with ego, assuming your role in the large, interconnected universe, and much more. Suppose you're looking for lessons on ego. In that case, I draw some of today's episode from Ryan Holiday's international bestseller Ego is the Enemy and see how we can all be mediocre while still seeing the...

Naval Ravikant shares the same love that Warren Buffett has for the effects of compounding. In today’s episode, I’ll take you through a brief look at the wonderful magic of compounding, how it applies not only in regard to wealth but also to how one of the richest men alive would be virtually unknown had it not been for compounding. I mention teachings from The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel and apply those not only to business and finance but to happiness, well-being, relationships,...

Why do goals matter? In today’s episode we’ll take a look at the extreme situations in which goals quite literally kept people alive and how it ties back to ancient Stoic philosophy; the art of staying present and discarding all retrospective thoughts. Let’s look at what Marcus Aurelius and Viktor E. Frankl have to say about non-present thinking. Stoicism and Logotherapy share similar viewpoints, so whether you're: trying to find meaning, learning about Stoicism, trying to find how to set...

Sometimes by choosing prestige we are setting ourselves up to fail. Today we’ll be looking at and summarizing one of the chapters from David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell titled: Caroline Sacks. It’s a story that details the dangers of "The Big Pond" and draws on psychology to teach us valuable lessons in regard to choices in education and career. How, if undertaken incorrectly, these decisions can remove the spark that got us to them in the first place. Stick around if you want to learn...

Listening is extremely difficult. When we converse with others, it's easy to get wrapped up in anything but what the other person is saying. In today’s episode, I’ll be talking about one of the most important pillars of building incredible conversation based on the principles taught in How To Listen With Intention by Patrick King. This mostly unknown book is simple and direct and teaches everything relating to conversation. If you want to become a better listener through proven psychology and...

Problems are not easy to face, yet when we do face them they almost seem gone as quickly as they came to be. On today’s episode, I’ll be talking about Viktor E. Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, specifically how he compares life to visiting the dentist's office and how this ties into facing difficulties, avoidance of issues, and sacrificing long-term happiness for short-term denial. Free Weekly Newsletter (Click Me) The Book Basement Bulletin is a free weekly newsletter in which every...

What are zero-sum games, and, most importantly, how do they relate to status? In today's book quote episode, I'll be breaking down a quote from The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson and looking at how status ties into ego; offering an alternative proposed by Ryan Holiday in his bestselling book "Ego Is The Enemy". Perhaps instead of being the painting, you should seek to be the canvas.  Free Weekly Newsletter (Click Me) The Book Basement Bulletin is a free weekly newsletter in...

The Stoics were very fond of the idea of reminding themselves that life was short. They insisted that we continually meditate on that idea and come to terms with its albeit scary reality. Today's quote comes from Meditations by Marcus Aurelius and I break it down using some concepts from "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson. Should we fight back against mediocrity? Are we all truly special? Let's attempt to use Stoic philosophy to answer this question.  Free Weekly Newsletter...

The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson is a #1 New York Times bestseller for a reason. He really does have a counterintuitive approach that highly neglects common "self helpy" advice. In today's episode, I'll be going through chapter 6 of the book: "You're Wrong About Everything", and breaking down its key points; condensing them into a bite-sized episode that you can digest in minutes! In this chapter, Manson talks about identity, how we're always wrong, why we should question...

Change is inevitable. In today's episode, we discuss just that as well as how the roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius dealt with it. Stoicism can teach us a lot about how universal problems remain unchanging and this is true here as too! Using the example of Netflix's founder Mark Randolph, Malcolm Gladwell's Hush Puppies example from "The Tipping Point" and the analogy of a rip current, I break down what Marcus Aurelius meant with this "Meditations" passage and how Stoicism...

Have you noticed those small things that get in your way daily? We all have those small bothers; those which we consider insignificant in retrospect but actively make us miserable the more we have to endure them. In this episode, I draw teachings from "The Almanack of Naval Ravinkant", by Eric Jorgenson, "Atomic Habits" by James Clear, and "What The Dog Saw" by Malcolm Gladwell to try to illustrate the dire importance of removing these small bites of misery and valuing the every-compounding...

Throughout Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, a common thread can be followed; death.  Death is a common theme throughout Meditations and throughout Stoicism as a philosophy. Why? Because Stoicism argues that nothing matters except the present moment; that we're too caught up in the past and future to truly live life and in doing so we avoid the most finite, spontaneously assigned resource of time. We often take life for granted, we don't think twice about how there was no guarantee that we'd...

In Daring Greatly, Brene Brown shares her research-backed theories and approaches to vulnerability; showing it in a new, less judgmental light. In this book she also talks about feedback, and how many avoid it because of shame. After all, how can you feel bad about yourself if no one else looks at what you have made? I argue that feedback is found everywhere. To avoid feedback is to avoid good work. If you run a creative business, a podcast, a YouTube channel, or are looking for a way to...

There's not much to say about The Four Agreements other than that it's really, really bad. Don't waste your time with this.  Free Weekly Newsletter (Click Me) The Book Basement Bulletin is a free weekly newsletter in which every Monday, readers receive book recommendations as well as three weekly useful tools or pieces of media that I have found throughout the week. Instagram (Daily Book Content and Reviews): Click Here (some of these links may be affiliate links) The Book Basement is a...

It is not often that creative writers such as Austin Kleon can have teachings tied to the works of more academic writers such as Cal Newport. In this episode, however, I talk about a Cal Newport quote where he's criticizing the constant distractions that we receive as a consequence of our never-ending stream of attention-grabbing stimuli. I tie in this quote to a chapter from Keep Going by Austin Kleon where he talks about having a time and space of bliss, where nothing can reach you, and it...

Ryan Holiday is fantastic at condensing large and seemingly surface-level ideas such as "Seek Relationships" or "Control Your Anger" and expanding upon them in a way that truly makes you want to change those undesirable ways. In today's daily book quote episode, I break down an excerpt from Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday where he mentions bathing in beauty, looking at the world through the eyes of a poet, and letting earth's overwhelming presence nurture and replenish you. Stillness is...

Today's book quote episode is an excerpt from What The Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell. I talk about late bloomers and mention an example of a painter, which is derived from one of the examples in the book. Join me and learn all about the fallacy of late bloomers and how we can encourage these people to collect the fruit of their efforts, no matter how old or young the tree is.  Free Weekly Newsletter (Click Me) The Book Basement Bulletin is a free weekly newsletter in which every Monday,...

In today's daily book quote episode of the podcast, I share a quote from Austin Kleon's best-selling book featured in the New York Times, Steal Like an Artist.  In this quote, he mentions how creativity is a collective effort and I expand upon it, recalling how it's fascinating just how much we are inspired by people we don't even know of. If you're a creative, an artist, or an entrepreneur, then Austin Kleon's work will encourage you to keep going and seek unoriginal originality.  Free...