About the book Intelligence is usually seen as the ability to think and learn, but in a rapidly changing world, there’s another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn. In our daily lives, too many of us favor the comfort of conviction over the discomfort of doubt. We listen to opinions that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard. We see disagreement as a threat to our egos, rather than an opportunity to learn. We surround ourselves...
Feb 25, 2021•17 min•Ep. 113
About the book The only person you need to start and run a highly profitable and sustainable company is you What if the real key to a richer and more fulfilling career was not to create and scale up a new business, but rather, to be able to work for yourself, determine your own hours and become a (highly profitable) and sustainable company of one? Suppose the better-and smarter-solution is simply to remain small? Company of One is a refreshing new approach centered on staying small and avoiding ...
Feb 21, 2021•13 min•Ep. 112
About the book A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making—from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy. In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency-a time ...
Feb 14, 2021•16 min•Ep. 111
Hey there, if you like this episode, please consider buying your next book from my Book Depository or Bookshop (US) affiliate sites, or buying me a coffee . About the book "Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years." --Japanese proverb According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai --a reason for living. And according to the residents of the Japanese village with the world's longest-living people, finding it is the key to a happier and longer life. Having a strong sense o...
Feb 07, 2021•12 min•Ep. 110
About the book Matthew McConaughey has been keeping diaries for 35 years as a way of recording his thoughts and “trying to work out the riddle of life”. These diaries formed this book. As he puts it he “took a one-way ticket to the desert and wrote this book: an album, a record, a story of my life so far. This is fifty years of my sights and seens, felts and figured-outs, cools and shamefuls. Graces, truths, and beauties of brutality. Getting away withs, getting caughts, and getting wets while t...
Jan 31, 2021•14 min•Ep. 109
About the book In this book, Derek tells you everything he learned from starting, growing, and selling CD Baby, compressed into an entertaining and useful one-hour read. No secrets held back, Derek shares the biggest mistakes, keys to its success, and the philosophies behind the big decisions. Called “40 lessons for a new kind of entrepreneur”, it’s 10 years of experience in one hour, designed to be immediately usable for your own business or project. (You can buy the book and support the podcas...
Jan 24, 2021•14 min•Ep. 108
ABOUT THE BOOK (By the way, you can buy the book and support the podcast at the same time by buying through Book Depository (Aus+Global) by clicking HERE or Bookshop (US) HERE .) New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath examines how to prevent problems before they happen, drawing on insights from hundreds of interviews with unconventional problem solvers. So often in life, we get stuck in a cycle of response. We put out fires. We deal with emergencies. We stay downstream, handling one problem...
Jan 17, 2021•17 min•Ep. 107
Happy new year! This episode is a relaxed start to the new year with a short chat about books and reading goals. I’ll share a couple of fiction books I’ve read over the break, why I’m *reducing* the number of books I’m planning to read in 2021 and why we need to get back to reading for fun in 2021 (and my anti-challenge #readforfunin21). Let’s go! Steph Check out this, and past episodes, on the podcast website . Psst, if you find the podcast valuable, you can now say thanks by buying me a cup of...
Jan 10, 2021•13 min•Ep. 106
REBROADCAST – over the December/January break I’m re-sharing two older episodes that are by far the most downloaded episodes of the podcast. If you missed them first time around, this is your perfect chance to catch up. Enjoy! About the Authors Ichiro Kishimi was born in Kyoto, where he still lives, in 1956. He has aspired to become a philosopher since his days in high school. Since 1989, while specialising in Classical Western philosophy, with a special focus on Platonic philosophy, he has rese...
Jan 03, 2021•13 min•Ep. 105
REBROADCAST - over the December/January break I'm re-sharing two older episodes that are by far the most downloaded episodes of the podcast. If you missed them first time around, this is your perfect chance to catch up. Enjoy! About the Author Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston where she holds the Huffington Foundation – Brené Brown Endowed Chair at The Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, an...
Dec 27, 2020•14 min•Ep. 104
Five best books for 2020 Range by David Epstein Listen to the episode: Range by David Epstein: why you need to stop specialising Buy the book: https://www.bookdepository.com/Range/9781509843503/?a_aid=stephsbookshelf I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Listen to the episode: I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou: How powerful stories can change your life Buy the book: https://www.bookdepository.com/I-Know-Why-Caged-Bird-Sings-Maya-Angelou/9780345514400/?a_aid=stephsbookshelf The Power of R...
Dec 20, 2020•25 min•Ep. 103
Listen to the full speech here: https://fs.blog/2012/04/david-foster-wallace-this-is-water/ About the Book : This is Water In this rare peek into the personal life of the author of numerous bestselling novels, gain an understanding of David Foster Wallace and how he became the man that he was. Only once did David Foster Wallace give a public talk on his views on life, during a commencement address given in 2005 at Kenyon College. The speech is reprinted for the first time in book form in This is...
Dec 13, 2020•11 min•Ep. 102
Sign up to the bookmark newsletter: About the Book The Practice Creative work doesn’t come with a guarantee. But there is a pattern to who succeeds and who doesn’t. And engaging in the consistent practice of its pursuit is the best way forward. Based on the breakthrough Akimbo workshop pioneered by legendary author Seth Godin, The Practice will help you get unstuck and find the courage to make and share creative work. Godin insists that writer’s block is a myth, that consistency is far more impo...
Dec 06, 2020•17 min•Ep. 101
Sign up to the bookmark newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/1119b1358a84/thebookmark About the Book " Own Your Career Own Your Life'' is an incredible reference manual for every person who wants to design a life they are truly proud and joyful to live! With stories that will engage you and make the book impossible to put down, resources that will become a part of your daily life, and ideas that will spur you on to a more successful life and career, this is the very next book you need to read! ...
Nov 28, 2020•16 min
Time for something a little different. This week, to celebrate the 100th episode of Steph’s Business Bookshelf (yes, you read this right, there was an episode zero, so episode 99 is the 100th episode) AND my birthday, I’ve invited a guest host onto the podcast… introducing, Kelly Irving. Kelly is an author coach who helps you unlock what’s inside your head, so you plan, write and publish your best book as fast, fun and pain-free as possible. She is obsessed with helping experts, CEOs and thought...
Nov 22, 2020•34 min•Ep. 99
About the Book With their trademark blend of captivating storytelling and unconventional analysis, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner take us inside their thought process and teach us all how to think a bit more productively, more creatively, more rationally. In Think Like A Freak , they offer a blueprint for an entirely new way to solve problems, whether your interest lies in minor lifehacks or major global reforms. The topics range from business to philanthropy to sports to politics, all w...
Nov 15, 2020•13 min•Ep. 98
About the Book A journey through science and history to understand incredible teams and what makes them tick. In Dream Teams , award-winning journalist Shane Snow takes us on an adventure through psychology, neuroscience, business and more, revealing what separates groups that simply get by together from teams that get better together. You’ll meet rap groups, pirate gangs, buddy cops, pioneering women in journalism and the FBI, soviet hockey teams, outrageous artists and city planners, and the p...
Nov 08, 2020•16 min•Ep. 97
About the Book An inspiring guide to creativity in the digital age, Steal Like an Artist presents ten transformative principles that will help readers discover their artistic side and build a more creative life. Nothing is original, so embrace influence, school yourself through the work of others, remix and reimagine to discover your own path. Follow interests wherever they take you—what feels like a hobby may turn into you life’s work. Forget the old cliché about writing what you know: Instead,...
Nov 01, 2020•13 min•Ep. 96
About the Book An essential part of any marketing professional’s tool kit – this strategic and actionable guide shows you how to apply the renowned StoryBrand framework to your brand. Every day, brands lose millions of dollars simply because they do not have a clear message that tells consumers who they are and what value they will add to their customers’ lives. To solve this dilemma, Donald Miller wrote Building a StoryBrand , which has become the quintessential guide for anyone looking to craf...
Oct 25, 2020•13 min•Ep. 95
About the Book For a quarter century, more than a million readers—scribes and scribblers of all ages and abilities—have been inspired by Anne Lamott’s hilarious, big-hearted, homespun advice. Advice that begins with the simple words of wisdom passed down from Anne’s father—also a writer—in the iconic passage that gives the book its title. An essential volume for generations of writers young and old, Bird by Bird is a modern classic. Source: amazon.com About the Author Anne Lamott is the New York...
Oct 18, 2020•14 min•Ep. 94
About the Book The True Story of Paul Evans written by Carolyn Coe – is one man’s inspiring story of starting rough, making mistakes, personal suffering and the raw grit it takes to get back up when life deals the heaviest blows. Told with his authentic humour and frank wit, this is an upfront and personal account of a life of full of jaw-dropping, gut-wrenching and heartwarming events that will leave you reeling in disbelief and full of admiration for one man’s spirit to survive and live life t...
Oct 11, 2020•12 min•Ep. 93
About the Book You too can find direction and build a roadmap to take your life and career further faster, even if you are feeling a little under-equipped for the journey ahead. “‘ Further Faster’ is an actionable guide full of important steps for those who want to make the most of their career” – Nir Eyal, bestselling author of ‘ Hooked ‘ and ‘ Indistractable ‘ Come on a journey of self-discovery with Warren James, The Rapid Mentor, to uncover: Who you are and where you want to go The pillars y...
Oct 04, 2020•14 min•Ep. 92
About the Book Tim has interviewed more than 200 world-class performers for his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show. The guests range from super celebs (Jamie Foxx, Arnold Schwarzenegger, etc.) and athletes (icons of powerlifting, gymnastics, surfing, etc.) to legendary Special Operations commanders and black-market biochemists. For most of my guests, it’s the first time they’ve agreed to a two-to-three-hour interview. This unusual depth has helped make The Tim Ferriss Show the first business/intervie...
Sep 27, 2020•15 min•Ep. 91
About the Book On Writing Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his...
Sep 20, 2020•16 min•Ep. 90
About the Book From the author of the New York Times bestselling phenomenon The Power of Habit comes a fascinating new book that explores the science of productivity, and why, in today’s world, managing how you think—rather than what you think—can transform your life. A young woman drops out of a PhD program and starts playing poker, a group of data scientists at Google embark on a four-year study of how the best teams function, a Marine Corps general, faced with low morale among recruits, reima...
Sep 13, 2020•19 min•Ep. 89
About the Book “After half a decade of research and hundreds of conversations with people around the country, I am convinced we are in the midst of a paradigm shift. That what used to hold us in community no longer works, and that the spiritual offerings of yesteryear no longer help us thrive.”–Casper ter Kuile What do Soul Cycle, gratitude journals, and tech breaks have in common? For ter Kuile they offer rituals that create the foundation for our modern spiritual lives. We are in crisis today....
Sep 06, 2020•17 min•Ep. 88
About the Book Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment a...
Aug 30, 2020•19 min•Ep. 87
About the Book Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl’s memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Between 1942 and 1945 Frankl labored in four different camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Based on his own experience and the experiences of others he treated later in his practice, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find mean...
Aug 23, 2020•20 min•Ep. 86
About the Book An intimate look at writing, running, and the incredible way they intersect, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is an illuminating glimpse into the solitary passions of one of our greatest artists. While training for the New York City Marathon, Haruki Murakami decided to keep a journal of his progress. The result is a memoir about his intertwined obsessions with running and writing, full of vivid recollections and insights, including the eureka moment when he decided to b...
Aug 16, 2020•16 min•Ep. 85
About the Book The New York Times bestseller Hit Refresh is about individual change, about the transformation happening inside of Microsoft and the technology that will soon impact all of our lives—the arrival of the most exciting and disruptive wave of technology humankind has experienced: artificial intelligence, mixed reality, and quantum computing. It’s about how people, organizations, and societies can and must transform and “hit refresh” in their persistent quest for new energy, new ideas,...
Aug 09, 2020•14 min•Ep. 84
