A Need To Read
Episodes
Nature's last dance with Natalie Kyriacou
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Natalie Kyriacou is an environmentalist and author from Australia. Her book, Nature’s Last Dance, looks to inspire awe and wonder in its readers wit...
Immune system myth busting with Prof Dan Davis
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
support - www.buymeacoffee.com/aneedtoread - www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread for 10% off your first month of therapy online - https://get.descript.c...
A Doctors story in the Central African Republic with Katie Treble
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Katie spent 6 months in one of the world’s most forgotten countries — the Central African Republic. In this episode, we sit down in person to chat...
Unmasking Autism & ADHD with Ellie Middleton
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s paid partner is BetterHelp, to get 10% off your first month of online therapy with a credentialed therapist head to www.betterhelp.com/aneed...
Books for boys w Lucas Oakeley
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Boys read less than girls. That’s what the stats say, and today, writer, Lucas Oakley joins me to chat about why this is and gives some direction fo...
Depression: chemical imbalance or something else? with Joanna Moncrieff
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s paid partner is BetterHelp, to get 10% off your first month of online therapy with a credentialed therapist head to www.betterhelp.com/aneed...
Irelands native rainforests with Matt Smith
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Smith is a former professional surfer and sailor, now he spends his time on the west coast of Ireland as CEO of the charity HOMETREE (https://www...
Welcome back
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back! I’ve been away for a while, and never even said see ya later or goodbye. This episode covers a little bit about why I stopped the ...
Entangled life of fungi with Merlin Sheldrake
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
www.buymeacoffee.com/aneedtoread Www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread Merlin Sheldrake is a biologist, writer, and speaker with a background in plant ...
Novels to read in 2023
05 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
#187 Dan Osman
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 me...
Saving the planet without the bullshit, with Assaad Razzouk
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Nutrition, Politics and Philosophy, with Alan Flanagan
20 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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, Ir...
Earth is a hothouse with Prof. Bill McGuire
13 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Bill McGuire is a Professor Emeritus of Geophysical and Climate Hazards at University College London, and a writer, who is regularly published in The ...
BEING YOU: Consciousness, Dreams and the Self with Prof. Anil Seth
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Anil Seth is a Computational and Cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Sussex. His book Being You was a Sunday Times Bestseller. ...
Philosophy for hard times, with Kieran Setiya
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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, ...
Mental Health and Behaviour Change with Dr. Mike II
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 n...
The Future of Farming with George Monbiot
16 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 Gu...
The Law of Attraction debunked by David Grimes, an actual scientist.
11 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
Psychology of Online Behaviour with Dr Nicola Fox Hamilton
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Nicola Fox Hamilton is a cyberpsychology researcher and lecturer at the Institute of Art, Design, and Technology, in Dublin. She has authored a ne...
How to save our planet, with Professor Mark Maslin
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 o...
What’s wrong with Self-Help, with Siobhan O’Hagan
11 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 discu...
Exponentially faster and cheaper tech with Azeem Azhar
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 c...
#174 The Suicide Issue with Professor Rory O’Connor
19 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Rory O’Connor is Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Glasgow in Scotland and Past President of the International Academy ...
What is Modern Slavery with Emily Kenway
12 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 An...
How humans evolved by working together, with Professor Nichola Raihani
21 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
The art of self-deception
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is about the different ways we deceive ourselves, and why we do so. If you want to find out more you can read Elephant in the Brain by Ke...
#169 Stoicism in practise, with Ben Aldridge
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
#168 #ManBox, Feminism and The Patriarchy with the Nice-Ish-Psychologist
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 regis...
#167 Lies that shaped history with Otto English (Author of Fake History)
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 publ...
Proust can change your life
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
#165 Behaviour change with Tiny Habits
10 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a review/summary of BJ Fogg's best-selling book, Tiny Habits. In the podcast I discuss; the proven methods of behaviour change that BJ...
#164 Hygge: The Danish philosophy of happiness and coziness
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I went to Copenhagen for the weekend and found out about Hygge. Hygge is the Danish art of happiness and coziness, it's a philosophy that encourages c...
#163 From the Kardashians to Alain de Botton, with Daisy Harris-Burland and Harriet Bradley
03 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I’m joined by Daisy Harris-Burland and Harriet Bradley for a casual conversation about everything from books we've loved to the Kardashians. Ge...
#162 Life lessons from Philosophers
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I review The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton and The Socrates Express by Eric Weiner. Both books are excellent introd...
#161 Novels to read this summer
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a review of novels I’ve read recently that you might enjoy over the summer. I also discuss; why you should read classics, the troubl...
#160 Toxic Positivity with Whitney Goodman
12 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Whitney Goodman is the radically honest psychotherapist behind the hugely popular Instagram account @sitwithwhit, the author of Toxic Positivity, an...
#159 Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a review of Jia Tolentino's collection of essays in her book Trick Mirror. Her essays cover; Internet usage, Fraternities in the US, r...
#158 The power of big business crooks, with Patrick Alley
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick Alley is an author and one of the founders of Global Witness, an organization whose investigations and reports into human rights and environme...
#157 A new way to think about happiness
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I discuss my thoughts on happiness and why we should drop our obsession with it. I cover: why you should be careful who you admire an...
#156 The Sunny Nihilist, with Wendy Syfret
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Wendy Syfret is a Melbourne-based writer and editor, and author of The Sunny Nihilist. She has spent time working for VICE and has contributed to The ...
Get Rich or Lie Tryin’ with Symeon Brown
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
To get 10% off your first month of therapy head to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread from there you’ll just need to run through a 5-minute questionnair...
#152 Human Kind: A hopeful history
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is a review, and summary of some key ideas, of Rutger Bregman's Human Kind. The bold idea this book tries to convert you to is: Humans are actual...
The science of breath with James Nestor
03 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I spoke with award-winning journalist and best-selling author, James Nestor about his extremely popular book: Breath, The New Science Of A Lost Art. W...
#150 Who are you, really?
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The psychology of personality is a complicated topic. This book argues that the idea of the authentic self is a lie. There are far more contributing ...
Time management for mortals with Oliver Burkeman
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
To get 10% off your first month of therapy head to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread from there you’ll just need to run through a 5-minute questionnair...
#148 How the West became self-obsessed
18 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We live in a very me-centric society. In the West, our philosophical influences have been focused on the 'I' for the last few thousand years and now, ...
#147 The Sh*t They Never Taught You with Adam Ashton
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Adam Ashton is one half of the What You Will Learn podcast, Australia's best book podcast. He joined me to chat about their new book 'The Shit They Ne...
#146 The Power of Geography with Tim Marshall
06 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Marshall was Diplomatic Editor and foreign correspondent for Sky News. After thirty years of experience in news reporting and presenting, he left ...
#145 Why you can’t pay attention
30 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I review Johann Hari's new book: Stolen Focus. A book that looks at the ways modern life steals our focus and attention. Modern life ...
#144 Letters From A Stoic (Seneca and why you’ve heard of him)
24 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is my review of Letters From A Stoic by Seneca. Seneca was a devoted Stoic philosopher, and he is one of the most widely referenced names in good...
#143 The Sweet Spot: suffering, pleasure and the key to a good life
17 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A review of Paul Bloom's brilliant book The Sweet Spot, an in-depth look at our pleasure-seeking tendencies and how we may be getting it wrong in our ...
Tech and social media impacts your health, with Dr Rachael Kent
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Rachael Kent is a lecturer and researcher at Kings College London. Specifically, Dr. Kent’s research focuses on how digital technology influence...
#141 Rethinking Positive Thinking
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week I review the book ‘Rethinking Positive Thinking’ by Professor of Psychology at NY & Hamburg, Gabrielle Oettingen. I discuss; the cu...
#140 Existential problems and simple solutions with Alex Holmes
20 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week I chat with Alex Holmes; writer, podcaster, existential mental health coach and author. We talk about; transition periods, existentialism, F...
#139 Mindfulness In Plain English
16 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is a book review episode of Henepola Gunaratana's 'MIndfulness In Plain English'. This is the second time I've read the book and I got so much mo...
#138 Leaving the NHS, McMindfulness and Personal Finance 101 with Yusef Smith
13 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Yusef Smith is one-half of Propane Fitness, a former NHS doctor and life hack specialist. We chat about; Leaving his role as a Doctor in the NHS, if y...
#137 The Women of WW2 with Tessa Dunlop
09 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tessa Dunlop is a presenter, best selling author and she has a doctorate in History. She joins me to chat about her new book ‘Army Girls’, a book ...
#136 Prisoners of Geography
06 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a review of Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall, a book about the map of the world and how what lays within those borders dictates ...
End procrastination with Nir Eyal
18 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nir Eyal is the author of 2 New York Times Bestselling books; Hooked and Indistractable. We discuss the main ideas from his book Indistractable and ...
#131 Answering your questions
15 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode is do an extended Q+A from Instagram. I answer questions about; Introversion/extraversion, narcissists, attachment styles, my time in ...
#130 The Science of Luck with Dr Richard Wiseman
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Richard Wiseman is one of the UK’s best-known Psychologists, his studies have covered Luck, Lying, Paranormal activity and have been featured wid...
The Status Game, with Will Storr
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Will Storr is an award-winning writer. He’s the author of five critically acclaimed books, including the novel The Hunger and The Howling of Killian...
#128 Is Lying really that bad?
03 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I review Sam Harris’ short book ‘Lying’. I chat about; Why I love Sam Harris, What a lie is, The paradox of lying, why we lie, ...
#127 Mental health and fitness with Lucy Davis
01 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Lucy Davis is Personal Trainer, YouTuber, Podcast Host, and former elite swimmer. She joined me to discuss; Mental health in sport, why having a train...
#126 Hitch hiking to Iran and connecting with yourself with Adam Lind
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I'm joined by Adam Lind (@adam.floatinghome) to discuss his, far from the ordinary, journey through life. We discuss; his experience joining the circu...
#125 Healing with humour with Chris Hall
18 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Hall comes to chat all about how one TikTok kick-started his recent journey. Chris has entertained the nation through the past lockdowns with hi...
#124 What makes a man superior? with Emilia Thompson and Emma Storey Gordon - Part2
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to part two of my conversation with Emilia Thompson and Emma Storey Gordon. Emilia and Emma are both Nutritionists, Podcast Hosts, and fitness...
#123 What makes a Superior Man? with Emilia Thompson and Emma Storey Gordon - Part 1
10 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to part one of my conversation with Emilia Thompson and Emma Storey Gordon. Emilia and Emma are both Nutritionists, Podcast Hosts, and fitness...
#122 Activism, Koalas and Arnie with Kae Kurd
06 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I'm joined by comedian, Co-host of the 'Ain't Got A Clue' podcast Kae Kurd to discuss his favourite books, activism, koalas being stupid, Australia,...
#121 Is being kind to yourself the key to a good life?
04 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I discuss; the book Radical Compassion by Tara Brach, nurturing ourselves, my mental health, reading for a reason, and my ten-hour med...
#120 Jamie Clements on masculinity, opening up and making mistakes.
30 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jamie Clements is the founder of The Breath Space and host of the Man Down podcast. He joins me for a candid chat to discuss; relationships, men openi...
#119 How to focus on what matters everyday
26 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
ESSENTIAL READING ALERT Your most valuable asset is your attention. What you decide to pay attention to could just be the decider between a good, or a...
#118 The future of artificial intelligence with Mo Gawdat
22 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Mo Gawdat is the former Chief Business Officer of Google X, host of the Slo-Mo Podcast, and best-selling author of Solve For Happy and Scary Smart- hi...
#117 How To Change
19 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
'By diagnosing the internal obstacles you face and consistently using solutions customized to help you succeed, evidence and experience suggest you re...
#112 Addiction, sobriety & becoming a psychotherapist With Talitha Fosh
02 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I am extremely grateful to have sat down with Talitha Fosh. A member of the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy and has experience work...
#111 Building better relationships by treating intimacy as a skill with Shaun Galanos
21 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Shaun Galanos is a love coach, host of The Love Drive podcast, and an online course creator. He teaches intimacy and communication tools for better re...
#109 The School Of Life
11 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“Anyone who isn't embarrassed by who they were last year probably isn't learning enough.” Alain De Botton Discussing my key learnings from The ...
#108 Justin Moran on building a brand with purpose
06 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
'There is no end game, it's an infinite game.' - Justin Moran Justin Moran is the serial entrepreneur and most recently co-founder of 'The Hidden S...
#107 Jeff Haden on the truth about motivation
30 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
'Idea should always a verb' - Jeff Haden Jeff Haden is a writer for Inc.com and the author of The Motivation Myth. We discuss; Motivation, the diff...
#106 Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy
27 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
'Option A is not available, so let’s just kick the shit out of option B.' 'Option B' follows Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg through her journey gr...
#105 How reading can change your life with Ty Temel
23 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ty Temel is a club owner and founder of Sandfest. He is an ambassador for and works closely with Dorset Mind a mental health charity. Throughout the l...
#103 Thomas Erikson - Surrounded By Idiots and Psychopaths
16 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas Erikson is a speaker, behavior expert, and author who has sold over 3 million copies of his book Surrounded By Idiots. In this episode, we disc...
#102 The Motivation Myth
13 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I discuss the book 'The Motivation Myth' by Jeff Haden. This book looks at motivation in an honest way. I go into the methods that will actually help ...
#101 Daisy Harris-Burland (The Bookmark Queen) on a creative life
09 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Daisy Harris-Burland is a legend. She is also a Bookmark business mogul, creative genius, and an avid reader. In this episode, we discuss; Taking risk...
#99 How to actually rest with Gabrielle Brown & James Reeves
24 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
'If only you'd stop looking, you'd find that there is something fundamentally right with you' - The Book Of Rest Gabrielle Brown and James Reeves a...
#98 How to deal with different personalities with Sinead Hegarty
17 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I am joined again by Sinead Hegarty the host of 'The Sinead Says Podcast' to discuss 'Surrounded By idiots' by Thomas Erikson. This book looks into th...
#97 The Happiness Trap
12 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Happiness Trap by Dr Russ Harris is one of my most recommended books. It's the most actionable and helpful books about mental health you'll read. ...
#95 Emilia Thompson PhD on authenticity & vulnerability
03 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Emilia Thompson PhD is a university lecturer, nutrition myth buster, and nutrition coach she intertwines evidence-based nutritional programming with t...
#94 How to make it in comedy with Russell Kane
28 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Russell Kane is a comedian, screenwriter, podcast host, and actor. In this episode, we discuss; navigating comedy in the age of cancel culture, how to...
Why people attach to conspiracy theories with David Grimes
21 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
David Robert Grimes is an Irish science writer with professional training in physics and cancer biology, who contributes to several media outlets on q...
#91 The Psychology Of Money
18 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Reviewing & discussing the key points of 'The Psychology Of Money' by Morgan Housel. This book summarises what you need to know about wealth and finan...
#89 The truth about the British Empire
11 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sathnam Sanghera joins me to discuss his new book 'Empireland: How Imperialism Shaped Modern Britain'. Sathnam is an award winning journalist, writer ...
#88 Victoria Spence on Owning & loving yourself and eating disorder recovery
07 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I have to apologise for my sound in this episode. There is a crackle and I couldn't edit it out. Victoria Spence is confidence and mindset coach. S...
#87 One year of A Need To Read with Giles Crisp
04 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I sit down with my good friend Giles Crisp to discuss the last year and how podcasting and books have moulded me in to who I am today. We discuss so m...
#86 The Almanack Of Naval Ravikant: A guide to wealth and happiness
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A review of the only book Tim Ferris has done a foreword for in recent years. The Almanack Of Naval Ravikant is a brilliant guide on how to live well....
#85 Jamie Clements on Breathing for your brain
24 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jamie Clements is the host of the ‘Man Down Podcast’ which leads the pioneer in the anti-man-up movement he also runs ‘The Breath Space’ a bre...
#84 The Art Of Thinking Clearly
22 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Discussing 'The Art Of Thinking Clearly' by Rolf Dobelli. A book that looks in to 99 ways our brains play tricks on us and other barriers to thinking ...
#82 Beyond Order: 12 More Rules For Life
15 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Discussing all 12 of Jordan B. Peterson's new Rules For Life. From his new book- 'Beyond Order'. If you enjoyed the episode please be sure to leave...
#81 Kathryn Bonella on spending time in prisons with Drug Traffickers
10 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I chat to Kathryn Bonella, the author of Hotel K, Snowing In Bali & Operation Playboy. Books centred around stories of drug trafficking, corruption an...