Bookworm
Episodes
238: Sketch Your Mind by Zsolt Viczian
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today's author promises to help us build a visual-first system to capture, connect, and use our ideas like never before. Join Mike & Cory as ponde...
237: Toxic Grit by Amanda Goetz
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For years, we’ve been told the answer to burnout is better balance. Today’s author promises to show us a better way. Join Mike and Cory as they ex...
236: Wisdom Takes Work by Ryan Holiday
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to teach us how to listen more than we talk, to think with nuance, to ruthlessly question our own beliefs, and to develop a ...
235: Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s authors promise to help us transform the way we communicate our ideas. Join Mike & Cory as they dive into what makes an idea sticky. Support...
234: Sponsor Magnet by Justin Moore
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to give us the tools we need to turn influence into income. Join Mike & Cory as they consider building their own dream brand...
233: Time Anxiety by Chris Guillebeau
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to give us the antidote to deadline dread, time guilt, and chronic rushing. Join Mike & Cory as they attempt to redefine the...
232: Published by Chandler Bolt
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to give us a map to go from blank page to published author as fast as possible. Join Mike & Cory as they consider what it ta...
231: Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to give us tactics we can use to overcome procrastination and take action on what’s really important. Join Mike & Cory as ...
230: The Science of Scaling by Dr. Benjamin Hardy & Blake Erickson
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s authors promise to teach us a framework for helping us view business through a whole new lens. Join Mike & Cory as they consider what it mea...
229: From Strength to Strength by Arthur Brooks
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to help us find success, happiness, and deep purpose in the second half of life. Join Mike & Cory as they attempt to navigat...
228: AI Snake Oil by Arvid Narayanan & Sayash Kapoor
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s authors (and two of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in AI) promise to help us navigate the often misleading claims about the real capab...
227: Lean Learning by Pat Flynn
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to help us identify what’s essential for our growth and eliminate all the distractions that tend to bog us down. Join Mike...
226: The 5 Resets by Dr. Aditi Nerurkar
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author is a Harvard stress expert who promises to help us overcome our stress using five small but mighty mindset shifts. Join Mike & Cory a...
225: The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to teach us how to stop wasting energy on what we can’t control and start focusing on what truly matters. Join Mike & Cory...
224: The Confident Mind by Dr. Nate Zinsser
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author has worked with U.S. Military Academy Cadets, world-class athletes, and many others needing to develop the confidence needed to succe...
223: When by Daniel Pink
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to help us understand how considering when can help us live richer, more engaged lives. Join Mike & Cory as they attempt to ...
222: Wild Courage by Jenny Wood
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of Bookworm is brought to you by: Today’s author promises to help us overcome our fear by giving us the courage to go after what we rea...
221: The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to help us reject the default path, define our priorities, and achieve lasting happiness. Join Mike & Cory as they attempt t...
220: Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to help us train our minds for extraordinary performance in every aspect of our lives. Join Mike & Cory as they attempt to m...
219: Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to help us live freely in a goal-obsessed world. Join Mike & Cory as they embark on a journey to turn challenges into self-d...
218: The Catalyst by Jonah Berger
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to help us identify the key barriers to change and show us how to mitigate them. Join Mike & Cory as they explore how to cat...
217: Make It Stick by Peter Brown, Henry Roediger, and Mark McDaniel
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s authors promise to help us sort through what works and what doesn’t when it comes to the science behind successful learning. Join Mike & C...
216: The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s authors promise to help us unlock our full potential and free ourselves from the shackles of past traumas and societal expectations to find ...
215: Poor Charlie’s Almanack
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s book is a collection of wisdom shared by one of the world’s most brilliant business minds. Join Mike & Cory as they explore Charlie Munger...
214: Simple Marketing for Smart People by Billy Broas
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of Bookworm is brought to you by: Today’s author promises to teach us a new way to craft marketing content that compels customers to ac...
213: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author shares personal wisdom from almost 2000 years ago. Join Mike and Cory as they examine an ancient classic of wisdom literature to see ...
212: Never Play It Safe by Chase Jarvis
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to equip us with the tools, insights, and inspiration needed to create the life of our dreams. Join Mike & Cory as they cons...
211: Anti-Time Management by Richie Norton
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to help us find our motivation, prioritize our ideals, and create a flexible lifestyle — no matter how busy we are. Join M...
210: Free Time by Jenny Blake
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to give us a playbook to free our minds, time, and team for our best work. Join Mike & Cory as they consider what it looks l...
209: Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to give us a map for a liberating journey toward a more meaningful life. Join Mike & Cory as they attempt to embrace their n...
208: Good Work by Paul Millerd
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What if work wasn’t just something you did but was a portal to a life where you felt fully alive? Today’s author challenges us to think differentl...
207: Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Whether we realize it or not, we are always telling stories. Today’s author and storyteller extraordinaire promises to help us tell them better. Sup...
206: 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to change the way we think with a collection of essays about why we should pursue purpose over passion, embrace negative thi...
205: A System for Writing by Bob Doto
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author shares an unconventional approach to help writers and aspiring creatives capture their ideas, think wildly, and write constantly. Joi...
204: The Ritual Effect by Michael Norton
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to help us create surÂprising satisfaction and enjoyment from the intention-filled acts that drive human behavior. Join Mik...
203: Hidden Genius by Polina Marinova Pompliano
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author has studied thousands of the most interesting people in the world and promises to teach us the frameworks they use to be successful. ...
202: Uncommon Greatness by Mark Miller
02 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Virtually every problem can be traced back to one root cause: leadership. Today’s author and seasoned business leader promises to help us transform ...
201: Right Thing, Right Now by Ryan Holiday
19 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author presents the stoic case for living a life of self-discipline. Join Mike & Cory as they consider what it means to do what’s right –...
200: Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With great power comes great responsibility. Today’s author promises to help us harness the power and promise of the era of AI without losing our id...
199: Radical Candor by Kim Scott
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of Bookworm is brought to you by: Today’s author promises to teach us how to improve our leadership ability by caring about others pers...
198: Scarcity Brain by Michael Easter
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The world is overloaded with everything we’re built to crave. Today’s author promises to help us overcome the scarcity mindset we inherited from o...
197: Super Thinking by Gabriel Weinberg & Lauren McCann
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of Bookworm is sponsored by: The world’s best problem-solvers, forecasters, and decision-makers all use mental models that help them cu...
196: Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life, wellness, and longevity. Today’s author promises us a revolutionary exp...
195: Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg
26 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The right conversation at the right moment can change everything. Today’s author promises to teach us how to identify and leverage the hidden layers...
194: Mastery by Robert Greene
12 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author believes each one of us has within us the potential to be a Master and promises to teach us how to unlock it. Join Mike & Cory as the...
193: Slow Productivity by Cal Newport
29 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our current definition of “productivity” is broken. Today’s author promises to give us a roadmap for escaping overload without sacrificing accom...
192: The Inevitable by Kevin Kelly
15 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author shares twelve technological imperatives that will shape the next thirty years. Join Cory and Mike as they consider the role of AI and...
191: Six Thinking Hats by Edward de Bono
01 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to teach us a practical and uniquely positive approach to making decisions and exploring new ideas. Join Cory & Mike as they...
190: Learn Like a Pro by Barbara Oakley & Olav Schewe
16 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do you have trouble learning new things? Today’s authors promise to help us improve our ability to learn based on neuroscience and cognitive psychol...
189: Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
02 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s authors (and Stanford Life Design Lab co-founders) promise to help us use design thinking to create a life that is both meaningful and fulfi...
188: Feel Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal
19 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of Bookworm is sponsored by: Productivity isn’t just hard work and efficiency. Today’s author promises to teach us an easier and happ...
187: Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, & Sheila Heen
05 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As humans, we tend to avoid conversations that can cause us to feel anxious or frustrated. But today’s authors make the case for leaning into these ...
186: Same as Ever by Morgan Housel
22 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We tend to focus on the things that are new and different. But today’s author argues that we should really be looking at the things that stay the sa...
185: Who Not How by Dan Sullivan & Dr. Benjamin Hardy
08 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author(s) promise to teach us a perspective shift that will help us achieve incredible personal freedom. Join Joe & Mike as they consider wh...
184: Hidden Potential by Adam Grant
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author offers us a new framework for raising aspirations and exceeding expectations. Join Joe & Mike as they attempt to reach their full pot...
183: Build by Tony Fadell
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author (and leader of the product teams behind the iPod, iPhone, and Nest thermostat) shares about leadership, design, startups, Apple, Goog...
182: Clear Thinking by Shane Parrish
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to give us the tools to navigate the critical space between stimulus and response. Join Joe & Mike as they embark on a journ...
181: On Quality by Robert Pirsig
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After disliking Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Mike decides to give a Robert Pirsig book another go. Join Mike and special guest David Spark...
180: Master of Change by Brad Stulberg
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of Bookworm is sponsored by: Change is all around us, but most of us resist it. Today’s author argues that we should flip this script o...
179: The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
15 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are a lot of myths about starting and running a small business. Today’s author and small business consultant promises to dispel them with insi...
178: The Good Life by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of Bookworm is sponsored by: What makes for a happy, fulfilling life? In a word: relationships. Today’s authors (and Harvard Study of A...
177: Life Worth Living by Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun, and Ryan McAnnally-Linz
18 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of Bookworm is sponsored by: What makes a good life? Today’s authors attempt to deliver us a guide to defining and then creating a flou...
176: The Art of Clear Thinking by Hasard Lee
04 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Based on his career of making high-stakes, split-second decisions as a U.S. fighter pilot, today’s author promises to teach us combat-tested techniq...
175: Excellent Advice for Living by Kevin Kelly
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author shares his best advice written to be passed down to his adult children on his 68th birthday. Join Joe & Mike as they eavesdrop on the...
174: Quit by Annie Duke
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In a world where sticking with things is a virtue, today’s author makes the argument for knowing when to walk away. Join Joe & Mike as they attempt ...
173: Decoding Greatness by Ron Friedman
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For generations, we’ve been taught there are two ways to succeed—either from talent or practice. Today’s author promises to show us a better way...
172: The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The world moves fast, but that doesn’t mean we have to. Today’s author promises to illuminate a path to inner peace and balance amid the overwhelm...
171: The Gap and The Gain by Dan Sullivan & Dr. Benjamin Hardy
26 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s authors argue that many highly ambitious people are unhappy because of how they measure their progress. Join Joe and Mike as they attempt to...
170: The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgensen
12 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of Bookworm is sponsored by: Today’s author promises to deliver us a guide to wealth and happiness by sharing wisdom from entrepreneur,...
169: The Pathless Path by Paul Millerd
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of Bookworm is sponsored by: Today’s author shares a personal journey that led him to leave a prestigious consulting firm and find his ...
168: 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of Bookworm is sponsored by: Today’s author (and clinical psychologist) promises to help us combine the hard-won truths of ancient trad...
167: Master Your Motivation by Susan Fowler
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Relying on willpower isn’t enough for us to reliably achieve our goals. But what are we supposed to use instead? Today’s author argues that motiva...
166: The Future is Analog by David Sax
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author argues that the pandemic taught us that the future we were promised wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Join Joe & Mike as they con...
165: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author argues that creativity has a place in everyone’s life and that we all have the potential to make that place larger. Join Joe & Mike...
164: Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr. Julie Smith
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author (and clinical psychologist) promises to help us fortify and maintain our mental health, even in the most trying of times. Join Joe & ...
163: How to Calm Your Mind by Chris Bailey
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to help us find the missing piece to the productivity puzzle that leads our efforts to become sustainable over time. Join Jo...
162: Ikigai by HĂ©ctor GarcĂa & Francesc Miralles
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai — a reason for living. Join Joe & Mike as they embark on a journey to find theirs. Links Support ...
161: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell
06 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Leadership is complex, but the need for it has never been greater. Join Joe & Mike as they embark on a journey to reach their full potential by helpin...
160: 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to distill three thousand years of human history into a single definitive manual for anyone interested in gaining, observing...
159: Mind Management, Not Time Management by David Kadavy
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever feel like the more time you save, the less time you have? Today’s author promises to help us stop struggling to get more out of our time...
158: Discipline is Destiny by Ryan Holiday
25 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
To master anything, we must first learn to master ourselves. Today’s author promises to teach us the power of self-discipline and balance and cautio...
157: The Laws of Creativity by Joey Cofone
11 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author attempts to help demystify the creative process by uncovering the thinking and science behind it. Join Joe & Mike as they attempt to ...
156: Ritual by Dimitris Xygalatas
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever paused to think about why we participate in communal ceremonies? Today’s author attempts to explain the subtle mechanics that bind us ...
155: Where Good Ideas Come From by Stephen Johnson
14 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wonder what sparks a flash of brilliance or what kind of environment creates eureka moments? Today’s author dissects the science of breakthroug...
154: The Great Mental Models Volume 2 by Rhiannon Beaubien and Shane Parrish
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s book revisits the topic of mental models by examining cognitive tools from the domains of chemistry, biology, and physics. Join Joe & Mike a...
153: I Didn’t Do the Thing Today by Madeline Dore
16 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever been frustrated with the endless pursuit of productivity perfection, today’s episode is for you. Join Joe & Mike as they embrace th...
152: Mind Map Mastery by Tony Buzan
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Can using mind maps really help you get more organized, improve your memory, or plan your business strategy? Today’s author (and self-professed mind...
151: The Story of You by Ian Morgan Cron
19 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author (and licensed psychotherapist) promises to help us break free from our self-defeating patterns of behavior and write a new story for ...
150: Do the Hard Things First by Scott Allan
05 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to help us end self-sabotage and rewire our habits for doing difficult work now. Join Joe & Mike as they attempt to beat pro...
149: Love + Work by Marcus Buckingham
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author promises to help us break free from conformity to discover what engages us and makes us thrive. Join Joe & Mike as they consider the ...
148: Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We live in the information age, but it often leaves us feeling overwhelmed. Today’s author promises to help us develop a system for personal knowled...
147: Hero on a Mission by Donald Miller
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know your life purpose? Today’s author promises to help us find it and bring fulfillment through our life and work. Join Joe & Mike as they e...
146: Bittersweet by Susan Cain
10 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s author argues that a melancholic outlook on life can be the key to creativity, conÂnection, and transcendence. Join Joe & Mike as they expl...
145: Things That Matter by Joshua Becker
27 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone wants to live a meaningful life. Today’s author promises to help us identify the obstacles that keep us from living with intention so we ca...
144: Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
13 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Everything is a remix. Today’s author encourages us to embrace our influences to discover our own paths. Join Joe & Mike as they attempt to get in t...
143: The Messy Middle by Scott Belsky
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone loves talking about starts and finishes, but no one likes talking about the hard part in-between. Join Joe as they embrace the messy middle a...
142: Yes to Life by Victor Frankl
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Joe & Mike tackle another Victor Frankl book as they consider purpose, value, and the meaning of life. Links Support the Show Bookworm #44: Man’s Se...
141: Creative Calling by Chase Jarvis
01 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do you consider yourself to be “creative?” Whether you’re an artist or an engineer, today’s author argues that creativity isn’t a skill—it...
140: Unwinding Anxiety by Judson Brewer
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The world has never been more anxious. But today’s author promises to help us uproot anxiety at its source using brain-based techniques. Join Joe & ...
Quick Update
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is a first. We need to skip a release week due to health and vacation. We’ll be back on schedule in two weeks with our next episode. Links Supp...