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 that lurk beneath every conversation.

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Mike’s LifeTheme cohort
Mike’s Reading Masterclass
Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg
Bookworm #52: The Power of Habit
Bookworm #63: Atomic Habits
Bookworm #94: Tiny Habits
Bookworm #124: Liminal Thinking
Bookworm #178: The Good Life
Bookworm #86: The Art of Gathering
Bookworm #84: Indistractable
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
Super Thinking by Gabriel Weinberg & Lauren McCann
Smart Brevity by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, & Roy Schwartz
Mike’s Notes for Supercommunicators
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Mike's Rating: 4.0
Cory's Rating: 4.0

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 they embark on the path to greatness.

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Mike’s Reading Masterclass
Mike’s Community (The Library)
Hello Audio
Room.com
Mastery by Robert Greene
Bookworm 160: 48 Laws of Power
Bookworm #193: Slow Productivity
Bookworm #132: So Good They Can’t Ignore You
Bookworm #4: The Obstacle is the Way
Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
Every Good Endeavor by Timothy Keller
Mike’s notes for Mastery
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Mike's Rating: 4.0
Cory's Rating: 3.0

Our current definition of “productivity” is broken. Today’s author promises to give us a roadmap for escaping overload without sacrificing accomplishment. Join Mike & Cory as they dive into Cal Newport’s latest book and attempt to fight back against busyness and overwhelm.

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Mike’s Reading Workshop
The Deep Life podcast
Slow Productivity by Cal Newport
Focused #176: Deep Work, with Cal Newport
Bookworm #135: Four Thousand Weeks
Do Nothing by Celeste Headlee
Can’t Even by Anne Helen Petersen
Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price
The Focus Course
Drafts
Focused #155: 12 Favorite Problems
Bookworm #129: The Extended Mind
Bookworm #122: Digital Body Language
Mike’s Multi-Scale Planning Video
Every Good Endeavor by Timothy Keller
Mike’s notes for Slow Productivity
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Mike's Rating: 5.0
Cory's Rating: 4.0

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 other trends and the impact they will have on our lives.

Mike’s notes for The Inevitable
Lateral Thinking by Edward de Bono
Bookworm #191: Six Thinking Hats
The Inevitable by Kevin Kelly
The Deep Life #289: The Email Catastrophe
Bookworm #132: So Good They Can’t Ignore You
Bookworm #7: Deep Work
Bookworm #113: The Great Mental Models, Volume 1
Focused #196: Focus & The reading Life, with Maryanne Wolf
Reader, Come Home by Maryanne Wolf
Sora
Rewind.ai
Ready Player One
Bookworm #139: Personal Socrates
Bookworm #124: Liminal Thinking
Slow Productivity by Cal Newport
Mastery by Robert Greene
The Art of Focus by Dan Doe
Every Good Endeavor by Timothy Keller
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Mike's Rating: 4.0
Cory's Rating: 4.0

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 embark on a journey for clearer thinking, improved communication, and greater creativity.

Mike’s notes for Six Thinking Hats
Six Thinking Hats by Edward de Bono
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Brick
The Light Phone
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Bookworm #113: The Great Mental Models, Volume 1
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Bookworm #124: Liminal Thinking
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Bookworm #187: Difficult Conversations
Pinnacle by Steve Preda & Gregory Cleary
Bookworm #30: The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team
The Inevitable by Kevin Kelly
Slow Productivity by Cal Newport
Triumph of the Lamb by Dennis Johnson
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Mike's Rating: 5.0
Cory's Rating: 5.0

Do you have trouble learning new things? Today’s authors promise to help us improve our ability to learn based on neuroscience and cognitive psychology. Join Mike & new co-host Cory Hixson as they attempt to make the best use of their brains.

Mike’s Notes from Learn Like a Pro
Cory’s Designing Your Academic Life workshop
Mike’s Learning Community
Learn Like a Pro by Barbara Oakley & Olav Schewe
Bookworm #56: Hyper Focus
Write or Die
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Bookworm #188: Feel Good Productivity
Bookworm #129: The Extended Mind
Bookworm #94: Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg
Bookworm #167: Master Your Motivation
Cornell Notes in Obsidian
Six Thinking Hats by Edward de Bono
The Inevitable by Kevin Kelly
Triumph of the Lamb by Dennis Johnson
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Mike's Rating: 3.0
Cory's Rating: 3.0

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 fulfilling. Join Mike and new co-host Cory Hixson as they attempt to build their version of a well-lived, joyful life.

Apple Vision Pro
Focused 196: Focus & The Reading Life, with Maryanne Wolf
Reader, Come Home by Maryanne Wolf
The Upgradies Book Pick
Bookworm #188: Feel Good Productivity
Mike’s Personal Retreat video
Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
The Deep Life #284: Feel-Good Productivity (w/ Ali Abdaal)
Bookworm #73: The 4-Hour Workweek
Bookworm #132: So Good They Can’t Ignore You
Bookworm #25: Grit
Bookworm #83: The Infinite Game
Finite & Infinite Games by James Carse
Bookworm #14: The 12 Week Year
Learn Like a Pro by Barbara Oakley & Olav Schewe
Influence by Robert Cialdini
Triumph of the Lamb by Dennis Johnson
You Are the Brand by Mike Kim
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Mike's Rating: 4.0
Cory's Rating: 4.0

This episode of Bookworm is sponsored by:

• HelloFresh: America’s #1 Meal Kit. Get one free breakfast item per box for the length of your subscription with the code bookwormfree.

Productivity isn’t just hard work and efficiency. Today’s author promises to teach us an easier and happier path to success.

Cory’s Talking to the Internet podcast
Mike’s Obsidian University Cohort
Bookworm #187: Difficult Conversations
Bookworm #42: How to Read a Book
Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal
Part-Time YouTuber Academy
Ali Abdaal’s YouTube channel
Bookworm #14: The 12 Week year
Bookworm #63: Atomic Habits
Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
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Mike's Rating: 5.0
Cory's Rating:

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 difficult conversations and give us advice for doing so with confidence and skill.

Talking to the Internet podcast
Bookworm #101: Never Split the Difference
Mike’s Obsidian University Cohort
Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, & Sheila Heen
Bookworm #182: Clear Thinking
Bookworm #38: Mindset
Bookworm #42: How to Read a Book
Bookworm #124: Liminal Thinking
Bookworm #137: Atlas of the Heart
Bookworm #122: Digital Body Language
Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal

Mike's Rating: 3.0
Cory's Rating:

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 same. Join Joe & Mike as they attempt to navigate uncertainty by focusing on the things that never, ever change.

Cal Newport podcast episode about task management
Mike’s Obsidian task management Dashboard
Obsidian Tasks
Same as Ever by Morgan Housel
Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
Bookworm 171: The Gap and The Gain
Keep Going mug
Bookworm #90: Good to Great
Bookworm #44: Man’s Search for Meaning

Mike's Rating: 5.0
Cory's Rating: 5.0

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 who can help them get where they want to go.

Adam Grant’s Hidden Potential Quiz
Bookworm #184: Hidden Potential
Who Not How by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy
Bookworm 171: The Gap & The Gain
Strategic Coach
Bookworm #132: So Good They Can’t Ignore You
Maria Popova (The Marginalia, formerly Brain Pickings
10X Talk podcast
Same as Ever by Morgan Housel
Noise by Daniel Kahneman

Mike's Rating: 4.0
Cory's Rating: 4.0