Merlin Sheldrake is a biologist, writer, and speaker with a background in plant sciences, microbiology, ecology, and the history and philosophy of science. He received a Ph.D. in tropical ecology from Cambridge University for his work on underground fungal networks in tropical forests in Panama.

His book Entangled life was a Sunday Times Bestseller.

www.buymeacoffee.com/aneedtoread

A-need-to-read is the code for an additional 10% off your first purchase with Urban Farm It, who do homegrown mushroom kits: https://urban-farm-it.com/

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 by Benjamin Labtut

Kim Jiyoung Born 1982 by Cho Nam Joo

A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Someone To Love You In All Your Damaged Glory by Raphael Bob-Waksburg

First Person Singular by Hariku Murakami

If Cats Disappeared From The World by Genki Kawamura

The Virgin Suicides & Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides 

A Little Life by Hanya Yangihara

Siddartha & Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse

100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

All of the links will take you to Bookshop.org, a website where when you buy books, you support small bookstores, and I also get 10% of the sale. Which is quite nice, init. 

Support for the podcast

If you want to help me produce podcasts directly, which would be VERY KIND, head to www.buymeacoffee.com/aneedtoread 

You will have heard me bang on about how transformational therapy can be, that's why I am proud that Betterhelp sponsors A Need To Read. Meaning you get 10% off your first month if you wanted to chat with a therapist, just head to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread

If you have any feedback, requests, or well-wishes, send me an email at [email protected]

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 media, People’s relationships with diets, exercise, and themselves, Self-awareness, How to use values to guide you, confusing avoidance with enlightenment, body-image issues across genders,  society’s contribution to body image issues, self-objectification, and have a general moan about empty mental health advocacy.

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 terrifying- all of the time. So, if you like what I do and want me to keep doing it please support the show in one of the following ways.

- Share the podcast with a friend, or review the podcast. 

- Make a one-off donation with BuyMeACoffee

- The show is sponsored by BetterHelp, so you can get matched with a therapist within 48 hours and get 10% off your first month by heading to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread 

- You can also give me feedback/comments/validation by emailing me: hello (at) aneedtoread.co.uk

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 terrifying- all of the time. So, if you like what I do and want me to keep doing it please support the show in one of the following ways.

- Share the podcast with a friend, or review the podcast. 

- Make a one-off donation with BuyMeACoffee

- The show is sponsored by BetterHelp, so you can get matched with a therapist within 48 hours and get 10% off your first month by heading to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread 

- You can also give me feedback/comments/validation by emailing me: hello (at) aneedtoread.co.uk

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, Ireland. In this podcast we discuss; nutrition, the protein problem for plant-based diets, what we’re seeing in British politics, philosophy, and Alan’s favourite books.

Bill McGuire is a Professor Emeritus of Geophysical and Climate Hazards at University College London, and a writer, who is regularly published in The Guardian, The Times, and The Observer. He is the author of many books, notably the newest, Hothouse Earth - an inhabitants guide, which is a look towards the future of our planet. 

In this podcast we discuss:

• The impact of rising sea levels on the earth's crust, volcanos, coastal cities, and marine life
• Humanity’s downward spiral due to the climate crisis  
• Capitalism and climate change

And at the end, I chat about how I'm trying not to be sad all the time about what the future is looking likely to hold. 

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 terrifying- all of the time. So, if you like what I do and want me to keep doing it please support the show in one of the following ways.

- Share the podcast with a friend, or review the podcast. 

- Make a one-off donation with BuyMeACoffee

I work with a couple of great companies who have discounts arranged for A Need To Read listeners, they're listed below. The discounts (BH) + freebies (AG) will already be applied when you click the link. 

- Go to Therapy and get 10% off your first month with BetterHelp, who sponsor the show

- Get your nutrition covered with the all-in-one AG1 shake from Athletic Greens, who also sponsor the show. 

- You can also give me feedback/comments/validation by emailing me: hello (at) aneedtoread.co.uk

Professor Anil Seth is a Computational and Cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Sussex. His book Being You was a Sunday Times Bestseller. 

Take part in Anil's research

In this podcast we discuss:

• Anil’s latest project ‘The Dream Machine’
• What dreams are for?
• How your brain creates experience 
• How we see colour
• Why we all see things differently 
• What happens to your brain on Psychadelics
• What happens to your brains when you learn something new
• The illusion of Self
• Free Will 

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 terrifying- all of the time. So, if you like what I do and want me to keep doing it please support the show in one of the following ways.

- Share the podcast with a friend, or review the podcast. 

- Make a one-off donation with BuyMeACoffee

I work with a couple of great companies who have discounts arranged for A Need To Read listeners, they're listed below. The discounts (BH) + freebies (AG) will already be applied when you click the link. 

- Go to Therapy and get 10% off your first month with BetterHelp, who sponsor the show

- Get your nutrition covered with the all-in-one AG1 shake from Athletic Greens, who also sponsor the show. 

- You can also give me feedback/comments/validation by emailing me: hello (at) aneedtoread.co.uk

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, epistemology, and the philosophy of mind. 

We discuss: 

• Utilitarianism and the problems with focusing on happiness
• The Good Enough life
• Dealing with injustice
• Effective altruism
• Dealing with powerlessness and the limits of individualism
• Meaning in an absurd world 
• Assessing hope
• How to face your midlife crisis 
• Dealing with regret 
• Meditation and presence 
• Kieran’s favourite philosopher

His website is: http://www.ksetiya.net/ 

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 terrifying- all of the time. So, if you like what I do and want me to keep doing it please support the show in one of the following ways.

- Share the podcast with a friend, or review the podcast. 

- Make a one-off donation with BuyMeACoffee

I work with a couple of great companies who have discounts arranged for A Need To Read listeners, they're listed below. The discounts (BH) + freebies (AG) will already be applied when you click the link. 

- Go to Therapy and get 10% off your first month with BetterHelp, who sponsor the show

- Get your nutrition covered with the all-in-one AG1 shake from Athletic Greens, who also sponsor the show. 

- You can also give me feedback/comments/validation by emailing me: hello (at) aneedtoread.co.uk

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 newsletter for Gymshark called The Doctors Note.

This podcast discusses mental health services in the UK, Instagram wellness advice, behaviour change journeys, shamelessly being bad at things, and a few of his favourite books. 

Dr. Mike is on Instagram and Twitter as @DrMikethe2nd

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 terrifying- all of the time. So, if you like what I do and want me to keep doing it please support the show in one of the following ways.

- Share the podcast with a friend, or review the podcast. 

- Make a one-off donation with BuyMeACoffee

I work with a couple of great companies who have discounts arranged for A Need To Read listeners, they're listed below. The discounts (BH) + freebies (AG) will already be applied when you click the link. 

- Go to Therapy and get 10% off your first month with BetterHelp, who sponsor the show

- Get your nutrition covered with the all-in-one AG1 shake from Athletic Greens, who also sponsor the show. 

- You can also give me feedback/comments/validation by emailing me: hello (at) aneedtoread.co.uk

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 Guardian and is the author of multiple books.  His book feral has inspired a rewinding movement in the UK, and his latest book Regenesis looks at the future of farming. 

In this podcast we discuss

• The complexity of soil 
• How common farming practices are destroying the structure of soil  
• What working on a pig farm is like 
• How much DEFRA suck 
• Where there is hope in eco-farming
• The impact of animal agriculture 
• The future of protein
• How farmers control farming policies

Find more from George on his website: https://www.monbiot.com/about/

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 terrifying- all of the time. So, if you like what I do and want me to keep doing it please support the show in one of the following ways.

- Share the podcast with a friend, or review the podcast. 

- Make a one-off donation with BuyMeACoffee

I work with a couple of great companies who have discounts arranged for A Need To Read listeners, they're listed below. The discounts (BH) + freebies (AG) will already be applied when you click the link. 

- Go to Therapy and get 10% off your first month with BetterHelp, who sponsor the show

- Get your nutrition covered with the all-in-one AG1 shake from Athletic Greens, who also sponsor the show. 

- You can also give me feedback/comments/validation by emailing me: hello (at) aneedtoread.co.uk

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 to discuss the Law of Attraction, the pseudoscientific craze that has made millennials, Gen-Zers, and Gwyneth Paltrow believe they can bend the universe to suit their will.

More from David is on his website: https://www.davidrobertgrimes.com

I highly recommend reading his book if you have ever wondered what on the flat earth makes people believe in conspiracy theories. David's an excellent communicator. and a great voice for science and rationality. 

Support for the podcast

Hey!

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 terrifying- all of the time. So, if you like what I do and want me to keep doing it please support the show in one of the following ways.

- Share the podcast with a friend, or review the podcast. 

- Make a one-off donation with BuyMeACoffee

I work with a couple of great companies who have discounts arranged for A Need To Read listeners, they're listed below. The discounts (BH) + freebies (AG) will already be applied when you click the link. 

- Go to Therapy and get 10% off your first month with BetterHelp, who sponsor the show

- Get your nutrition covered with the all-in-one AG1 shake from Athletic Greens, who also sponsor the show. 

- You can also give me feedback/comments/validation by emailing me: hello (at) aneedtoread.co.uk