Airplane Mode

Chuck Klosterman, author and longtime culture critic, has just released his tenth book, a series of short stories titled Raised in Captivity. Which makes you wonder: how well can a longtime writer of criticism handle when critics come for his own work? Klosterman sounds off on what it’s like to be reviewed, how he stays informed without going insane (or drowning in takes), and why ignoring the trolls is actually a bad idea.

Follow them on Twitter: Chuck Klosterman (@CKlosterman); Clay Skipper (@SkipperClay)

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After being electrocuted at age 19, BJ Miller had three of his limbs amputated. He went on to a career in palliative care, working with patients with terminal or life-altering illnesses. Recently he turned his experience into his first book, A Beginner's Guide to the End (co-written with Shoshana Berger) and started his own palliative care company, Mettle Health. On this episode, Dr. Miller and Clay talk about what it takes to accept death as a reality (instead of something to be avoided) and how that can liberate you in both small and profound ways.

Follow them: Dr. BJ Miller (@bjmillermd); Clay Skipper (@SkipperClay)

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You know A$AP Ferg as a rapper and A$AP Mob member. But in this episode of Airplane Mode, the man born Darold Ferguson goes back to the days when he was a young teen designing and selling tees, trying to build a business and maintain creativity. He talks about the ways he stays grounded and protects his mental health now that he's a world-famous artist. About what Pharrell taught him about failure, how Jay Z opened his eyes about therapy, and what he learned from the death of his friend A$AP Yams. 

Follow them: A$AP Ferg (@ASAPferg); Clay Skipper (@SkipperClay)

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When Mark Manson set out to write his second book, Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope (out now), he had to live up to the immense shadow cast by a first book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, a self-improvement bestseller that's sold nearly nine million copies by taking down mindless positivity and embracing life's difficulties. On this episode, he talks about the challenges of trying to recreate that success and how it parallels the idea he’s exploring in his newest book: at a time when humans are more comfortable than we’ve ever been, why is depression, anxiety, and unhappiness on the rise? Plus, he digs into why true freedom is about self-limitation and what it’s like to write a book with Will Smith.

Follow: Mark Manson (@IAmMarkManson) and Clay Skipper (@SkipperClay)

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With his Oscar-nominated documentary “Minding the Gap,” director Bing Liu proved himself a talent at deftly unpacking emotionally complex topics (in that case, three young skateboarders navigating the trauma left by domestic abuse). For his next project, the 30-year-old is tackling Millennial love. So when Clay asked him how we got to the point where we’re all ghosting each other, Liu had plenty of thoughts. In particular, how we can end ghosting, why he believes most relationships fail, and the secret to being more honest with your partner.

Follow: Bing Liu, @BingLiu89; Clay Skipper, @SkipperClay

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Raphael Bob-Waksberg—the visionary behind Bojack Horseman and author of a new collection of short stories, Someone Who Will Love You In All Your Damaged Glory—is an expert at exploring dark, complex ideas in in ways that leave you feeling more optimistic and less alone. On this episode, he talks about how he's overcome that nagging fear of not doing enough, learning to trust in his gut, and what psychedelic mushrooms taught him about facing death.

Follow: Raphael Bob-Waksberg, @RaphaelBW; Clay Skipper, @SkipperClay

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Steven Johnson's made a career of cracking complicated topics, having written 11 (!) books that unpack everything from neuroscience to the origins of good ideas. In this episode, he and Clay dig into Johnson's most recent, Farsighted, which deep-dives into the secrets of making long-term decisions—the type that will affect your life 5 (or 25) years from now. Their conversation covers all the big stuff: the key to good judgment (and how to develop it), why showers are so helpful when making choices, and how A.I. will change the way we make decisions forever.

Follow: Steven Johnson, @stevenbjohnson; Clay Skipper, @SkipperClay

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Comedian Pete Holmes—creator and star of HBO show Crashing, podcaster (You Made It Weird), and new author (Comedy Sex God)—has survived some existential crisis and come out the other end with a plan for living joyously. It just takes some work. He also explains why expectations can get in the way of all that joy, why “everything happens for a reason” is B.S., and what he means when he says you should “have sex with everything that is.”

Follow: Clay Skipper: @skipperclay; Pete Holmes: @peteholmes; GQ: @gqmagazine

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Aminatou Sow is the smart-as-hell, wildly successful multi-hyphenate super-person we all dream of being—she's a strategist, a podcast host ("Call Your Girlfriend"), a soon-to-be-published author, a network-builder (Tech LadyMafia), and, yes, an influencer.  But she's one who uses her clout for good. (“I am definitely a capitalist sellout,” she says. “But also, I’m doing it with a purpose.”) In this episode, she explains how to build a personal brand without sacrificing your soul, how to effectively say no to people, and why you should never email someone to ask, “Can I pick your brain?” Plus, as always, our guest's Favorite F**k-Up.

Follow: 

@aminatou (Twitter)

@gqlevelup (Twitter)

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Being wrong sucks, but not only for the reasons you think. Guest Annie Duke, former pro poker player and author of "Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts," has built a life on embracing uncertainty and making the "wrong choice"...and come out the other side with some important advice. She explains how you can make peace with being wrong, why we listen to overconfident people, and how you can use uncertainty in the face of a decision—whether it's ordering dishes at a restaurant or making a major career change— to your advantage. Also discussed: the Crusades, "noodling in public," and (as always) our guest's Favorite F**k-Up.

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