Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share [A.J. Jacobs, practical matters]: Is it possible to schedule when you’ll get your next ideas? Multiple bestselling author A.J. Jacobs says yes Ep 1146
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
[A.J. Jacobs, practical matters]: Is it possible to schedule when you’ll get your next ideas? Multiple bestselling author A.J. Jacobs says yes Ep 1146
This week I’m talking with the hilarious and sweet writer, podcaster, multiple New York Times-bestselling author, and human guinea pig, A.J. Jacobs. A.J.'s books are a mix of memoir, science, humor, with a smidge of self-help. They include “The Year of Living Constitutionally,” “The Year of Living Biblically,” “Drop Dead Healthy,” and “The Know-It-All,” which chronicled the year and a half A.J. spent reading the Encyclopedia Britannica from A to Z.
He also hosts “The Puzzler” daily podcast, which just debuted its second season, and he's a frequent contributor to NPR's Weekend Edition.
In this first part of our interview, we covered the practical side of his writing career, including:
The very sensible reason he sticks to “method writing”
His amazing origin story that involved impersonating an Oscar-nominated actor—at the Oscars
The daily practice he uses to generate ideas
His viral Facebook post about biblical math
The habit he adopted from Benjamin Franklin after writing his book “The Year of Living Constitutionally”
Why he is a devotee of ‘eating the frog’
The tech gadget he uses to capture his ideas in longhand (and then remember them later because it makes them searchable)
The health tips he’s retained since writing a book about trying to become the healthiest person in the world
The ingenious way he remembers to do push-ups every day
Connect with A.J. at his Experimental Living newsletter on Substack: https://experimentalliving.substack.com/
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!
And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
View all episodes
By Kate Hanley
4.8
104104 ratings
This week I’m talking with the hilarious and sweet writer, podcaster, multiple New York Times-bestselling author, and human guinea pig, A.J. Jacobs. A.J.'s books are a mix of memoir, science, humor, with a smidge of self-help. They include “The Year of Living Constitutionally,” “The Year of Living Biblically,” “Drop Dead Healthy,” and “The Know-It-All,” which chronicled the year and a half A.J. spent reading the Encyclopedia Britannica from A to Z.
He also hosts “The Puzzler” daily podcast, which just debuted its second season, and he's a frequent contributor to NPR's Weekend Edition.
In this first part of our interview, we covered the practical side of his writing career, including:
The very sensible reason he sticks to “method writing”
His amazing origin story that involved impersonating an Oscar-nominated actor—at the Oscars
The daily practice he uses to generate ideas
His viral Facebook post about biblical math
The habit he adopted from Benjamin Franklin after writing his book “The Year of Living Constitutionally”
Why he is a devotee of ‘eating the frog’
The tech gadget he uses to capture his ideas in longhand (and then remember them later because it makes them searchable)
The health tips he’s retained since writing a book about trying to become the healthiest person in the world
The ingenious way he remembers to do push-ups every day
Connect with A.J. at his Experimental Living newsletter on Substack: https://experimentalliving.substack.com/
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!
And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More shows like Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley
View all
TED Radio Hour
22,014 Listeners
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
38,768 Listeners
The Ramsey Show
39,003 Listeners
The Moth
27,224 Listeners
The Book Review
3,870 Listeners
Pod Save America
87,143 Listeners
The Daily
112,467 Listeners
Pod Save the World
24,695 Listeners
Everything Happens with Kate Bowler
5,117 Listeners
Throughline
16,233 Listeners
Meditative Story
3,079 Listeners
Good Inside with Dr. Becky
4,544 Listeners
The Rest Is Politics: US
2,204 Listeners