Book Talk Today with Aun Abdi

On Episode #43 of the Book Talk Today podcast we are joined by Will Storr.

Will is an award-winning writer and one of my personal favourites. He is the author of five acclaimed books, including 'The Heretics', 'Selfie' and 'The Science of Storytelling'. Today we will be discussing his new book, 'The Status Game: On Social Position and How We Use it.'

We discussed:

📚 The elements of ‘The Status Game’.

📚 Why people join cults.

📚 Toxic morality and prestige games.

Will’s book is ‘The Status Game: On Social Position and How We Use It.’

Timestamps

[0:00] - Intro

[1:30] - What is ’The Status Game’?

[2:37] - Where is the relationship between status and storytelling?

[4:38] - Status and religion

[6:40] - The prestige games of virtue and success

[13:34] - Do co-operation and status go hand in hand?

[15:23] - The effects of toxic morality

[19:31] - Human Individual Metamorphosis

[26:46] - How cults derive their power (Aun’s audio cuts out)

[29:30] - Rewards and status games

[33:49] - Evil for the sake of being evil

[39:57] - Incels and status

[42:45] - Does social media enhance specific status games?

[46:42] - Brainwashing and identity

[52:35] - In defence of tyrants

[54:58] - Rewriting history

[56:21] - How do we play ‘The Status Game’

[1:01:23] - Outro

On Episode #42 of the Book Talk Today podcast we are joined by Justin Marozzi

Tom is the Founding Partner at Global Optimism, and co-author The Future We Choose. He is a political strategist focussed on a better future.

Justin is a travel writer, historian, journalist and communications expert. Justin is a regular contributor to a wide range of national and international publications where he writes on international affairs, the Muslim world, defence and security issues.

We discussed:

📚 The growth of Islamic Empires across over time.

📚 Recent events in Kabul and how it relates to history.

📚 Hypocrisy within Islamic History.

Justin’s book is 'Islamic Empires: That Cities That Shaped Civilisation From Mecca to Dubai.'

Timestamps

[0:00] - Intro

[1:40] - Justin experiences visiting these countries

[4:35] - The aftermath of the Arab Spring

[6:26] - Recent events in Kabul

[15:28] - The impact of different sects in Islam

[20:47] - 14th Century Samarkand

[22:49] - What role did the 'Silk Road' play?

[24:22] - Islamic cities being way ahead of their Western Counterparts

[27:23] - How was Cordoba able to transform into a Muslim city?

[33:22] - Women's rights in the new Afghanistan

[35:39] - Markets being a centre of Islamic Culture

[37:39] - Hypocrisy in Islamic history

[42:10] - Sectarian Clashes in Beirut

[44:46] - The dividing nature of Dubai

[50:37] - The meeting of new and old in the Arab world

[52:12] - What might a 22nd Century Islamic City look like?

[1:01:14] - Modern infrastructure development in Mecca

[1:05:01] - The ruling family and clerics in Saudi Arabia

[1:06:48] - Individuals using religion for personal gain

[1:08:13] - Outro

On Episode #41 of the Book Talk Today podcast we are joined by Tom Rivett-Carnac (@tomcarnac)

Tom is the Founding Partner at Global Optimism, and co-author The Future We Choose. He is a political strategist focussed on a better future.

We discussed:

📚 How to be a ‘Stubborn Optimist’.

📚 Our personal responsibility towards climate change.

📚 How to think about climate change differently.

Tom’s book is ‘The Future We Choose: The Stubborn Optimists Guide To The Climate Crisis’

Timestamps

[0:00] - Intro

[1:22] - What does it mean to be a 'stubborn optimist' about climate change?

[4:53] - Tom's work with The Paris Agreement.

[8:34] - Do we need a new economic system to tackle climate change?

[12:40] - How Tom became a Buddhist Monk.

[15:27] - How much of Climate Change is a mindset shift?

[19:34] - What role does misinformation play in distorting climate change?

[26:25] - Will there be a delay in the positive effects of Climate Change?

[27:45] - What can each of us do?

[32:49] - Are governments doing enough to stop an increase in climate change?

[39:04] - What are some of the key-takeaways from the book?

[41:06] - Outro

On Episode #40 of the Book Talk Today podcast we are joined by Adam Lowenstein(@adamlowenstein)

Adam M. Lowenstein spent eight years working in American government and politics in the United States, most recently as speechwriter and strategic communications advisor in the United States Senate.

We discussed:

📚 Reading challenging book

📚 Enjoying the process

📚 In depth discussion about ‘Amusing Ourselves to Death’

📚 Many book recommendations.

Timestamps

[0:00] - Intro

[1:49] - Adam's experience of publishing a book after one year

[5:36] - Practising what you preach

[12:19] - Why there is value in sharing knowledge

[13:34] - The power of keeping a video journal

[16:10] - The tradeoffs of being a creator

[17:26] - Short-term vs long-term thinking

[19:31] - Finding value in the process

[25:01] - Consumption vs creation

[31:39] - Book - The Shallows by Nicholas Carr

[34:09] - How to be selective over content

[40:04] - There is no hack to reading

[43:09] - What you learn from reading more

[48:28] - The misleading nature of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

[54:25] - Neil Postman story

[57:04] - The past is not that long ago

[1:00:06] - Book - The Map of Knowledge

[1:04:01] - Why everyone should read history

[1:15:09] - Discussion around 'Amusing Ourselves To Death'

[1:35:26] - Analogue vs. Digital

[1:43:11] - Reading as a distraction

[1:44:46] - Adam's experience of writing by hand

[1:51:27] - What would 50 year old you say?

[1:55:04] - Book recommendations

[1:56:38] - 'The Ministry for the Future' by Kim Stanley Robinson

[1:58:50] - 'Parable of the Sower' by Octavia E. Butler

[2:01:54] - Fyodor Dostoevsky

[2:06:39] - 'Uncanny Valley' by Anna Wiener

[2:12:07] - Writing for questions, rather than answers

[2:13:17] - The Heretics' by William Storr

[2:16:15] - The Map of Knowledge' by Violet Moller

[2:21:24] - Outro

On Episode #39 of the Book Talk Today podcast we are joined by Fiona Buckland(@fionabucklandcoaching)  

Fiona is an international coach, facilitator, author and speaker who has worked one-on-one with hundreds of clients, and lead thousands in public and corporate workshops, trainings and events.   

We discussed:  

📚 What thoughtful leadership is 

📚 How to manage stress as a leader 

📚 Finding your values 

📚 … I even got a free values session ☺️  

Fiona’s book is 'Thoughtful Leadership: A Guide to Leading with the mind, body and soul.   

Timestamps : 

[0:00] - Intro. 

[0:59] - What is 'thoughtful leadership'? 

[4:24] - The misconceptions of ego and leadership. 

[7:35] - Why you need resilience to be a good leader. 

[14:17] - The relationship between resilience, self-awareness and leadership. 

[18:32] - The importance of values in leadership. 

[21:01] - Aun's free session. 

[25:41] - Fiona talking about Neil Postman. 

[27:08] - Back to Aun's session... 

[28:45] - Getting your values from other leaders. 

[36:06] - Becoming more resourceful with your personality. 

[44:14] - Collective compassion. 

[48:51] - Leadership surrounding COVID-19 in the UK. 

[56:56] - Demagogue leaders in America. 

[1:03:10] - Fiona's book recommendations. 

[1:06:41] - Outro  

Fiona's website - https://www.fionabucklandcoaching.com/ 

Visit our website - https://www.booktalktoday.com

On Episode #38 of the Book Talk Today podcast we are joined by Adam Ashton. (@whatyouwilllearn)

Adam, otherwise known as "Ashto", has worked previously in corporate banking, transport and logistics, digital marketing. During which he found a lot of the answers he was searching for in books. His favourite books have helped me understand myself better and understand the world better. Today we will be discussing his book, 'The Sh*t They Never Taught You.'

We discussed why you should read, the lessons learnt from reading and lots of book recommendations. 📚

Timestamps

[0:00] - Intro

[1:29] - Adam's journey to reading more

[4:12] - How to choose the right books

[6:28] - How Adam started his podcast

[9:20] - The impact of reading philosophy

[14:02] - Assimilating the information from books

[22:51] - Key takeaways from speaking with authors

[31:03] - Time management tips as a content creator

[32:52] - Digital note-taking systems

[35:40] - Aun's note taking system

[39:59] - Ultralearning

[45:41] - The reason behind writing the book

[55:28] - Some of Adam's favourite books

[58:44] - Should you use 5 principles?

[1:01:41] - Book summaries

[1:06:40] - Authors that Aun would like to have on the podcast

[1:09:47] - Aun's writing project

[1:12:53] - The Perennial Seller

[1:14:34] - Why you should re-read books

[1:17:11] - Can't Hurt Me

[1:18:53] - Amusing Ourselves To Death

[1:21:57] - The story behind the book title

[1:24:08] - Outro

On Episode #37 of the Book Talk Today podcast we are joined by Violet Moller. 

Violet is an independent historian with a particular interest in the history of ideas and how knowledge has been transmitted through the centuries. She has a Ph.D on the libraries in Early Modern Britain and is host of the Travels Through Time history podcast which asks a wide range of brilliant historians which year they would chose if they could travel back in time. Today we will be discussing her book, 'The Map of Knowledge: How Classical Ideas Were Lost and Found: A History of Seven Cities.'

We discussed the library of Alexandria, Baghdad, Cordoba, Toledo, Salerno, Palermo and Venice in relation to the transition of knowledge from 500 to 1500. 

Timestamps

[0:00] - Intro

[1:07] - Violet's journey to writing this book

[6:27] - The founding of Alexandria and its library

[11:38] - How the library of Alexandria disappeared

[13:30] - The city of Baghdad

[18:27] - Knowledge and the relationship between the rich and poor

[23:17] - The city of Cordaba

[28:54] - The city of Toledo

[34:36] - The loss of knowledge through conflict

[36:13] - The latinization of Arab knowledge

[42:47] - Cities in Italy

[48:15] - The impact of the Gutenberg Press

[52:15] - The main takeaway from the book

[54:34] - If we were to return to any period of history…

[59:52] - Outro

Visit our website - www.booktalktoday.com

On Episode #36 of the Book Talk Today podcast we are joined by Scott Young. (@scotthyoung)

Scott is a writer who undertakes interesting self-education projects, such as attempting to learn MIT's four year CS curriculum in twelve months and learning 4 languages in one year. Today we will be discussing his book, 'Ultralearning: Accelerate Your Career, Master Hard Skills and Outsmart the Competition.'

We discussed how to become an ultralearner including techniques, principles and mindsets you need to achieve this. 👌

Timestamps

[0:00] - Intro

[2:38] - Scott's journey to becoming an ultralearner

[6:33] - The problem with some (Duolingo) learning apps

[9:12] - A better solution for learning any language

[10:37] - Why hasn't updated learning techniques made their way into schools?

[14:40] - What's Scott's motivation to learn?

[19:02] - Do the principles in the book hold equal weight?

[22:27] - What was Scott's hardest thing to learn and which principle helped him?

[26:50] - How do you plan your learning with no end point?

[29:06] - How Scott learnt a 4 year CS course in one year.

[41:04] - Learning by books or videos?

[45:02] - What's the difference between free and active re-call?

[49:27] - How to remember more when reading books.

[51:53] - What role does obsession play in becoming a better learner?

[54:53] - How to choose a subject to learn?

[1:03:50] - What spacial repetition system does Scott use?

[1:08:37] - Scott's book recommendations

[1:12:22] - Outro

Visit our website - www.booktalktoday.com

On Episode #35 of the Book Talk Today podcast we are joined by David Robinson Simon.

David is a lawyer and advocate for sustainable consumption. He works as general counsel for a healthcare company and serves on the board of the APRL Fund, a non-profit dedicated to protecting animals.

We discussed how the meat industry has grown to the size it has, what some of the barriers are to reducing meat consumption and living a more healthy and balanced life. 👌📚

Timestamps

[0:00] - Intro.

[1:27] - How David became interested in this topic.

[5:57] - The negative externalities surrounding the Meat Industry.

[7:16] - Do retail prices on fast-food make meat consumption so available?

[8:29] - Is there are systemic issues with companies funding regulatory bodies?

[10:58] - Has there been a general change in attitudes since 2013?

[13:46] - Is the meat industry protected too much by special interest?

[17:25] - Do government subsidies encourage consumer consumption?

[21:28] - Why is there so much conflating evidence on either side of the meat debate?

[28:52] - Are organic foods actually beneficial?

[33:55] - Are large countries and organizations doing enough to combat the environmental effects of climate change?

[35:53] - Would a meat and dairy tax work?

[39:59] - What are the three solutions to this?

[44:35] - Where did the figure of $414 billion come from?

[51:38] - How long will Zoo's be around for?

[54:00] - Has David thought about writing a follow-up?

[59:15] - Outro

Visit our website - www.booktalktoday.com

On Episode #34 of the Book Talk Today podcast we are joined by Nichola Raihani.   

Nichola is a Royal Society University Research Fellow and Professor in Evolution and Behaviour at UCL, otherwise known as University College London. She is leader of the Social Evolution and Behaviour Lab at UCL, and her research focuses on the evolution of social behaviour in humans and non-human species. Today we will be discussing her debut book, 'The Social Instinct: How Cooperation Shaped the World.'

Nichola's Twitter - https://twitter.com/nicholaraihani  

Social Evolution and Behaviour Lab - http://www.seb-lab.org/  

Timestamps   

[0:00] - Intro. 

[1:23] - Why is cooperation an interesting topic of discussion? 

[3:13] - A brief introduction to 'The Origin of Species'. 

[5:42] - The relationship between the individual gene and the individual as a whole. 

[8:49] - What's the purpose of a gene, and the reasons for its longevity? 

[10:25] - The Mother's Curse of genes. 

[15:14] - The genetic inevitability of cancer. 

[22:53] - Some of Nicola's findings in the field. 

[26:42] - Are humans cooperative breeders? 

[31:02] - The role of teaching in different animals kingdoms. 

[39:58] - The relationship between interdependence and reciprocity. 

[43:52] - Does globalisation mean a move away from reciprocity to interdependence? 

[48:15] - The negative impact of free-riders and cooperation. 

[51:59] - What are the biological conditions necessary to allow human cooperation to flourish in the future? 

[55:42] - Outro