On a dare from his son, author A.J. Jacobs set out to thank everyone who contributed to bringing him a cup of coffee. The result is his book, "Thanks A Thousand," and a TEDTalk viewed by more than a million people. Jacobs's "Gratitude Journey," a timely exploration of our interconnectedness, illustrates our need to eschew tribalism and recognize the staggering number of people who make our everyday lives wonderful. 

00:15   Intro to A.J. Jacobs, author of Thanks a Thousand: A Gratitude Journey

01:15   Jacobs finds the Nonfiction4Life podcast expensive—buying books we feature!

01:45   Story begins with a cup of coffee and morphs into a high-adventure journey

02:15   Jacobs, an immersive journalist, likes to dive deeply into his studies

02:30   Learns of psychological and physical benefits of gratitude, and gives it a try

02:45   Rather than thanking God, Jacobs offers prayers of gratitude to helpful people

03:45   Begins thanking over 1000 people involved in making his morning cup of coffee possible

04:45   “Deceptively simple quest”

05:15   His quest supports the gratitude research, improving many aspects of his life

05:55   Our brains divided: pessimistic, cynical, (“Larry David”) side vs. optimistic, positive (“Mr. Rogers”) side

06:45   Gratitude a practice that doesn’t tend to come naturally; negative bias gets in the way

08:00   Notices hundreds of things that need to “go right” to produce a cup of coffee

09:20   People who say, “I am grateful” (vs. “Thank you”) perceived as more genuinely grateful

10:00   Recommends including details in words of appreciation, especially in thank you notes

11:30   Making someone else’s day gives him a dopamine boost

12:15   His grumpiness abated by expressing gratitude

12:45   “It’s easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than to think your way into a new way of acting.”

14:10   Loves the genuine passion some have for their jobs (e.g., coffee lid inventor)

16:05   His family welcome the personal transformation in Jacobs

17:10   Now a “gratitude extremist” – makes kids thank Amazon “Alexa”

18:45   “Almost everything good in the world is the result of teamwork.”

19:00   As a writer, would have liked to add many names to the cover of his book

20:15   Responsibility bias – we like to (falsely) credit just one person

21:00   “Lead singer bias” applies to marriage

22:15   Connectedness becomes increasingly important to Jacobs

22:30   Replaces “YOLO” with “WOLO" - being aware of others

22:30   Jacobs’s book, It’s All Relative, also includes the theme of connectedness

24:50   Counters tribalism: "There’s just US!"

26:15   Nobody too opposed to being thanked

27:00   Start being grateful by following the gratitude trail

27:30   Small acts help: looking people in the eye to thank them

28:15   Technology, with its pros and cons, can making thanking people easier

29:15   Personal thanks can be emotionally rewarding (e.g., write a letter; read it aloud)

30:30   Examines how gender affects gratitude

31:30   We underestimate how meaningful being thanked can be, and we underestimate how awkward it can be

33:00   End of the book includes a list of the 1000+ people he thanks

33:30   What Jacobs might do differently the next time

35:00   Janet receives two separate notes of gratitude for the Nonfiction4Life podcast

35:30   How to leave a podcast review

36:20   Recommendation: Shari’s Berries (free printable thank you notes and 85 ways to say “Thank you”)

BUY Thanks A Thousand: A Gratitude Journey (TED Books)

Watch A.J. Jacobs deliver his now-famous TEDTalk with over 1 million views!

Other books by A.J. Jacobs:

BUY The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

BUY It's All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World's Family Tree 

Get free printable thank you notes from Shari’s Berries  

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Special thanks…

• Music Credit
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