On Books

On Books

By Chris Castiglione | Co-Founder of One Month. Faculty at Columbia UniversityBusiness
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On Books episodes

  • Sam Arbesman on The Half-Life of Facts

    Facts change all the time. Smoking has gone from doctor recommended to deadly. We used to think the Earth was the center of the universe and that the brontosaurus was a real dinosaur. In short, what we know about the world is constantly changing.   Samuel Arbesman is on the show today to help us understand how this evolution of facts unfolds in a fascinating way that can have a powerful impact on our lives. In this interview Sam and Chris discuss The Half-Life of Facts: Why Everything We Know Has an Expiration Date, as well as his latest book Overcomplicated: Technology at the Limits of Comprehension.   

    39 min
  • Peter Singer on doing "The most good you can do", Rapidfire Q&A, and Social Good Startups

    Peter Singer is a well known Australian philosopher and author. In 2005 Time magazine named Singer one of the top 100 most influential people of the year. His latest two books The Life You Can Save (2009), and The Most Good You Can Do (2015) explore how you can be a vehicle for change in the world - right now, and without giving up much. Both of which we’ve covered in previous episodes of On Books!

    In this episode we discuss:

    * What does it mean to do “the most good"? * Are startups improving the world? * Why did you write The Life You Can Save? * What was it like being one of the first people to petition for animal rights back in the 1970s?

    My hope is that these three episodes of On Books will inspire you to unleash more good in the world - not only for others, but as you’ll see, for your own happiness and well being.

    After spending time with Singer, he has opened my eyes to the idea that giving just a little money ($5.00) to the right causes (thelifeyoucansave.org) can be enough to save a human life. Now that I know what’s possible - it feels like I’ve had superpowers all along and just didn’t know it.

    Email the show: chris @ on-books.com 

    35 min
  • Book Summary: The Inevitable by Kevin Kelly

    In this episode of On Books, I discuss The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future, by Kevin Kelly. 

    The Inevitable is driven by the idea that the technological trends of the next 30 years can be predicted. Over 336 pages the book breaks down the Top 12 technological forces at work such as: "Becoming, Cognifying, Flowing, Screening, Accessing, Sharing, Filtering, Remixing, Interacting, Tracking, Questioning, and Beginning." The names themselves don't really tell you much about these trends, and so I'll break down in this shorter 25 minute episode of On Books the first three trends: Becoming, Cognifying and Flowing so that by the end of the podcast you'll have a pretty good sense of how to use these in your everyday work. And you'll have enough of the kernel of the concept of what "inevitable" means so that you can decide if this book is right for you! Who better to speak on this subject than Kevin Kelly (co-founder of Wired Magazine, co-founder of The Quantified Self Movement, his accolades go on and on and on). Kelly's early writing in Out of Control (1994), and New Rules for the New Economy (1998) were highly influential in the shaping the past 20 years of the web, and his predictions here will no doubt be influential in shaping the next 20+ years. I hope you enjoy this episode! If you'd like to learn more about the book and Kevin Kelly please check out the previous episode of On Books (Episode #39) to hear my conversation with Kevin Kelly on 60s counterculture, How to Read Better and of course The Inevitable.

    25 min
  • Kevin Kelly on The Inevitable, 60s Counterculture, and How to Read Better
    This week I was lucky enough to interview one of my favorite people of all time: Kevin Kelly.   Tim Ferriss refers to Kevin as the real-life “Most Interesting Man In The World."    He is one of the co-founders of Wired Magazine, co-founder of the Quantified Self Movement, and serves on the board of The Long Now foundation. He's a prescient writer, inspiring photographer, and prolific traveler.    In this episode we talk about:  * The Counterculture movement of the 60s * Traveling as an act of rebellion * Kevin’s latest book The Inevitable in which he writes that, "Much of what will happen in the next thirty years is inevitable, driven by technological trends that are already in motion.” He'll share some of those predictions with us.  * Lessons on how to read better * And... a book that Kevin wishes everyone in the world read at least one time.   

     

    1 hr 21 min
  • The Social Good Books Series: The Long Now (Part 3)

    How do you build something that will last 10,000 years? In this episode of On Books, we discuss The Clock of the Long Now by Stewart Brand. This is the third episode in the series, but feel free to listen to them in any order you like. Books notes available at: http://www.on-books.com

    17 min
  • The Social Good Books Series: The Long Now (Part 2)

    How does social change happen over time? What is more powerful nature or commerce? In this episode of On Books, we discuss The Clock of the Long Now by Stewart Brand. This is the second episode in the series, but feel free to listen to them in any order you like. Books notes available at: http://www.on-books.com

    32 min

About On Books

From the publisher's feed

On Books is a podcast about books. Think of it as a two-person book club — or a series of thirty-minute audiobooks. Each week on the show Chris Castiglione brings you a new book. Highlights include:…