Zarna Garg is a stand-up comic, screenwriter, bestselling author, and one of the busiest people in comedy right now. But before she ever set foot onstage, she went to law school and tried her hand at entrepreneurship, failing at a vegan chili company, a tomato sauce brand, and even a matchmaking service. In this episode, Adam and Zarna reflect on how her daughter challenged her to consider a career pivot, debate the usefulness of a humanities degree, and break down the meticulous process that goes into developing a hit performance. Zarna also delivers some hot takes and tells the story of how she found her husband by posting a shockingly no-nonsense online ad.

Host & Guest

Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Zarna Garg (Instagram: @zarnagarg | YouTube: @zarnagarg | TikTok: @ZarnaGarg | Website: https://zarnagarg.com/)

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What does it take to build a strong community? In his new book Flourish, journalist and bestselling author Dan Coyle unveils novel insights. He and Adam discuss the simple step that united over 700 strangers in Paris, the unusual habit that has helped Norwich, Vermont become a breeding ground for Olympians, and the recipe for connection in Dan’s favorite Alaskan town. They also explore unexpected ways to build bridges in a fractured world.

Host & Guest

Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Dan Coyle (Website: https://danielcoyle.com/)

Links

Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, and Fulfillment (https://www.amazon.com/Flourish-Art-Building-Meaning-Fulfillment/dp/0525620702)

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If you’ve ever wondered what “skibidi rizz” means or why kids are so obsessed with the number 67, Adam Aleksic wrote a book on it. Aleksic, better known at @etymologynerd online, is a 24-year-old linguist known for his enlightening and entertaining videos on the origin of words. In this episode, the two Adams discuss Aleksic’s new book Algospeak and the ways in which the internet is shaping the way we communicate both on and offline. Aleksic sheds light on the origins of the seemingly meaningless “brainrot” memes popular with Gen Z and Gen Alpha internet users, and reveals the complex and (sometimes) profound insights they have to offer about culture, the transmission of ideas and information, and how our access to language can change the way we see the world.

Host & Guest

Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Adam Aleksic (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube: @etymologynerd | Website: https://www.etymologynerd.com/)

Links

Algospeak by Adam Aleksic (https://www.amazon.com/Algospeak-Social-Transforming-Future-Language/dp/0593804074)

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Ken Burns is a documentary filmmaker who has produced works about Mark Twain, Jackie Robinson, the American Buffalo, the Civil War, and now, in his latest work, the American Revolution. In this second part of their conversation, Adam and Ken move to more personal topics: Ken’s experience with fatherhood, the role of grief and loss in his work, and his hatred of careerism. Adam pitches some new ideas for upcoming documentaries, and Ken reflects on a time when the word “enthusiastic” was used against him.

Host & Guest

Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Ken Burns (Website: https://kenburns.com/) 

Links

https://www.facebook.com/kenburnspbs

https://www.youtube.com/user/kenburnspbs

https://kenburns.com/films/the-american-revolution/

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Ken Burns has won countless awards for his documentary films on Mark Twain, Jackie Robinson, the American buffalo, baseball, the Civil War—and his latest takes on the American Revolution. In this two-part episode, Adam and Ken discuss the importance of origin stories and how they help us to construct a collective identity and narrative about ourselves. Ken reflects on his research about George Washington and the nuance required to tell stories about complicated, contradictory people throughout history, and he and Adam unpack why we’re so hesitant to recognize the flaws in our heroes. They also explore what makes a great leader and the building blocks of a compelling story.

Host & Guest

Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Ken Burns (Website: https://kenburns.com/) 

Links

https://www.facebook.com/kenburnspbs

https://www.youtube.com/user/kenburnspbs

https://kenburns.com/films/the-american-revolution/

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Alain de Botton is a philosopher, bestselling author, and cofounder of The School of Life, known for his fearless engagement with the complexity of human existence. In this special episode, Adam co-hosts alongside former guest RaQuel Hopkins, a therapist, social media star, and fan of Alain’s work. They discuss the roots of and remedies for status anxiety. They also discuss the loneliness and dissatisfaction that many people experience in the quest for happiness and examine how we’ve lost the plot on therapy.

Host & Guest

Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Alain de Botton (Website: https://www.alaindebotton.com/)

RaQuel Hopkins (Instagram: @raquel_the_capacity_expert)

Link

Follow The School of Life (Instagram: @theschooloflifelondon | Youtube: @theschooloflifetv | Website: https://www.theschooloflife.com/)

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Shannon Hale is the author of more than 50 books for all ages, including the Princess Academy series and her graphic novel memoirs. In this episode, Adam and his daughter Joanna (a longtime fan of Shannon’s books) talk to Shannon about the powerful lessons books teach us about empathy, and take a closer look at how stories can either reinforce or dismantle the gender stereotypes kids learn early on. The three lament the decline in leisure reading, and brainstorm ways to nurture new readers and keep students interested in books.

Host & Guest

Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Shannon Hale (Instagram: @squeetus | Website: https://shannonhale.com/)

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Margaret Atwood is best known as the author of The Handmaid’s Tale, and she’s won a slew of awards for her novels, poetry collections, and children’s books. Now, at the age of 86, she’s written her first memoir, The Book of Lives. In this episode, Adam and Margaret break down her perspective on what creative jobs AI will and won’t threaten and discuss the evidence on the benefits of reading banned books. They also muse about why heroes need monsters and what it means to be delightfully disagreeable.

Host & Guest

Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Margaret Atwood (Instagram: @therealmargaretatwood | Website: https://margaretatwood.ca/)

Links

https://margaretatwood.substack.com/

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Slowing the process of aging is something many people are interested in—and there’s a lot of pseudoscience out there about how to do it. Eric Topol is a cardiologist at Scripps and a prolific researcher on the genetics of longevity. In this episode, Eric debunks some common myths about how to live a longer life and shares his surprising findings about what actually determines a person’s lifespan and healthspan. Adam inquires about the efficacy of health supplements, and he and Eric discuss steps for preventing diseases, the role of AI in medicine, and effective practices for living a longer, healthier life.

Host & Guest

Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Eric Topol (Instagram: @erictopol1 | Website: https://drerictopol.com/) 

Links

Books: https://drerictopol.com/books/

Substack: https://erictopol.substack.com/

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Oz Pearlman has been called the World’s Greatest Mentalist—he’s performed for some of the world’s top celebrities and made it to the finals on America’s Got Talent. In this episode, Oz joins Adam live at Authors@Wharton to show off his tricks and discuss the real skills behind his rise to success. The two reflect on Oz’s time working on Wall Street and the lessons he learned as a pizza parlor magician about gaining confidence, managing failure, and taking smart risks, and Oz wows the crowd by reading audience members’ minds.

Host & Guest

Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)

Oz Pearlman (Instagram: @ozthementalist | Website: https://www.ozpearlman.com/) 

Links

https://www.youtube.com/@ozthementalist

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For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/worklife/worklife-with-adam-grant-transcripts

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