Me and Malcolm in his “room of books” …
Who we are is a function of where we are.
Do you agree with that?
Who you are depends on where you are.
We’re different people in different places, right?
You’re different in the board room than you are on vacation. You’re different with your parents than you are with your kids. And, as for me, I’m different hanging with with Malcolm Gladwell in the West Village than I am sitting in my basement as I type up this blog post.
I flew to NYC to interview Malcolm Gladwell
And that theme is one that we get to open up in Chapter 37 of 3 Books with Malcolm Gladwell. Guys, I was so nervous for this podcast. I mean, super nervous. I couldn’t sleep for a few nights before. I read his three most formative books. I listened to his podcast Revisionist History. I got an advance copy of his brand new book Talking To Strangers. I mean, I was so nervous that I showed up for the podcast an hour early. (Who does that?)
Malcolm surrounded by his many books. I don’t think I should get into photography unless “totally blurry” becomes a new thing.
So Malcolm invites me into his place and we get settled around a table surrounded by books. Top to bottom! Floor to ceiling! And, no big deal, all hardcovers. I’m intimated but at the very end of the podcast, right after I clicked stop on the recorder … he said three words that completely chilled me out. (I’ll tell you what they were after the show.) I found him extremely down to Earth with a beautiful calming energy.
We talk about raising great nerds in a world forcing us into the mean, how to find tribes where we truly fit in, who he thinks is the best non-fiction author alive, why thrillers are incredibly instructive, what his biggest advice is for aspiring authors, and, of course, his three most formative books.
I hope you enjoy Chapter 37 with Malcolm Gladwell.
Listen to Chapter 37 of 3 Books:
Click here to Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Overcast, Spotify, Youtube, or Google Play.
What You'll Learn:
Why should we reread books more often?
Are we all simply products of our environments?
What book has Malcolm read every five years since the age of 15?
Which book does Malcolm call “appallingly marketed”?
How do we preserve our privacy in an endlessly connected world?
And much, much more…
notable quotes from malcolm gladwell:
“The nerd is not alone but the nerd’s allies are not obvious.” @Gladwell #3bookspodcast
“A book shouldn’t reveal all its secrets to you at first glance.” @Gladwell #3bookspodcast
“Grudging.” @Gladwell, when asked what his book lending policy is… #3bookspodcast
CONNECT With Malcolm:
word of the chapter:
wordcloud of the chapter:
Resources Mentioned:
Malcolm’s first book [14:25]
Malcolm’s second book [24:38]
Malcolm’s third book [35:26]
You Are Awesome by Neil Pasricha
The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha
The Book of (Holiday) Awesome by Neil Pasricha
“Why You Need An Untouchable Day Every Week” (Harvard Business Review)
Malcolm Gladwell on the Surprising Upsides of Being a Loser (WIRED Magazine)
Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker
Everything is F*cked by Mark Manson
The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
