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In this episode, I speak with positive psychology researcher and author Neil Pasricha (neil@globalhappiness.org) about how (and why) to read more books.
Neil helps people live happier lives. He is a leadership keynote speaker, New York Times best-selling author, positive psychology researcher, and host of the podcast 3 Books With Neil Pasricha, where he is on a mission to discover the 1000 most transformative books.
This episode is for you if you need inspiration to read more, want to learn what makes reading books different other types of media, or if you’re a fellow book nerd who just wants to geek out over why reading is awesome.
Topics covered in this episode
The shocking number of words the average person reads per day - 6:00
The Game of Thrones quote that inspired Neil to start his podcast - 8:15
Why “different” is better than “better” - 10:00
How he got over a “reading slump” - 21:00
Why you need to quit more to read more - 26:30
What’s different about reading books versus other media? - 41:00
Neil’s views on personal development - 47:00
How reading makes us better humans 51:00
How a Babysitter’s Club book changed Neil’s life 55:00
The importance of reading fiction (and why he reads more of it now than ever before)
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Selected links & resources from the episode
Neil’s Podcast: 3 Books With Neil Pasricha
Some of Neil’s books: How To Get Back Up, The Happiness Equation, The Book of Awesome
Ted Talk: The 3 A’s of Awesome
Dataclysm by Christian Rudder
Neil’s article in the Harvard Business Review: 8 Ways to Read (a lot) More Books This Year
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Baby Sitters on Board (Baby Sitters Club Super Special #1) by Ann M. Martin
Neil’s original blog: 1000AwesomeThings.com
You can contact Neil directly at neil@globalhappiness.org
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Ruben Chavez is a writer, personal development educator, and host of The Think Grow Podcast. He has created a community of over 3 million readers across his collective platforms, including his popular Instagram page ThinkGrowProsper. Along with this blog, these platforms are his way of inspiring and connecting with thoughtful, creative, and ambitious people just like you.