3 Books With Neil Pasricha

Happy full moon, everybody!
It is the harvest moon and our leaves are falling here in Toronto.
Time for change! Unavoidable, right? Sure, but maybe ... we can control how we react to it.
My guest today has spent nearly six decades (!) studying ​learned optimism​, ​authentic happiness​, ​human flourishing​, and (his latest pursuit!) ​agency​ and his work is cited by thousands and taught in psychology courses worldwide.
I am thrilled to come to 3 Books the co-founder of positive psychology Dr. Martin Seligman!
In 1998, Marty was elected President of the ​American Psychological Association​ by the largest vote in its history. He launched positive psychology—he created it!—with ​Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi​, the psychologist who gave us '​Flow​,' and his work helped shape and influence so much of what we think about our minds and including past 3 Books guests ​Sonja Lyubomirsky​ and ​Shawn Achor​.
Working at the University of Pennsylvania and ​founding the Positive Psychology Center​, where he's the Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology, Martin's lab has run everything from the Penn Resilience Program, which has trained teachers and students around the world, to large-scale resilience programs for the U.S. Army, to more recent work on human progress and agency.
Which brings us to his new book!
'​Agency: The Psychological History of Human Progress​' just came out a few weeks ago and it's an ambitious project analyzing millennia of history—from Periclean Athens and the Hebrew Torah through the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and the Civil Rights Movement—with Martin arguing that the hidden engine of human progress isn't geography or money or war ... but agency itself.
Tune in as we discuss what agency is, how humans have progressed over centuries, techniques to overcome overthinking, how to use AI to positively impact our lives, whether AI is a new species, positive psychology tips to building strong marriages, abundant living, sexual desire, the definition of a good leader, and of course ... Martin Seligman's 3 most formative books.
Let's flip the page to Chapter 165 now ...

A few years ago I was lucky enough to cross paths with Wagner Moura.
He was on the eve of releasing his film '​Sergio​' after a long run playing Pablo Escobar in the hit series '​Narcos​.' Since then I've watched as his acting career has channeled upwards and onwards into feature roles in '​Civil War​', '​Dope Thief​', and his star turn in '​The Secret Agent​' where he won 'Best Actor' at both the Golden Globes and Cannes and was nominated for 'Best Actor' at the Oscars.
Over the years Wag ("Vag") has become a dear friend. He's a massive heart, a fellow "boy dad", and he and his wife San live life with such a deep passion for humanity, always fighting for causes, and endlessly following their dreams. I have been inspired watching him and learning from him and in this chat I think you'll get a taste for the massive beauty that lies inside.
In this chat we discuss the hinterlands of Brazil, how we stand up for what we believe in, creating art in times of crisis, and, of course, the incredible Wagner Moura's 3 most formative books.
Let's flip back to Chapter 52 now....

Happy full moon, everybody!
 
Humans are the most social species on the planet. 
 
So ... why don't we act like it? Why is loneliness rising? Why are we increasingly entombed in echo chambers? What is preventing us from connecting? 
Enter Nick Epley, Professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and one of the world's leading researchers on the psychology of social interaction.

Nick grew up in rural Iowa, lives in Chicago with his family, and has spent his career asking a deceptively simple question: Why do the most social creatures on Earth often choose to be less social than they could be?

Nick is the author of 'Mindwise: Why We Misunderstand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want', and his newest book, 'A Little More Social: How Small Choices Create Unexpected Happiness, Health, and Connection'.

His research spans social cognition, perspective-taking, loneliness, anthropomorphism, and why our judgments about people are so often inaccurate. Nick has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and on NPR. His course at Booth, 'Designing a Good Life', is an ethics course exploring how to build lives that are ethical, successful, and genuinely fulfilling, and it's among the school's most sought-after classes.

Pull up a chair and let's talk about the differences between introversion and extroversion, the ethics of a good life, parenting five children (yes, five!), how technology is affecting the ways we socialize, the uncertainty effect, finding wisdom, and of course… Nick Epley's 3 most formative books.

Let's flip the page to chapter 164 now…

Hey everybody,

Welcome to Chapter 50 of 3 Books!

We're going to hang out on a hotel room couch in Vancouver for a little bit of calm.

I am very excited to have you on the couch beside me and the absolutely incredible Marcus Buckingham.

Who is Marcus?

Well, if you're in the business world, you've probably heard of him. Why? Well, he's written books sitting on every executive's bookshelf and his assessments and work are used everywhere. 
 
Marcus Buckingham is a global researcher and thought leader focused on unlocking people's strengths, increasing their performance, and pioneering the future of how people work. 
 
How did Marcus end up doing this job? Well, after working as Senior Researcher inside Gallup for a couple of decades he co-authored some of the most popular business books of all time including 'First Break All The Rules', 'Now Discover Your Strengths', and his bestseller, 
'Love + Work: How to Find What You Love, Love What You Do, and Do It for the Rest of Your Life'. 

What does Marcus do now? He is currently focusing on his book, 'Design Love In', and leading his coaching and education firm, the Buckingham Institute.

I love the optimism behind his work. That people are born as acorns, with an imprint inside them on what they could be, and what their true potential could lead them to.

I sat down with Marcus overlooking the foggy mountains over Vancouver Harbour just before he took to the stage for the headlining slot at The Art of Leadership.

We cover a lot of topics in this chapter including:

How do we learn to truly see our children?

How can the education system be improved?

How do we avoid tribalism?

What is the real definition of weird?

What's the single best question to ask yourself when trying to articulate your strengths?

And how can we find our own unique way to draw strength and love from life?

I found Marcus to be brave, vulnerable, and inspiring in this conversation. Years ago, when I worked at Walmart, we used Marcus's books and videos in our training sessions. Getting a chance to sit down with him many years later to discuss his 3 most formative books was a rare treat.

Let's go…

Happy Buck Moon, everyone!
 
As we sink into the summer heat, I'm thrilled to welcome Jon Klassen on 3 Books!
 
Jon is a Canadian born, LA living author and illustrator whose darkly humorous, minimalist storytelling has helped define contemporary children's literature.
 
In 2016, Jon concluded his breakout book series 'The Hat Trilogy', which features 'I Want My Hat Back', 'This Is Not My Hat', and 'We Found a Hat.'
 
'This Is Not My Hat' was the first book to ever win both the American Library Association's Caldecott Medal and the British Kate Greenaway Medal.
 
Jon's books have now sold over 12 million copies (!) and he might be the most decorated children's book author alive.
 
About a month after we recorded this conversation, Jon won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award—a prestigious children's and young adult book award that he accepted from Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden at a ceremony in Stockholm.
 
Nobody deserves this award more than Jon.
 
He is a genius wordsmith, a remarkable illustrator, and a passionate father of two.
 
In this chapter, we talk about Jon's writing routine, what makes a good illustration, the value of accepting fear when writing, how to draw a lying turtle, comfort with contradiction, men's fashion tips, what makes a good children's book, the publishing industry, and of course… Jon's 3 most formative books.
 
Let's flip the page to chapter 163 now…