The James Altucher Show

Episode Description:
Jon Morrow’s story begins with a diagnosis that was supposed to be a death sentence.
Born with spinal muscular atrophy, Jon was diagnosed at six months old. Doctors told his mother he would likely die by age two. Instead, she fought for him. She fought to keep him alive. She fought to get him into public school. She fought through pneumonia, broken ribs, hospital visits, and a world that did not expect much from him.
That expectation became one of the central forces in Jon’s life.
In this From the Archive conversation, James talks with Jon about what it means to live in a world where people expect you to survive, but not necessarily to achieve. Jon explains how his mother gave him a radically different definition of disability: everyone has something they cannot do as well as someone else, but everyone also has something they can do better than most.
For Jon, that thing was his mind.
He learned to write, program, think, sell, and communicate. He used assistive technology, including a sip-and-puff wheelchair and a lip-operated mouse, to work on a computer. He graduated from college, received job offers, and then ran into a brutal financial trap: if he earned too much money, he risked losing the Medicaid benefits that paid for his care.
So Jon changed the rules.
He wrote for free. He built relationships. He worked for Copyblogger without immediate pay, knowing that one day he would ask for help. He wrote viral posts. He moved to Mexico to reduce his healthcare costs. He asked for the favors he had earned. And within months, he built a consulting business that turned into Smart Blogger.
James and Jon also talk about his father’s real estate business, raising $50 million for land deals, the crash that wiped everything out, and the pressure Jon felt when both of his parents needed support. The conversation then moves into blogging, guest posting, courses, coaching, and the economics of turning expertise into an online business.
But the deeper subject is not blogging. It is agency.
Jon argues that any limitation can be overcome, though not always easily and not always without cost. His framework begins with belief: surround yourself with stories of people doing extraordinary things until extraordinary starts to feel normal. Then find the price of what you want. Understand the sacrifice before you begin. And finally, create enough urgency that you cannot drift forever.
For Jon, the “gun to his head” was the fear of ending up in a nursing home. That fear gave him the energy to work 16, 18, even 20 hours a day after moving to Mexico.
The episode is about disability, but it is not only about disability. It is about building a life when the default path will not work. It is about finding the counterpunch. It is about choosing contribution over helplessness. And it is about becoming unstoppable by refusing to let the world’s expectations become your own.

Editorial Note:
This is a From the Archive episode. References to Jon’s business, Unstoppable, Smart Blogger, Medicaid, healthcare costs, assistive technology, brain-machine interfaces, and online publishing reflect the original recording period.
This episode discusses disability, depression, severe illness, traumatic injury, healthcare access, financial stress, fear-based motivation, and nursing-home fears. It should be framed as Jon’s personal story and philosophy, not as medical, legal, mental-health, or financial advice.

What You’ll Learn:
What spinal muscular atrophy is and how it affected Jon’s life from infancy.
Why Jon’s mother refused to accept the expectations doctors and schools placed on him.
How Jon learned to define disability as something everyone experiences in different ways.
Why expectations can become one of the hardest parts of living with a disability.
How assistive technology helped Jon work, write, and build a business.
Why online communities can matter when patients live longer than doctors expected.
How Jon used his wheelchair as an unexpected advantage in sales and fundraising.
What Jon learned while raising money for his father’s real estate projects.
How the 2010 real estate crash forced Jon to reinvent his career.
Why Medicaid’s income limits trapped Jon financially.
How writing for free helped Jon build skill, reputation, leverage, and relationships.
Why Jon moved to Mexico and how that changed the economics of his care.
How a Copyblogger favor turned into his first wave of consulting clients.
How Jon built Smart Blogger through consulting, courses, coaching, and audience growth.
Why Jon eventually reorganized the business so he could return to writing.
What Jon means by “reconstructing reality.”
Why he recommends filling your mind with stories of people who have done impossible things.
How to think about the price of any major goal.
Why sacrifice is unavoidable, but negotiable.
How negative reinforcement can create urgency.
Why fear, when handled deliberately, can become fuel.

Timestamped Chapters:

[02:00] The Tribe You Don’t Want to Belong To
Jon talks about a private Facebook group for adults with his disease and what it feels like to be one of the oldest people with his form of spinal muscular atrophy.
[03:41] Expectations, Disability, and Achievement
James introduces Jon’s work as a writer and entrepreneur, and Jon explains how low expectations can become one of the hardest parts of disability.
[04:31] What Spinal Muscular Atrophy Means
Jon explains the motor-neuron disease that gradually took away his ability to move while leaving his ability to feel intact.
[05:14] Diagnosed at Six Months Old
Jon describes how doctors told his mother he probably would not live past age two.
[07:01] “I’ll Fight It for Him”
Jon tells the story of his mother’s response to the diagnosis and how she fought for his survival, schooling, and care.
[09:18] Life From the Neck Down
James describes Jon in the studio, and Jon explains how he drives his wheelchair with a sip-and-puff system.
[11:09] The Lip-Operated Mouse
Jon describes the TetraMouse, the assistive technology that allows him to use a computer with his lips.
[13:30] Unwanted Tribes and Shared Knowledge
Jon talks about connecting with other adults who have his disease and how patients can discover things doctors have never seen before.
[15:42] Inventing Better Accessibility
Jon describes his idea for a portable lift to make airplane transfers safer for wheelchair users.
[18:29] Achievement as Survival Strategy
James identifies Jon’s insistence that limitations do not remove the possibility of action.
[19:24] The Medicaid Income Trap
Jon explains how Medicaid covered his care but limited how much money he could earn.
[20:52] The Cost of Feeling Useless
Jon talks about how systems that remove work and contribution can destroy self-worth and health.
[22:06] Everyone Is Disabled in Some Way
Jon remembers learning the word “disabled” in kindergarten and the way his mother reframed it.
[24:02] Finding What You Can Do Better
Jon explains how his mother and teachers helped him build confidence around writing, computers, and his mind.
[25:30] Twelve Job Offers He Couldn’t Accept
Jon explains why he had real opportunities after college but could not take them without losing medical coverage.
[26:12] Writing for Free
Jon begins writing articles online because paid work would threaten the benefits he needed to survive.
[26:46] Raising Money in Real Estate
Jon explains how he helped his father raise money for land-development deals.
[29:13] The Real Estate Model
James and Jon break down the economics of buying farmland, rezoning it, and selling it to developers.
[32:04] Raising $50 Million, Then Losing Everything
Jon explains how the crash wiped out the deals, cost his father everything, and forced Jon to find another path.
[34:08] Blogging Becomes the Escape Route
Jon starts writing for blogs, becomes a popular contributor, and begins saving favors instead of taking payment.
[35:28] The Viral Posts
Jon talks about “On Dying, Mothers, and Fighting for Your Ideas” and “How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise and Get Paid to Change the World.”
[36:08] Moving to Mexico
Jon explains how relocating to Mexico reduced his healthcare costs and became his escape from the Medicaid trap.
[37:40] A Minivan to Mazatlán
Jon and his mother pack everything they can into a minivan and drive from Charlotte to Mexico.
[39:10] Negotiating a Beachfront Condo
Jon explains how he contacted every owner in a resort building and negotiated the rent down.
[40:19] Cashing In the Favors
Jon asks Copyblogger to tell its readers he is accepting consulting clients.
[41:00] The Power of Free Work
James and Jon unpack why working for free can build skills, reputation, trust, and future leverage.
[42:04] The First Consulting Offer
Jon offers $99 blog critiques and gets 300 clients in 24 hours.
[43:15] From Consulting to Courses
Jon raises his rates, builds recurring revenue, and begins creating products that teach people how to write guest posts.
[44:17] $35,000 in 24 Hours
Jon launches his first course, sells tens of thousands of dollars in a day, and has his PayPal account frozen.
[45:05] From Boost Blog Traffic to Smart Blogger
Jon launches his own site, builds a 13,000-person pre-launch list, and grows the business rapidly.
[46:17] Seven Figures and 23,000 Students
Jon describes Smart Blogger’s growth through courses and coaching, plus the student success stories that keep him going.
[47:46] Returning to Writing
Jon explains how the business pulled him into management and why he reorganized it so he could write every day again.
[50:09] Personal Development Without the Fluff
Jon says he wants to write about struggle, pain, poverty, and contribution in a way most personal development avoids.
[51:05] The Car Accident
Jon tells the story of the crash that shattered his legs and kept him in and out of hospitals for about a year.
[57:03] Bionics, Brain Chips, and the Future
James and Jon talk about exoskeletons, brain-machine interfaces, and the accessibility technology Jon follows closely.
[01:00:38] Any Limitation Can Be Overcome
Jon says the major takeaway is that limitations can be overcome, though not always easily.
[01:01:11] Reconstructing Reality
Jon explains the first step: train yourself to believe extraordinary achievement is not only possible, but normal.
[01:04:00] Marinating the Mind
Jon recommends spending more time with inspirational stories than with negative inputs.
[01:05:15] Find the Price
Jon explains the second step: understand what the goal will cost before deciding whether to pursue it.
[01:07:37] Sacrifice Is Negotiable, Not Optional
Jon explains that if one sacrifice is non-negotiable, you may need to choose a different path or sacrifice something else.
[01:09:40] Put a Gun to Your Head
Jon describes the third step: create stakes serious enough to force action, while making clear he is using the phrase metaphorically.
[01:11:09] The Nursing Home Fear
Jon explains that his fear of ending up in a nursing home gave him the urgency to build his business.
[01:13:08] Six Months Without the Beach
Jon remembers moving to Mexico and working 16 to 20 hours a day without even going down to the beach.
[01:14:00] Helping as Many People as Possible
Jon says his goal now is less about money and more about helping people through Smart Blogger and Unstoppable.

Additional Resources:
Jon Morrow — Personal Website
Smart Blogger
About Smart Blogger
Jon Morrow — Smart Blogger Author Page
Unstoppable
“7 Life Lessons from a Guy Who Can’t Move Anything but His Face” — Unstoppable
“On Dying, Mothers, and Fighting for Your Ideas” — Copyblogger
“How to Quit Your Job, Move to Paradise and Get Paid to Change the World” — ProBlogger
“Here’s How Jon Morrow Writes” — Copyblogger
TetraMouse
stickK Commitment Contracts
Cure SMA: About Spinal Muscular Atrophy

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A Note from James:
Carlo Rovelli is one of the smartest people I know. He is a theoretical physicist and the author of a lot of great books, including Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, The Order of Time, Helgoland, White Holes, and now On the Equality of All Things: Lessons on Physics and Philosophy.
He has been on the show before, and at the end of this conversation I told him I felt like he was just tolerating my questions. He was nice about it.
But the first question I asked was: Do I actually exist?
Because in Carlo’s new book, nothing really exists on its own. Not a person, not a particle, not you, not me. Everything exists in relation to something else.
So I spent an hour trying to understand what that means.
Does absolute truth exist? Is free will fake? Are we just machines? Is consciousness quantum? Is everything doomed to decay? Is time real? Was there a before the Big Bang? And what does any of this actually do for us in ordinary life?
Carlo’s answer, again and again, is not that nothing is real. It is that we make a mistake when we try to imagine the world from the outside, as if we were standing somewhere beyond the universe looking in. We are not outside the universe. We are inside it. We are part of it. We know the world through relationships, perspectives, interactions, and limits.
And oddly, that is calming.
Because Carlo says the thing that brought him serenity was not finally knowing everything. It was giving up the need to know everything with absolute certainty.
That is where this conversation goes: physics, quantum mechanics, philosophy, Buddhism, Taoism, Wittgenstein, consciousness, black holes, time, the Big Bang, free will, and the strange comfort of not needing the final answer.

Episode Description:
Carlo Rovelli returns to the show for a conversation about reality, uncertainty, quantum mechanics, time, consciousness, free will, and his new book On the Equality of All Things: Lessons on Physics and Philosophy.
James begins with the central idea of the book: everything in the universe can only be understood in relation to something else. Carlo agrees that this is a good short version of the argument, but immediately pushes back against the need for “absolute” truth. Of course James exists. Of course Carlo exists. The question is why we need to add something heavier and more final than that.
From there, the conversation becomes an exploration of relational reality. Carlo explains that motion is not an illusion just because it depends on perspective. When James says he is sitting still, that is true with respect to Earth. When someone says Earth is moving, that is true with respect to the sun or the galaxy. The mistake is asking which motion is the “real” one outside all relations.
The same frame applies to quantum mechanics. Carlo argues that particles are not little objects with fixed properties sitting there independently of the rest of the world. A particle is what it manifests in interaction. It is a set of relations. This is why quantum mechanics has forced such a profound change in the way physicists think about reality.
James keeps pressing the practical question: What do we gain from knowing this?
Carlo’s answer is partly scientific and partly philosophical. We gain better questions. We stop asking impossible questions like “Who is really not moving?” or “What is the final foundation of everything?” We become more aware of our own perspective. And we may become more capable of understanding people whose moral, political, or philosophical perspectives differ from ours.
The conversation moves through the Big Bang and the possibility of a Big Bounce, with Carlo stressing that science is powerful precisely because it knows its own ignorance. Science is not the final story. It is an ongoing process of learning, correcting, testing, and replacing older models with better ones.
James and Carlo then talk about time. Carlo explains that Earth is so small, compared with the universe, that we experience conversation as almost instantaneous. That gives us the illusion that time is the same for everyone. But physics has shown that time is not universal. Every star and galaxy has its own time, and the idea of “now” across the whole universe does not really work.
The second half of the conversation turns toward philosophy and human life. Carlo connects his thinking to Eastern philosophy, Zhuangzi, Buddhism, Taoism, and Wittgenstein. For him, accepting the partial, perspectival, incomplete nature of knowledge is not depressing. It is serene.
James also asks about consciousness, free will, and whether quantum mechanics can explain the mind. Carlo respects Roger Penrose but says he does not think consciousness is specifically quantum. The brain is physical. Choices are physical. But that does not make choice unreal. The mistake, Carlo says, is imagining a separate ghost or soul outside the physical brain that is supposed to make the decision.
The episode closes with James trying to find one absolute: everything decays. Carlo says no. The universe also creates order. Galaxies form. Stars light up. Life emerges. Water and oil separate into structure. Civilization produces books. Nature is not simple decay. It is more complicated, more beautiful, and still not fully understood.

What You’ll Learn:
Why Carlo Rovelli thinks there is no useful “view from outside” the universe.
Why existence does not need to be “absolute” to be real.
How motion only makes sense relative to something else.
Why relative does not mean arbitrary.
How quantum mechanics challenges the idea that the world is made of independent objects.
Why Carlo sees particles as manifestations of interactions.
Why science is powerful partly because it knows what it does not know.
What the Big Bounce idea suggests about the Big Bang.
Why time is not the same everywhere in the universe.
Why there may be no single universal “now.”
Why physics does not explain everything, even if nothing escapes physics.
How Eastern philosophy, Taoism, Buddhism, and Wittgenstein shaped Carlo’s thinking.
Why giving up certainty can create serenity.
Why Carlo does not think consciousness is specifically quantum.
How Carlo thinks about free will without invoking a separate soul or ghost.
Why quantum mechanics should not be turned into vague New Age thinking.
Why nature is not only decay, but also structure, order, evolution, and growth.

Timestamped Chapters:
[05:04] Does Anything Exist Absolutely?
James asks whether he, Carlo, or the chair exists, and Carlo explains why ordinary existence is enough without adding the word “absolute.”
[06:47] We Exist Through Relations
Carlo explains that identity, friendship, love, social position, and knowledge all happen through relationships.
[08:41] Motion Is Relative, Not Fake
James uses the example of sitting still while Earth moves, and Carlo explains why “really moving” is the wrong question.
[09:31] Morality Without Absolutes
Carlo argues that morality can be meaningful and powerful without being independent of human beings.
[10:44] Relative Does Not Mean Arbitrary
Carlo clarifies that relational truth is not the same as saying anything goes.
[12:05] Quantum Mechanics and the Relational World
Carlo explains how quantum mechanics led him toward the idea that things do not have fixed properties independent of interaction.
[14:35] What Happens When We Are Not Looking?
James asks why quantum mechanics feels strange, and Carlo explains that the confusion begins when we try to describe what happens without interaction.
[16:29] Everything Is a Process
Carlo connects quantum reality to everyday reality: apples rot, stones become sand, and nothing is perfectly fixed forever.
[17:21] Before the Big Bang?
James asks what the first particle could have interacted with, and Carlo explains why the Big Bang may not have been an absolute beginning.
[20:22] The Big Bounce
Carlo discusses the possibility that the universe went through a phase of maximum compression before expanding.
[21:40] Science Knows Its Ignorance
Carlo explains why science is not about having final answers, but about knowing what we know and what we still do not know.
[22:58] Science Is Not the Final Story
James asks about string theory and scientific certainty, and Carlo says science is an ongoing process of learning more.
[24:29] Physics Does Not Explain Everything
Carlo explains why fundamental physics underlies everything but does not replace chemistry, biology, mechanics, or other forms of knowledge.
[25:13] Time Is Not the Same for Everyone
James asks about time, distance, and the Big Bang, and Carlo explains why the idea of one universal “now” is an illusion.
[27:44] How Do We Know Anything?
Carlo defends the power of science, pointing to Maxwell, Einstein, black holes, gravitational waves, and GPS.
[30:11] Will Science Ever Be Complete?
James asks whether even an advanced alien civilization would still face unknowns, and Carlo says he doubts science will ever reach a final story.
[31:20] Gödel, Ignorance, and No Theory of Everything
Carlo treats Gödel’s theorem as an analogy for the impossibility of closing knowledge, while stressing how far we still are from complete understanding.
[32:49] Zhuangzi, Taoism, and Serenity
James connects Carlo’s thinking to Eastern philosophy, and Carlo explains why giving up the need for certainty made his life more serene.
[37:00] Consciousness and Quantum Mechanics
James asks about Roger Penrose and consciousness; Carlo says he does not think the brain is specifically quantum in the relevant sense.
[38:08] Consciousness as Perspective
Carlo explains consciousness as part of a relational world: a piece of nature with information about the rest of nature.
[41:06] Avoiding New Age Quantum Thinking
James asks about law-of-attraction-style interpretations, and Carlo distinguishes serious quantum theory from vague extrapolation.
[42:53] Objects Are Not as Solid as They Seem
Carlo says quantum mechanics challenges the idea that the world is made of fixed, independent objects with properties of their own.
[44:22] Arguing With the Metaphysicians
Carlo describes the Princeton philosophy conversations that helped become the basis of the book.
[46:29] Copernicus, Darwin, and Quantum Reality
Carlo compares quantum mechanics to earlier scientific revolutions that forced humans to rethink their place in the world.
[48:18] What Will Future Science Change?
James asks what discoveries might blow our minds 100 or 200 years from now, and Carlo points to quantum gravity, black holes, and the mind.
[51:10] Free Will Without the Ghost
James asks about determinism and choice; Carlo says freedom is not an illusion, but the idea of a separate nonphysical chooser is.
[54:11] Does Everything Decay?
James tries to find one absolute truth, and Carlo says nature also produces structure, complexity, life, and order.

Additional Resources:

On the Equality of All Things — Simon & Schuster
Carlo Rovelli — Simon & Schuster Author Page
Carlo Rovelli — Penguin Random House Author Page
Science Friday: “Why physics and philosophy need each other”
Helgoland — Penguin Random House
White Holes — Penguin Random House
Seven Brief Lessons on Physics — Penguin Random House
The Order of Time — Penguin Random House
Reality Is Not What It Seems — Penguin Random House
Anaximander — Penguin Random House

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Episode Description:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar joins James for a From the Archive conversation about basketball, identity, mentorship, faith, writing, civil rights, and his book Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court.
The episode begins with basketball. James asks Kareem how the game has changed since his playing days, and Kareem explains the shift toward the three-point shot, the rule changes around physical defense, and the way modern spacing has altered how teams score.
But the conversation quickly becomes deeper than basketball.
James sees Becoming Kareem as a book about the search for identity. Kareem agrees, explaining that Black Americans have often had identities imposed on them—first through slavery, then through Jim Crow, then through the lingering assumptions and limitations of American racism. His own journey required rejecting those imposed definitions and building an identity he could be proud of.
Kareem emphasizes the importance of mentors. Some were direct mentors, like John Wooden and Bruce Lee. Others were cultural or intellectual mentors, like Malcolm X. Together, they helped him understand not only how to succeed, but how to think about who he wanted to become.
The central advice Kareem gives young people is simple: knowledge is power. Learn what your future could be. Seek out what motivates you. Do not let someone else define your path. Every person has a unique spark, and the work is to discover where that spark leads.
James and Kareem also talk about fundamentals. Kareem remembers John Wooden expecting him to graduate and teaching his players the smallest details of preparation, including how to put on their socks. The lesson is that success depends on doing the basic things correctly before the glamorous work begins.
The conversation then turns to Kareem’s life as a writer. James asks about the challenge of moving from basketball into Sherlock Holmes fiction. Kareem explains that writing Mycroft Holmes required serious preparation: understanding Victorian England, Arthur Conan Doyle’s canon, and the possibilities hidden inside Mycroft’s brief appearances.
Kareem also reflects on Islam, his conversion, and the way faith gave him a moral anchor. He talks about being raised Catholic, studying Islam, reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and finding a belief system that helped him understand right and wrong.
Near the end, James asks about Kareem’s seriousness in photos and the HBO documentary Kareem: Minority of One. Kareem explains that his height made him visible everywhere he went, and that constant scrutiny made him more guarded than someone who could disappear into a crowd.
The episode closes with the idea that everyone is, in some way, a minority of one. Every person has to figure out their own path, and often that path is not the one their parents followed. Kareem’s story is about basketball, but it is also about becoming a whole person.

Editorial Note:
This is a From the Archive episode. References to Kareem’s career scoring record, the state of the NBA, Becoming Kareem, and his then-current writing projects reflect the original recording period.
Since this conversation was recorded, LeBron James has surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. The conversation remains historically valuable because it captures Kareem reflecting on his record, his era, and his evolution before that milestone changed.

What You’ll Learn:
How Kareem thinks basketball changed after his era.
Why the three-point shot transformed modern NBA strategy.
Why Becoming Kareem is ultimately a book about identity.
How imposed identity shaped Kareem’s experience as a Black American.
Why knowledge is power in the search for a future.
How mentors helped Kareem understand who he was and who he wanted to become.
What John Wooden taught him about education, discipline, and preparation.
Why fundamentals matter before talent can fully express itself.
How the lesson of “putting on your socks” applies far beyond basketball.
Why Bruce Lee’s “one kick 10,000 times” idea connects to the skyhook.
How Kareem approached writing Sherlock Holmes fiction through Mycroft.
Why religion became part of Kareem’s search for identity.
How Islam gave him a moral anchor.
Why constant public scrutiny made him more guarded.
Why competitive fire separates great athletes from talented ones who do not fully develop.
Why every generation has to find its own path.

Timestamped Chapters:

[02:38] How Basketball Changed
Kareem explains how the three-point shot, rule changes, and less physical defense changed the modern NBA.
[04:14] Beyond Basketball
James introduces Becoming Kareem and frames Kareem’s life as a continuing search for identity.
[05:44] Rejecting an Imposed Identity
Kareem explains how Black Americans have had identities imposed on them and why his journey required building one he could be proud of.
[07:03] Mentors and the Making of a Self
James points to Coach Wooden, Bruce Lee, Muhammad Ali, Wilt Chamberlain, Malcolm X, and other influences who shaped Kareem’s identity.
[08:17] Knowledge Is Power
Kareem says young people should seek knowledge, understand what motivates them, and choose a path instead of accepting one imposed by others.
[09:57] Education, UCLA, and Community
Kareem explains why earning a college degree mattered to him personally and to his community.
[11:12] Finding Your Path in America
Kareem talks about the many ways to become successful and the need to figure out what you want to pursue.
[12:12] Fundamental Preparation
Kareem explains why every field requires fundamentals, whether basketball, chemistry, law, or any other discipline.
[13:05] John Wooden and the Socks Lesson
James and Kareem discuss Wooden teaching players how to put on socks and why small details determine whether bigger work can happen.
[14:26] The Skyhook and 10,000 Kicks
James connects Bruce Lee’s practice philosophy to Kareem’s skyhook and the discipline of repeating one skill until it becomes mastery.
[15:46] Becoming a Sherlock Holmes Writer
Kareem explains the challenge of entering a new creative field and writing about Mycroft Holmes.
[17:02] Finding the Blank Space in Mycroft
James notes that Kareem built a story from Arthur Conan Doyle’s brief suggestion that Mycroft was, at times, the British government.
[17:39] Religion and Identity
Kareem explains how his Catholic upbringing, interest in monotheism, African history, and The Autobiography of Malcolm X led him toward Islam.
[18:49] A Moral Anchor
Kareem says Islam helped him clarify his belief system and understand right and wrong.
[20:06] A Minority of One
James asks why Kareem often appeared so serious in photos, and Kareem explains the effect of lifelong scrutiny.
[21:31] What Coach Wooden Still Teaches Him
Kareem reflects on Wooden’s example, expectations, and belief that effort in academics and athletics was worthwhile.
[22:47] Talent, Skill, and Competitive Fire
Kareem says competitive fire often separates championship athletes from talented players who never fully make it.
[24:35] Civil Rights and Speaking Up Young
James asks about the Cleveland Summit, Muhammad Ali, and Kareem’s early role in civil-rights conversations.
[25:54] Everyone Is a Minority of One
James and Kareem return to the question of identity and the need for each generation to define its own path.

Additional Resources:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Official Website
Becoming Kareem — Hachette Book Group
Mycroft Holmes Series — Penguin Random House
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — Simon & Schuster Author Page
We All Want to Change the World — Penguin Random House
Game of Death — Janus Films
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A Note from James:
In 1790, one of the easiest ways to get rich in America was the old-fashioned way: marry someone rich.
George Washington did pretty well that way. Benjamin Franklin, meanwhile, was so deep in debt that he offered to marry a woman if her parents would mortgage their house to pay off his printing press debt. When they said no, he married someone else who had money.
And back then, debt was not just annoying. It could land you in debtor’s prison. Actual prison. And not just you—your wife and kids could go too.
Fast-forward to the 1900s, and most Americans still were not buying stocks. Only a tiny percentage owned shares. Everyday people were gambling, playing the numbers, using dream-interpretation books to decide what lottery number to play, and trying to find some edge that would move them a little closer to security.
My guest today, Joseph Moore, literally wrote the book on this: How to Get Rich in American History: 300 Years of Financial Advice That Worked (& Didn’t).
The book is full of strange, funny, surprising stories about money in America: Franklin, Washington, debtor’s prison, the Great Depression, bucket shops, real estate booms, FIRE, crypto, debt, index funds, and all the scams people keep falling for.
But the bigger lesson is that the basic patterns have not changed as much as we think.
People want security. People want freedom. People want hope. People want a way out. And whenever there is hope, there is usually someone selling a formula.
Joseph has very little patience for the usual personal finance myths. Debt does not make you rich. Opportunity makes you rich. Real estate is not always a magic wealth machine. The stock market was not designed to be everyone’s retirement plan. FIRE can work, but it can also become the CrossFit of personal finance. And optimism, marriage, mobility, risk, and solving other people’s problems may matter more than almost anything else.
If you think the rules for getting rich have changed completely, this conversation may convince you how little human nature has changed.

Episode Description:
Joseph Moore joins James to talk about the long, strange history of getting rich in America.
His book, How to Get Rich in American History, looks at 300 years of financial advice—what worked, what failed, what people kept repeating, and what today’s money culture keeps forgetting.
The conversation starts in 1790, with George Washington, Martha Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Stephen Girard, debt, leverage, and debtor’s prison. Joseph explains that many early American fortunes were built through risk, borrowed money, marriage, luck, and then—critically—de-leveraging over time.
That becomes one of the core lessons of the episode: debt does not make people rich. Opportunity does. Debt is only a tool that allows someone to grab more of an opportunity than they otherwise could. But if the opportunity is not real, or the person cannot handle the risk, debt destroys them.
James and Joseph then move into real estate. Joseph argues that real estate is a good way to build a modest middle-class fortune, but not usually the path to the biggest fortunes. In modern America, he says, real estate often functions as a short on the dollar, an income annuity in a low-dividend world, a tax shelter, and a way for ordinary people to use leverage they could not access anywhere else. But that does not make buying a house automatically smart. Renting versus buying depends on age, mobility, location, family needs, inflation, taxes, maintenance, transaction costs, and opportunity cost.
The conversation then turns to the stock market. Joseph challenges the usual historical charts that claim anyone could have invested a fixed sum in 1929 and held forever. Most Americans could not invest that way. There were no index funds, mutual funds had high fees, and buying an index directly required enormous capital. Instead, everyday people went to bucket shops, bet on price moves, played the numbers, and treated gambling as a kind of financial hope.
James and Joseph also discuss passive investing, shadow indexing, the rise of ETFs and 401(k)s, and the way the stock market has become a mass retirement promise. Joseph points out that this is historically new. For most of American history, no ordinary person would have expected to retire on the stock market.
From there, the episode moves to FIRE: financial independence, retire early. Joseph has lived part of that story himself. He built enough wealth through rental real estate after 2008 to stop working for a period, only to discover that early retirement was not automatically fulfilling. He compares FIRE to CrossFit: extreme, demanding, sometimes powerful, sometimes injurious, and not a lifestyle most people actually want.
The final section asks the big question: What has consistently worked?
Joseph boils the lessons down to five pillars: solve other people’s problems, take risks, move toward opportunity, marry well, and believe you can. James adds that optimism matters because it keeps people in the game long enough to get more shots on goal.
The result is a conversation about money, but also about history, risk, luck, marriage, mobility, discipline, scams, and the difference between getting rich and staying rich.

What You’ll Learn:
Why early American wealth often involved marriage, leverage, luck, and risk.
How George Washington’s marriage to Martha helped fund the Washington we remember.
Why Benjamin Franklin’s public advice about debt did not match his own early financial behavior.
What debtor’s prison meant in early America, including the risk to families.
Why debt is a tool, not a wealth strategy by itself.
Why opportunity—not debt—is what actually makes people rich.
Why real estate can build middle-class wealth but rarely creates the biggest fortunes.
How buying a home can reduce mobility and opportunity, especially for younger people.
Why renting versus buying is situational, not a universal rule.
Why most Americans historically could not invest in the stock market the way modern charts imply.
What bucket shops and “the numbers” reveal about everyday financial hope.
How passive investing changed the purpose of the stock market.
Why stock-market concentration is not new, but mass participation is.
Why FIRE can work mathematically and still fail psychologically.
How older financial-independence stories often hid trust funds, inheritances, or outside support.
Why inflation is one of the biggest risks to early retirement.
Why getting rich and staying rich require different behavior.
Why successful people often take risk early and reduce risk later.
Why optimism is financially useful when it keeps people in the game.
The five recurring pillars Joseph sees across American wealth-building history.

Timestamped Chapters:

[05:00] How to Get Rich in 1790
James asks Joseph how someone got rich in early America, starting with George Washington, Martha Washington, and marriage as a financial strategy.
[07:24] Stephen Girard and Benjamin Franklin’s Debt
Joseph compares Stephen Girard’s leveraged rise with Franklin’s messy early business debts.
[10:29] Debt Does Not Make You Rich
Joseph explains that opportunity creates wealth, while debt simply lets someone reach for more of that opportunity.
[11:23] Debtor’s Prison Was Real
Joseph explains why failing in the 1790s could mean prison not only for the debtor, but for the debtor’s family.
[12:25] The Real Estate Myth
Joseph argues that real estate can build modest wealth, but rarely creates the biggest fortunes.
[13:43] Real Estate as a Short on the Dollar
Joseph explains modern real estate as an inflation bet, income annuity, tax shelter, and leverage tool.
[15:22] You Need an Edge
James argues that every bet has someone on the other side, which means investors need to know what their advantage actually is.
[16:18] Beating the Market, Missing the Moment
Joseph tells the story of shorting Jim Cramer stock pops, beating the market net of theory, losing to fees, and missing his daughter’s first steps.
[19:56] Shadow Passive Investing
James and Joseph discuss hedge funds, index tracking, fees, and the way much of Wall Street quietly follows the same big benchmarks.
[20:31] The Index Revolution
Joseph explains why Vanguard’s 1976 index fund changed investing for ordinary Americans—and why passive investing may create new structural risks.
[24:24] The Four Percent of Stocks That Matter
James and Joseph discuss stock-market returns, T-bills, concentration, and why a small number of companies drive most gains.
[25:16] The Second Bank Crash
Joseph compares modern market concentration to the 1830s, when the Second Bank of the United States made up a huge share of the stock market before collapsing.
[26:21] The Stock Market as a Retirement Promise
Joseph explains why turning the stock market into a mass retirement strategy is historically new.
[29:58] The Problem With “The Chart”
Joseph criticizes the classic financial-advisor chart that assumes someone in 1929 invested a large sum, held forever, and never touched it.
[31:17] Bucket Shops and Playing the Numbers
Joseph explains how everyday people used gambling, bucket shops, and lottery-like games as financial hope when stock ownership was out of reach.
[34:04] The Mean Moves Through Time
Joseph explains why history is not physics and why the “average” keeps changing as the economy changes.
[35:49] Renting vs. Buying
James and Joseph debate the homeownership myth, maintenance, taxes, transaction costs, mobility, family stability, and when buying can make sense.
[41:02] FIRE and the Question of Enough
James asks how much is enough in 2026, and Joseph explains why the answer depends on location, expectations, security, and lifestyle.
[44:24] FIRE as the CrossFit of Personal Finance
Joseph compares FIRE to an extreme discipline that can work for some people but injure others if they push too hard.
[45:38] Geoarbitrage and Selling the Dream
James and Joseph discuss moving somewhere cheaper, Instagram FIRE influencers, and the difference between living the dream and monetizing the dream.
[46:00] The Long History of Financial Independence
Joseph traces earlier versions of FIRE through Sylvester Judd, Thoreau, Emerson, and Helen and Scott Nearing.
[49:17] Inflation and the FIRE Risk
Joseph explains how Your Money or Your Life and bond-heavy financial independence strategies ran into changing interest-rate realities.
[50:23] Five Pillars of Getting Rich
Joseph lays out the durable lessons: solve problems, take risks, move more, marry well, and believe you can.
[53:43] Marriage, Optimism, and Staying in the Game
James and Joseph talk about supportive partnership, optimism, savings discipline, and why staying in the game increases opportunity.
[56:11] The Line Between Optimism and Recklessness
Joseph distinguishes productive optimism from gambling and explains why control over outcomes matters.
[58:28] Getting Rich vs. Staying Rich
Joseph explains why many wealthy people take risk early, then de-lever over time to keep what they built.
[01:00:00] Leverage, Trading, and the Guy Who Never Stops
James and Joseph discuss extreme leverage, Bitcoin futures, Jesse Livermore, gamblers, and why some people cannot walk away.

Additional Resources:
Joseph Moore - History Helps
How to Get Rich in American History - Book Page
How to Get Rich in American History - Google Books
Next Big Idea Club: “The Changing Rules for Getting Rich in America”
Fast Company: “How the rules of getting rich in the U.S. change with every era”
The Motley Fool Interview with Joseph Moore
Meb Faber Show Interview
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Episode Description:
This is a From the Archive episode with Seth Godin.
Seth Godin returns to the show for a conversation about making work that matters in a world obsessed with hits, rankings, followers, algorithms, and approval.
James opens by talking about Seth’s long body of work: Purple Cow, Linchpin, Graceful, thousands of blog posts, and Seth’s then-new podcast Akimbo. Seth explains why he had thought about podcasting for years but resisted it because audio creates a different kind of intimacy. In print, the voice in the reader’s head is the reader’s own voice. In audio, the voice belongs to the person speaking.
That intimacy made podcasting powerful, but also something Seth wanted to handle carefully.
From there, James asks about the structure of Akimbo. Seth says the key to a strong solo format is assertion. What are you saying that is not obvious? What are you asking people to see differently? If you cannot make the point in 15 minutes, maybe you cannot make it at all.
The conversation then moves into hits. Seth explains that platforms benefit from the long tail, but creators can suffer inside it. Amazon, iTunes, Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms need endless creators to show up with work, but they also train people to believe that if they do not hit number one, they failed.
Seth’s alternative is the smallest viable audience. Find the specific group you seek to serve. If it is 500 people, make something so good for those 500 people that they cannot help but tell someone else. That is more useful than chasing a vague mass audience or gaming a category so you can call yourself a bestseller.
James and Seth connect this to Purple Cow. The book spread because Seth gave people a phrase they could use in a meeting. A “purple cow” became a way to describe something remarkable before people necessarily knew where the phrase came from.
That is a key idea in the episode: every hit changes the people it touches. It does not simply entertain. It gives people a new belief, a new language, or a new way to see.
Seth also explains the deeper forces under a lot of culture: fear and status. Fear keeps people from doing work that might not work. Status makes people compare themselves to the wrong people and measure the wrong things. The creator’s job is to notice both, then act generously anyway.
The episode closes with the craft itself. Seth says he does not check blog stats, does not read Amazon reviews, and does not shape his work around critics. The question is simpler: Did you change someone for the better in a way you are proud of?
If yes, do it again.

Editorial Note:
This is a From the Archive episode. References to Akimbo as a newer podcast, This Is Marketing as an upcoming book, the altMBA, platform dynamics, bestseller lists, podcasting, and Seth’s then-current projects reflect the original recording period.

What You’ll Learn:
Why Seth Godin resisted podcasting for years.
How audio creates a different kind of intimacy than writing.
Why a solo podcast needs a clear assertion.
Why Seth focuses on overlooked, underthought, ignored, or uncomfortable ideas.
Why platforms benefit from the long tail more than most creators do.
Why chasing hits can distort the work.
What Seth means by the “smallest viable audience.”
Why a hit has to change people, not just entertain them.
How Purple Cow spread by giving people useful language.
Why trying to avoid criticism often makes work invisible.
How fear and status shape culture, creativity, marketing, and self-worth.
Why random events should not be taken personally.
Why generosity requires emotional labor.
What it means to choose your customers and choose your future.
Why second-order teaching matters more to Seth than personal credit.
Why being “amazing” starts long before the hustle.
Why the best work lives in the territory of “this might not work.”
Why Seth does not read reviews or track stats.
How to protect the craft from outside measurement.

Timestamped Chapters:

[03:19] Seth Godin Returns
James welcomes Seth back and introduces his books, blog, and new podcast Akimbo.
[05:15] Why Seth Started a Podcast
Seth explains that he had thought about podcasting for years, but worried about the intimacy of audio.
[07:05] Choosing the Right Medium
Seth explains why a podcast reaches people differently than writing and why he avoids formats, like Twitter, that do not fit the work he wants to do.
[08:17] The Solo Podcast Format
James asks about Seth being the only guest on Akimbo, and Seth says a solo show needs a strong assertion.
[09:24] Overlooked, Underthought, and Hard to Confront
Seth distinguishes his style from pure contrarianism and says he is drawn to things people have missed or avoided.
[10:47] Hitsville and the Long Tail
James brings up Seth’s Akimbo episode on hits, platforms, Amazon, podcasts, and the explosion of available work.
[12:21] The Trap of Platform Thinking
Seth explains how platforms train creators to feel defective if they do not become number one.
[13:25] Editors Cannot Pick the Hits
Seth argues that people cannot reliably predict hits and that creators should not try to game their way to the top.
[15:00] The Smallest Viable Audience
Seth explains why serving a specific small group can be more powerful than chasing the masses.
[16:21] This Might Not Work
James brings up Seth’s large limited-edition book and how it was built for a specific audience instead of the broad market.
[17:26] Why You Cannot Reverse-Engineer Gangnam Style
Seth explains why many talented people try hard and still do not hit, because hits also involve randomness.
[19:14] Don’t Bet Your Work on Oprah or Bieber
Seth explains why waiting for a powerful person to anoint your work is a bad strategy.
[20:13] Finding the People Who Must Share It
Seth uses the idea of R naught to explain why a small group of people who must tell others can create spread.
[20:35] Why Purple Cow Spread
Seth explains how the milk carton, the title, and the phrase itself helped people talk about the idea.
[22:26] Every Hit Makes a Change Happen
Seth says the real question is: What change are you trying to make in the people who engage with your work?
[23:35] What Akimbo Is Trying to Change
Seth explains that Akimbo is for people who want to think more deeply about culture and change it for the better.
[25:14] Randomness, Fear, and Status
James connects Seth’s episodes, and Seth explains that much of his work is about fear and status.
[27:13] Don’t Take Randomness Personally
Seth says creators should expect that many launches will not become hits and organize their work accordingly.
[28:33] The Craft vs. the Outside World
James and Seth discuss how publishers, reviewers, bestseller lists, rankings, and critics can distract from the actual work.
[29:21] It’s Not for You
Seth explains why broadening a project for everyone can make it average, and why creators should be willing to say who the work is for.
[32:29] What Will You Do With the Microphone?
Seth says he wakes up thinking about the people he seeks to serve, not how to increase traffic or revenue.
[33:30] Why Seth Ignores Stats and Reviews
Seth explains that he does not check blog traffic, book sales, or Amazon reviews because that helps him keep doing the work.
[34:43] Choose Your Customers, Choose Your Future
Seth gives the six-word version of audience selection and explains why customers shape the work.
[35:04] Thirsty, Dissatisfied, and Generous
Seth describes his ideal audience and explains generosity as emotional labor in service of other people.
[37:22] Second-Order Teaching
Seth says he wants to be judged not by his work, but by what people who learned from him teach others.
[38:18] Be the Person They Want to Find
Seth explains why the real work happens before SEO, LinkedIn tactics, or hustle.
[40:02] How Do You Become Amazing?
James asks the direct question, and Seth says the essence is confronting fear and doing emotional labor.
[41:00] Where Art and Innovation Live
Seth says the work that might not work is where generosity, art, innovation, and magic happen.
[42:05] Warby Parker and the Risk of Something New
Seth uses Warby Parker as an example of doing something advisors said would not work.
[42:49] How Seth Builds an Episode
Seth explains how a coincidence becomes a podcast: collect stories, find the non-obvious insight, and connect the dots.
[45:07] Seth the Collector
Seth describes himself as someone who collects moments, stories, and observations that may become blog posts or lessons.
[46:34] Self-Awareness and the Craft
James connects Seth’s work to the ability to keep distance between your belief in the craft and society’s measurements.
[47:04] Jiro, Awards, and the Wrong Reward
Seth talks about Jiro Dreams of Sushi and the danger of external validation taking over the craft.
[48:40] Marriage, Space, and Stories
James asks Seth about marriage, and Seth talks about listening, keeping promises, creating space, and the stories people tell themselves.
[52:18] Advice for James’s Podcast
James asks how to change the show, and Seth suggests making one out of every four episodes a solo episode.
[53:08] This Is Marketing and Closing Thoughts
Seth says his next book is This Is Marketing, James recommends Akimbo, and Seth signs off by telling him to keep making a ruckus.

Additional Resources:
Seth Godin Official Website
Seth’s Blog
Akimbo
Akimbo on Apple Podcasts
This Is Marketing — Penguin Random House
Purple Cow — Seth’s Store
Purple Cow — Penguin Random House
Linchpin — Penguin Random House
The Dip — Penguin Random House
The Practice — Penguin Random House
By the Way Bakery

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