Bookworm

Reality is broken. In today’s book, author Jane McGonigal attempts a fix by applying a gameful approach to personal growth. Join Mike & Joe as they examine the idea that playing games can make us better. Links Support the show The Pen Addict (Podcast) Sheaffer 300 (Mike’s fancy pen) Leuchtturm Notebooks Baron Fig James Clear Habit Journal from Baron Fig Rhodia Notebooks Focused #85: The Depth of Our Madness GoodNotes The FOCUSED Calendar (NeuYear) Tools & Weapons by Brad Smith SuperBetter by Jane McGonigal SuperBetter app Sorry! Castles of Mad King Ludwig Bookworm #72: Make Time Bookworm #78: Ultralearning Bookworm #14: 12 Week Year Personal Retreat Handbook Habitica Streaks Bookworm #54: Work Clean Principles by Ray Dalio You Are Awesome by Neil Pasricha Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday Join the Club Recommend a Book Recommend Margin Book List Leave a Review Mike's Rating: 4.0Cory's Rating: 4.0

Lifelong learning is a noble goal – but is ultralearning really the best approach? Today’s book aims to help you achieve your goals faster, future-proof your career, and maximize your competitive advantage. Join Joe & Mike as they unpack the principles the author promises can help you learn anything deeply and quickly, without teachers or budget-busting tuition costs. Links Support the show Bookworm #77: Creativity, Inc. Instagram (bookworm.fm) Ultralearning by Scott Young Bookworm #63: Atomic Habits Bookworm #21: The Personal MBA $100 MBA Bookworm #73: The 4-Hour Workweek Bookworm #7: Deep Work Aaron Beverly (2019 World Championship of Public Speaking) 10% Happier Headspace Calm Duolingo Duolingo Effectiveness Study Mental Rehearsal and Visualization Research Bookworm #76: Range Bookworm #49: Peak The Man Who Knew Infinity (Netflix) Bookworm #25: Grit Thanks for the Feedback by Douglas Stone The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking Fofused #83: Ideas O

Pixar has inspired the creative world for over 20 years with iconic films like Toy Story, The Incredibles, and WALL-E, just to name a few. Today’s book gives us an inside look at the meetings, postmortems, and Braintrust sessions that have produced some of the most successful animated films in history. Join Joe & Mike as they discover how to overcome the unseen forces that stand in the way of true inspiration. Links Support the show MindNode SetApp Bookworm #73: The 4-Hour Work Week Bookworm #75: Getting Results the Agile Way Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull Bookworm #63: Atomic Habits Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson Ultralearning by Scott Young SuperBetter by Jane McGonigal Bookworm #2: The Willpower Instinct Tools and Weapons by Brad Smith Bookworm #64: Digital Minimalism Bookworm #64: Digital Minimalism Bookworm #19: The Shallows The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown The Tim Ferriss Show #384: David Allen Join the Club Recommend a Book Recommend Margin Book List Leave a Review Mike's Rating: 5.

We’ve all heard stories of famous people who knew what they were born to do from a young age. But should we really be trying to follow in their narrow-focused footsteps? Today’s author challenges the traditional idea that 10,000 hours of deliberate practice is what it takes to become an expert, explains why specializing early on in life may actually hurt your long-term success, and make the case that we should all look lead more generalized lives. Links – Support the show – The Weekly Impulse – ProtonMail – MailMate – GoodNotes – Drafts – Bookworm #75: Getting Results the Agile Way – Overcast – Range by David Epstein – Revisionist History: Puzzle Rush – Revisionist History: The Tortoise and the Hare – Duolingo – Bookworm #35: The Art of Asking – Bookworm #58: Scrum – Bookworm #25: Grit – Bookworm #66: Extreme Ownership – Jocko Podcast – Bookworm #53: Boundaries – Personal Retreat Handbook – Panic Software – Playdate – The Talk Show #252: The Dustin Egress Problem – ScreenFlow – Adobe Premiere Pro – M

Lots of books teach systems to help you achieve more, but the problem is that they are usually very strict and rigid. Today’s book promises to deliver a simple system that is flexible and adaptable so you can change course as needed without sacrificing meaningful results. Links – Support the show – Relay FM Family Feud – Faith-Based Productivity – Lifeonaire (Audible) – Bookworm #73: The 4-Hour Workweek – Bookworm #74: The Second Mountain – Duolingo – Bookworm Shirts – Getting Things Done by David Allen – Getting Results the Agile Way by J.D. Meier – Bookworm #72: Make Time – The Margin Course – Joe’s OmniFocus Setup – Personal Retreat Handbook – Bookworm #70: Free to Focus – Margin by Richard Swenson – Bookworm #14: The 12 Week Year – Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins – Unique Ability Book – Bookworm #69: Emotional Intelligence – Bookworm #38: Mindset – Bookworm #62: The Four Tendencies – Bookworm #68: How to Take Smart Notes – Range by David Epstein – Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull – Primal Branding by

In today’s book, Joe and Mike embark on a journey from self-centered individualism to others-centered relationalism in pursuit of discovering just what exactly a life worth living looks like. Join these fellow travelers on their quest for a moral life as they examine the 4 commitments that today’s author uses to define a life of meaning and purpose. Links – Support the show – The Weekly Impulse (Joe’s newsletter) – Ten Percent Happier – Relay FM’s 5th Birthday Live Show – Duolingo – Bookworm #68: How to Take Smart Notes – Bookworm #70: Free to Focus – Drafts – Ulysses – The Second Mountain by David Brooks – The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss – Focused – Hurry Slowly – Make Time by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky – Bookworm #63: Atomic Habits – Faith-Based Productivity – Analog Joe – Bookworm #44: Man’s Search for Meaning – The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker – Bookworm #38: Mindset – Bookworm #72: Make Time – Getting Results the Agile Way by J.D. Meier – Range by David Epstein – Primalbranding by Patr

Today’s book promises to help you escape the 9-5, live anywhere, and join the new rich. But is it really that simple? Join Joe & Mike as they examine what a millionarie lifestyle looks like (with or without the millions) and unpack the concept of lifestyle design in creating a life worth living. Links – Support the show – All Marketers are Liars by Seth Godin – Essential Manners for Men by Emily Post – High Performance Habits by Brendon Bruchard – Make Time by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky – Mike’s iPhone – The Bible App – Echo Prayer App – Calm – MindNode – Day One – Drafts – 10% Happier by Dan Harris – Joe’s fancy new website – The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss – Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss – Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss – Lifeonaire by Steve Cook & Shaun McClosky – Why You Should Define Your Fears Instead of Your Goals (TED talk) – The Productivity Project by Chris Bailey – Dave Ramsey – Your World-Class Assistant by Michael Hyatt – Virtual Staff Finder – Zirtual – Faith-Based Produ

True productivity is not about crushing your to-do list or optimizing every hour – it’s about intentionalliy focusing on what really matters. Join Joe & Mike as they rethink their own defaults, drain the infinity pools, and make time for the things that are truly important. Links – Support the show – Instagram: @bookworm.fm – Twitter: @bookwormfm – YouTube: Bookworm – Send us your library photos – Macstock (use code FOCUSED to save $70) – Bookworm #42: How to Read a Book – Bookworm #44: Man’s Search for Meaning – Day One – Make Time by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky – The One Thing by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan – Focused #70: Digital Decluttering, with Shahid Kamal Ahmad – GoodNotes – Self Journal – Full Focus Planner – Due – The Bullet Journal – Dash Plus (Patrick Rohne) – Echo (prayer app) – YouVersion (Bible app) – MindNode – Drafts – Joe’s home screen – MacSparky’s 6-Month Planning Wallpaper – Faith-Based Productivity – Spark – MailMate – Dispatch – Airmail – Evernote – DEVONthink – Bear –

For many writers, few things are as intimidating as staring at a blank page – but it doesn’t have to be this way. If you’re looking for some solid writing advice, today’s book is for you. Join Joe & Mike as they confront perfectionism, shine the light on the monsters within, learn to quiet the radio station in their heads, and seek to discover their own unique writing voice. Links – Support the show – Twitter: @bookwormfm – Instagram: @bookworm.fm – YouTube: Bookworm – Bookworm #70: Free to Focus – Send us your library photos – Macstock (use code FOCUSED to save $70) – Spark – Superhuman – Airmail – Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott – On Writing by Stephen King – Tim Ferriss – Brain Pickings (Maria Popova) – Patrick Lencioni – Art of Manliness – Craft and Commerce – Mark Manson – Molly Burke – Marie Kondo – Faith-Based Productivity – How to Start Your Own Mastermind Group – Focused – 7 Habits of Highly Successful People – How to Win Friends and Influence People – Day One in Depth – Make Time by Jake Kna

A system to help you achieve more *and* do less? It may sound too good to be true, but that’s exactly what today’s book promises to deliver. Join Joe & Mike as they take a closer look at Michael Hyatt’s approach to the topic of focus. Links – Support the show – Success Profiler research manual – Bookworm calendar – Macstock (use code FOCUSED to save $70) – Moodnotes – Free to Focus by Michael Hyatt – Getting Things Done – Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport – Stepping Off the Productivity Hamster Wheel – Bookworm #34: Think & Grow Rich – Bookworm #40: The Artist’s Way – Free to Focus – Full Focus Planner – Thou Shalt Hustle by Mike Schmitz – Faith-Based Productivity – Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi – Jim Rohn – Mac Power Users #480: Catching Up with Michael Hyatt – Rosemary Orchard – Automators podcast – MacSparky – Personal Retreat Handbook – Focus@Will – Night Drive (Instrumental Edition) by TimeCop1983 – Tycho – Utah – Brain.fm – Focused #70: Digital Decluttering, with Shahid Kamal Ahmad – E

It can be difficult to measure, but the topic of emotional intelligence is a worthwhile study for anyone with a desire to reach their full potential. In today’s episode, Joe & Mike take a deep look at a different way to be smart. Links – Support the show – Macstock (use code FOCUSED to save $70) – Bookworm 68: How to Take Smart Notes – Vim – Drafts – Notion – Ulysses – zettelkasten.de – nvUltra – Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman – Success Profiler – Research on Soft Skills accounting for 85% of success – Bookworm 67: Quiet – Kolbe Index A – Emotional Intelligence and You (Infographic) – Bookworm #59: Being Mortal – Bookworm #38: Mindset – Bookworm #25: Grit – MoodNotes – Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves – Free to Focus by Michael Hyatt – Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott – Company of One by Paul Jarvis – Faith-Based Productivity – Healing Lyme by Stephen Buhner – Join the Club – Recommend a Book – Book List – Leave a Review Mike's Rating: 4.0Cory's Rating: 4.0

It’s been said that for a writer, nothing is as intimidating as a blank page. But the author of today’s book says that doesn’t have to be the case. Join Joe & Mike as they look at how to take better notes and automate the writing process. Links – Support the show – Bookworm Shirts – Macstock (use code FOCUSED to save $70) – Bookworm 67: Quiet – How to Take Smart Notes by Sönke Ahrens – Zettelkasten – 30 Days to Better Writing – Drafts – Bullet Journal – Bookworm 56: Hyperfocus by (and with) Chris Bailey – Bookworm 38: Mindset by Carol Dweck – How (and Why) I Take Notes on Books That I Read – MindNode – Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon – Hook – Bookworm 32: The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli – Notion – Ulysses – Bookworm 42: How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler – Zettelkaasten.de – nvALT – Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman – Free to Focus by Michael Hyatt – A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens – Company of One by Paul Jarvis – Join the Club – Recommend a Book – Book List – L

The rise of the Extroverted Ideal has led to a world that can’t stop talking. But where does that leave you if you find groups exhausting or prefer to work alone? Join Joe & Mike as they discover the soft power introverts possess and why understanding it is so important. Links – Bookworm #33: The Monk & The Merchant – Bookworm #30: The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team – Bookworm #47: 3 Questions for a Frantic Family – How (and Why) I Take Notes on Books That I Read – MindNode – Bookworm Shirts – Macstock (use code FOCUSED to save $70) – Mac Power Users – Quiet by Susan Cain – The Power of Introverts (Susan Cain’s TED talk) – Psychological Types by Carl Jung – Myers-Briggs – Focused #72: Heart-Centered Productivity, with Jocelyn K Glei – Bookworm 66: Extreme Ownership – Bookworm #48: How to Win Friends and Influence People – Grit by Angela Duckworth – The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington – Toastmasters – Money by Tony Robbins – Personal Retreat Course – Faith-Based Productivity – Flow by Mihaly

We can’t control everything that happens to us, but how might our lives look different if we assumed ownership for them anyway? That’s the topic Joe & Mike examine in today’s book. Tune in to find out why “responsibility” is not a dirty word. Links – Bookworm Premium Membership – Bookworm Shirts – Macstock (use code FOCUSED to save an extra $10) – Learn Ulysses (The Sweet Setup course) – Groundhog Day – Bookworm #64: Digital Minimalism – Feedbin – Reeder – MailMate – Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin – Dichotomy of Leadership by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin – Faith-Based Productivity – American Sniper – Quiet by Susan Cain – How to Take Smart Notes by Sönke Ahrens – Run for Your Life by Mark Cucuzzella – Join the Club – Recommend a Book – Book List – Leave a Review Mike's Rating: 5.0Cory's Rating: 5.0

Our environment shapes our thoughts and actions in myriad ways, without our permission or even our knowledge. In today’s episode, Joe & Mike discover the subtle but substantial ways in which outside forces influence our everyday behavior. Links – Bookworm Premium Membership – Bookworm Shirts – Drafts – Focused #70: Digital Decluttering, with Shahid Kamal Ahmad – Bookworm #57: Predictably Irrational – Bookworm #64: Digital Minimalism – Drunk Tank Pink by Adam Alter – Dvorak explained – Faith-Based Productivity – f.lux – Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin – Quiet by Susan Cain – Make Time by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky – Join the Club – Recommend a Book – Book List – Leave a Review Mike's Rating: 3.0Cory's Rating: 4.0

Few things have impacted our everyday lives as much as the smartphone. In today’s episode, Joe & Mike discuss the fallout from our digital addictions and contemplate Cal Newport’s radical approach as a potential cure in the war for our attention. Links – Leuchtturm1917 (Joe’s fancy notebook) – Bookworm 63: Atomic Habits by James Clear – Productive (Mike’s habit tracker) – The Best Habit Tracker for iOS (The Sweet Setup) – Due app – Faith-Based Productivity – Mike’s Personal Retreat Course – The Focus Course LIVE – Support the show – So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport – Deep Work by Cal Newport – Apple iPhone Keynote – The Light Phone – A Call to Minimize Distraction slides – The Ultimate Guide to DuckDuckGo (Brett Terpstra) – Focused forum – Mr. Money Moustache – Is Spending Time on Social Media Bad For Us? – Drunk Tank Pink by Adam Alter – Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin – One Nation by Ben Carson – Great Game of Business by Jack Stack – Join the Club – Recommend a

Can small habits really transform your life and deliver amazing results? Author James Clear believes they can. In today’s episode, Joe and Mike revisit a familiar topic to tackle one of Bookworm’s most requested books and see if it lives up to the hype. Links – Bookworm sweatshirt – 10% Happier w/ Gary Vaynerchuk – Bookworm #62: The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin – Procourse – Atomic Habits by James Clear – Leadershift by John Maxwell – Will it Fly by Pat Flynn (Audible) – Bookworm #52: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg – Bookworm #16: The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande – Deep Work by Cal Newport – The One Thing by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan – Bookworm Club – Productivity in Tech interview – Yamaha Method – Streaks – Bookworm #43: Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi – Personal Retreat Handbook – Bookworm #49: Peak by Anders Ericsson – Personality Test – Faith-Based Productivity – Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport – Drunk Tank Pink by Adam Atler – It Doesn’t Have Be Crazy at Work by Jason Frie

Have you ever struggled to achieve a goal, even though you were fully committed to and believed in it? Today’s book gives you a simple framework to help you understand why. Join Joe & Mike as they try to understand themselves a little bit better. Links – Oak meditation app – Bookworm 56: Hyperfocus by (and with) Chris Bailey – Headspace – Bookworm Club conversation on Blink – Bookworm 61: Blink my Malcolm Gladwell – Atomic Habits by James Clear – The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin – Gretchen Rubin’s podcast – The Four Tendencies Quiz – Person Retreat Handbook – Conative Connection by Kathy Kolbe – Kolbe Type A assessment – StrengthsFinder – Leadershift by John Maxwell – Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport – Hurry Slowly with Cal Newport – Bookworm Club – Book List – Leave a RatingMike's Rating: 3.5Cory's Rating: 4.0

Your brain is an incredibly powerful computer, rapidly processing information to help you make better decisions – except when it doesn’t. Should you really trust your first impressions? Join Joe & Mike as they dive into the world of rapid cognition and thinking without thinking. Links – Bookworm shirts – Prodcon – GoodNotes – The Focus Course – Faith-Based Productivity – Blink by Malcolm Gladwell – Bookworm #52: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg – Implicit Association Tests – Bookworm #16: The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande – Herman Miller Aeron chair – Pepsi Challenge (YouTube) – SCAA Coffee Taster’s Flavor Wheel – Coffee Grading criteria – The Best Grocery Store Coffees, Ranked by a Barista – Bookworm #56: Hyperfocus by (and with) Chris Bailey – The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin – Atomic Habits by James Clear – Everyday Millionaires by Chris Hogan – Bookworm Club – Book List – Leave a Rating Mike's Rating: 3.0Cory's Rating: 3.5

Is it true that less is more? When it comes to goal achievement, Gary Keller & Jay Papasan say, “Aboslutely!” In today’s episode, Joe & Mike dive into the surprisingly simple truth behind extraordinary results to see if the answer really is that profound or if Mike is just remembering one of his favorite books through sentimental, rose-colored glasses. Links – Das Keyboard Model S Professional – Mike’s Mac Mini – Synology DS418 – OWC 32GB RAM upgrade for Mac Mini – Bookworm #59: Being Mortal by Atul Gawande – Free Agents #63: Lessons Learned – Bookworm #1: Getting Things Done by David Allen – Mac Power Users – Bookworm #50: 2018 Bookworm Draft – Domino Chain Reaction (YouTube) – Goal Setting Workshop (Replay) – Bookworm #56: Hyperfocus by (and with) Chris Bailey – Atomic Habits by James Clear – Bookworm #14: 12 Week Year by Brian Moran & Michael Lennington – Faith-Based Productivity – Bookworm #38: Mindset by Carol Dweck – Personal Retreat Handbook – Bookworm #49: Peak by Anders Ericsson – The Mi