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Hey,
This is a sample of the PodRecs newsletter. Consider it version 0.5.
This week in PodRecs we have:
Wolverine himself, Hugh Jackman, who appeared in an incredible episode of The Tim Ferriss Show.
Big wave surfer Laird Hamilton recommends a book on fear that you’ve probably never heard of (that guy is legitimately fearless, so it must be good).
Joe Rogan promotes the shit out of the weirdest piece of exercise equipment I’ve seen in ages (proceed with caution!).
Living, walking, breathing experiment, Ben Greenfield, serves up tea that helps you live longer.
And… finally… Tucker Max (yeah, remember that guy?) recommends the “book you need to read next” (while shitting on the author’s most popular work).
Let’s get into it.
But first… if you’re already convinced, why not subscribe now?
1. Hugh Jackman on The Tim Ferriss Show
Holy moly! This was a great episode.
Firstly, it’s super cute how much of a fanboy Hugh is.
He frequently thanks Tim for putting him onto interesting people and ideas (he obviously listens to the podcast and reads Tim’s books).
The bromance makes for good chemistry and great conversation.
Anyway… Hugh dropped a few recommendations throughout the show.
But the one that sticks out for me is a 512-page novel.
The Overstory by Richard Powers - Get it here
Hugh describes the book as “the most transformative bit of fiction I have read in a long time”.
“This book, what it does is it draws you in, in these incredible human stories, in these very varied characters, and their varying degrees of interaction with nature in various different forms. But by the end, you realize the book actually—the main character of the book—is trees, is nature. And it completely reverses the way you look at the world when you walk outside.”
The Overstory won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2019.
It sounds awesome.
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Youtube
2. Ben Greenfield on The Doctor’s Farmacy with Mark Hyman
If you’re not familiar with Ben Greenfield, he’s one of the more well-known “biohackers” who’s always experimenting on himself (he’s famous for injecting stem cells into his dick to make it bigger).
Ben and Mark cover a lot in this podcast, including tips for better sleep, nutrition, longevity, and more.
But the recommendation that stood out for me was a variety of tea that I hadn’t heard of before.
Pau D’arco bark tea - Get it here
This recommendation came up during a discussion about NAD (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide).
NAD (in layman’s terms) is a molecule that supports cellular function in a number of important ways, such as keeping our DNA healthy, converting food into usable energy, and regulating our sleep/wake cycles.
It’s been getting a lot of attention lately as a “bio hack” for longevity.
During an in-depth conversation about NAD, Ben says:
“There are certain teas like Pau D’arco bark tea, which has these compounds called beta-lapachones in it, which are wonderful for increasing your NAD levels.”
Might be worth checking out?
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Youtube
3. Laird Hamilton on Living 4D with Paul Chek
Laird and Paul spend a good chunk of this episode talking about fear.
Given Laird’s big wave surfing exploits, I’d say he knows a thing or two about the subject.
Laird says that fear - or harnessing fear’s energy - “induces genius”.
"If you're exposed to fear ... I think that's where all the learning comes from, that's where all the knowledge comes from... I think that's where genius comes from."
During the conversation he recommends a book that I hadn’t heard of before.
The Art of Fear: Why Conquering Fear Won't Work and What to Do Instead by Kristen Ulmer - Get it here
I like recommendations like this from people who are authorities on the subject, because it mean’s the book’s stood up to scrutiny.
Also… it’s not the same old shit that everyone recommends.
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts
4. Joe Rogan on The Joe Rogan Experience feat. Jocko Willink
Joe and Jocko are talking about Brazilian jiu jitsu and, naturally, they land on the topic of necks (you know, chokes and all that).
“Very few guys strengthen their neck correctly,” Joe says.
“I don’t think you can get away with not strengthening your neck for very long.”
Joe says his favorite submission is the head and arm choke, which puts a lot of strain on the neck.
“That’s why I’m such fan of that Iron Neck.”
Iron Neck - Get it here
"I do it every fucken day, man. It's awesome,” Joe says.
So what the heck’s the Iron Neck?
It’s this medieval looking contraption that you attach to your head and use to strengthen your neck.
If you do jiu jitsu, or any kind of martial art, or you just want a thick muscly neck (???), you might want to check it out.
Jocko uses it, too, and that guy’s a beast. ‘Nuff said.
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Youtube
5. Tucker Max on Noah Kagan Presents
I didn’t really want to include another book, but this one cracked me up.
Why?
Because Tucker starts by shitting all over the author before recommending another of his books.
Long story short, Noah’s thinking about writing a book and Tucker says:
“The problem with writing a book is not information, it's always fear.”
Noah says he is afraid and asks Tucker how to go about exploring that fear.
He mentions that he’s currently reading The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer.
Tucker rips the shit out of Singer's most famous book, The Untethered Soul.
"I hated The Untethered Soul... this book is garbage. GARBAGE! I'm being extreme but I couldn't stand that book."
BUT... Tucker says The Surrender Experiment, Singer's memoir, is “amazing”.
It's basically The Untethered Soul in memoir form.
“I read that and *makes orgasm sound*”
The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life’s Perfection by Michael Singer - Get it here
I’ve read The Untethered Soul and found it be wishy washy - like b-grade Eckhart Tolle.
But now I’m curious to check out The Surrender Experiment.
What about you?
Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Youtube
There you have it, folks. The very first edition of PodRecs.
As always, thanks for reading. If you have any suggestions for how to make this better and more reader friendly, please leave a comment or email me at podrecs.contact@gmail.com
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