Founders

Learn from history's greatest entrepreneurs. Every week I read a biography of an entrepreneur and find ideas you can use in your work. This quote explains why: "There are thousands of years of history in which lots and lots of very smart people worked very hard and ran all types of experiments on how to create new businesses, invent new technology, new ways to manage etc. They ran these experiments throughout their e

#430 How to Write Ads That Sell

Aug 2026 · 4 books

0:00 / 63:15

My Life in Advertising

Claude Hopkins

right in the preface of his autobiography which is called my life and i advertising ▶ tap to play from here

Scientific Advertising

Claude Hopkins

a book that he wrote maybe four decades before he wrote his autobiography which is called scientific advertising ▶ tap to play from here

A Mind at Play: How Claude Shannon Invented the Information Age

Jimmy Soni and Rob Goodman

what was the biography of claude channel a mind at play ▶ tap to play from here

Estée: A Success Story

Estée Lauder

and estee lauder's autobiography i think i've read three or four times ▶ tap to play from here

#429 Bob Dylan's Autobiography

Aug 2026 · 6 books

0:00 / 60:04

Chronicles: Volume One

Bob Dylan

that was an excerpt from the book that i'm going to talk to you about today which is chronicles volume one and is written by bob dylan ▶ tap to play from here

Steve Jobs

Walter Isaacson

in the biography that he worked on with walter isaacson before he was dying ▶ tap to play from here

Bound for Glory

Woody Guthrie

reads woody guthrie's autobiography bound for glory ▶ tap to play from here

The Prince

Niccolò Machiavelli

like in machiavelli's the prince there was written the spirit of the hustler ▶ tap to play from here

The Hour of Fate: Theodore Roosevelt, J.P. Morgan, and the Battle to Transform America

Candice Millard

i did an episode in the book called the hour of fate which was the rivalry then the partnership and then the back to the rivalry between uh theodore rezero and jp morgan ▶ tap to play from here

Moby-Dick

Herman Melville

the novelist herman melville's work went largely unnoticed after moby dick ▶ tap to play from here

#428 How Claude Shannon Worked

Aug 2026 · 4 books

0:00 / 51:03

A Mind at Play: How Claude Shannon Invented the Information Age

Jimmy Soni and Rob Goodman

the book that i'm gonna talk to you about today that chapter is called constructive dissatisfaction the book that i'm gonna talk to you about today is a mind at play how ▶ tap to play from here

The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation

Jon Gertner

there is a great book on this that i will eventually do an episode on it's called idea factory ▶ tap to play from here

Fortune's Formula: The Untold Story of the Scientific Betting System That Beat the Casinos and Wall Street

William Poundstone

i'm gonna read a quote uh paragraph from there uh from that book in one second too but i just want to give you an overview of why he's doing this again it just it was just another puzzle shin's interest in money resembled his other passions he was not out to accrue wealth for wealth's sake nor did he have any burning desire to own the finer things in life but money created markets and math puzzles for problems that could be analyzed and interpreted and played out so then let ▶ tap to play from here

A Man for All Markets

Edward O. Thorp

it's called a man for all markets if you want to learn more about thorpe ▶ tap to play from here

#427 How Raymond Plank Built a $50 Billion Oil Company

Aug 2026 · 2 books

0:00 / 37:55

A Small Difference

Raymond Plank

so that was from the introduction from the book i'm gonna talk about today which is a small difference and it was written by raymond plank ▶ tap to play from here

The Fish Ate the Whale

Rich Cohen

from the the biography of his is called the fish ate the whale ▶ tap to play from here

#426 How Obsession Built Christopher Nolan

Jul 2026 · 1 book

0:00 / 51:09

The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan

Tom Shone

the nolan variations the movies mysteries and marvel of christopher nolan and it's written by tom schone ▶ tap to play from here

#425 The Merchant Bankers

Jul 2026 · 3 books

0:00 / 46:04

The Merchant Bankers

Joseph Wechsberg

that is an excerpt from the book that i'm going to talk to you about today which is the merchant bankers it's written by joseph weshburg ▶ tap to play from here

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin

there there's a great line about this in uh ben franklin's uh autobiography actually he says i took care not only to be in reality industrious and frugal but to avoid all appearances to the contrary ▶ tap to play from here

The Match King: Ivar Kreuger, the Financial Genius Behind a Century of Wall Street Scandals

Frank Partnoy

on episode three forty eight i covered the biography which is called the match king evar kruger uh the financial genius behind a century of wall street scandals ▶ tap to play from here

#424 Peter Thiel on How to Build a Creative Monopoly

Jul 2026 · 8 books

0:00 / 53:58

Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future

Peter Thiel and Blake Masters

zero to one notes on startups are how to build the future and it's written by peter thiel and blake master ▶ tap to play from here

Against the Odds

James Dyson

why why'd you read james dyson's first autobiography five times ▶ tap to play from here

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness

Eric Jorgensen

i just read this uh book of elon that my friend eric jorgensen wrote ▶ tap to play from here

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Douglas Adams

elon was reading the hitchhiker's guide to galaxy and he said something that he read in that book stuck out to him ▶ tap to play from here

Anna Karenina

Leo Tolstoy

tolstoy opens anna karinina by observing all happy families are alike each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way ▶ tap to play from here

In the Company of Giants: Candid Conversations with the Visionaries of the Tech World

Rama Dev Jager and Rafael Ortiz

i i think it's episode like two oh eight or something like that ▶ tap to play from here

Return to the Little Kingdom

Michael Moritz

there's this great book that i've told you about m multiple times called the return to the little kingdom and the updated version is written by michael moore ▶ tap to play from here

The Little Kingdom: The Private Story of Apple Computer

Michael Moritz

there's this great book that i've told you about m multiple times called the return to the little kingdom and the updated version is written by michael moore ▶ tap to play from here

#423 Soichiro Honda

Jun 2026 · 4 books

0:00 / 48:19

Honda: The Man and His Machines

Sol Sanders

and so the book that i want to talk to you about today was written in nineteen seventy five and it's called honda the man and his machines and it was written by sol sanders ▶ tap to play from here

Against the Odds

James Dyson

i thought of this quote from james dyson's first autobiography where james dyson writes anyone can become an expert in anything in six months ▶ tap to play from here

Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future

Peter Thiel and Blake Masters

one of my all time favorite quotes is from the book zero to one in that book peter teal writes he says the single most powerful pattern i have noticed is that successful people find value in unexpected places ▶ tap to play from here

Steve Jobs

Walter Isaacson

i'm gonna read you read you this from steve jobs biography steve jobs again had this very similar idea with the apple two that we see that honda had with the super cub ▶ tap to play from here

#422 Joseph Pulitzer

Jun 2026 · 2 books

0:00 / 52:38

Pulitzer: A Life in Politics, Print and Power

James McGrath Morris

the one i'm going to talk about today which is pulitzer life in politics print and power and it was written by james mcgrath morris ▶ tap to play from here

Poor Charlie's Almanack

Peter Kaufman

charlie munger listed him in the book poor charlie zomanac as one of his what he thought was one of the best business operators of all time ▶ tap to play from here

#421 Jony Ive

Jun 2026

0:00 / 52:45

#420 Steve Jobs In Exile

Jun 2026 · 4 books

0:00 / 53:46

Steve Jobs in Exile: The Untold Story of NeXT and the Remaking of an American Visionary

Jeffrey Kane

there's a brand new book called steve jobs in exile the untold story of next and the remaking of an american visionary and it was written by jeffrey kane ▶ tap to play from here

Return to the Little Kingdom

Michael Moritz

this book is called the return to the little kingdom that book was primarily about the first few years of the history of apple but there's an updated version where the author michael moritz writes this ▶ tap to play from here

Creative Selection: Inside Apple's Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs

Ken Kocienda

it's called uh creative selection it's written by this guy named coscienda ▶ tap to play from here

The Sun Also Rises

Ernest Hemingway

daniel lewin pointing to a passage in ernest hemingway's novel the sun also rises that capture what everyone was witnessing ▶ tap to play from here

#419 Kelly Johnson: Skunk Works

May 2026 · 4 books

0:00 / 49:39

More Than My Share of It All

Kelly Johnson

want to read kelly johnson's autobiography which is called more than my share of it all ▶ tap to play from here

Tom Swift series

Victor Appleton

and so he actually credits a work of fiction for inspiring him down the path that he chose for his career something he does his entire life and he's reading these books on tom swift ▶ tap to play from here

Aircraft Propeller Design

Fred Weick

i reworked all the problems in fred week's classic book aircraft propeller design ▶ tap to play from here

Differential and Integral Calculus

Clyde E. Love

on another vacation i reworked every problem in doctor clyde e love's differential and integral calculus ▶ tap to play from here

#418 Phil Knight: Founder of Nike

May 2026 · 2 books

0:00 / 63:15

Bowerman and the Men of Oregon

Kenny Moore

i actually read a book there's a biography of bauerman i probably read six or seven years ago i did an episode on a long long time ago and there's a lot of fascinating stories in that book ▶ tap to play from here

Jogging

Bill Bowerman

he writes his book called jogging which again at this time this seems crazy to unite today but at this time people just did not go out for runs so this book called jogging winds up selling millions of copies ▶ tap to play from here

#417 Arnold Schwarzenegger

Apr 2026 · 4 books

0:00 / 43:43

Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder

Arnold Schwarzenegger

an excerpt from the book that i want to talk to you about today which is arnold the education of a bodybuilder ▶ tap to play from here

Arnold and Me: In the Shadow of the Austrian Oak

Barbara Outland Baker

and in the book that she wrote about her relationship with arnold she talks about how differently they looked at life ▶ tap to play from here

Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story

Arnold Schwarzenegger

it's called total recall ▶ tap to play from here

Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future

Peter Thiel and Blake Masters

peter tio was one of my all time favorite quotes it's in his book zero to one ▶ tap to play from here

#416 The Relentless Missionary Creating AGI: Demis Hassabis

Apr 2026 · 6 books

0:00 / 54:54

The Infinity Machine: How Felix Dennis and the Quest for Superintelligence

Sebastian Mallaby

this is the most crazy ferocious corporate battle that we've ever seen he said i can't imagine it being any more intense but i'm doing it my way i'm a weird british outlier on this little island here and i've made my own path i followed my passions and tried to stay true to what i believe in and i'm going to carry ▶ tap to play from here

Ender's Game

Orson Scott Card

you should read one of his favorite novels which is ender's game to understand him and there's a great overview of demis' accomplishments before he found this book part way through ▶ tap to play from here

TC

The Chess Computer Handbook

David Levy

so he discovers this book that's called the chess computer handbook it's written by this guy named david levy ▶ tap to play from here

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid

Douglas Hofstadter

the book is called goldel esher and bach and then the way the book is described in this book is says it was a fire hose of a book that inspired a remarkable number of future ai scientists ▶ tap to play from here

Foundation series

Isaac Asimov

he was reading isaac asimov's foundation series and ian banks culture series ▶ tap to play from here

Culture series

Iain M. Banks

he was reading isaac asimov's foundation series and ian banks culture series ▶ tap to play from here

#415 How Elon Thinks

Mar 2026 · 2 books

0:00 / 51:25

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness

Eric Jorgensen

he compiled all of elon's most useful ideas into the book that i'm holding in my hand which is the book of elon the subtitles elon's most useful ideas in his own words ▶ tap to play from here

The Art of War

Sun Tzu

in sun tzu's art of war there should have been a chapter saying if you have a decisive technology advantage you can win with minimal casualties to your side ▶ tap to play from here

#414 How SpaceX Works

Mar 2026

0:00 / 41:06

#413 How To Run Down A Dream

Mar 2026 · 8 books

0:00 / 31:25

Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game

Michael Lewis

the author michael lewis published the book moneyball which is a look inside the innovative approach of oakland athletics general manager billy bean ▶ tap to play from here

Means of Ascent

Robert Caro

the name eighty seven capital is from means of ascent the years of lyndon johnson by robert carrow ▶ tap to play from here

The Years of Lyndon Johnson

Robert Caro

the name eighty seven capital is from means of ascent the years of lyndon johnson by robert carrow ▶ tap to play from here

Running Down a Dream: How to Thrive in a Career You Actually Love

Bill Gurley

which is running down a dream how to thrive in a career you actually love it is written by bill gurley ▶ tap to play from here

Made in America

Sam Walton

as sam walton said in his autobiography you can make a lot of different mistakes and still recover if you run an efficient operation ▶ tap to play from here

Chronicles: Volume One

Bob Dylan

i read bob dylan's autobiography which is excellent i did an episode on it episode two fifty nine ▶ tap to play from here

Bound for Glory

Woody Guthrie

bob dylan talks about in that book that he devoured woody guthrie's biography ▶ tap to play from here

Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business

Danny Meyer

actually did an episode on danny's fantastic autobiography probably nine years ago it's uh episode twenty so danny grew up loving food loving restaurants he was a complete ▶ tap to play from here

#412 How Roger Federer Works

Feb 2026 · 6 books

0:00 / 48:40

The Master: The Long Run and the Beautiful Game of Roger Federer

Christopher Clary

this incredible book that i read about roger federer which is called the master the long run and the beautiful game of roger federer written by christopher clary ▶ tap to play from here

Open: An Autobiography

Andre Agassi

if you listen to last week's episode about andre agassi and that fantastic autobiography ▶ tap to play from here

Made in America

Sam Walton

as sam walton said in his autobiography ▶ tap to play from here

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

Ed Catmull

it's in ed capmel's autobiography called creativity inc ▶ tap to play from here

Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story

Arnold Schwarzenegger

i actually read in uh arnold schwarzenegger's biography the one that he wrote when he was in his seventies ▶ tap to play from here

The Mamba Mentality: How I Play

Kobe Bryant

kobe bryant said the exact same thing in that book that he wrote called maba mental ▶ tap to play from here

#411 Tortured Into Greatness: The Life of Andre Agassi

Feb 2026 · 6 books

0:00 / 61:18

Open: An Autobiography

Andre Agassi

that is an excerpt from the book that we talked about today which is open the autobiography of andre agassi ▶ tap to play from here

The Bible

Various Authors - Compiled by Mark T

he just happens to have read the bible a few dozen times front to back ▶ tap to play from here

Winning Ugly

Brad Gilbert

he's just written a book about tennis it's called winning ugly ▶ tap to play from here

A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis

Pete Sampras

and then toby read pete samprits' biography he said it's the complete opposite ▶ tap to play from here

Long Walk to Freedom

Nelson Mandela

and so during this time he actually gets to go to dinner with mandela and there's something that mandela says during this talk that really resonates with andre and mandela says we must all care for one another that is our task in life which mien we must be careful in our decisions careful in our relationships careful ▶ tap to play from here

The Creative Act: A Way of Being

Rick Rubin

i remember reading rick rubin's book uh like two weeks ago and he was talking about one of the most famous musicians that he was working with ▶ tap to play from here

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