📚 Books to live by + my new favourite podcast
Hi ,
The banner of this newsletter is inspired by the random things I've found marking the pages of books. Shopping lists, maps, bits of nature, train tickets, more shopping lists, and of course, post-it notes. Yesterday I found this post-it note stuffed in a book...
Â
*yes I'm wearing my gloves indoors. Insulation is non-existent in Australian houses.
This post-it note is one of the many ideas floating around the house that haven't quite made it to fruition. But it did make me re-think about this topic. Which books have I 'lived by' the most, after reading them? The top ones that spring to mind are Atomic Habits by James Clear (particularly habit pairing, and designing your environment), and I Will Teach You to be Rich by Ramit Sethi, which I still use the strategies from.
In terms of podcasts, I've definitely applied the most from Found My Fitness. I've listened to all of Rhonda's episodes about the health benefits of intermittent fasting, and have been practicing that for around five years as a result. More recently, I've been using an infrared sauna semi-regularly based on the studies shared on the podcast.
This made me curious as to which books other people have implemented the most from? Hit reply and let me know if there's a book or two that you live by (outside of any religious texts).
Special thanks to those who nominated their friends for the book giveaway in the last newsletter. The books are winging their way around the country, and I hope those who receive them are delighted.
I'm heading offline next week for my reading week (I *cannot* wait!). So in the next bookmark I'll be sharing how I approached it and what I read. If we're friends on Instagram, you help me vote on which books to take with me, later this week.
In living by books,
Steph
PS. To borrow from Austin Kleon (and everyone else who borrows this from Austin Kleon), this newsletter and the podcast are 'free but not cheap'. You can support their creation by purchasing your next book through my affiliate stores with Book Depository (global) or Bookshop (US), buying me a coffee or leaving a podcast review on the website. Thanks!
Special guest podcast
A few months ago I recorded this special episode for the $100 MBA podcast, all about getting more value from the books you read. I share four tips for reading more, and recalling more from the books you read.
The episode went live this week and I'm excited to finally share it with the world. Click on the photo to check it out, or search $100 MBA in your podcast player.
PS. if you'd like to take better book notes this year, you can enjoy a 15% discount on your very own copy of the Archley's Book of Books book journal, here^.
Ear food
I've been on a podcast binge lately, and particularly music podcasts...
🎙Podcast: 60 Songs That Explain the 90s - My new new favourite podcast (I know, I say that every fortnight about a new podcast... but for real this time). In this podcast, music journalist Rob Harvilla shares music history, behind the scenes drama, and insider knowledge about different songs that defined that decade. I *love* it. (Listen)
🎙Podcast: Philisophize This - This came from a recommendation by a speaker at a conference. It's not one for a 'light' listen, or for background entertainment whilst you're cooking, but if you've got time and brain capacity for some deeper thinking, it's a thoughtful and thought-provoking listen. I've found the episodes about a specific school of philosophy quite useful for someone with zero knowledge on the subject. (Listen)
🎵 Music: Pink Noise by Laura Mvula - To me, Laura Mvula sounds like London. That's mostly because I listened to her 2013 album, Sing to the Moon, relentlessly whilst commuting from Caterham to London Bridge that same year. (Note: Laura is actually from Birmingham). So I was very pleased to see her release a new album, which came out just a couple of weeks ago. It's still full of her rich voice and exceptional range, but with a slightly more electronic sound. I especially like the gnarly bass on the second track, Conditional, and enjoyed hearing Simon Neil (from one of my favourite bands, Biffy Clyro) on the song What Matters. (Listen)
Â
Meanwhile, on the bookshelf
Recent Steph's Business Bookshelf podcast episodes, in case you missed them...
*Rebroadcast* A Promised Land by Barack Obama
(Listen)
Best books of 2021 (so far) part 2
(Listen)