The Podcast Reading List

Many of these podcast feature writers as their guests, or their guests mention books that were influential in their thinking. This is my attempt at documenting these books so that I might be able to pick them up later if a guest was impressive.

Lex Fridman Podcast

Lex Fridman is an AI researcher at MIT who does “Joe Rogan” style long form interviews.

#112: Ian Hutchinson: Nuclear Fusion, Plasma Physics, and Religion

Ian Hutchinson is a nuclear physicist mainly interested in nuclear fusion, tokomaks, generating power, etc. He is also a Christian and in this episode him and Lex get pretty deep in to the philosophical realm. Kind of refreshing to hear from someone who has a positive association with religion on these kinds of podcasts.

  • Monopolizing Knowledge by Ian Hutchinson
  • The Emperor’s New Mind by Roger Penrose

#102: Steven Pressfield: The war of Art

Steven Pressfield is well known for his war themed historical fiction. He also writes about writing itself, and the War of Art almost sounds like a self help book for writers.

  • The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
  • The Lion’s Gate by Steven Pressfield

#82: William MacAskill: Effective Altruism

William MacAskill is one of the founders of effective altruism - the application of logic and reasoning to maximize the effects of altruism. In other words, it’s a study of how to most effectively help others.

  • Doing Good Better: How Effective Altruism Can Help You Help Others, Do Work that Matters, and Make Smarter Choices about Giving Back by William MacAskill
  • Animal Liberation, The Most Good You Can Do by Peter Singer