Dive into the complete episode list for Bookworm. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Title
Pub. Date
Duration
237: Toxic Grit by Amanda Goetz
05 Dec 2025
01:47:58
For years, we’ve been told the answer to burnout is better balance. Today’s author promises to show us a better way. Join Mike and Cory as they examine an alternative approach to ambition.
Today’s author promises to teach us how to listen more than we talk, to think with nuance, to ruthlessly question our own beliefs, and to develop a method of self-education. Join Mike & Cory as they consider the virtue on which all other virtues depend.
Today’s author promises to help us identify what’s essential for our growth and eliminate all the distractions that tend to bog us down. Join Mike & Cory as they attempt to navigate the chaos of information overload.
Today’s author condenses two decades worth of research into a comprehensive guide for mapping meaningful connections. Join Joe & Mike as they consider emotions and explore the language of human experience.
Systems are all around us. Many of the problems we face every day (big & small) are simply systems failures. Today’s author attempts to help us develop the systems-thinking skills we need to avoid confusion find more effective solutions.
Nobody needs telling there isn’t enough time. Today’s author encourages us to reject the idea of getting everything done by recognizing our time on earth is short. Join Joe & Mike as they embark on a journey to embrace their own finitude.
134: Self Control – It’s Kingship and Majesty by William George Jordan
10 Dec 2021
01:38:38
What can we learn about productivity from a book written over 100 years ago? Turns out, quite a lot. Join Joe & Mike as they examine the oldest Bookworm book yet.
Today’s author promises to help change overthinking from a super problem into a superpower. Join Joe & Mike as they attempt to change their thoughts as they DJ their own mental soundtracks.
If you’re trying to live a remarkable life, today’s author argues that “follow your passion” is terrible advice. Join Joe & Mike as they consider the craftsman mindset in an effort to collect their own career capital.
Do you yearn for freedom from the constant reactivity? Today’s author promises to show us how to reclaim time for thinking and make room for what truly matters. Join Joe & Mike as they fight their own battles against busyness.
Today’s author promises to show us how to conquer our fear and practice courage in our daily lives. Join Joe & Mike as they wrestle with what it means to live a heroic, courageous life.
Today’s author teaches us how to employ a host of “extra-neural” resources — the feelings and movements of our bodies, the physical spaces in which we learn and work, and the minds of those around us — to focus more intently, comprehend more deeply, and create more imaginatively. Join Joe & Mike as they attempt to extend their own minds and think outside their brains.
Today’s author takes us on a tour of daily rituals from inspired novelists, poets, playwrights, painters, philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians to describe how they live and work. Join Joe & Mike as they consider their own routines in an effort to become just a little more productive and creative.
Today’s author is a Harvard stress expert who promises to help us overcome our stress using five small but mighty mindset shifts. Join Mike & Cory as they attempt to rewire their brains and achieve balance in their battle with burnout.
Today’s author attempts to teach us to redefine our world through the power of original thinking. Join Joe & Mike as they consider the creative process in an effort to make the most of their own ideas.
Today’s author promises to help us act as our highest potential selves by extracting crucial insight from our most damaging habits, building emotional intelligence by better understanding our brains and bodies, and releasing past experiences at a cellular level. Join Joe & Mike as they embark on a journey to figure out why we as humans have such a hard time staying out of our own way.
We rely on willpower to create change in our lives… but what if we’re thinking about it all wrong? Join Joe & Mike as they consider their environments and the impact they have on their productivity.
Our beliefs form the basis of everything we say, think, and do. Modifying them can be hard, but today’s author tries to teach us how to make it easier. Join Joe & Mike as they attempt to change their minds – and their behavior.
For a long time, “procrastination” has been a four-letter in the productivity world. But today’s author attempts to turn it around by giving us five permissions in hopes of setting us free to do our best work. Join Joe & Mike as they consider yet another system designed to help clear the clutter and focus on meaningful work.
We rely on body language to connect and build trust, but that can be difficult from behind a screen. Today’s author teaches us to decode and signals and use proper cues to make that a little bit easier. Join Joe & Mike as they seek to improve their own communication skills for the digital age.
Too many workplaces are driven by cynicism, paranoia, and self-interest. But today’s author shows us how the best ones foster trust and cooperation by separating the security inside the team from the challenges outside. Join Joe & Mike as they try to expand their own circles of safety.
Procrastination is a problem we all have to deal with. But today’s author promises a comprehensive plan to help us lower our stress and increase our time to enjoy guilt-free play. Join Joe & Mike as they consider how they can eliminate anxiety brought on by their own negative habits of procrastination and perfectionism.
High-achievers have been conditioned to believe that the path to success is paved with relentless work. But today’s author challenges us to stop pushing harder and find an easier path. Join Joe & Mike as they embark on a journey to make their most essential activities the easiest ones.
Tired of playing Whac-a-Mole with todo lists that never seem to get any shorter? Today’s author says the real problem is our broken systems that consistently produce frustrating results. Join Joe & Mike as they embark on a journey to change their perspective and apply the systems mindset to their own lives.
Today’s author promises to teach us how to stop wasting energy on what we can’t control and start focusing on what truly matters. Join Mike & Cory as they embark on a journey to discover how much power they truly have.
Most of us favor the comfort of conviction and avoid the discomfort of doubt. But today’s author invites us to let go of our firmly held beliefs and open up our minds through the process of unlearning rethinking. Join Joe & Mike as they embrace their own limitations and discover the joy in being wrong.
Goodbye awkward silence, hello conversational agility! Today’s author promises to teach you how to think quickly on your feet, be incredibly smooth, funny, and clever – all at once. Join Joe & Mike as they embark on their journey to discover the art, nuance, and mechanics of banter and charm.
The modern knowledge worker is engaged in a constant battle against the hyperactive hive mind. While we’ve become so accustomed to an inbox-driven workday that it’s hard to imagine alternatives, today’s author argues that they do in fact exist. Join Joe & Mike as they consider the possibility of a future without email.
Even great decisions don’t always yield the best outcomes every time. Today’s author (and former World Series of Poker champion turned business consultant) teaches us how to make better decisions by embracing the element of luck and simply considering the odds.
113: The Great Mental Models Volume 1 by Rhiannon Beaubien and Shane Parrish
19 Feb 2021
01:39:14
Mental models can help you make better decisions by changing how you see the world. In today’s book, Joe & Mike take a look at nine of the most versatile all-purpose mental models in an effort to make better decisions by seeing things more clearly.
Writing is hard. But today’s author promises that if you take a weekend and set up the proper system, it can be made a lot easier. Join Joe & Mike as they consider what it means to be an organised writer.
Many books promise to help you overcome obstacles and reach your goals. But it’s still up to you to take action – which is why they often don’t work. Today’s drill sergeant (er, author) put the the blame and power where it belongs – on you. Join & Mike as they report to boot camp in an effort to develop discipline, and ultimately, freedom.
110: Lead Yourself First by Raymond Kethledge & Michael Erwin
08 Jan 2021
01:37:43
Throughout history, leaders have used solitude to make better decisions. Today’s book shares firsthand historical accounts in an effort to show how solitude can help gain clarity, spur creativity, sustain emotional balance, and generate moral courage for when it matters most. Join Joe & Mike as they explore the topic of solitude and all of its leadership benefits.
How we socialize has changed significantly. Today’s author has studied American social behavior over the decades, and shows how our shrinking social captial poses a serious threat to our civic and personal health. Join Joe & Mike as they consider the ways in which we connect, the role of technology, and how we can build community effectively – even in the midst of a global pandemic.
Creating can be hard. But a consistent practice can make it easier. Today’s author insists that writer’s block is a myth, that consistency is far more important than authenticity, and that experiencing the imposter syndrome is a sign that you’re a well-adjusted human. Join Joe & Mike as they explore the creative process, getting unstuck, and finding the courage to share their own creative work.
Today’s author has worked with U.S. Military Academy Cadets, world-class athletes, and many others needing to develop the confidence needed to succeed on the world’s largest stages. Join Cory & Mike as they learn how to build, protect, and rely on the confidence needed to perform well when it matters most.
What drives us to unleash our best work? And how do we tap into that drive to get superior results? Today’s author explains how understanding our own motivational themes can help us have conversations, make decisions, and even choose better career paths. Join Joe & Mike as they attempt to understand what really makes them tick.
Today’s authors argue that our modern culture is rewiring our brains and damaging our health. But today’s book promises to give us the tools we need to think more clearly, make better decisions, strengthen bonds with others, and develop healthier habits. Join Joe & Mike as they attempt to overcome the mental hijacking that can so easily undermines each and every one of us.
The traditional idea of success means being always-on, never saying no, and outworking your peers. But what if there was another way? Today’s author shares how entrepreneurs and leaders all over the world have figured out how to shrink the workweek without cutting salaries or sacrificing productivity. Join Joe & Mike as they explore the design thinking process in an effort to redesign their workdays and create a life worth living.
Today’s author takes us on a decluttering tour of our own houses and apartments, showing us how to decide what to get rid of and what to keep. Join Joe & Mike as they attempt to transform their homes into launching pads for a more fulfilling and productive life.
If you dread answering the question “what do you do?” because you have trouble picking just one thing, you could be a multipotentialite. And you’re not alone. Today’s author says there’s nothing wrong with you if you too have difficulty picking one thing and sticking with it. Join Joe & Mike on their own multipotentialite journeys as they try to figure out what they want to be when they grow up.
In an increasingly demanding world, we’ve been told that we can do everything—maintain friendships, devote ourselves to work, spend time with family, stay fit, and get enough sleep. Today’s author encourages us to come to grips with the fact that we can’t do it all – at least not every day. Join Joe & Mike as they challenge the unrealistic burden of being balanced and learn what it means to be well-lopsided instead.
Life is negotiation. And today’s author (& former FBI hostage negotiator) teaches us how to use tactical empathy so it can help us get more of what we want out of life. Join Joe & Mike as they seek to develop their own communication skills in hopes of getting better results.
After 100 episodes, Joe & Mike go back and fix a few of the ratings that don’t seem quite right. Mike also tests Joe knowledge recall with some impromptu Bookworm trivia.
It’s time for another Patrick Lencioni leadership fable! Join Joe & Mike as they consider the responsibility of leadership, take a look at the five omissions of reward-centered leaders, and consider why they want to be leaders in the first place.
98: The Crossroads of Should and Must by Elle Luna
24 Jul 2020
01:46:31
Do you view your work as a job, a career, or a calling? Today’s author argues that the most life-affirming thing you can do is to honor the voice inside that says your have something special to give, and encourages us all to heed the call and act. Join Joe & Mike as they explore passion, purpose, and what it might look like if who you are are and what you do became one and the same.
Today’s author promises to help us understand how considering when can help us live richer, more engaged lives. Join Mike & Cory as they attempt to decipher the scientific secrets of perfect timing.
In our digital age, it’s easy to stay connected. Emails, text messages, and social media allow us to share snippets of our lives with others- without really having to look, listen, or reveal ourselves. Today’s author argues that we have lost the art of conversation, and makes the case that now, more than ever, is the time to get it back.
Do you ever find yourself reacting to something, then immediately saying something like, “I can’t believe I just did that?” It may not be your fault – at least, not entirely. Join Joe & Mike as they take a look at the triggers in their own environments and consider how to overcome them – without doing or saying something that they later regret.
More than ever, people are overwhelmed. Today’s author argues that what we really need is stillness – the ability to be steady while the world spins around you. Join Joe & Mike on their own journeys to achieve self-mastery, discipline, and focus.