Wiser Than Yesterday: Educational Book Reviews and Summaries – Details, episodes & analysis
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Wiser Than Yesterday: Educational Book Reviews and Summaries
Book Nerds Sam Harris & Nicolas Vereecke
Frequency: 1 episode/26d. Total Eps: 84

Wiser than Yesterday hosts open-ended discussions, breakdowns, and summaries of the world's most thought-provoking and inspiring books.
Our hosts, Nicolas Vereecke and Sam Harris digest non-fiction books from all centuries and genres. They discuss the biggest philosophical insights and practical lessons for health, wealth, wisdom, and happiness.
This podcast is here to help listeners become smarter. To learn about new ideas and to gain more perspectives on the books and ideas they are familiar with.
Each season we tackle a new field and read the best books on a given topic such as racism, startups, stoicism, or personal finance. We cast a wide net to summarise all sides of opinions in an area to come to a wider understanding of the topic at large as well as help listeners navigate the different opinions and ideas they haven't heard of.
We dive into topics such as philosophy, business, equality, psychology, politics, economics, and who knows what else. Our goal is to simply explore the best ideas and learn new things. You're most welcome to join us for the ride.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Recent rankings
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Apple Podcasts
🇫🇷 France - books
14/03/2026#92🇨🇦 Canada - books
06/01/2025#95
Spotify
No recent rankings available
Shared links between episodes and podcasts
Links found in episode descriptions and other podcasts that share them.
See all- https://podvine.com/privacy-policy
71 shares
- https://www.changetheworldpod.com/
68 shares
RSS feed quality and score
Technical evaluation of the podcast's RSS feed quality and structure.
See allScore global : 69%
Publication history
Monthly episode publishing history over the past years.
No Offence, But... by Gina Martin
Season 9 · Episode 9
mercredi 6 mars 2024 • Duration 44:09
How to have difficult conversations, for meaningful change.
We break down Gina Martin's book addressing how to navigate some of the worst conversation-stoppers and poor thinking in our culture today.
It also features chapters from other widely recognized speakers on the topics of equality and diversity.
Labeled as "An empowering guide to navigating difficult conversations from climate naysayers to the #notallmen brigade, featuring chapters from brilliant writers and activists like Cathy Reay, Ben Hurst, Salma El-Wardany, and many others."
Gina Martin is a gender equality activist, speaker, and writer whose work focuses on gender, misogyny, and sexual violence. She is a proud ambassador for UN Women UK and Beyond Equality.
We had conflicting opinions on the book that you'll have to listen to find out more.
- - -
Wiser Than Yesterday
Nico and Sam set out to read the world's best books, from philosophy to sci-fi, economics to who knows what.
Sam Webster Harris
👋 LinkedIn - Sam Harris
🧠 Psychology Pod - Growth Mindset Psychology
🚀 New Pod - How to Change the World
Nicolas Vereecke
👋 LinkedIn - Nico Vereecke
🤖 AI world domination - Evil Plan Inc
- - -
How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation
Available on all podcast players:
- SPOTIFY - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT
- APPLE - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
- YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast
Can't find it on your player?
- - -
Chapters
01:00 - Conversation Stoppers in Social Justice Topics
02:00 - Who is this for?
03:00 - Chapters analysis
05:00 - Personal stories causing difficult conversations
10:00 - Boys will be boys and other problematic phrases
15:00 - Identity Politics, Privilege, and Empathy in Conversations
20:00 - Patriarchy and Systemic Issues
30:00 - Reflecting on Personal and Societal Change
35:00 - Conclusions
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Signal and The Noise - Nate Silver
Season 9 · Episode 8
vendredi 2 février 2024 • Duration 35:44
Making good predictions is tough. We think we know more than we do and let emotions and biases creep in. How do some forecasters beat the odds? Our hosts, Nico and Sam, chat about the book "The Signal and the Noise" by Nate Silver exploring why predictions fail and uncovering practical insights.
A little statistical training can go a long way! We geek out on Bayes' Theorem, discuss why poker develops useful reasoning skills, and tackle investing decisions using probabilities. Improving predictions requires tracking your results and having the courage to map what you don't know.
We dissect Signal versus noise in forecasting explained and Understanding data prediction with Nate Silver, offering an analytical perspective on how to distinguish meaningful patterns from mere noise.
If you want to enhance your critical thinking abilities and decision-making under uncertainty, tune in! We promise no boring academic lectures - just practical tips served with our signature blend of intellectual curiosity and humor.
- - -
Wiser Than Yesterday
Nico and Sam set out to read the world's best books, from philosophy to sci-fi, economics to who knows what.
Sam Webster Harris
👋 LinkedIn - Sam Harris
🧠 Psychology Pod - Growth Mindset Psychology
🚀 New Pod - How to Change the World
Nicolas Vereecke
👋 LinkedIn - Nico Vereecke
🤖 AI world domination - Evil Plan Inc
- - -
How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation
Available on all podcast players:
- SPOTIFY - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT
- APPLE - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
- YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast
- - -
Chapters
00:00 The Signal and The Noise
02:25 Moneyball - Importance of prediction
05:50 Poker as a Prediction Game
07:44 Base Theorem
11:57 Using poker to illustrate Bayes' theorem
15:53 Frequent feedback improves forecast skill
21:14 Overfitting - The problem of limited data and latching onto false patterns
23:23 Europe's healthcare system vs. USA
27:31 Improving prediction framework and minimising mistakes
29:15 Nico's company
33:10 Ratings & Reflection
35:16 Send off
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Body Keeps the score
Season 8
lundi 16 janvier 2023 • Duration 24:23
Body Keeps the score is a book that you keep hearing about especially as mental health and trauma become more and more relevant.
Bessel Van Der Kock explains what we experience in the brain, mind and body whilst healing from trauma.
Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Even if you haven't experienced trauma yourself it is useful to understand its effects on others and how you interact with society.
- - -
Wiser Than Yesterday
Nico and Sam set out to read the world's best books, from philosophy to sci-fi, economics to who knows what.
Sam Webster Harris
👋 LinkedIn - Sam Harris
🧠 Psychology Pod - Growth Mindset Psychology
🚀 New Pod - How to Change the World
Nicolas Vereecke
👋 LinkedIn - Nico Vereecke
🤖 AI world domination - Evil Plan Inc
- - -
How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation
Available on all podcast players:
- SPOTIFY - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT
- APPLE - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
- YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast
- - -
Chapters
- 00:00 - Intro
- 00:30 - Trauma happens a lot
- 02:40 - Generation gap approach to mental health
- 03:55 - Who would like this book
- 07:30 - How the book relates to us
- 09:55 - The most important thing for mental health
- 12:45 - EMDR therapy
- 15:11 - BEnefits of Yoga and rhythmic activities
- 17:20 - What reviews say
- 19:00 - Prescriptions vs physical and mental healing
- 20:35 - Social media problems
- 22:22 - our ratings of Body Keeps the Score
- 23:47 - outro and How to change your mind
Don't Forget to leave a comment on this episode
See podvine.com/privacy-policy for podcast listener privacy info.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We're back - A quick update
Season 8
jeudi 12 janvier 2023 • Duration 05:48
We had a long hiatus since the summer of 2022. The mind series rather dragged and we realised we needed to sort out a better system for things.
We also had a few big life updates as Sam went on a long cycling trip and Nico's job became a little overwhelming along with launching his own podcast on the Future of Gaming.
Back on track with a schedule and if you're intrigued you can hear about some of Sam's world-record ideas and Nico's gaming obsessions here.
Wiser Than Yesterday
Nico and Sam set out to read the world's best books, from philosophy to sci-fi, economics to who knows what.
Sam Webster Harris
👋 LinkedIn - Sam Harris
🧠 Psychology Pod - Growth Mindset Psychology
🚀 New Pod - How to Change the World
Nicolas Vereecke
👋 LinkedIn - Nico Vereecke
🤖 AI world domination - Evil Plan Inc
- - -
How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation
Available on all podcast players:
- SPOTIFY - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT
- APPLE - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
- YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast
Can't find it on your player?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
NEURODIVERSITY: The Man Who Mistook His Wife and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks
Season 8
mercredi 11 mai 2022 • Duration 31:24
In this book, neurologist Oliver Sacks, describes the case histories of some of his patients. Sacks chose the title of the book from the case study of one of his patients who has visual agnosia, a neurological condition that leaves him unable to recognize faces and objects. Sacks wrote the stories of 24 patients and their neurological conditions which was split into four sections – ‘Losses’, ‘Excesses’, ‘Transports’, and ‘The World of the Simple’ each dealing with a particular aspect of brain function
Host rating for 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat'
Nico
Rating: 3/10
Sam
Rating: 6/10
Wiser Than Yesterday
Nico and Sam set out to read the world's best books, from philosophy to sci-fi, economics to who knows what.
Sam Webster Harris
👋 LinkedIn - Sam Harris
🧠 Psychology Pod - Growth Mindset Psychology
🚀 New Pod - How to Change the World
Nicolas Vereecke
👋 LinkedIn - Nico Vereecke
🤖 AI world domination - Evil Plan Inc
- - -
How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation
Available on all podcast players:
- SPOTIFY - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT
- APPLE - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
- YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast
Can't find it on your player?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
NEURODIVERSITY - PSYCHOPATHS: The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success by Kevin Dutton
Season 8
mercredi 6 avril 2022 • Duration 27:29
The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success
In this engrossing journey into the lives of psychopaths and their infamously crafty behaviors, the renowned psychologist Kevin Dutton reveals that there is a scale of "madness" along which we all sit. Incorporating the latest advances in brain scanning and neuroscience, Dutton demonstrates that the brilliant neurosurgeon who lacks empathy has more in common with a Ted Bundy who kills for pleasure than we may wish to admit, and that a mugger in a dimly lit parking lot may well, in fact, have the same nerveless poise as a titan of industry.
Dutton argues that there are indeed "functional psychopaths" among us―different from their murderous counterparts―who use their detached, unflinching, and charismatic personalities to succeed in mainstream society, and that shockingly, in some fields, the more "psychopathic" people are, the more likely they are to succeed. Dutton deconstructs this often misunderstood diagnosis through bold on-the-ground reporting and original scientific research as he mingles with the criminally insane in a high-security ward, to discover firsthand exactly how it feels to see through the eyes of a psychopath.
Host rating for 'The Wisdom of Psychopaths'
Nico
Rating: 5/10
Sam
Rating: 7/10
Wiser Than Yesterday
Nico and Sam set out to read the world's best books, from philosophy to sci-fi, economics to who knows what.
Sam Webster Harris
👋 LinkedIn - Sam Harris
🧠 Psychology Pod - Growth Mindset Psychology
🚀 New Pod - How to Change the World
Nicolas Vereecke
👋 LinkedIn - Nico Vereecke
🤖 AI world domination - Evil Plan Inc
- - -
How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation
Available on all podcast players:
- SPOTIFY - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT
- APPLE - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
- YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast
Can't find it on your player?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
NEURODIVERSITY - AUTISM: NeuroTribes; The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity by Steve Silberman
Season 8
mercredi 23 mars 2022 • Duration 29:55
NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity
By Steve Silberman
What is autism? A lifelong disability, or a naturally occurring form of cognitive difference akin to certain forms of genius? In truth, it is all of these things and more—and the future of our society depends on our understanding it. Wired reporter Steve Silberman unearths the secret history of autism, long suppressed by the same clinicians who became famous for discovering it, and finds surprising answers to the crucial question of why the number of diagnoses has soared in recent years. Going back to the earliest days of autism research, Silberman offers a gripping narrative of Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger, the research pioneers who defined the scope of autism in profoundly different ways; he then goes on to explore the game-changing concept of neurodiversity. NeuroTribes considers the idea that neurological differences such as autism, dyslexia, and ADHD are not errors of nature or products of the toxic modern world, but the result of natural variations in the human genome. This groundbreaking book will reshape our understanding of the history, meaning, function, and implications of neurodiversity in our world.
Wiser Than Yesterday
Nico and Sam set out to read the world's best books, from philosophy to sci-fi, economics to who knows what.
Sam Webster Harris
👋 LinkedIn - Sam Harris
🧠 Psychology Pod - Growth Mindset Psychology
🚀 New Pod - How to Change the World
Nicolas Vereecke
👋 LinkedIn - Nico Vereecke
🤖 AI world domination - Evil Plan Inc
- - -
How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation
Available on all podcast players:
- SPOTIFY - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT
- APPLE - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
- YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast
Can't find it on your player?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
NEURODIVERSITY - ADHD: Faster Than Normal: Turbocharge Your Focus, Productivity, and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD Brain by Peter Shankman
Season 8
mercredi 2 mars 2022 • Duration 38:47
Faster Than Normal: Turbocharge Your Focus, Productivity, and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD Brain By Peter Shankman
In Faster Than Normal, Shankman shares his hard-won insights and daily hacks for making ADHD a secret weapon for living a full and deeply satisfying life. Both inspiring and practical, the book presents life rules, best practices, and simple but powerful ways to: Harness your creative energy to generate and execute your idea.
Direct your hyperfocus to get things done Identify your pitfalls--and avoid them Streamline your daily routine to eliminate distractions Use apps and other tech innovations to free up your time and ener Filled with ingenious hacks and supportive self-care advice, this is the positive, practical book the ADHD community has long needed - and is also an invaluable handbook for anyone who's sick of feeling overwhelmed and wants to drive their faster-than-normal brain at maximum speed...without crashing.
Takeaways
Focus on changing your brain chemistry first thing each day by doing an exercise. Eliminate choice wherever possible. The less time you have to spend on creating decisions, the more time you can spend on things that matter. Having an adequate sleep and eating well has a huge impact.
Wiser Than Yesterday
Nico and Sam set out to read the world's best books, from philosophy to sci-fi, economics to who knows what.
Sam Webster Harris
👋 LinkedIn - Sam Harris
🧠 Psychology Pod - Growth Mindset Psychology
🚀 New Pod - How to Change the World
Nicolas Vereecke
👋 LinkedIn - Nico Vereecke
🤖 AI world domination - Evil Plan Inc
- - -
How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation
Available on all podcast players:
- SPOTIFY - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT
- APPLE - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
- YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast
Can't find it on your player?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Investing Recap
Season 7
mercredi 16 février 2022 • Duration 41:20
Thoughts and Learnings in Investing Everyone should be thinking about investing. Every money decision you make is an investment decision. All investments are broadly equal on the risk/reward spectrum. Only actively make investment decisions when you have an edge. Your investment strategy will depend on your situation (your age, tolerance for downturns, goals, etc.) Compounding is key in investing and in life Downturns are the price you pay for being invested. Think positive-sum (put your money in positive-sum industries) - shorting!
Nico's Top 3
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness (https://www.wiserpod.com/2022-the-almanack-of-naval-ravikant) The Psychology of Money (https://www.wiserpod.com/2021-the-psychology-of-money) The Education of a Value Investor: My Transformative Quest for Wealth, Wisdom, and Enlightenment (https://www.wiserpod.com/2021-the-education-of-a-value-investor) and The Bitcoin Standard: The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking (https://www.wiserpod.com/2021-the-bitcoin-standard)
Sam's Top 3
The Psychology of Money (https://www.wiserpod.com/2021-the-psychology-of-money) The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness (https://www.wiserpod.com/2022-the-almanack-of-naval-ravikant) Talking To My Daughter About The Economy (https://www.wiserpod.com/2021-talking-to-my-daughter-about-the-economy)
Wiser Than Yesterday
Nico and Sam set out to read the world's best books, from philosophy to sci-fi, economics to who knows what.
Sam Webster Harris
👋 LinkedIn - Sam Harris
🧠 Psychology Pod - Growth Mindset Psychology
🚀 New Pod - How to Change the World
Nicolas Vereecke
👋 LinkedIn - Nico Vereecke
🤖 AI world domination - Evil Plan Inc
- - -
How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation
Available on all podcast players:
- SPOTIFY - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT
- APPLE - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
- YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Investing: Art of the Deal: Contemporary Art in a Global Financial Market by Noah Horowitz
Season 7
mercredi 2 février 2022 • Duration 35:33
Art of the Deal: Contemporary Art in a Global Financial Market By Noah Horowitz Art today is defined by its relationship to money as never before. Prices of living artists' works have been driven to unprecedented heights, conventional boundaries within the art world have collapsed, and artists now think ever more strategically about how to advance their careers. Artists no longer simply make art, but package, sell, and brand it. Noah Horowitz exposes the inner workings of the contemporary art market, explaining how this unique economy came to be, how it works, and where it's headed. He takes a unique look at the globalization of the art world and the changing face of the business, offering the clearest analysis yet of how investors speculate in the market and how emerging art forms such as video and installation have been drawn into the commercial sphere. Takeaways Art has the potential to be an important as a stored value. But there are problems with the current market such as: * Hard/expensive to verify authenticity * Expensive to store/handle/transact * Illiquid market * Difficult price discovery * Artist does not profit from secondary sales
Wiser Than Yesterday
Nico and Sam set out to read the world's best books, from philosophy to sci-fi, economics to who knows what.
Sam Webster Harris
👋 LinkedIn - Sam Harris
🧠 Psychology Pod - Growth Mindset Psychology
🚀 New Pod - How to Change the World
Nicolas Vereecke
👋 LinkedIn - Nico Vereecke
🤖 AI world domination - Evil Plan Inc
- - -
How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation
Available on all podcast players:
- SPOTIFY - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT
- APPLE - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649
- YOUTUBE - https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast
Can't find it on your player?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.









