A Need To Read

#169 Stoicism in practise, with Ben Aldridge

I had a great chat with Ben Aldridge, the author of both How To Be Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable, and How To Control The Uncontrollable. Ben's most recent book How To Control The Uncontrollable is a practical guide to Stoicism and how to bring it into your daily life.
 
We chatted about; combining fear and play, Ben’s favorite Stoic, how he got over himself, voluntary discomfort, the misconceptions about Stoicism, how to do negative visualization, how to become more grateful for the people you love, Sam Harris’ app Waking Up, Taoism and Buddhism, and Stoicism's use in parenting,
 
You can find everything for Ben on his website: https://www.benaldridge.com/ 
 
Support
 
The best thing you can do is share the podcast with a friend, or sign up for my new weekly newsletter. You can also see my older newsletters with this link.
 
If you want to learn to understand your behavior or emotions with the help of a professional you can get 10% off your first month of therapy by heading to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread from there you’ll just need to run through a 5-minute questionnaire and you’ll be matched with a therapist within 48 hours.
 
You can get an additional 5 free travel packs and a year's supply of Vitamin D3 with your Athletic Greens subscription at www.athleticgreens.com/aneedtoread 
 
I am reachable here: www.aneedtoread.co.uk/contact 
 

#168 #ManBox, Feminism and The Patriarchy with the Nice-Ish-Psychologist

 
I spoke with Dan, the man behind the Nice-Ish-Psychologist Instagram and Twitter accounts, and the Nice-ish Ramblings podcast. He is a HCPC registered Forensic and Clinical Psychologist, and uses his spare time to educate people on the internet about issues relating to masculinity, sexual violence against women, gender, and sometimes how all these aspects of society and culture interlink.
 
In the podcast we discuss; Masculinity and the ManBox culture, #Notallmen, How to speak about gender, Religion’s role in the patriarchy, the patriarchy in the government, Women in government, and how to be an ally.
 
Content discussed
 
Man Box Ted Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/tony_porter_a_call_to_men?language=en 
Invisible Women by Carolina Criado Perez 
Is Masculinity Toxic by Andrew Smiler 
Laura Bates's books
 
 
Support
 
The best thing you can do is share the podcast with a friend, or sign up for my new weekly newsletter. You can also see my older newsletters with this link.
 
If you want to learn to understand your behavior or emotions with the help of a professional you can get 10% off your first month of therapy by heading to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread from there you’ll just need to run through a 5-minute questionnaire and you’ll be matched with a therapist within 48 hours.
 
You can get an additional 5 free travel packs and a year's supply of Vitamin D3 with your Athletic Greens subscription at www.athleticgreens.com/aneedtoread 
 
I am reachable here: www.aneedtoread.co.uk/contact 

#167 Lies that shaped history with Otto English (Author of Fake History)

In this episode I’m joined by Otto English — he’s a journalist who writes for; Politico, The Byline Times, and The Independent, among other publications. We talk about his new book Fake History, which looks to dispel some of the myths we are taught about historical figures and events. In the podcast we chat about; Churchill, Nationalism and Fake History, What really happened at Dunkirk, Boris Johnson, Whether we should be wary of China (or feel bad for doing so), and much more!
 
More from Otto can be found on Twitter @Otto_English 
 
Support
 
The best thing you can do is share the podcast with a friend, or sign up for my new weekly newsletter.
 
If you want to learn to understand your behavior or emotions with the help of a professional you can get 10% off your first month of therapy by heading to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread from there you’ll just need to run through a 5-minute questionnaire and you’ll be matched with a therapist within 48 hours.
 
You can get an additional 5 free travel packs and a year's supply of Vitamin D3 with your Athletic Greens subscription at www.athleticgreens.com/aneedtoread 
 
I am reachable here: www.aneedtoread.co.uk/contact 

#166 How Proust can change your life

In this meta-episode, I review Alain de Botton's review of Marcel Proust's life and work. Marcel Proust is one of the 20th Century's most influential authors and his In Search Of Lost Time spanned 7 volumes on love, art, time, and memory. His personal life is also on display in this book as Alain de Botton asks what Proust can teach us about; loving life, expressing emotions, suffering, reading, being a good friend, and how to be happy in love. 
 
Support
 
The best thing you can do is share the podcast with a friend, or sign up for my new weekly newsletter.
 
If you want to learn to understand your behavior or emotions with the help of a professional you can get 10% off your first month of therapy by heading to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread from there you’ll just need to run through a 5-minute questionnaire and you’ll be matched with a therapist within 48 hours.
 
You can get an additional 5 free travel packs and a year's supply of Vitamin D3 with your Athletic Greens subscription at www.athleticgreens.com/aneedtoread 
 
I am reachable here: www.aneedtoread.co.uk/contact 

#165 Behaviour change with Tiny Habits

This episode is a review/summary of BJ Fogg's best-selling book, Tiny Habits. In the podcast I discuss; the proven methods of behaviour change that BJ covers in his book, how to approach behaviour change, when to quit, how to make habit formation easy, and how to stick at it. 
 
Find the B MAP method here: https://behaviormodel.org/
 
Support
 
The best thing you can do is share the podcast with a friend, or sign up for my new weekly newsletter.
 
THIS PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY BETTERHELP: If you want to learn to understand your behavior or emotions with the help of a professional you can get 10% off your first month of therapy by heading to my sponsor www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread from there you’ll just need to run through a 5-minute questionnaire and you’ll be matched with a therapist within a few days.
 
You can get an additional 5 free travel packs and a year's supply of Vitamin D3 with your Athletic Greens subscription at www.athleticgreens.com/aneedtoread 
 
I am reachable here: www.aneedtoread.co.uk/contact 
 
 

#164 Hygge: The Danish philosophy of happiness and coziness

I went to Copenhagen for the weekend and found out about Hygge. Hygge is the Danish art of happiness and coziness, it's a philosophy that encourages connection, simplicity and mindfulness.
 
I read a book on the topic and spoke to some Danish people, this podcast is a collection of my thoughts on Hygge. 
 
Books mentioned
Hygge by Barbara Hayden
The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking
 
Support
 
The best thing you can do is share the podcast with a friend, or sign up for my new weekly newsletter.
 
If you want to learn to understand your behavior or emotions with the help of a professional you can get 10% off your first month of therapy by heading to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread from there you’ll just need to run through a 5-minute questionnaire and you’ll be matched with a therapist within 48 hours.
 
You can get an additional 5 free travel packs and a year's supply of Vitamin D3 with your Athletic Greens subscription at www.athleticgreens.com/aneedtoread 
 
I am reachable here: www.aneedtoread.co.uk/contact 
 
 
 

#163 From the Kardashians to Alain de Botton, with Daisy Harris-Burland and Harriet Bradley

I’m joined by Daisy Harris-Burland and Harriet Bradley for a casual conversation about everything from books we've loved to the Kardashians. 
 
Get your bookmarks from: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TheBookmarkBoys?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=795580183
 
Some of the books discussed were; 
How to think more about sex, Essays in Love, How Proust Can Change Your Life, and The School of life, all by Alain de Botton
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara 
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov 
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides 
Catcher In The Rye by J. D. Salinger 
 
Support
 
The best thing you can do is share the podcast with a friend, or sign up for my new weekly newsletter.
 
If you want to learn to understand your behavior or emotions with the help of a professional you can get 10% off your first month of therapy by heading to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread from there you’ll just need to run through a 5-minute questionnaire and you’ll be matched with a therapist within 48 hours.
 
You can get an additional 5 free travel packs and a year's supply of Vitamin D3 with your Athletic Greens subscription at www.athleticgreens.com/aneedtoread 
 
I am reachable here: www.aneedtoread.co.uk/contact 
 
 
 
 

#162 Life lessons from Philosophers

In this episode, I review The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton and The Socrates Express by Eric Weiner. Both books are excellent introductions to some philosophers you may not have come across just yet. In the podcast, I go into what we can learn from; Socrates (How to deal with unpopularity), Michel de Montaigne (How to deal with inadequacy), Arthur Schopenhauer, Gandhi (How to fight), and Epicurus (How to enjoy life). 
 
Support
 
The best thing you can do is share the podcast with a friend, or sign up for my new weekly newsletter.
 
If you want to learn to understand your behavior or emotions with the help of a professional you can get 10% off your first month of therapy by heading to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread from there you’ll just need to run through a 5-minute questionnaire and you’ll be matched with a therapist within 48 hours.
 
You can get an additional 5 free travel packs and a year's supply of Vitamin D3 with your Athletic Greens subscription at www.athleticgreens.com/aneedtoread 
 
I am reachable here: www.aneedtoread.co.uk/contact 
 
 
 
 

#161 Novels to read this summer

This episode is a review of novels I’ve read recently that you might enjoy over the summer. I also discuss; why you should read classics, the trouble with falling asleep when you’re reading, remembering what you’ve read, thinking you’re insane, reading nihilist novels, and finding comfort in characters.
 
Books discussed
A Little Life - Hanya Yangaihara 
Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse
Siddartha by Herman Hesse
Damned by Chuck Palahniuk 
Confederacy of Dunces by John O’Toole
A Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut 
Faking Friends by Jane Fallon
Worst Idea Ever by Jane Fallon
Adults by Emma Jane Umbridge 
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Life For Sale by Yukio Mishima 
Animal Farm by George Orwell (on Audible)
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
BONUS: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
 
Support
 
The best thing you can do is share the podcast with a friend, or sign up for my new weekly newsletter.
 
If you want to learn to understand your behavior or emotions with the help of a professional you can get 10% off your first month of therapy by heading to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread from there you’ll just need to run through a 5-minute questionnaire and you’ll be matched with a therapist within 48 hours.
 
You can get an additional 5 free travel packs and a year's supply of Vitamin D3 with your Athletic Greens subscription at www.athleticgreens.com/aneedtoread 
 
I am reachable here: www.aneedtoread.co.uk/contact 
 
 

#160 Toxic Positivity with Whitney Goodman

Whitney Goodman is the radically honest psychotherapist behind the hugely popular Instagram account @sitwithwhit, the author of Toxic Positivity, and Runs her own private therapy practice in Miami. Her mission is to help people understand their emotions so they can take control of, and enjoy their life.  
Whitney has her own column in Psychology Today and has been featured in dozens of domestic and international publications, including The New York Times, Teen Vogue,  and Good Morning America. 
 
She joins me to discuss; how positivity becomes toxic, the role social media plays in spreading toxic positivity, how we can complain effectively, how gratitude is not a cure-all, the problems with being healing obsessed, my experience with pathologising, and how to live well by feeling the full spectrum of emotions. 
 
Support
 
Please help me by sharing this podcast with a friend, or by signing up for my new weekly newsletter.
 
If you want to learn to understand your behavior or emotions with the help of a professional you can get 10% off your first month of therapy by heading to www.betterhelp.com/aneedtoread from there you’ll just need to run through a 5-minute questionnaire and you’ll be matched with a therapist within 48 hours.
 
You can get an additional 5 free travel packs and a year's supply of Vitamin D3 with your Athletic Greens subscription at www.athleticgreens.com/aneedtoread 
 
I am reachable here: hello@aneedtoread.co.uk