Recommendations from AJ Jacobs
AJ, bestselling author of "The Year of Living Biblically", "The Know-it-All", "The Puzzler", and many more, came on the podcast to give me recommendations to IMPROVE MY LIFE over the next year.
He also talks about his latest project. He's spending the next year living a life totally based on the US Constitution.
Here's some of his recommendations.
1. The Askhole.
It's a card game you play with a group of people. Each card is an uncomfortable question. Here's a saying.
2. The Dice Man
Novel about a guy who makes every major decision in his life based on the role of dice. Some people have gotten obsessed with this way of living life.
Here's an interesting article about "The Dice Man": https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/mar/04/three-days-dice-man-never-wrote-money-fame-tanya-gold
3. Romesh Ranagathan comedy special
AJ recommended a comedian I had never even heard of. It was his favorite special.
Here's a trailer of his recent Netflix special:
4. Ground News / Blind Spot
An amazing concept for a website. Some articles are only printed by the Right. Some by the Left. So if you only watch one side, you miss valid news that is being reported by by the other side.
Check it out: https://ground.news/blindspot
5. A specific piece of Ben Franklin advice
Ben Franklin says to ask these two questions every day:
"What good can I do today?"
And at the end of the day:
"What good was I able to do today?"
6. Puzzles
Since AJ wrote "The Puzzler" about his year exploring the world of puzzles I asked him what puzzles he would recommend me.
First he recommended jigsaw puzzles created by a company called Stave. He said, the puzzles are hand crafted on wood, pieces cut by humans. The pieces are apparently very odd shapes for jigsaw puzzles.
Here's a $7000 puzzle put out by Stave
7. Another puzzle: Japanese Puzzle boxes
You get a box and the challenge is: how do you open it?
8. Best sitcom ever
AJ recommends a sitcom I never heard of "The Derry Girls". I had never heard of it but he insists it's amazing.
9. Most evil person in all movies
Rose on the Titanic. He explains on the podcast. Coming out in a day or so.
10. And here's my article: "The AJ Jacobs Formula for Writing a Bestseller"
https://jamesaltucher.com/blog/aj-jacobs-bestseller-formula/
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