Summer is peak reading season, so I sat down with Alex Wieckowski of Alex & Books, who has read two books a week for the past decade. Together we build a list of some of our favorite books, including one hidden gem from Tolstoy, “A Calendar of Wisdom.” Alex tells the true survival story that made complaining impossible for him. He also reveals the classic novel that scared him into cleaning up his habits.
Then we play overrated or underrated with the biggest self-improvement books ever written: Atomic Habits, Man's Search for Meaning, 12 Rules for Life, The 4-Hour Workweek and more. Alex then reveals the skill that helps him remember every book he reads, turning its lessons into actions. We also get into lifting weights with Alex Hormozi, the trap of "next book syndrome," and whether AI will ever replace real writing.