Unlocking Great Books

Comfort books! This week we bring together Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Toshikazu Kawaguchi) and The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park (Michiko Aoyama) for a Japanese fiction double header.

We explore culture and psychology and the massive healing fiction genre (known as iyashi-kei or K-healing). These books are like a warm hug - did we like that hug?!

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Matt Heath, known for his lively and yobbo media persona, surprises readers with a thoughtful exploration of life’s complexities and personal reflections.

Is this a self-help book? Or is it a serious attempt to communicate some pretty deep philosophy to readers who may not have heard it before? We debate where this sits in the literary universe.

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This 2023 book explores six fundamental materials that have transformed humanity. Welcome to the world of sand, salt, iron, copper, oil and lithium.

"In many ways the title doesn't do justice to this book. You might be able to pass by this book in a bookshop, but we're here to tell you don't sleep on this." — Carl

And with that, welcome to a great UGB episode!

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Today we dive into a book from one of our favourite podcasters David McWilliams on the history of money. 'Mac' is a powerhouse thinker and storyteller and in Money, he makes the case for money as THE social technology.

We contrast this book with his excellent podcasting on economics. Does it translate well into the book?

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Today we unpack the book that explored the high-powered craziness of NASA's Project Mercury programme and the people involved . This is a fulsome read and an interesting insight into high performance.

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Welcome to Season 6. We're excited to be back!

We start the season with a 2026 bestseller - Inside the Box. In this episode we dive into constraints and whether this is really a novel concept.

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We reflect on our last batch of 10 books, known as Season 5.

We discuss what moved us, what changed us and kick around a few ideas for what is next. Let us know what you think and please rate the show.

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Connect with us here: ⁠⁠⁠the232podcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠

Get Sean’s book The Impact Profes...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with Zen and Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig

ZAMM, as it is affectionately known, is a huge book in so many dimensions. Carl describes it as a "cultural phenomenon".

We have been itching to take on this on for a while. Carl referred to the Smithsonian exhibit - this is a great article that explores Pirsig, the trip, his tools of the writing trade and ...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with handfuls of fiction!!

Today we chat fiction, why we read fiction, and why you should read fiction too. Carl introduces the Sorbet/Teppenyaki/Kale framework, and Seán discusses books to share with others, and books to escape.

The longlist of what we covered:

• Gregg Hurwitz Orphan X series (we talked about the latest episode, "Nemesis)
• Mick Herron Slow Horses se...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with The Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly.

Welcome to the dawn of computing, but not as you know it. This book tells the story of leading black female mathematicians and their pivotal role in aeronautics and the space race. A truly important story, but did we love this book?

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or find out where to grab the book h...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with The The Radium Girls by Kate Moore.

Truly heartwrenching and a gripping read about a fight for justice. Welcome to book one of our historic non-fiction double header! We found ourselves often lost for words as we unpack this amazing book.

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or find out where to grab the book here: https://booko.co.nz/w/7803937/The...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with The The Theory of the Leisure Class by Thorstein Veblen.

This seminal book needs unpacking, with a crowbar and claw hammer! We draw together 50 Cent, the Robber Barons, wealth and affluence as we review this 19th century classic. Plus a shocking confession….

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We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with The Slow Productivity by Cal Newport.

Slow Productivity is a recent book from a prolific author and we dive into knowledge work, protecting your calendar and whether this book is fresh or just drawing on the lineage of Newport? 

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or find out where to grab the book here: ⁠https://booko.co.nz/w/10016968/Slow-P...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter.

The Comfort Crisis questions whether modern life has become and proposes how we can take steps to reclaim some meaning in our lives and to embrace a little healthy discomfort.

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or find out where to grab the book here: https://booko.co.nz/w/9597091/The-Comfort-Crisis-Embrace-...

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with The Resilience Project by Hugh van Cuylenburg.

The Resilience Project is a massive Australia-based mental health initiative that is now in schools, professional sports and of course, a bestselling book. Find out more about the project, what it's based on and where this book lands in the wellbeing landscape.

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or f...

*It's hard to review a book like this without repeating the title often! So if you dislike cuss, or listen with young ears around just be aware!

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with Calling Bullshit by Jevin West and Carl Bertgstrom.

One of the seminal 'thinking better' books that will dive into the tips, tricks and skullduggery that goes on with statistics, studies and research. A 101 guide to un...

We're back!!!

We took another dive into the large pile of books…and came up with The Filter Bubble by Eli Pariser.

The Filter Bubble, despite being written over a decade ago, is a thought-provoking book about the internet age and how our behaviour is subtlely, and not so subtlely, manipulated by the platforms we use. It also explores the consequences of this.

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or find out where t...