2 Pages with MBS
Discover the best bits of the best books read by people you admire. Michael Bungay Stanier hosts the podcast where brilliant people read the best two pages of a favourite book. Listen as authors, leaders, activists, academics, celebrities, and entrepreneurs dig in with MBS to explore the insights and ideas within. Whether it’s books that inspire leadership, change, self-development and growth, power, strategy, ambition, productivity, or creativity and innovation - this is hand-curated wisdom from people who know. These are the books that change minds, shape lives, and inspire great work and worthy goals.
Episodes
December 3, 2024 • 8 mins
Michael shares stories from his own journey, from academic rule-breaking to the creative tension between precision and chaos, inspired by Joyce’s work. He invites us to consider how we say goodbye and the ways that art can shape life.
Get book links and resources at 2pageswithmbs.com and subscribe to the 2 Pages newsletter at 2pageswithmbs.substack.com.
Michael reads from Ulysses by James Joyce. [Reading begins at 03:13]
Hear me di...
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November 19, 2024 • 52 mins
Neil Pasricha reads from A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz, a novel celebrated for its humour and philosophical musings and sharing insights on balancing ambition with contentment. He reflects on how embracing life’s uncertainties can lead to growth and joy. Neil discusses his journey from personal challenges to finding meaning in simple moments and the power of living authentically.
Today's guest is Neil Pasricha, author of T...
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November 5, 2024 • 46 mins
Greg M. Epstein reads from E.B. White’s essay, Once More to the Lake, and Madeline Ostrander’s essay on the ethics of bringing children into a world facing climate uncertainty, reflecting on how nostalgia and future anxieties shape our understanding of legacy and purpose. He explores how our connections to the past and future influence not only how we experience the present but also how we find resilience in facing today’s challeng...
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October 22, 2024 • 48 mins
Today’s guest is Frankie Thorogood, an entrepreneur who has navigated the intersections of creativity, business, and sports. Frankie shares his insights on finding fulfillment, balancing ambition with self-acceptance, and how creativity has played a pivotal role in his personal and professional life.
Frankie’s reflections bring insight into the complexities of leadership, balancing ambition with fulfillment, and finding joy in the...
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October 8, 2024 • 44 mins
Today's guest is Dr. Angel Acosta, a leading voice in healing-centered education and leadership development. With a doctorate from Teachers College, Columbia University, Dr. Acosta is the founder of the Acosta Institute, a Fellow at the Mind & Life Institute, and the Director of the Garrison Institute's Fellowship Program. His work bridges social justice, mindfulness, and leadership, emphasizing the importance of healing-centered a...
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September 24, 2024 • 50 mins
Jeremy Lent reading from the Tao Te Ching and discussing the importance of interconnectedness, the essence of a life-affirming civilization, and finding meaning beyond the material world. We discuss the complexities of existence, the influence of relationships, and how we can shape a future that values harmony with the environment.
Today’s guest, Jeremy Lent, is an author and speaker exploring the roots of our civilization’s exist...
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September 10, 2024 • 46 mins
Katherine Morgan Schafler reads from Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Big Magic” and discusses creativity, perfectionism, and trusting yourself. We explore how we can balance striving for excellence while also letting go of control, and why we should show up for the work even when inspiration seems far off.
Today’s guest, Katherine Morgan Schafler, is a psychotherapist, writer, and former on-site therapist at Google. She holds degrees from UC...
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August 27, 2024 • 47 mins
Today’s guest, Raj Sisodia is the FEMSA Distinguished University Professor of Conscious Enterprise at Tecnológico de Monterrey and Co-Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Conscious Capitalism Inc. He is a renowned author and thought leader on the role of business in society.
Get book links and resources at http://2pageswithmbs.com and subscribe to the 2 Pages newsletter at https://2pageswithmbs.substack.com.
Raj Sisodia reads two pag...
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August 13, 2024 • 40 mins
Today’s guest is Will Guidara, author of the national bestseller Unreasonable Hospitality. Known for transforming Eleven Madison Park into the number one restaurant in the world, Will shares insights from his journey in the restaurant industry and beyond.
Will embodies the delicate balance between two seemingly opposing forces: perfectionism and empowerment. As a former restaurateur and co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, he has alwa...
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August 2, 2024 • 47 mins
A favourite quote of mine, a call to action really and one that I reference in How to Begin, is “give more to the world than you take.” Jacqueline Novogratz said it, and she’s the founder of Acumen a venture capital firm that invests in non-profits making the world a better place.
I find it powerful because it’s about the long game. Over your lifetime, give more than you take. There are some seasons when you need to harvest, of c...
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July 16, 2024 • 50 mins
If you're an anglophile and of a certain age, then you'll know the comedic operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan, The Pirates of Penzance, Trial by Jury, The Mikado. They are all classics. I mean, I am an anglophile of a certain age, so I can sing the entirety of I Am a Very Model of a Modern Major General. I mean, really:
“I am the very model of a modern major general. I've information, vegetable, and animal, and mineral. I know the...
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The year is 1888. Queen Victoria is celebrating her 50th year ruling over an empire on which, famously, the sun never sets. Her loyal subjects, as well as colonizing the heck out of the world, are breeding. And to signify whether they've got a little girl or a little boy in the family, sometimes the offspring break out from the usual white gowns and get dressed in their gender-assigned colors. For girls, blue. For boys, pink.
Blu...
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June 18, 2024 • 43 mins
Who holds up a mirror to you? We're all on our journeys forward, trying to figure things out and understand our destination, and it's really hard to do that alone. So, travel with people. Travel with someone. Travel with a group of people. Now, one of those people, I think, should be someone who can say, this is who I think you are right now.
This is where I think you are right now. It’s the same person who can then say, look how ...
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Today, we're pulling one of our best episodes from the vaults, featuring the brilliant W. David Ball.
Get book links and resources at http://2pageswithmbs.com and subscribe to the 2 Pages newsletter at https://2pageswithmbs.substack.com.
Where do you find your people? I think I’m still looking for mine, and perhaps you are, too. What often happens is there’s an initial rough sort where you get thrown in with others who have simil...
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Vicki is the “Founding Activator” of Coralus, a venture capital company with a unique approach to reimagining the world of entrepreneurship. With a background in social entrepreneurship and a deep commitment to radical generosity, Vicki is a highly hopeful and optimistic individual who is dedicated to making a positive impact on the world.
Get book links and resources at http://2pageswithmbs.com and subscribe to the 2 Pages newsle...
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Scott is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, a podcast host, computer programmer, and an avid reader. He’s also an autodidact, who spends his time teaching people how to learn. Scott is the author of “Ultralearning” and “Get Better at Anything,” and he has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, TEDx, Pocket, Business Insider and more.
Get book links and resources at http://2pageswithmbs.com and subscribe to the 2 Pages ne...
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April 23, 2024 • 37 mins
Kaya Thomas is an app builder and creator of the We Read Too app, a mobile directory of children and young adult books written by authors of color. With a background in working with well-known companies like Slack and Calm, Kaya's career has been a journey of blending her expertise in coding with her passion for promoting diversity in literature. Though the book is closing on the We Read Too app, her work has touched thousands of y...
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Mark Brackett is a psychologist and professor at Yale University, known for his groundbreaking work in emotional intelligence and the impact of emotions on daily life. He is the founder and director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Through his book, “Permission to Feel,” and his work at Yale, Marc helps others give themselves permission to feel, and teaches them to create a safe space for emotional exploration.
Get b...
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March 26, 2024 • 56 mins
Jay Papasan is the best-selling author of The One Thing, which has sold over 3 million copies and appeared on numerous bestseller lists. Jay's career trajectory has been a series of evolutions, from working in publishing at HarperCollins, to freelance writing, to finding a deep expression of his mission to create impact working in collaboration with Gary Keller. Jay's journey exemplifies the courage and (useful) restlessness to pur...
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Amy Elizabeth Fox is a transformative figure in the realm of leadership development and personal growth. As the co-founder and CEO of Mobius Executive Leadership, she brings a unique perspective to the field, emphasizing the importance of inner transformation for effective leadership. Get book links and resources at http://2pageswithmbs.com/
Amy reads two pages from Attuned by Thomas Hübl. [reading begins at 23:03]
Hear us discus...
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