Podcasts about twenty attempts

Ryan speaks with Sarah Bakewell about her new book Humanly Possible: seven hundred years of humanist freethinking, inquiry, and hope, how growing up surrounded by books shaped her philosophical mindset, the philosophical principles that she applies to her life, and more.Sarah Bakewell is an author and professor whose work focuses on existentialist philosophy and biographies of adventurers and philosophers. After growing up surrounded by books as the daughter of a bookseller father and a librarian mother, Sarah studied philosophy at the University of Essex, and she later completed a postgraduate degree on Artificial Intelligence. Her work in the 1990s as a curator of early printed books at the Wellcome Library led her to taking on writing seriously, and she has since published five books, including the lauded At the Existentialist Cafe: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails, and How to Live: Or A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer. Her work can be found on her website: sarahbakewell.com.✉️ Sign up for the Daily Stoic email: https://dailystoic.com/dailyemail

This week, Vicky and Joe talk about why we shouldn't burst our own balloons and downplay our achievements. That's after Vicky goes on a 5 minute rant about why The Wheel of Time is not something you should read if you want good epic fantasy. So: if you've ever thought that self-publishing is “vanity” or that you need a book deal to make your book “worthy,” grab a cup of tea, settle down, put aside your prejudices, and listen to this. Maybe we'll change your mind.    Key Takeaways: [4:15] Vicky explains why she couldn't get behind the Wheel of Time book series.  [9:45] Self publishing vs. traditional publishing? What's right for you? [11:25] Publishing a book, doesn't matter in what way, is a big deal! Don't discredit it if it's self published.  [14:45] Why is self publishing a cool, and completely legitimate, thing to do?  [16:05] What is the reason why you want to write a book?  [18:50] Traditional publishing doesn't always know what they're talking about/doing. [20:00] Are straight white male authors at a disadvantage?  [23:50] You will not make money off of your book if it's traditionally published.  [24:00] There are pros and cons to both methods of publishing. Choose with intention, not with vanity.  [26:15] Interested in working with Vicky? Reach out!    Mentioned in This Episode: Website Creative Book Coaching Join Vicky's Power Hour April Content Calendar Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast Email Vicky about 1:1 coaching at: vicky@moxiebooks.co.uk Boyhood, Childhood, Youth by Leo Tolstoy Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie The Great Hunt: Book Two of ‘The Wheel of Time' by Robert Jordan How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer by Sarah Bakewell 

OMG it's the 301st episode! Question: do you dream about getting onto the New York Times bestseller list? Don't bother mate. Bestseller lists are balls—and if we write a book with the aim of getting onto such a list, our book ain't gonna cut it. This week, Vicky and Joe take a peek into the world of bestseller status, rip it a new one, and natter about The Wheel of Time. Again.   Key Takeaways: [1:25] Vicky is thinking about changing the name of this podcast…again.  [2:10] Can you believe Vicky and Joe have been podcasting since 2015?  [5:35] Quick update on project dingle.  [6:15] Everyone wants to be a bestseller. Why!  [8:15] Don't look at other people's best sellers and assume it's a good book.  [10:35] Just because you have a best seller doesn't mean you've sold a lot of books, or made any money.  [13:05] Although sales might be great, you have to look at why you're writing this book.  [16:30] Vicky will help you write the best book you can write, and have a book you're really proud of.  [17:50] Marketing takes longer, but you'll have a better and more targeted audience by the end of it.  [19:55] Want to write a book but don't know how? Book a free call with Vicky!   Mentioned in This Episode: Website Creative Book Coaching Join Vicky's Power Hour April Content Calendar Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast Email Vicky about 1:1 coaching at: vicky@moxiebooks.co.uk Boyhood, Childhood, Youth by Leo Tolstoy The Great Hunt: Book Two of ‘The Wheel of Time' by Robert Jordan How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer by Sarah Bakewell 

Tune in for Vicky and Joe's hot take on hot takes! Yep, this week our hosts have Opinions on other people's opinions. With the internet crammed full of knee-jerk reactions and instant outrage, what's the cost to us as a society? How can we slow down and think things through? What can a noble dude from the 1500s teach us about life? And what does all this have to do with books, anyway?   Key Takeaways: [1:00] It's April but it's snowing! Vicky and Joe are freezing in their home office. [2:35] Joe reads out the title of the book Vicky is reading in his best radio presenter voice. [03:30] We think of essays as the dry and boring academic stuff that was forced on us during school, but Vicky shares why essays are great! [05:05] Montaigne's essays are all about figuring out how to live a good life. [06:15] Update on casa dingle! Let's build some stud walls in the bathroom.   [09:00] What are hot takes? Vicky uses the example of Will Smith's slap at the Oscars.  [10:40] ‘Hot takes' take away the attention of what should've been a really amazing moment.   [11:45] ‘Hot takes' usually happen in social media. Vicky shares what really frustrates her about it. [12:45] There is a lot of pressure to have an opinion on something. Vicky talks about Jameela Jamil as an example. [14:30] Books give you space to think and put forward a considered opinion. [15:20] Montaigne wasn't very bright and forgot things a lot. Vicky explains why she likes his essays.  [16:40] Vicky reads out Mark Manson's email called, The Life Cycle of Outrage, and explains why she recommends it.  [19:20] Joe wonders what the motivation is for the person that puts these stuff out. [21:50] Vicky can't imagine one's life having to comment on everything that's happening. It must be exhausting! [22:35] Opinions get taken as facts but the two are not the same thing. [24:05] We need to be able to entertain an idea that we might profoundly disagree with. The world is not binary. [24:50] Vicky explains why she's a fierce advocate of writing and reading a book or other longer forms of way to consume news vs social media. [26:00] And if you would like to write a book, Vicky is still looking for two beautiful weirdos to come with her to her book coaching event!  [27:05] Think slower, go beyond the knee-jerk reactions and take your time to ponder.   Mentioned in This Episode: Website Creative Book Coaching Join Vicky's Power Hour April Content Calendar Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, and Overcast Email Vicky about 1:1 coaching at: vicky@moxiebooks.co.uk Boyhood, Childhood, Youth by Leo Tolstoy The Great Hunt: Book Two of ‘The Wheel of Time' by Robert Jordan My Mess is A Bit Of A Life by Georgia Pritchett How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer by Sarah Bakewell  The Life Cycle of Outrage by Mark Manson

Do the possibilities for a good life change as you get older, and is a long life desirable? We talk about ageing, health advice for the elderly, life expectancy, families, and the stages of life in early modern Europe. Was it possible to live a good life when old, and if so, good in what sense? This episode's examples are a ballad about an old man neglected by his son and daughter in law, and a brief reflection by the essayist Michel de Montaigne on the Bible verse, ‘To every thing there is a season' (Ecclesiastes 3, 1-8). Sources mentioned Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life: How Fungi Make our Worlds, Change our Minds, and Shape our Futures (London: Random House, 2020)(see the review in the London Review of Books from May 2021: Francis Gooding, ‘From its Myriad Tips') Peter Godfrey-Smith, Other Minds: The Octopus, The Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness (London: Collins, 2016) Laurence Brockliss and Colin Jones, The Medical World of Early Modern France (Oxford: Clarendon, 1997) Sarah Bakewell, How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer (London: Chatto and Windus, 2010) ‘The Old Man's Complaint Against His Wretched Son who to Advance his Marriage did Undo Himself' (1658-64). Montaigne, ‘All things have their season', in Complete Works, tr. by Donald Frame (London: Everyman, 2003)See here for the chapter in French: https://artflsrv03.uchicago.edu/philologic4/montessaisvilley/navigate/1/4/29/ Contact us on twitter: @leahastbury and @eclaussen Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michel de Montaigne, a famous French philosopher and writer of the sixteenth century, was deeply interested in the question: “how to live”. Indeed, his writings constantly grappled with this issue. However, his interest was not merely ethical or moral; rather, what he sought was a practical solution to the question: “how can we live a good life?”. To do this, he wrote a total of 107 essays on “how to live” and published what became his widely popular series of “Essais”. These essays were filled with humanist ideas and have had a profound impact on future generations.

In deze aflevering gaan we langs bij schrijver en theatermaker Paulien Cornelisse. De boekenkast van Paulien: Sarah Waters - Tipping the Velvet Banana Yoshimoto – Kitchen Femke Halsema – Pluche Tonke Dracht – Brief voor de koning Simon Carmiggelt Karel van het Reve – Uren met Henk Broekhuis Renate Rubinstein Bob den Uyl David Sedaris - Naked Norah Ephron – Essays Het Verdwenen Plakboek Nick Hornby – More baths, less talking Sarah Bakewell - How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer Eric Kästner – De vliegende klas JJ Voskuil – Het Bureau Tonke Dracht – Ogen van tijgers Chaim Potok Phillip Roth - Portnoy's Complaint

Epigraph We are fucking thrilled to have Michael Kindness and Ann Kingman on Episode 11. Michael and Ann are the hosts of the late, great Books on the Nightstand podcast and sales reps for Penguin Random House. This episode is sponsored by Books & Whatnot, the newsletter dedicated to books, bookselling, and bookish folk. We were too excited about hosting Books on the Nightstand to mention Books & Whatnot on air, but you should definitely check out the newsletter archive here. Follow Books & Whatnot on Twitter at @booksandwhatnot. Introduction In Which Ann Doesn’t Let Us Set Anything on Fire, Emma Makes Coworkers Awkward, Michael Activates Host Mode, and Kim Finds a Book Too Relevant We’re drinking Cider House Drools (local hard cider, shot of rum, dash of bitters). The alternate drink is the Out-cider (sub bourbon for rum). Or, if you’re Michael and rockin’ the cold medicine, tea. Ann had originally planned to have us drink Charles Dickens’s punch, which involves a shit ton of alcohol and, uh, fire. If you’re braver than we are, here’s the recipe: https://food52.com/blog/18626-the-punch-you-add-a-spoonful-of-fire-to-literally What We’re Reading:   Emma is reading: Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame by Mara Wilson and Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson (Bonus reading! Check out The New Yorker article about the new Shirley Jackson bio: The Haunted Mind of Shirley Jackson) Michael is reading: Shadow Man by Alan Drew (pubs 23 May 2017... also mentioned: Gardens of Water) Ann is reading: The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve (pubs 2 May 2017) Kim is reading: Trainwreck: The Women We Love to Hate, Mock, and Fear... and Why by Sady Doyle Emma and Kim just read Vicious by V E Schwab (shout out to book club!) Chapter I [11:00] In Which We Discuss the Noble Role of the Bookseller to Booksellers and How To Be an Introvert in a Socially-Focused Industry Ann and Michael work for this little publishing house you’ve probably never heard of named Penguin Random House. Yeah, we think they should have called themselves the Random Penguin House, too. Be among your people at BookRiot Live. They have designated reading rooms, for all y’all introverted book nerds. We see you. Chapter II [19:20] In Which We Unveil the Creation Story of Books on the Nightstand, Michael Issues a Mea Culpa for not Reading Ann’s Recs Sooner, and Kim Wonders About Knitting Podcasts Books on the Nightstand readers voted on what Michael should read over the summer. The results: So, due to popular demand, Michael finally read Ann’s recommendations from yeeeeeeears ago: Stoner by John Williams and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. He also recently discovered how great Stephen King is and treated himself to Salem’s Lot for Halloween. Ann recently reread The Secret History by Donna Tartt. She also loved The Nix by Nathan Hill and Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill by Candice Millard Check out the last eight years of Books on the Nightstand episodes at their website: http://booksonthenightstand.com/podcasts. BTW, Booktopia is still alive via Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, VT. Field trip? Michael’s Recent Favorite Comics/Graphic Novels/Graphica: The Vision by Tom King DC: The New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan Emma follows up with a rec for Joyride by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, then we all nerd out about Lumberjanes. (Seriously, y’all. it’s awesome.) Chapter III [35:10] In Which Ann Wants to Read The Road Set at a Boarding School, Kim is Uncomfortable with Magical Realism, and We Crush on Bookstores Ann’s book description guaranteed to get her reading: A dark and disturbing apocalyptic story collection of thrillers set in boarding schools. The Unfinished World: And Other Stories by Amber Sparks The Secret History by Donna Tartt The Secret Place by Tana French Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel The Road by Cormac McCarthy Favorite Short Story Collections Strange Pilgrims: Twelve Stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Emma has to name drop Kelly Link (obvi) and everybody flips out.  Ann: Tenth of December by George Saunders. She also loves the individual stories “Anything Helps” by Jess Walter (from We Live in Water) and “Governor’s Ball” by Ron Carlson (expanded upon in Ron Carlson Writes a Story) Desert Island/Station Eleven/Wild Books Michael used to say The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, but he doesn’t actually... like reading Shakespeare, so maybe not. So then he thought he’d pick 100 Skills You'll Need for the End of the World (as We Know It) by Ana Maria Spagna, illustrated by Brian Cronin. But, naw, nevermind. He’d bring DC: The New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke. Ann would take The Complete Essays by Michel De Montaigne, because she got a crush on him due to How to Live: Or a Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer by Sarah Bakewell. Go-To Handsell Michael: Any Human Heart by William Boyd and Stoner by John Williams Ann - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (IT’S ABOUT JESUITS IN SPACE, GUYS) Bookseller Confessions Michael still hasn’t read Great Expectations. But, I mean, he read A Christmas Carol, so he’s read Dicken’s okay? Also, he hasn’t read Sandman by Neil Gaiman. Neither has Emma. Or Kim. But we’ve read Alan Moore’s Watchmen, so that balances out, right? Right?? Ann convinced hundreds of people to read War and Peace with her, but only got to page 75. At least she’s inspiring. Bookstore Crushes Ann: Green Apple in San Francisco, CA (featured in Ep 8 with Pete Mulvihill) Michael: Powell’s Books in Portland, OR (featured in Ep 3 with Kevin Sampsell) Favorite literary podcasts The Readers Literary Disco What Should I Read Next Chapter IV [52:45] In Which Michael and Ann Tell Us About Two Three Books They Can’t Wait for Us to Read Michael: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah Gilded Cage by Vic James (pubs 14 Feb 2017) The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti (pubs 28 March 2017) Ann: The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel (pubs 7 March 2017) American War by Omar El Akkad (pubs 4 April 2017) Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny (pubs 23 May 2017) Epilogue [1:05:50] You can follow Ann and Michael on Twitter at: Ann: @annkingman Michael: @mkindness  They’re also on Instagram, Litsy, and Goodreads, so look them up there. You can find us on Twitter at @drunkbookseller and everywhere else as DrunkBooksellers (plural).  Aaaaaaand, we’re about to launch an Instagram account, so you should probably start following that @DrunkBooksellers. Our dear friend and fellow bookseller is in charge of it, and it’s gonna be weird and wonderful. Here’s a teaser: Emma tweets @thebibliot and writes bookish things for Book Riot.  Kim tweets occasionally from @finaleofseem, but don’t expect too much.

Colin Marshall talks to Sarah Bakewell, author of biographies on Jorgen Jorgenson, Margaret Caroline Rudd, and, most recently, the 16th-century French essayist Michel de Montaigne. How to Live, or A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer examines the life of a man whose life you'd have thought was already pretty damned well examined. More remains to learn, it turns out, even after Montaigne himself wrote three volumes of personal essays which have attained over 400 years of success and counting. Bakewell finds a man who, despite revealing no end of personal detail and disclosing no end of his own opinions, paraxodically becomes near-universally relatable to the reading public across the world and through time. Yet could he have achieved this not in spite of his essays' specificity, but because of it?

Michel de Montaigne is one of the most influential writers of the French Renaissance. He is known for popularising the essay as a literary genre and became famous for his ability to fuse intellectual speculation with casual anecdotes and autobiography. Montaigne's work continues to influence writers to this day. Championing his life is the surgeon, scientist, broadcaster and politician Professor Robert Winston and providing expert witness is the writer Sarah Bakewell, whose recent biography, How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer, was recently published to great acclaim. Producer: Paul Dodgson.