The Author of The Next Conversation, Lawyer Jefferson Fisher, does not use all the latest in research psychology to analyze and perfect his conversational technique and advice.  Instead, he uses his years of experience as a litigator and presents his lessons from the school of hard knocks in a heartfelt and interesting way.  He presents plenty of personal examples and stories to go along with excellent tips and techniques you can use in your next conversation.  Join us a we check it out!

This book has some surprising ways of linking Stoic Philosophy back to how we can live the good life in the modern era.  The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins is a great take on an ancient idea: people will sometimes do things you do not like.  Why not just let them?  Most of the things that happen around us, including the actions of other people, are outside our control.  The Let Them Theory helps us identify those things and put them in the proper perspective so we can let them make their mistakes while we let ourselves be the best we can be.  Join us!

Jason and Dylan review a book from Ryan Holiday's Virtue Series: Right Thing Right Now: Justice in an Unjust World.  Among other things, this book examines how the blurring of the line between what is legal and what is right is contributing to the erosion of society.  But is also brings hope by highlighting what we can do ourselves to bring just a little justice to a world that sometimes seems to care so little about it.  Join us!

Jason and Dylan review a book with a surprisingly strong connection to education.  Culture By Design walk us through the process of establishing a culture in any organization, from our families to workplaces and beyond,  Join us as we discuss the process!

Jason and Dylan review the 2020 edition of Berne Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection.  The book examines how accepting ourselves and being authentic can lead us away from shame and into a more fulfilling life through a series of guideposts.  Join us!

Jason and Dylan take a bit of a break from self-help and Stoicism to review What If?  This book explores important questions about living a fulfilling life, such as can a steak be properly cooked by re-entering the atmosphere like a meteorite?  Could you make a functional jetpack from an AK-47?  If everyone has a single soulmate, what are the chances that you would find them?  These and many other critical questions await in What If? by Randall Munroe.  Join us!

What does "leaders eat last" even mean?  It's a concept in the military where military leaders put themselves at the end of the chow line to ensure those under their command get properly fed.  Leaders who do this embody the notion that leadership comes with responsibility to take care of those under their command.  Simon Sinek unpacks this and other leadership attitudes and practices which ensure members of an organization or group feel safe and able to be highly productive. Jason and Dylan review Simon Sinek's book, Leaders Eat Last.

Jason and Dylan review the grandaddy of the "self-help" genre, updated for a new generation of leaders.  It was the first in the genre, but is it worth your time?  Have books around personal growth really come so far as to leave it behind?  Jason and Dylan discuss Dale Carnegie's influential book and the changes in the new edition.

SMART goals have permeated our personal and professional lives.  But somehow, even if you do everything right, SMART goals often lack the motivational boost we hope they will provide.  How are HARD goals different than SMART goals?  How can we use the principles behind HARD goals to amplify our own goals or our processes for goal-setting we use as leaders?  Jason and Dylan break down HARD Goals by Mark Murphy.

Jason and Dylan review When Things Fall Apart, a book by prolific author and Buddhist teacher, Pema Chodron.  Our hosts examine parallels between Stoic philosophy and Buddhism and the book's idea of "leaning into the pointy bits" of life as a way to grow our strength of spirit and character.  

Do we even need small talk? What are the skills of conversation?  Some people just seem to be good at chatting with strangers, some of us struggle to maintain conversational flow even with those who know us well.  Jason and Dylan delve into Better Small Talk by Communication Coach Patrick King.  The book is an excellent guide for improving conversation for all of us.

Mike Pettigrew has developed what may be the greatest goal achievement system in the world, but is it for you?  Jason and Dylan discuss this epic book about goal-setting; what it brings to everyone, and what might be harder for readers to try.

How does power effect the way we see the world?  Why do powerful and successful people make seemingly greedy, impulsive, or nonsensical decisions that jeopardize all they have earned?  Can gossip and rumor be used for good?  Jason and Dylan review The Power Paradox by Dacher Keltner, which addresses this and other questions about our relationship with power.

Jason and Dylan review Extreme Ownership, a book about leadership by former Navy SEALS, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin.  How can taking more ownership benefit you as a leader and human being?  In the book, Jocko and Leif share stories about their experiences in Ramadi. Jason and Dylan share stories from more mundane battlefields, but the lessons from Extreme Ownership still apply, and the book gives a great framework to think about applying concepts of military leadership to civilian life. Let's get after it!

Part novel and part handbook for getting the most out of each day, the 5am Club by Robin Sharma has a lot of great information for transforming your life.  But is it for everyone?  Jason and Dylan break it down in this month's episode.

In this episode, Jason and Dylan Discuss The Mountain is You by Brianna Waist, author of 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think and other titles.  This book is all about self-sabotage; what it is, why we do it, and the secret needs that it fills in our emotional lives. 

Have you wondered why some people seem just full of enthralling stories and maybe you can't seem to engage an audience?  Have you noticed some storytellers seem to drone on and on and others can have you thinking or laughing (or both!) with just a few sentences?  Storytelling is a critical skill for engaging audiences for many purposes.  If you are trying to train a group of new employees or show customers your humble beginnings, being able to tell a story is a great tool for many jobs.  Jason and Dylan analyze Unleash the Power of Storytelling by  Rob Biesenbach, an excellent read if you want to hone your storytelling skills!

For most of us, 4000 weeks is the number of weeks you have to live.  That's it! Jason and Dylan unpack some of the concepts in 4000 Weeks; Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman .  This book is not actually about wringing the most productivity out of those 4000 weeks.  This book aims to help you understand the history of time as a way of measuring things, unpack some assumptions we have about time in western culture, gain perspective about time, and hopefully gain some mastery over it.  Time management for mortals means just that: humans are mortal, therefore we must die...so how should we spend our 4000 weeks?

An ego is one's sense of self-esteem and self-importance.  On the surface, the definition may even sound positive.  Shouldn't we all have self-esteem?  Doesn't everyone like to feel important?  Jason and Dylan review one of Ryan Holiday's most important works: Ego is the Enemy.  What does that even mean?  What are the habits and actions of a person who has conquered his or her ego?  How can you live a life free of the downsides of ego (which are numerous!) and live a more fulfilling life focused on others instead?  A must-read in the age of social media.  Join us!

Jason and Dylan discuss the categories and book list for Two Dudes Review Books Season 3.