Wiser than Yesterday hosts open-ended discussions, breakdowns, and summaries of the world's most thought-provoking and inspiring books.
Our hosts, Nicolas Vereecke and Sam Harris digest non-fiction books from all centuries and genres. They discuss the biggest philosophical insights and practical lessons for health, wealth, wisdom, and happiness.
This podcast is here to help listeners become smarter. To learn about new ideas and to gain more perspectives on the books and ideas they are familiar with.
Each season we tackle a new field and read the best books on a given topic such as racism, startups, stoicism, or personal finance. We cast a wide net to summarise all sides of opinions in an area to come to a wider understanding of the topic at large as well as help listeners navigate the different opinions and ideas they haven't heard of.
We dive into topics such as philosophy, business, equality, psychology, politics, economics, and who knows what else. Our goal is to simply explore the best ideas and learn new things. You're most welcome to join us for the ride.
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Wiser than Yesterday hosts open-ended discussions, breakdowns, and summaries of the world's most thought-provoking and inspiring books.
Our hosts, Nicolas Vereecke and Sam Harris digest non-fiction books from all centuries and genres. They discuss the biggest philosophical insights and practical lessons for health, wealth, wisdom, and happiness.
This podcast is here to help listeners become smarter. To learn about new ideas and to gain more perspectives on the books and ideas they are familiar with.
Each season we tackle a new field and read the best books on a given topic such as racism, startups, stoicism, or personal finance. We cast a wide net to summarise all sides of opinions in an area to come to a wider understanding of the topic at large as well as help listeners navigate the different opinions and ideas they haven't heard of.
We dive into topics such as philosophy, business, equality, psychology, politics, economics, and who knows what else. Our goal is to simply explore the best ideas and learn new things. You're most welcome to join us for the ride.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How to have difficult conversations, for meaningful change.
We break down Gina Martin's book addressing how to navigate some of the worst conversation-stoppers and poor thinking in our culture today.
It also features chapters from other widely recognized speakers on the topics of equality and diversity.
Labeled as "An empowering guide to navigating difficult conversations from climate naysayers to the #notallmen brigade, featuring chapters from brilliant writers and activists like Cathy Reay, Ben Hurst, Salma El-Wardany, and many others."
Gina Martin is a gender equality activist, speaker, and writer whose work focuses on gender, misogyny, and sexual violence. She is a proud ambassador for UN Women UK and Beyond Equality.
We had conflicting opinions on the book that you'll have to listen to find out more.
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Chapters
01:00 - Conversation Stoppers in Social Justice Topics
02:00 - Who is this for?
03:00 - Chapters analysis
05:00 - Personal stories causing difficult conversations
10:00 - Boys will be boys and other problematic phrases
15:00 - Identity Politics, Privilege, and Empathy in Conversations
20:00 - Patriarchy and Systemic Issues
30:00 - Reflecting on Personal and Societal Change
35:00 - Conclusions
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Making good predictions is tough. We think we know more than we do and let emotions and biases creep in. How do some forecasters beat the odds? Our hosts, Nico and Sam, chat about the book "The Signal and the Noise" by Nate Silver exploring why predictions fail and uncovering practical insights.
A little statistical training can go a long way! We geek out on Bayes' Theorem, discuss why poker develops useful reasoning skills, and tackle investing decisions using probabilities. Improving predictions requires tracking your results and having the courage to map what you don't know.
We dissect Signal versus noise in forecasting explained and Understanding data prediction with Nate Silver, offering an analytical perspective on how to distinguish meaningful patterns from mere noise.
If you want to enhance your critical thinking abilities and decision-making under uncertainty, tune in! We promise no boring academic lectures - just practical tips served with our signature blend of intellectual curiosity and humor.
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Chapters
00:00 The Signal and The Noise
02:25 Moneyball - Importance of prediction
05:50 Poker as a Prediction Game
07:44 Base Theorem
11:57 Using poker to illustrate Bayes' theorem
15:53 Frequent feedback improves forecast skill
21:14 Overfitting - The problem of limited data and latching onto false patterns
23:23 Europe's healthcare system vs. USA
27:31 Improving prediction framework and minimising mistakes
29:15 Nico's company
33:10 Ratings & Reflection
35:16 Send off
Topics
Nate Silver prediction analysis book review
Practical insights from The Signal and the Noise
Why predictions fail book summary podcast
Signal versus noise in forecasting explained
Understanding data prediction with Nate Silver
Book podcast on successful forecasting methods
The Signal and the Noise summary insights
Learning predictive accuracy from Nate Silver
Exploring statistical forecasts in modern times
Book review on data-driven predictions podcast
Analyzing The Signal and the Noise themes
Nate Silver’s approach to accurate predictions
Practical lessons from prediction failures and successes
Book summary podcast on statistical significance
Why some predictions succeed: Nate Silver's insights
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The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene are described as amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive. This multi-million-copy New York Times bestselling book brands itself as the definitive manual for anyone interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control.
50 Cent loved the book so much that he reached out to the author to work with him.
But what can we learn from this book about power, society, and morality and what are its limits?
Hosts Sam Webster Harris and Nicolas Vereecke provide a summary of the 48 laws of power, and discuss the book that launched Robert Greene's career.
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Topics
Power and manipulation
Trust and respect
Creating a cult
Attacking weakness
Laws of history
Happiness and control
Guarding reputation
The real source of true power
Never be greedy
Avoid perfection
The problems with the 48 laws of power
Common book mistakes
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From legendary investor Ray Dalio, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Principles, who has spent half a century studying global economies and markets, Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order examines history’s most turbulent economic and political periods to reveal why the times ahead will likely be radically different from those we’ve experienced in our lifetimes—and to offer practical advice on how to navigate them well.
He discusses how nations that control the world have seized and lost their global power in predictable cycles. He explores where we are at today with the United States as a world power and where we are going next.
A few years ago, Ray Dalio noticed a confluence of political and economic conditions he hadn’t encountered before. They included huge debts and zero or near-zero interest rates that led to massive printing of money in the world’s three major reserve currencies; big political and social conflicts within countries, especially the US, due to the largest wealth, political, and values disparities in more than 100 years; and the rising of a world power (China) to challenge the existing world power (US) and the existing world order. The last time that this confluence occurred was between 1930 and 1945. This realization sent Dalio on a search for the repeating patterns and cause/effect relationships underlying all major changes in wealth and power over the last 500 years.
In this remarkable and timely addition to his Principles series, Dalio brings readers along for his study of the major empires—including the Dutch, the British, and the American—putting into perspective the “Big Cycle” that has driven the successes and failures of all the world’s major countries throughout history. He reveals the timeless and universal forces behind these shifts and uses them to look into the future, offering practical principles for positioning oneself for what’s ahead.
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Review of the Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu, one of the most impactful hard-science fiction books this century.
Set against the backdrop of China's Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion.
We discuss the book and its philosophical ideas as well as some of the more exciting science ideas within. It's a heavy book to wrap your head around but full of insights for the keen explorer.
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In False Alarm, Bjorn Lomborg examines how climate change panic costs us trillions, hurts the poor, and fails to fix the planet. This is a divisive book and even had us as hosts disagreeing on subjects.
Bjorn Lomborg proposes to debunk the myths and hype surrounding climate change, revealing the true costs and benefits of our response to this global challenge. Lomborg argues that our current approach to climate change is doing more harm than good, and offers a bold and pragmatic alternative that puts the world's poor first.
This book is worth understanding and reading as healthy skepticism is always valuable. Of course, the book itself is worth some skepticism which you can definitely find in this episode.
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In this book, neurologist Oliver Sacks, describes the case histories of some of his patients. Sacks chose the title of the book from the case study of one of his patients who has visual agnosia, a neurological condition that leaves him unable to recognize faces and objects. Sacks wrote the stories of 24 patients and their neurological conditions which was split into four sections – ‘Losses’, ‘Excesses’, ‘Transports’, and ‘The World of the Simple’ each dealing with a particular aspect of brain function
Host rating for 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat'
Nico
Rating: 3/10
Sam
Rating: 6/10
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The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success
In this engrossing journey into the lives of psychopaths and their infamously crafty behaviors, the renowned psychologist Kevin Dutton reveals that there is a scale of "madness" along which we all sit. Incorporating the latest advances in brain scanning and neuroscience, Dutton demonstrates that the brilliant neurosurgeon who lacks empathy has more in common with a Ted Bundy who kills for pleasure than we may wish to admit, and that a mugger in a dimly lit parking lot may well, in fact, have the same nerveless poise as a titan of industry.
Dutton argues that there are indeed "functional psychopaths" among us―different from their murderous counterparts―who use their detached, unflinching, and charismatic personalities to succeed in mainstream society, and that shockingly, in some fields, the more "psychopathic" people are, the more likely they are to succeed. Dutton deconstructs this often misunderstood diagnosis through bold on-the-ground reporting and original scientific research as he mingles with the criminally insane in a high-security ward, shares a drink with one of the world's most successful con artists, and undergoes transcranial magnetic stimulation to discover firsthand exactly how it feels to see through the eyes of a psychopath.
As Dutton develops his theory that we all possess psychopathic tendencies, he puts forward the argument that society as a whole is more psychopathic than ever: after all, psychopaths tend to be fearless, confident, charming, ruthless, and focused―qualities that are tailor-made for success in the twenty-first century. Provocative at every turn, The Wisdom of Psychopaths is a riveting adventure that reveals that it's our much-maligned dark side that often conceals the trump cards of success.
Host rating for 'The Wisdom of Psychopaths'
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Rating: 5/10
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Rating: 7/10
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NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity
By Steve Silberman
What is autism? A lifelong disability, or a naturally occurring form of cognitive difference akin to certain forms of genius? In truth, it is all of these things and more—and the future of our society depends on our understanding it. Wired reporter Steve Silberman unearths the secret history of autism, long suppressed by the same clinicians who became famous for discovering it, and finds surprising answers to the crucial question of why the number of diagnoses has soared in recent years. Going back to the earliest days of autism research, Silberman offers a gripping narrative of Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger, the research pioneers who defined the scope of autism in profoundly different ways; he then goes on to explore the game-changing concept of neurodiversity. NeuroTribes considers the idea that neurological differences such as autism, dyslexia, and ADHD are not errors of nature or products of the toxic modern world, but the result of natural variations in the human genome. This groundbreaking book will reshape our understanding of the history, meaning, function, and implications of neurodiversity in our world.
Symptoms of Autism in Infants and Children
Some children show signs of autism spectrum disorder in early infancy. Signs usually are seen by age 2 years.
Social Communication and Interaction
Patterns of Behaviour
Main Signs of Autism in Adults
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20352928)
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/signs/adults/#:~:text=finding%20it%20hard%20to%20understand,in%20others%20without%20meaning%20to
Host rating for 'NeuroTribes'
Nico
Rating: 5/10
Sam
Rating: 4/10
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You can also listen and join us on [ReasonFM](https://reason.fm/podcast/wiser-than-yesterday) or just ask questions.
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Faster Than Normal: Turbocharge Your Focus, Productivity, and Success with the Secrets of the ADHD Brain By Peter Shankman In Faster Than Normal, Shankman shares his hard-won insights and daily hacks for making ADHD a secret weapon for living a full and deeply satisfying life. Both inspiring and practical, the book presents life rules, best practices, and simple but powerful ways to: Harness your creative energy to generate and execute your ideas Direct your hyperfocus to get things done Identify your pitfalls--and avoid them Streamline your daily routine to eliminate distractions Use apps and other tech innovations to free up your time and ener Filled with ingenious hacks and supportive self-care advice, this is the positive, practical book the ADHD community has long needed - and is also an invaluable handbook for anyone who's sick of feeling overwhelmed and wants to drive their faster-than-normal brain at maximum speed...without crashing. Takeaways Focus on changing your brain chemistry first thing each day by doing an exercise. Eliminate choice wherever possible. The less time you have to spend on creating decisions, the more time you can spend on things that matter. Having an adequate sleep and eating well has a huge impact. Host rating for 'Faster Than Normal' Nico Rating: 8/10 Sam Rating: 9/10 Subscribe! If you enjoyed the podcast please subscribe and rate it. And of course, share with your friends! You can also listen and join us on ReasonFM (https://reason.fm/podcast/wiser-than-yesterday) or just ask questions.
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