The James Altucher Show

For two decades Annie Duke ranked as one of the top poker players in the world. Which means she won a lot. But she couldn't win without losing. I'll explain. It's hard to learn when you win, I think. Because if you win, then you think you're a genius, but if you lose you blame your opponent for being "lucky". So how do you become a real master... Skip the 10,000 hour rule. There's a hack. And Annie figured it out. Listen now.   Show Notes: "Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts" by Annie Duke "Outliers: The Story of Success" by Malcolm Gladwell "Every Hand Revealed" by Gus Hansen "Sick in the Head: Conversations About Life and Comedy" by Judd Apatow "Ego is the Enemy" by Ryan Holiday "The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph" by Ryan Holiday "Choose Yourself" by James Altucher    I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltucher.com/podcast. Thanks so much for listening! If you like this epis

Aaron Berg is "the fearless comedian." And I think that's a compliment. How would you like if someone call you "the fearless (whatever you are)." Fill in the blank. I wanted to learn that skill. And that's what I think you'll learn from this interview.  Show Notes: "American Etiquette: Failing Upwardly in a Fox News Nation" by Aaron Berg?  "Mr. Manners: Proper Etiquette for the Modern Degenerate" by Aaron Berg Aaron Berg's Albums: "Comedy Coltrane" & "Unscripted", both available on iTunes or Amazon Aaron's Radio Show "In Hot Water" LIVE Tuesdays at 2pm Stand Up NY Gotham Comedy Club LOL Comedy Club I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltucher.com/podcast. Thanks so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts Stitcher iHeart Radio Spotify   Follow me on Social Media: Twitter Facebook Linkedin Instagram ------------What do YOU think of

Kevin Allocca is "Head of Culture and Trends" at YouTube. He's been there for 8 years. So he knows how videos go viral. But more than that, Kevin knows the economics of entertainment. He told me how to get a message out (because no one reads books anymore. It's easier to get hits online than hits on Kindle.) So what's the first step? "You gotta start making something," he said. "Especially when you're trying to establish what your voice is, what your perspective is... these things need to be sort of incubated in a way."   Show Notes: Videocracy: How YouTube Is Changing the World . . . with Double Rainbows, Singing Foxes, and Other Trends We Can't Stop Watching by Kevin Allocca Kevin's TED talk "Why videos go viral"  Ylvs's videos: "What Does the Fox Say"  and "What's the Meaning of Stonehenge"  GANGUM STYLE David after Dentist  Charlie bit my finger  The making of GANGUM STYLE The Star Wars Kid  Chocolate Rain with Tay Zonday My interview with Erika Ender (songwriter of Despacito, which has 4+ billion views o

Sara Blakely is a self-made billionaire. She's the founder and creator of Spanx. I interviewed her exactly a year ago. But all of her advice (learned directly from DOING) is still impacting me today. I had to re-listen. And I hope you do, too.   I wrote an article "What I Learned From Spanx Founder Sara Blakely." Sometimes I re-read it to remind myself of everything she taught me. Some people are inspirations for life. Sara is one of those people. Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltucher.com/podcast.   Thanks so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts Stitcher iHeart Radio Spotify   Follow me on Social Media: Twitter Facebook Linkedin Instagram ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answ

This podcast is all about getting in control of your food. Food is medicine. It's fuel. Listen to Dr. Oz, leading cardiac surgeon, featured health expert, host of The Dr. Oz Show and author of 8 New York Times bestselling books, including his newest, "Food Can Fix It: The Superfood Switch to Fight Fat, Defy Aging, and Eat Your Way Healthy".   Show Notes: Dr Oz's 8th NYT Bestseller: "Food Can Fix It: The Superfood Switch to Fight Fat, Defy Aging, and Eat Your Way Healthy" "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari My interview with Yuval Noah Harari Dr. Oz's article on "The Pegan Diet" I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltucher.com/podcast.   Thanks so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts Stitcher iHeart Radio Spotify   Follow me on Social Media: Twitter Facebook Linkedin Instagram ------------What do YOU think of

Jordan thinks about things, people pay attention, and he gets paid for it. His YouTube channel has tens of millions of views. He's a clinical psychologist, professor and author of "12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos."     Show notes: 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson Jordan's popular YouTube channel and lectures "Tools of Titans" by Tim Ferriss  Jordan's interview with Joe Rogan on "The Joe Rogan Experience"  Carl Panzram (the serial killer Jordan talks about) A quote from Carl Jung: "Modern people can't see god because they won't look low enough" I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltucher.com/podcast. Thanks so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts Stitcher iHeart Radio Spotify   Follow me on Social Media: Twitter Facebook Linkedin Instagram ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to Jam

"It's weird to do something that you didn't really plan on doing," Todd Barry said. He's a comedian and actor. But he wanted to be a musician. "I didn't go on stage with the conscious goal of pursuing comedy. In my mind, I still wanted to be in a band," he said. "And at some point, I think it was like 8 months in where, I was like, 'I guess I guess I'm doing this.'" I wanted to know what kept him going... It was simple.  "Weirdly, I don't think I ever said 'I'm thinking about quitting...' which I guess is pretty telling." Maybe that's how you find your calling... By not quitting what you don't hate, you create skill. And skill becomes love.   Show Notes: Read Todd's book, "Thank You for Coming to Hattiesburg: One Comedian's Tour of Not-Quite-the-Biggest Cities in the World" Listen to Todd's podcast interview with Judd Apatow  This is one of my favorite jokes from Todd Barry Watch Todd in "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" with Jerry Seinfeld  I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn wh

We live in this society where there's "rules of etiquette"... but there aren't really "rules of etiquette" when someone's trying to kill you. Sometimes violence is the answer. "This is a key mind shift people need to take for their own self protection," Tim Larkin said. Tim's an American self-defense expert, the founder of Target Focus Training, and author of the "New York Times" bestselling book "Surviving The Unthinkable." And he'll teach you how to save your own life. Show Notes: "When Violence Is the Answer: Learning How to Do What It Takes When Your Life Is at Stake" by Tim Larkin "Survive the Unthinkable: A Total Guide to Women's Self-Protection" by Tim Larkin "How to Survive the Most Critical 5 Seconds of Your Life" by Tim Larkin "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu "The 48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene "Abnormal Psychology" By Ronald J. Comer The 21-Foot Rule Pancho Villa Jason Bourne Movies The Sopranos A History of Violence Thanks so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to "

Happy chemicals = the key to happiness. So I interviewed Dr. Loretta Breuning, author of "Meet Your Happy Chemicals," "The Science of Positivity," "I, Mammal," and "Habits of a Happy Brain." Show Notes:  "Meet Your Happy Chemicals" by Loretta Breuning "The Science of Positivity" by Loretta Breuning "I, Mammal: How to Make Peace With the Animal Urge for Social Power" by Loretta Breuning "Habits of a Happy Brain" by Loretta Breuning "Anxiety: What turns it on. What turns it off" by Loretta Breuning Check out Loretta's site, Inner Mammal Institute - designed to helps people build their power over their mammalian brain chemistry. Also, if you like this interview, go back and listen to my first interview with Loretta Breuning I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltucher.com/podcast. Thanks so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts Stitcher i

Erika Ender was just nominated for "best song of the year." She wrote "Despacito." (Which has 7billion+ views on YouTube.) I first interviewed her in October '17. And I wanted to re-release our conversation to celebrate her. She has so much wisdom and gave me so many powerful takeaways. But one of my favorites is "everybody has their own talent." And when she says it, I believe her.  I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltucher.com/podcast. Thanks so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts Stitcher iHeart Radio Spotify Follow me on Social Media: Twitter Facebook Linkedin Instagram ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question

NBA's all-time leading scorer? Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Six-time NBA champion? Kareem Abdul Jabbar. 50 years of athleticism. THAT'S peak performance. Then he combined his career with activism, philanthropy (President Obama awarded him with "The Presidential Medal of Freedom," the nation's highest civilian honor.). He's also collaborated with HBO documentaries to create the highest rated sports documentary in history.   I don't know anything about sports. But I'm grateful I got to learn from Kareem. (And now you do, too). Show Notes:  "Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court" by Kareem Abdul Jabbar "Coach Wooden and Me: Our 50-Year Friendship On and Off the Court" by Kareem Abdul Jabbar becomingkareem.com Autobiography of Malcolm X I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltucher.com/podcast. Thanks so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Pod

PJ told me some unconventional ways to vote for president. "Who would you road trip with?" A lot of people might think they'd say Trump, "but think again," he said. I didn't vote. But I still wanted to know how it happened... (Also, this episode is airing just days before the one year inauguration of President Donald J. Trump.) Full show notes and links here. Show Notes: The National Lampoon, PJ was the Editor in Chief in the 70's (back in John Belushi days) "Parliament of Whores: A Lone Humorist Attempts to Explain the Entire U.S. Government" by PJ O'Rourke "Give War a Chance" by PJ O'Rourke "On The Wealth of Nations" by PJ O'Rourke Ezra Pound (poet) East Village Other (a competitor to The National Lampoon) The Village Voice (another popular magazine back in the 70's) NPR's debrief on Brexit My interview with Ron Paul - https://jamesaltucher.com/2016/05/ron-paul/ "The Art of The Deal" by Donald Trump Eisenhower's Farewell Address   Thanks so much for listening! If you like this episode, pleas

It's weird. Normally, the people I interview on this podcast are at the end of their career. Bill is just starting. He spent years in law school. And then made up his mind (after a day of fasting) that he's going to be a comedian. I wanted to know why... "I calculated it out," he said. "I figured I can out work a lot of these guys. I cultivated this really huge love for stand-up and it imbued my life with meaning the more I sacrifice for it and the harder I pursued it." I feel this podcast is filled with lessons on commitment and confidence, but mostly, on being true to your pursuit. And really choosing yourself... Show Notes:  "Choose Yourself" by me, James Altucher Bill's Quora page Bill's TED talk Bill's Show "If You Feel like Killing Yourself, Call Me" WTF with Marc Maron Podcast Nick Ogle "The Hidden Tools of Comedy: The Serious Business of Being Funny" by Steve Kaplan Ari Shafer youtube talk - 4 hours long The Lazy Philosopher (Bill's podcast) Thanks so much for listening! If you like this episode,

It's easy to just be an entertainer, but it's a lot harder to be an artist. Dov Davidoff is learning this. And he taught me how he's figuring out how to use his vulnerabilities to his advantage. To set him apart. For him, humor is a way of telling the truth (in an odd sort of way). I'll explain. The truth can be hard to hear. Even if it means trashing your wife on stage. This is Dov's interpretation of comedy. And here's how your vulnerabilities can be used to your advantage... Show Notes: "Road Dog: Life and Reflections from the Road as a Stand-up Comic" by Dov Davidoff The HBO Series, Crashing The NBC Series, Shades of Blue Dov plays characters on both shows! Also Mentioned Gotham Comedy Club Sanford and Son Stockholm Syndrome The 40 Year Old Virgin Freaks and Geeks The George Lopez Show Roseanne Cheers Friends The Comedy Cellar The Village Underground "Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging" by Sebastian Junger   Thanks so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to "The James Altuc

Jeff is the bestselling author of "Real Artists Don't Starve." I've wanted him to come on this podcast for over a year. Because he knows the secret to become a "thriving artist." "That's somebody who makes money so they can make more art," he said. The key is to combine your art with a business sense (even if it's just the basics). Start with your natural talents. Turn those talents into skill (through practice). Develop a business sense (more on this in the podcast) and figure out "what does ownership" look like in your space. This is the guide to becoming a real artist. A wealthy artist. (You'll even learn HOW to ask for money.) Show Notes:  "Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams into your Comfortable Life" by Jeff Goins "The In-Between: Embracing the Tension Between Now and the Next Big Thing" by Jeff Goins "You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One)" by Jeff Goins "The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do" by Jeff Goins "Real Artists Don't Starve: Timeless Strategies

Aaron Carroll is a pediatrician and the author of "Bad Food Bible: How and Why to Eat Sinfully". I threw every argument ever made about coffee, carbs, alcohol, MSG, BACON, antioxidants, the list goes on. He's about to dismantle the rumors. And give you your control back. Show Notes: Read Aaron's book "The Bad Food Bible: How and Why to Eat Sinfully" Aaron writes for the New York Times, read his articles here. "Awaken the Giant Within : How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny!" by Tony Robbins "Giant Steps: Small Changes to Make a Big Difference" by Tony Robbins My podcast interview with Dr. Sanjiv Chopra - Ep. 174 - The Art of Wellbeing "The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest" by Dan Buettner The Mediterranean Diet "A History of the World in 6 Glasses" by Tom Standage Brazil's Nutritional Guidelines The Man Who Saved a Billion Lives - Norman Borlaug who won the Nobel Peace Prize for inventing Dwarf Wheat "Don't

He had a panic attack on air. Live.  A meltdown in front of 5 million people.  Dan was struggling with PTSD, which led to drug abuse and depression. Then he found meditation. Show Notes:  "10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works--A True Story" By Dan Harris  "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-to Book" By Dan Harris Download Dan's App (10% Percent Happier) to Start Meditating today! Listen to Dan's podcast (10% Happier with Dan Harris) Watch the ABC World News Tonight story about the inspiration for Dan Harris' first book! Also Mentioned: The Ben Shapiro Show Pod Save America Thanks so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts Youtube Stitcher iHeart Radio Spotify   Follow me on Social Media: Twitter Facebook Linkedin Instagram Youtube ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to&nb

I'm celebrating my 300th episode. With a GIANT episode. I took all the best clips from years and years of podcast. And recorded some new "behind the scenes" thoughts and ideas about each clip (what I learned and why I loved this guest, how they helped me and how they can help you, too). You'll hear advice and EXCLUSIVE stories from Mark Cuban, Tony Robbins, Arianna Huffington, Sara Blakely, Tim Ferriss, Ryan Holiday and the list goes on. THIS is episode 300! And I can't thank you enough for listening.I'm celebrating my 300th episode. With a GIANT episode. I took all the best clips from years and years of podcast. And recorded some new "behind the scenes" thoughts and ideas about each clip (what I learned and why I loved this guest, how they helped me and how they can help you, too). You'll hear advice and EXCLUSIVE stories from Mark Cuban, Tony Robbins, Arianna Huffington, Sara Blakely, Tim Ferriss, Ryan Holiday and the list goes on. THIS is episode 300! And I can't thank you enough for listening. P.S. If wan

Why would anyone want to pursue a career in comedy? There are no benchmarks, no paychecks and definitely no guarantees. It's too risky. Unless you have that pull... the one that tells you, "this is the right thing. This is what you're meant for." Paul Reiser knew. And never looked back. That's what I want for everyone listening to this podcast. That's what I hope for you.   Show Notes: some of Paul's work: "Stranger Things" "My Two Dads" "Mad About You" (Paul was in 160 episodes!) "Diner" Paul's first appearance on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" in 1982! "There's...Johnny!" (Paul wrote the Hulu Original Series) Paul also stars in the TV Series "Red Oaks," he describes it as Caddyshack meets "The Graduate" Read Paul's Books: "Couplehood" "Familyhood" "Babyhood" Also Mentioned: "2000 Year Old Man Record"   ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested i

If I compete with you, I'm a loser. It means I'm not helping anyone in a new way. Ryan said, "Competition is for losers." He was quoting Peter Thiel. Instead, you have to invent your own category... here's how Show Notes: "Trust Me I'm Lying" by Ryan Holiday "The Obstacle is The Way" by Ryan Holiday "Ego is The Enemy" by Ryan Holiday "The Perennial Seller" by Ryan Holiday "The Daily Stoic" by Ryan Holiday "The Daily Stoic Journal" by Ryan Holiday A famous writing technique created and taught by Julia Cameron called "morning pages." You can read about it in her book "The Artist's Way" "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius A phrase from Ryan's mentor, Robert Greene and author of "The 48 Laws of Power" (Ryan mentions "tactical hell" when everyone's just reacting all the time) A quote from Peter Thiel, founder of PayPal and bestselling author of "Zero to One" (Ryan quotes him saying, "competition is for losers") Ryan's article "Uncommon Advice To Any Young Man Wanting To Become Insanely Successful