Josh Waitzkin is an American chess prodigy, international martial arts champion, and author. He was the basis for the book and film “Searching for Bobby Fischer”, which portrayed his childhood rise to the top of the competitive chess world. Waitzkin has since become a successful author, public speaker, and entrepreneur.
Waitzkin was born in New York City and began playing chess at the age of six. He quickly rose to prominence, becoming the youngest U.S. Chess Federation master in history at the age of nine. He went on to become the National Chess Champion three years in a row, and at the age of twelve he achieved the rank of International Master.
In addition to his success in the competitive chess world, Waitzkin also trained and competed in martial arts. After becoming the National Tai Chi Push Hands Champion and the National Tai Chi Chuan Champion, he went on to win the World Championship of Tai Chi Push Hands in 1997.
Waitzkin retired from competitive chess at the age of sixteen to pursue other interests. He attended Columbia University, where he majored in English and studied philosophy and psychology. After college, Waitzkin immersed himself in the world of poker. He became a professional poker player and won the 2006 World Series of Poker.&nbsp;
In addition to his professional successes, Waitzkin is an accomplished author. He wrote the book “The Art of Learning”, which explores his journey to mastery in both chess and martial arts. He also wrote “The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence” and “The Art of Learning Journal”. Waitzkin has been featured in numerous publications, including The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.&nbsp;
Today, Waitzkin is a sought-after public speaker and consultant, as well as a business coach. He has spoken at a variety of conferences and events, including TEDx and the World Economic Forum. In addition to his public speaking engagements, Waitzkin is the co-founder of the Waitzkin Institute, which provides consulting and coaching services to individuals and organizations. He also serves as the chairman of the board of directors for the International Chess Federation.&nbsp;
Josh Waitzkin is an inspirational figure who has achieved success in multiple fields. His dedication to excellence, combined with his ability to adapt to new challenges, has enabled him to achieve a level of success rarely seen in any single field.

Josh

Eckhart Tolle is widely recognized as one of the most inspiring and visionary spiritual teachers in the world today. With his international bestsellers, The Power of Now and A New Earth—translated into 52 languages—he has introduced millions to the joy and freedom of living life in the present moment. The New York Times has described him as “the most popular spiritual author in the United States,” and in 2011, Watkins Review named him “the most spiritually influential person in the world.”
Eckhart’s profound yet simple teachings have helped countless people around the globe experience a state of vibrantly alive inner peace in their daily lives. His teachings focus on the significance and power of Presence, the awakened state of consciousness, which transcends ego and discursive thinking. Eckhart sees this awakening as the essential next step in human evolution.

Eckhart

Don Miguel Ruiz is a renowned spiritual teacher and internationally bestselling author of the “Toltec Wisdom Series,” including “The Four Agreements,” “The Mastery of Love,” “The Voice of Knowledge,” “The Four Agreements Companion Book,” “The Circle of Fire,” and “The Fifth Agreement.” The Toltec Wisdom books have sold over 12 million copies in the United States and have been published in 46 languages worldwide.&nbsp;
Don Miguel has spent the past three decades guiding students to personal freedom through his profound insights regarding the nature of human reality. His newest book, THE ACTOR (Ediciones Urano), written with Barbara Emrys, was published on November 3rd, 2020.
The youngest of thirteen children, don Miguel Ruiz, was born in rural Mexico to parents who were healers and practitioners of ancient Toltec traditions. As a young adult, he graduated from medical school in Mexico City and practiced neurosurgery with his older brother in Tijuana. A near-fatal car crash forever changed the direction of his life, however, causing him to leave medicine and examine the essential truth about life and humanity. With his mother’s help and through her ancestral teachings, he discovered his own path to awareness, which evolved into a deep understanding of the physical universe and the virtual world of the mind.
Combining Toltec mythology and scientific perspectives, don Miguel has been able to merge ancient wisdom with modern physics and practical common sense, forging a new philosophy for seekers of truth and personal authenticity. His landmark bestselling book, The Four Agreements, contains practical steps for long-term, personal transformation and has been read by millions around the world.
First published in 1997, The Four Agreements has since sold over nine million copies in the United States and seven million worldwide. It has been translated into 46 languages, appeared on the New York Times bestseller for nearly ten years, and was the 36th bestselling book of the decade. Don Miguel is also the author of The Mastery of Love, The Voice of Knowledge, Prayers, and the New York Times bestseller, The Fifth Agreement, a collaboration with his son, don José Ruiz. Each of his books is an international bestseller.
The wisdom don Miguel has brought to the world has earned him respect around the globe. He has dedicated his life to sharing his message through practical concepts in order to promote transformation and ultimately change lives for the better. Don Miguel is the recipient of numerous recognitions, including a U.S. Air Force ‘challenge coin’ engraved with “The Four Agreements.” He is the recipient of an Honorary Degree in Cultural and Social Education from the American Cultural Institute of Mexico. He is referenced as a “national treasure” in his native country.

Adam Grant is an American psychologist and author widely known for his work on the science of giving, creativity, and organizational psychology. He is the top-rated professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a former professor at the University of Michigan. His first book, Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success, was a New York Times bestseller.
Grant is a leading authority on the science of giving, creativity, and organizational psychology. He has written or co-written six books, including Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World and Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy. He has also written for The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, Harvard Business Review, and other publications.
Grant's research focuses on how giving, taking, and exchanging advice affects an individual’s success. He has studied how to maximize the benefits of giving, how to encourage more successful collaborations, and how to foster an environment of innovation and creativity. He has also explored how to assess and develop leadership potential within organizations and how to build workplace cultures where employees are empowered to do their best work.
Grant has received numerous awards and honors, including being named one of the world's 40 most influential management thinkers by Thinkers50 in 2015, one of the world's 50 most influential management thinkers by Thinkers50 in 2018, and one of the world's most influential management gurus by The Observer in 2018. He is a recipient of the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Mentoring and was named the Most Influential Thinker of the Decade by Poets &amp; Quants in 2020.
In addition to his academic and writing career, Grant is a frequent speaker for organizations, universities, and conferences around the world. He has presented to audiences of thousands at TEDx events, and he has been featured on television and radio programs such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, 60 Minutes, and NPR’s Fresh Air. He has also served as a visiting professor at Stanford, Cornell, and INSEAD, and he is currently a visiting professor at the London School of Economics.

Adam

Pema Chödrön is an American Tibetan-Buddhist. She is an ordained nun, former acharya of Shambhala Buddhism, and disciple of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Chödrön has written several dozen books and audiobooks and is the principal teacher at Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia.
Chödrön began studying with Lama Chime Rinpoche during frequent trips to London over a period of several years. While in the United States, she studied with Trungpa Rinpoche in San Francisco. In 1974, she became a novice Buddhist nun under Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, the sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa. In Hong Kong, in 1981, she became the first American in the Vajrayana tradition to become a fully ordained nun or bhikṣuṇī.
Trungpa appointed Chödrön director of the Boulder Shambhala Center (Boulder Dharmadhatu) in Colorado in the early 1980s. Chödrön moved to Gampo Abbey in 1984, the first Tibetan Buddhist monastery in North America for Western men and women, and became its first director in 1986. Chödrön's first book, The Wisdom of No Escape, was published in 1991. Then, in 1993, she was given the title of acharya when Trungpa's son, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, assumed leadership of his father's Shambhala lineage.
In 1994, she became ill with chronic fatigue syndrome, but gradually her health improved. She met Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche during this period and took him as her teacher. That year she published her second book, Start Where You Are, and in 1996 When Things Fall Apart. No Time to Lose, a commentary on Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, was published in 2005.
That year, Chödrön became a member of The Committee of Western Bhikshunis. Practicing Peace in Times of War came out in 2007. In 2016 she was awarded the Global Bhikkhuni Award, presented by the Chinese Buddhist Bhikkhuni Association of Taiwan. In 2020 she retired from her acharya role at Shambhala International, in part due to the group's handling of sexual misconduct allegations, saying, "I do not feel that I can continue any longer as a representative and senior teacher of Shambhala given the unwise direction in which I feel we are going."
Chödrön teaches the traditional "Yarne" retreat at Gampo Abbey each winter and the Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life in Berkeley each summer. A central theme of her teaching is the principle of "shenpa," or "attachment," which she interprets as the moment one is hooked into a cycle of habitual negative or self-destructive thoughts and actions. According to Chödrön, this occurs when something in the present stimulates a reaction to a past experience.
Chödrön married at age 21 and had two children but was divorced in her mid-twenties. She remarried and then divorced a second time eight years later. She has three grandchildren, all of whom reside in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Pema

Jiddu Krishnamurti was a philosopher, speaker, and writer. In his early life, he was groomed to be the new World Teacher, an advanced spiritual position in the theosophical tradition. However, he later rejected this mantle and withdrew from the organization behind it. His interests included psychological revolution, the nature of the mind, meditation, holistic inquiry, human relationships, and bringing about a radical change in Society. He stressed the need for a process in the psyche of every human being. He emphasized that any external entity cannot bring about such a revolution, be it religious, political, or social.
Krishnamurti was born in South India, now the modern-day Madanapalle of Andhra Pradesh. In early adolescence, he met occultist and theosophist Charles Webster Leadbeater on the grounds of the Theosophical Society headquarters at Adyar in Madras. He was subsequently raised under the tutelage of Annie Besant and Leadbeater, leaders of the Society at the time, who believed him to be a 'vehicle' for an expected World Teacher. As a young man, he disavowed this idea and dissolved the Order of the Star in the East, an organization that had been established to support it.
Krishnamurti said he had no allegiance to any nationality, caste, religion, or philosophy. He spent the rest of his life traveling the world, speaking to large and small groups and individuals. He wrote many books, including The First and Last Freedom, The Only Revolution, and Krishnamurti's Notebook. Many of his talks and discussions have been published.
His last public talk was in Madras (now known as Chennai), India, in January 1986, a month before his death at his home in Ojai, California. His supporters — working through non-profit foundations in India, Britain, and the United States — oversee several independent schools based on his educational views. In addition, they continue to transcribe and distribute his thousands of talks, group discussions, and writings using various media formats and languages.
Krishnamurti attracted the interest of the mainstream religious establishment in India. He engaged in discussions with several well-known Hindu and Buddhist scholars and leaders, including the Dalai Lama. Several of these discussions were later published as chapters in various Krishnamurti books. Notable individuals influenced by Krishnamurti include George Bernard Shaw, David Bohm, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dalai Lama, Aldous Huxley, Alan Watts, Henry Miller, Bruce Lee, Terence Stamp, Jackson Pollock, Toni Packer, Achyut Patwardhan, Dada Dharmadhikari and Eckhart Tolle.
Interest in Krishnamurti and his work has persisted since his death. Many books, audio, video, and computer materials remain in print and are carried by major online and traditional retailers. In addition, the four official Foundations maintain archives, disseminate the teachings in increasing languages, convert images to digital and other media, develop websites, sponsor television programs, and organize meetings and dialogues of interested persons worldwide.

Jiddu

Jocko Willink is an American retired Navy Seal officer, author, podcaster, and public speaker. He is best known for his involvement in the Battle of Ramadi, his success in the Navy SEALs, and his leadership philosophy, which is based on discipline, hard work, and respect for others.
Willink was born in Easton, Pennsylvania, on September 8, 1971. He joined the Navy in 1990 and, after graduating from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training, was assigned to SEAL Team 3. During his service in the Navy, Willink completed multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and was eventually assigned to Task Unit Bruiser, the most decorated special operations unit of the Iraq War. During the Battle of Ramadi, Willink and his team helped to clear the city of insurgent forces, and their exemplary performance earned them the Navy Cross.
Willink retired from the Navy in 2010 and soon after began to share his leadership philosophy. He has authored several books, including Extreme Ownership, Leadership Strategy and Tactics, and Way of the Warrior Kid, as well as co-hosting the popular podcast Jocko Podcast.
Willink is also a respected public speaker, giving talks all over the world on topics such as leadership, discipline, and team building. He is a sought-after keynote speaker for both corporate and military events.
Willink is an advocate for physical and mental fitness, often speaking about the importance of proper nutrition and exercise. He also encourages people to push themselves and strive to become the best versions of themselves.
Willink is a highly respected figure in the military and business worlds, and his words have been an inspiration to many. His leadership philosophy is one that emphasizes discipline, hard work, and respect for others, and these values are ones that have served him well throughout his career.

Jocko

Tim Ferriss is an American author, entrepreneur, and public speaker. He is best known for his bestselling book, The 4-Hour Workweek, and for his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show. Ferriss has been featured in the Time 100 Most Influential People list and has been recognized as one of Fast Company's "Most Innovative Business People."
Ferriss was born in East Hampton, New York, in 1977. He attended St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, and graduated from Princeton University with a degree in East Asian Studies in 2000. After college, he worked in sales and marketing for a data storage company before starting his own business, BrainQUICKEN, which he eventually sold.
In 2007, Ferriss wrote The 4-Hour Workweek, which became an international bestseller. The book proposed a new way of working that focused on efficiency and productivity and encouraged readers to pursue their dreams and passions. The book was credited with launching the "lifestyle design" movement and has been translated into 35 languages.
In 2010, Ferriss launched his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which is now one of the most popular podcasts in the world. He interviews high-profile guests from various fields, including business, sports, and entertainment. Ferriss has also written several other books, including The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans, and Tribe of Mentors.
Ferriss has been an active investor, advisor, and board member for a number of companies, including Uber, Evernote, Shopify, and Duolingo. He is a founding member of the Silicon Valley investment firm K9 Ventures and is also a venture partner at the venture capital firm Collaborative Fund.
Ferriss is active in the philanthropic community and has been involved with a number of charities, including DonorsChoose.org, The International Rescue Committee, and the Michael J. Fox Foundation. He is also a member of the Clinton Global Initiative.

Anthony de Mello, also known as Tony de Mello, was an Indian Jesuit priest and psychotherapist. A spiritual teacher, writer, and public speaker, de Mello wrote several books on spirituality and hosted numerous spiritual retreats and conferences. He continues to be known for his storytelling, drawing from the various mystical traditions of both East and West. For introduced many people in the West to mindfulness-based practices, which he sometimes called "awareness prayer."
De Mello was the oldest of five children born to Frank and Louisa (née Castellino) de Mello. He was born in Bombay, British India, on 4 September 1931. He was raised in a Catholic family and dreamed of joining the Jesuit order one day. At the age of 16, de Mello entered the Society of Jesus at the seminary of Vinalaya on the outskirts of Bombay.&nbsp;
In 1952, he was sent to Spain to study philosophy in Barcelona before undertaking ministry. He then returned to India to study theology at De Nobili College in Pune and was ordained to the priesthood in March 1961. After returning to India, he spent several years working in seminaries, and in 1968 he was rector of the seminary of Vinalaya.
De Mello was first attracted to the Jesuits for their strict discipline. Those who knew him during his earlier years in the order described him as somewhat conservative in his theology and reluctant to explore other religions. Some of his peers noted that his experience in Spain led him to broaden his perspective and lose much of his rigidity.
In 1972, he founded the Institute of Pastoral Counselling, later renamed the Sadhana Institute of Pastoral Counselling, in Poona, India. De Mello's first published book, Sadhana – A Way to God, was released in 1978. It outlined a number of spiritual principles and "Christian exercises in Eastern form" inspired by the teachings of Saint Ignatius. It popularized the notion of "awareness prayer" in the United States for his readers and for those who attended his lectures.
De Mello died of a heart attack in 1987, aged 55, in New York City. Bill De Mello, a brother of Tony's, recounts in his book Anthony deMello: The Happy Wanderer that Tony's body was found by Fr. Frank Stroud, S.J. According to Fr. Stroud, de Mello's body was curled up in a fetal position. His official death certificate lists the immediate cause of his death as "Atherosclerotic coronary artery disease with recent thrombosis of the left circumflex branch."
In 1998, 11 years after de Mello's death, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, under the leadership of its Cardinal-Prefect, Joseph Ratzinger (who later became Pope Benedict XVI), conducted a review of de Mello's work and released a lengthy comment expressing theological concern that de Mello's books "are incompatible with the Catholic faith and can cause grave harm."
&nbsp;The Indian magazine Outlook saw this as an attempt by Rome to undermine the clergy in Asia amid widening fissures between Rome and the Asian Church. De Mello's books are available in many Catholic bookshops in the West. Still, they include the advisory that they were written in a multi-religious context and are not intended to be manuals on Christian doctrine.

Anthony

Morgan Scott Peck (May 23, 1936 – September 25, 2005) was an American psychiatrist and author, best known for his first book, The Road Less Traveled, published in 1978. He became recognized as an authority on the connection between psychiatry and religion, pioneering a trend in understanding human development as including not only physical, mental, and emotional growth but also spiritual development.
Peck described human life as a series of obstacles to be overcome on the way to developing a mature character and promoting discipline, or to be more precise, self-discipline, as the set of tools essential for solving life's problems. He also discussed the nature of love, stressing that love is not a feeling but rather an activity. Peck also promoted the formation of what he called "true community," wherein individuals overcame their self-centered viewpoints and were able to empathize fully with one another.&nbsp;
Controversially, Peck also addressed the idea of evil people and the existence and influence of the Devil or Satan. While Peck promoted a life of discipline, true love, and honest relationships, he did not live up to these ideals in his own life. He was involved in numerous adulterous relationships and finally divorced his first wife, as well as being estranged from two of his children.&nbsp;
Nevertheless, his insights into the human condition, in its best and worst forms, contributed greatly to our understanding of mental health.

Arianna Huffington is a Greek-American author, syndicated columnist, and businesswoman. She was born Arianna Stassinopoulos on July 15, 1950, in Athens, Greece. She moved to the United Kingdom with her family when she was 16 and later studied economics at Girton College, Cambridge.
After graduating, Huffington began her career as a writer and commentator and was a prominent conservative commentator in the UK during the 1970s and 1980s. She later moved to the United States, where she continued her career as a political commentator and became a naturalized citizen in 1990.
In 2005, Huffington co-founded The Huffington Post, a news and opinion website, with Kenneth Lerer and Jonah Peretti. AOL acquired the site in 2011 for $315 million. She served as the site's editor-in-chief from 2005 to 2016.
Huffington is also a prolific author and has written several books, including "The Sleep Revolution," "Thrive," and "The Fourth Instinct: The Call of the Soul." She is also a public speaker and has delivered speeches on various topics, including well-being, media, and politics.
In 2016, Huffington resigned as editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post to focus on her health and wellness startup, Thrive Global, which focuses on reducing workplace stress and burnout. She is still the CEO of Thrive Global.
AOL acquired the Huffington Post in 2011 for $315 million. In 2016, she stepped down as editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post to focus on her new startup, Thrive Global, which aims to end the "epidemic of stress and burnout" by offering corporate wellness programs and products. Huffington is also an author, having written 14 books, including the best-seller "Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder."

Arianna

Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a Lebanese-American essayist, scholar, statistician, and former trader and risk analyst whose work focuses on problems of randomness, probability, and uncertainty. He is the author of several books, including "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable," which was published in 2007 and became a bestseller.
Taleb is a former trader and risk analyst and has worked as a professor of risk engineering at New York University's Tandon School of Engineering. He has a background in mathematics, statistics, and computer science and has published numerous papers in academic journals on topics related to randomness and uncertainty.
Taleb's main area of research is the study of "black swans," which he defines as rare events that have a large impact and are typically not predictable. He argues that traditional risk assessment methods, such as using historical data to predict future events, are inadequate because they fail to consider the possibility of black swan events.
Taleb is also known for his criticism of the concept of "normalcy" in statistics and his skepticism of the use of mathematical models in finance and economics. He has argued that the assumptions made in these models are often unrealistic and can lead to dangerous oversimplifications.
In addition to his work in academia, Taleb is also a public intellectual and has written several books for a general audience. His books have been widely discussed and debated in the media and have been translated into multiple languages.
Taleb is a strong advocate for antifragility, a concept he has developed and popularized in his books. Antifragility is the property of a system or entity that improves when subjected to volatility, shocks, stressors, or disorder and doesn't just remain indifferent to them.
Taleb's writing style is often characterized as provocative and contrarian, and he is known for his strong opinions on a wide range of topics. His work has been influential in the fields of economics, finance, and risk management and has also been discussed in the broader cultural and intellectual conversation.

Nassim Nicholas

Ryan Holiday is an American author, marketer, media strategist, and entrepreneur. He is the author of several bestselling books, including his most recent, Perennial Seller, as well as popular titles such as The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, Conspiracy, and Growth Hacker Marketing. Holiday has written for the New York Times, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, and other publications. He has also been featured in Time, The New Yorker, and The Washington Post.
Holiday is the founder of Brass Check, a creative consulting agency that specializes in marketing, media strategy, and creative consulting. He has worked with some of the world’s most successful authors, entrepreneurs, and public figures, including Tony Robbins, Tim Ferriss, Robert Greene, and Tucker Max. His clients also include media companies such as VICE, MTV, and Complex. He has also served as a consultant to brands such as American Apparel, Google, and Gillette.
As an author, Holiday has written nine books, three of which have become New York Times bestsellers. His books focus on topics such as personal and professional development, marketing, and media strategy. His most recent book, Perennial Seller, is a guide to creating and sustaining success in business, publishing, and life.
As a media strategist and consultant, Holiday has helped launch and reinvigorate several brands and campaigns. His work spans from creating marketing campaigns for startups and Fortune 500 companies to working as a creative consultant for media companies and major brands.
Holiday's work has been featured in major publications, including the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and The Washington Post. He has also appeared on television shows such as the Colbert Report, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and podcasts such as the Tim Ferriss Show and the Joe Rogan Experience.&nbsp;
In addition to his work as an author, media strategist, and consultant, Holiday is a frequent public speaker. He has been a keynote speaker at events such as SXSW, the World Business Forum, and the Inc. 5000 Conference. He also teaches marketing and media strategy classes at the University of California, Berkeley.
Holiday is passionate about helping others achieve their goals and dreams. He has created several online courses and resources to help entrepreneurs, creatives, and marketers better understand the media landscape, marketing, and creative strategies. He also serves as the Managing Director of the media startup, Contently and is an adviser to several startups and companies. He is also a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs and creators.

Ryan

Oriah is, first and foremost, a storyteller, a lover of words and symbols and the stories that lift our spirits, open our hearts, and offer us ways to see patterns and create meaning in our lives. The focus of her life and work has been an ongoing inquiry into the Sacred Mystery. Her writing, teaching, and personal journey all explore how we can each become the individual we are at the deepest level of being and how we can co-create meaning together in the world.&nbsp;
Blending humor, insight, and compassion for our human struggles, Oriah encourages herself and others to be ruthlessly honest and infinitely kind toward our own strengths and our weaknesses. Raised in a small community in Northern Ontario, Oriah’s family encouraged her to bring her questions and explorations to the Christian tradition they espoused.&nbsp;
At home in the wilderness, she was drawn to and at home in the ceremonies and earth-based teachings of the First People’s, eventually teaching and sharing what she learned. Her daily practice includes ceremonial prayer, yoga, meditation, and writing. A graduate of Ryerson University’s social work program (Toronto) and a student of Philosophy at the University of Toronto, she has facilitated groups, offered classes, and counseled individuals for over thirty-five years.&nbsp;
The mother of two grown sons, Oriah, lives in Toronto, Canada. Oriah is the author of several best-selling books: The Invitation (now translated into more than fifteen languages), The Dance, and The Call: Discovering Why You Are Here. Her book, What We Ache For Creativity and the Unfolding of Your Soul, explores the challenges, rewards, and necessity of doing our creative work. Opening the Invitation is a small book that shares Oriah’s story of writing and sharing her much-loved poem, “The Invitation.”&nbsp;
All five of Oriah’s books are published by HarperOne, San Francisco. Using story and sharing meditations, Oriah’s writing explores how to follow the thread of our deepest heart's longing into a life where we can choose joy without denying the difficulties we each face. Facing the challenges and finding the joy of living who we are is further explored on her Sounds True CD, Your Heart’s Prayer.&nbsp;
Oriah has shared her insights and stories with audiences throughout the world at conferences and retreats and through radio and TV appearances (CBC, TVO, Oprah, NPR, PBS, Wisdom Network.) Oriah is currently focused on writing. She is working on a novel, another non-fiction book- a collection of stories about deepening our inner lives- and writing a weekly blog, “The Green Bough,” at oriahsinvitation.blogspot.com

Oriah

Nir Eyal is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lecturer on the topics of consumer psychology and behavior design. He is well-known for his book Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, which focuses on understanding how technology companies create products that users become addicted to.
Eyal has a background in business and psychology, having received his MBA from Stanford University and a BSc in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. He has worked in the tech industry for over a decade and has held executive positions at several companies, including Yahoo and Time Warner.
Eyal has also founded two tech companies, AdNectar and Insightera, and is an investor in several startups. He has been an advisor or board member for numerous companies, including Eventbrite, Product Hunt, and BloomThat.
In addition to his business career, Eyal has written several books, including Hooked, Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life, and The Business of Habit: Designing Products and Services That Create Loyalty. He also writes a popular blog and hosts a podcast called The Nir and Far Show.
Eyal is a sought-after speaker, presenting to audiences all over the world. He has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes and has been a guest on many podcasts, including The Tim Ferriss Show and The Joe Rogan Experience.
If you are interested in gaining a better understanding of how to design products and services that capture and keep users’ attention, Nir Eyal is an excellent resource. His books, blog, podcast, and talks offer valuable insights into the world of consumer psychology and behavior design.

David Sinclair is a world-renowned scientist and professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School. He is an authority in the field of aging, and his research focuses on understanding why we age and how to slow it down. He is the co-founder and co-chief editor of the journal Aging Cell, as well as a co-founder and co-director of the Sinclair Lab at Harvard Medical School.&nbsp;
Dr. Sinclair has made groundbreaking discoveries in the field of aging and longevity. He discovered a gene that controls the aging process and is currently researching ways to use this gene to extend the life and slow down the effects of aging. He has also identified a compound that could potentially reverse aging in mice and has been researching ways to develop a drug that could do the same for humans. His research has been featured in numerous publications, including the New York Times and The Atlantic.&nbsp;
In addition to his research, Dr. Sinclair is an advocate of healthy aging. He is the author of two books, Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don't Have To and The Genetics of Health: Understand Your DNA to Transform Your Life, which provides insights into the science of aging and how to live a longer, healthier life. He is also the co-founder of the Institute for Aging Research and Education, which is dedicated to advancing the science of aging and promoting healthy aging.
Dr. Sinclair is a highly respected scientist and professor, and his work has been recognized with numerous awards and honors. He was named one of the world’s most influential people by Time Magazine in 2019 and is a recipient of the prestigious Albert Einstein Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Life Sciences. He has also been honored with the Breakthrough Prize in Aging Research and the American Society for Cell Biology’s worldwide recognition award for his research on aging.

David

William

In A Guide to the Good Life, William B. Irvine plums the wisdom of Stoic philosophy, one of the most popular and successful schools of thought in ancient Rome, showing how its insight and advice are still remarkably applicable to modern lives. Irvine offers a refreshing presentation of Stoicism, showing how this ancient philosophy can still direct us toward a better life.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Using the psychological insights and the practical techniques of the Stoics, Irvine offers a roadmap for anyone seeking to avoid the feelings of chronic dissatisfaction that plague so many of us. He looks at various Stoic techniques for attaining tranquility and shows how to put these techniques to work in our own life.

Marc Andreessen is an American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and software engineer. He is best known as the co-founder of Netscape Communications Corporation, which developed the first widely-used web browser, Netscape Navigator.
Andreessen's career began in the early 1990s as a software engineer and developer. In 1993, he co-founded Netscape Communications Corporation with Jim Clark. The company developed the first widely-used web browser, Netscape Navigator, which played a significant role in popularizing the internet in the 1990s.
In 1999, Andreessen and his business partner Ben Horowitz founded Loudcloud, a company that provided website infrastructure. The company later rebranded as Opsware and was acquired by Hewlett-Packard in 2007.
In 2009, Andreessen and Horowitz founded Andreessen Horowitz, a venture capital firm that invests in technology companies. The firm has invested in many successful technology companies like Airbnb, Facebook, and Twitter.
In addition to his work in technology, Andreessen has been active in philanthropy and politics. He is a board member of the Markle Foundation, which focuses on using technology to address social and economic issues. He has also been a vocal advocate for the potential of the internet to drive economic growth and has been involved in efforts to promote technology education and entrepreneurship.
In addition to his venture capital role, Andreessen has been a Board member of several companies such as Facebook, eBay, and HP. He is also a regular contributor to publications such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. He is considered to be a leading thinker in the technology industry.

Marc

Austen Allred is an American entrepreneur and the co-founder of Lambda School, an online coding BootCamp. He began his career as a software engineer, working at companies such as Google and Twitter. In 2017, he co-founded Lambda School, an online coding bootcamp that provides students with a combination of live online classes and one-on-one mentorship.
The school is known for its unique income-sharing agreement (ISA) model, in which students do not pay tuition upfront, but instead pay a percentage of their income for a period of time after they secure a job. This model aims to make education more accessible and reduce the financial burden on students.
Allred is also a writer and speaker on topics related to technology, education, and personal growth. He has written articles for publications such as Forbes, TechCrunch, and Medium, and has given talks at conferences and events such as the SXSW, Y Combinator, and the Collision conference.
In addition to his work with Lambda School, Allred is also an angel investor, having invested in startups such as B12, a website design and development company, and Triplebyte, a recruiting platform for software engineers.

Austen

David Heinemeier Hansson is a Danish programmer, entrepreneur, and writer. He is best known as the creator of the popular web development framework Ruby on Rails, which revolutionized the way web applications are built. He is also the founder and CTO of the web application company 37signals, which developed Basecamp, Highrise, and Campfire.
Heinemeier Hansson was born in Aarhus, Denmark. He studied computer science at Aarhus University but dropped out after two years to pursue a career in programming. After a few months of freelancing, he created the development framework Ruby on Rails, which he released in 2004. The framework quickly gained popularity and is now used by millions of web developers.
Heinemeier Hansson is also the co-founder and CTO of 37signals, a web application company that he founded with Jason Fried and Carlos Segura in 1999. The company has developed popular web applications like Basecamp, Highrise, and Campfire. Heinemeier Hansson is now focused on the development of Basecamp, which is a project management tool used by millions of people.
In addition to his programming and entrepreneurial work, Heinemeier Hansson is also a prolific writer. He has written several programming and web development books, including Rails 4 in Action and Getting Real. He is also an active blogger and speaker and regularly talks at conferences worldwide.
Heinemeier Hansson is an active philanthropist and environmentalist. He has donated to a variety of causes, including the WWF and the Copenhagen Climate Council. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Danish Refugee Council.
In 2011, Heinemeier Hansson became the first Dane ever to be awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Award for his programming and web development contributions. He is also an honorary professor at Aarhus University, where he was a student before leaving to pursue his career.
Heinemeier Hansson is a passionate advocate for open source software development and is a regular contributor to open source projects. He is also a vocal advocate for reducing the environmental impact of the tech industry and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Copenhagen Climate Council. He is a strong believer in the power of technology to make the world a better place and is often quoted as saying “Technology is the most powerful tool we have to address the world’s problems.”

David Heinemeier

Derek Sivers is an American writer, musician, programmer, and entrepreneur best known for being the founder and former president of CD Baby, an online CD store for independent musicians.
Sivers was born in the United States in 1969 and grew up in rural Washington. He was interested in music and computers from an early age and taught himself how to program in BASIC at the age of nine. He became a professional musician and programmer in the mid-1990s and moved to New York City in 1997.
In 1998, Sivers launched CD Baby, an online store that allowed independent musicians to sell their CDs directly to fans. The company was an immediate success and quickly became one of the most successful independent music stores on the internet. In 2008, Sivers sold CD Baby to Disc Makers for $22 million.
In addition to his work with CD Baby, Sivers has been involved in a number of other entrepreneurial ventures. He is the founder of MuckWork, a virtual assistant service for musicians, and Wood Egg, a business-advice publishing company. He also serves as an advisor to several startups, including Twitter.
Sivers is also a prolific writer and speaker. He is the author of Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur, and his TED Talks have been viewed more than four million times.
In addition to his business activities, Sivers is also a musician, playing drums in the band Jigsaw Posse. He has released two solo albums and has contributed music to a number of films, television shows, and video games.
Derek Sivers is an inspiring example of an entrepreneur who has achieved success through hard work, tenacity, and creativity. He has built a successful business, written a bestselling book, and has become an influential voice in the world of independent music. His story is one of determination, passion, and perseverance, and he is an inspiration to entrepreneurs everywhere.

Derek

Jason Fried is an American entrepreneur and the co-founder and President of 37signals (now Basecamp), a Chicago-based software company. Fried is a prolific writer and speaker on topics related to technology, productivity, and business.
Fried is a self-taught programmer who began his career in software development in the late 1990s. He co-founded 37signals in 1999 and has since grown it into a successful business. Fried has been the President since the company's inception and is responsible for overseeing product design, customer support, and business strategy.
Fried's vision for 37signals has been to focus on creating simple, user-friendly web-based productivity tools. He believes that the most successful products are those that are designed with a focus on the user experience and on providing value to customers. In addition, Fried wants to create products that are easy to use and don't require extensive training for users to be successful.
Fried's writing and speaking engagements focus on topics related to the software industry, productivity, and business. He has written several books, including "Rework" and "Getting Real," which have become bestsellers. Fried is also a sought-after speaker and has been a featured speaker at many industry conferences.
Fried is committed to helping other entrepreneurs and startups succeed. He has been involved in a number of initiatives to help foster entrepreneurship and innovation, including the Start Small Foundation and Y Combinator. Fried is also a mentor to a number of startups and regularly provides advice and guidance to entrepreneurs.
Fried is a believer in the power of collaboration and shared knowledge. He has been an advocate for open-source software and has been actively involved in the open-source community. In addition, he is a proponent of using web-based tools to help improve collaboration and productivity within companies.
Fried is passionate about his work and is an inspiring leader. He is a firm believer in the power of simplicity and in the importance of focusing on the customer experience. With a strong vision for 37signals, Fried has been able to create a successful business out of the company and has helped many other entrepreneurs and businesses to succeed.

Jason

Phil Libin is an entrepreneur and business executive. He is the co-founder and former CEO of Evernote. Phil Libin co-founded Evernote in 2008 and served as its CEO until 2015. Evernote is a popular note-taking and organizational app that allows users to create and store notes, photos, audio recordings, and other forms of content in a centralized location. The app is available on multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac, and has millions of users worldwide.
Under Libin's leadership, Evernote snowballed and received several funding rounds from venture capitalists. Evernote also expanded its product offerings, adding collaborative note-taking and document scanning features.
Libin was known for his focus on user experience and product design and for his ambitious vision of Evernote as a platform that could help people remember everything they want. He stepped down as CEO in 2015 but remained involved with the company as a board member.
Before Evernote, Libin co-founded and served as CEO of Engine 5, a software development company. After leaving Evernote in 2015, Libin co-founded All Turtles, a startup studio and AI-focused venture fund. He also serves as a board of directors member for several companies, including Lola Travel and PagerDuty.

Phil

Tobi Lütke is the CEO of Shopify, a leading ecommerce platform with over one million merchants. Born and raised in Germany, Lütke has also been a part of the Canadian startup scene since 2004. Lütke co-founded Shopify in 2004 with two of his friends, Daniel Weinand and Scott Lake, after they had difficulty finding reliable ecommerce software that suited their needs.
In the early days of Shopify, Lütke was the software architect and lead developer responsible for the development of the actual software that powers Shopify’s ecommerce platform. He also took on the CEO role in 2008 and has been in charge ever since.
Today, Shopify is one of the leading ecommerce platforms in the world, with more than one million merchants using the platform to run their online stores. The company also has a global presence, with offices in 10 countries, including the United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Lütke is an influential figure in the tech industry and has been honored with numerous awards, including the Canadian Business Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2016) and the Ernst &amp; Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2017).
Lütke is also a vocal advocate for entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation. He frequently speaks at conferences and events around the world and is often quoted in the media. He is a strong believer in the power of technology to make a difference in people's lives and is an advocate for the use of technology as a tool to help small businesses succeed.
Lütke is an active supporter of the Shopify Fulfillment Network, a program that helps merchants scale their businesses and offers them access to a global network of fulfillment centers. He also supports the Shopify Ecommerce Fund, which provides grants to entrepreneurs who are looking to start or grow their ecommerce businesses.
Tobi Lütke is a successful entrepreneur and an influential figure in the tech industry. He has been at the helm of Shopify since its founding in 2004 and is responsible for the company’s impressive growth and global success.

Tobi

Ryan Holiday

Tim Ferriss

Derek Sivers

Maria Popova

Robert Greene

In A Guide to the Good Life, William B. Irvine encourages us to explore Stoicism, an ancient philosophy that promotes living a life of virtue and wisdom. He suggests that by adopting Stoic principles, we can find inner peace and happiness.

Embrace Stoicism for a Better Life

Irvine introduces us to the concept of negative visualization. It's about imagining losing what we have to appreciate it more. This technique can help us avoid taking things for granted and increase our overall satisfaction.

Negative Visualization Can Be Positive

One of the key takeaways from A Guide to the Good Life is the Stoic principle of focusing on what we can control and accepting what we can't. This can help us reduce anxiety and live a more content life.

Control What You Can, Accept What You Can't

Irvine emphasizes the importance of self-discipline in achieving a good life. By practicing self-control, we can resist harmful desires and impulses, leading to a more fulfilling and balanced life.

The Power of Self-Discipline

In his book, Irvine suggests that we should seek tranquility instead of pleasure. Pleasure is fleeting and can lead to dissatisfaction, while tranquility brings lasting contentment. So, take a look at A Guide to the Good Life to find out how to achieve this state of calm.

Seek Tranquility, Not Pleasure

A Guide to the Good Life

William B. Irvine is a professor of philosophy at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Irvine writes books on philosophy for an average audience. He says, “I am not interested, as most of my philosophical colleagues are, in writing primarily for other philosophers. Rather, my intended audience can best be described as intellectually-upscale general readers who have a minimal background in philosophy but who are interested in carefully rethinking the assumptions of everyday life.” He is the author of seven books, including A Guide to the Good Life, and has also written for the Huffington Post, Salon, Time, and BBC. He lives in Dayton, Ohio.

Combining ancient Stoic insights with contemporary psychological research, this book offers a surprisingly simple strategy for dealing with the unexpected challenges of life.
In the face of adversity, thinking of our challenges as tests of character can dramatically alter our emotional response to them. By harnessing this strategy―which author William B. Irvine calls the “Stoic test strategy”―we can overcome everyday obstacles and benefit from them as well.

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In 'The Stoic Challenge', William B. Irvine invites us to explore the ancient philosophy of Stoicism. He suggests that by adopting this philosophy, we can transform our lives. Stoicism teaches us to focus on what we can control and let go of what we can't, leading to a more peaceful and content life.

Embrace the Stoic Philosophy

Irvine encourages us to see life as a series of challenges or tests. Instead of getting upset or frustrated when things go wrong, we should view these as opportunities to grow and improve. This shift in perspective can make us more resilient and better equipped to handle life's ups and downs.

Life is a Series of Challenges

One of the key concepts Irvine discusses is negative visualization. This involves imagining worst-case scenarios to help us appreciate what we have and reduce our fear of adversity. It's a powerful tool that can help us stay calm in the face of challenges and reduce our anxiety about the future.

The Power of Negative Visualization

Self-discipline is a crucial part of Stoicism, according to Irvine. He suggests that by practicing self-discipline, we can gain control over our reactions and emotions. This can help us respond to challenges in a more rational and calm manner, leading to better decision-making and overall happiness.

The Importance of Self-Discipline

Finally, 'The Stoic Challenge' shows us how Stoicism can be applied to modern life. Irvine provides practical tips and strategies for implementing Stoic principles in our daily lives. Whether it's dealing with stress at work or coping with personal setbacks, Stoicism can provide a framework for navigating life's challenges with grace and resilience.

Discover the Best Books Written by William B. Irvine

Best author’s book

A Guide to the Good Life

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The Stoic Challenge

A Guide to the Good Life

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