Episodes

107
Jan. 17, 2021

Upstream by Dan Heath: why we keep throwing kids in the river (and how to stop)

ABOUT THE BOOK (By the way, you can buy the book and support the podcast at the same time by buying through Book Depository (Aus+Global) by clicking HERE or Bookshop (US) HERE.) New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath examines how to prevent problems before they happen, drawing on insights from hundreds of interviews with unconventional problem solvers. So often in life, we get stuck in a cycle of response. We put out fires. We deal with emergencies. We stay downstream, handling one probl...
106
Jan. 10, 2021

2021 reading thoughts: why setting a reading goal might be a bad idea

Happy new year! This episode is a relaxed start to the new year with a short chat about books and reading goals. I’ll share a couple of fiction books I’ve read over the break, why I’m *reducing* the number of books I’m planning to read in 2021 and why we need to get back to reading for fun in 2021 (and my anti-challenge #readforfunin21). Let’s go! Steph Check out this, and past episodes, on the podcast website. Psst, if you find the podcast valuable, you can now say thanks by buying me a cup...
105
Jan. 3, 2021

REBROADCAST: Courage to be Disliked: denying trauma & having the courage to be happy

REBROADCAST – over the December/January break I’m re-sharing two older episodes that are by far the most downloaded episodes of the podcast. If you missed them first time around, this is your perfect chance to catch up. Enjoy! About the Authors Ichiro Kishimi was born in Kyoto, where he still lives, in 1956. He has aspired to become a philosopher since his days in high school. Since 1989, while specialising in Classical Western philosophy, with a special focus on Platonic philosophy, he has res...
104
Dec. 27, 2020

REBROADCAST: Dare to Lead by Brené Brown: Empathy, courage and sh1tty first drafts of made up stories

REBROADCAST - over the December/January break I'm re-sharing two older episodes that are by far the most downloaded episodes of the podcast. If you missed them first time around, this is your perfect chance to catch up. Enjoy! About the Author Dr. Brené Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston where she holds the Huffington Foundation – Brené Brown Endowed Chair at The Graduate College of Social Work. She has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, a...
103
Dec. 20, 2020

2020 Wrapped Up: The five best books and podcasts of this year

Five best books for 2020 Range by David Epstein Listen to the episode: Range by David Epstein: why you need to stop specialising Buy the book: https://www.bookdepository.com/Range/9781509843503/?a_aid=stephsbookshelf I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Listen to the episode: I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou: How powerful stories can change your life Buy the book: https://www.bookdepository.com/I-Know-Why-Caged-Bird-Sings-Maya-Angelou/9780345514400/?a_aid=stephsbookshelf The Power of R...
102
Dec. 13, 2020

This is Water by David Foster Wallace: The capital T truth-about life

Listen to the full speech here: https://fs.blog/2012/04/david-foster-wallace-this-is-water/ About the Book: This is Water In this rare peek into the personal life of the author of numerous bestselling novels, gain an understanding of David Foster Wallace and how he became the man that he was. Only once did David Foster Wallace give a public talk on his views on life, during a commencement address given in 2005 at Kenyon College. The speech is reprinted for the first time in book form in This ...
101
Dec. 6, 2020

The Practice by Seth Godin: Why everything you thought you knew about creativity is wrong

Sign up to the bookmark newsletter: About the Book The Practice Creative work doesn’t come with a guarantee. But there is a pattern to who succeeds and who doesn’t. And engaging in the consistent practice of its pursuit is the best way forward. Based on the breakthrough Akimbo workshop pioneered by legendary author Seth Godin, The Practice will help you get unstuck and find the courage to make and share creative work. Godin insists that writer’s block is a myth, that consistency is far more i...
Nov. 28, 2020

Own Your Career, Own Your Life by Andy Storch: why you need to take more responsibility for your career, and your life

Sign up to the bookmark newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/1119b1358a84/thebookmark About the Book "Own Your Career Own Your Life'' is an incredible reference manual for every person who wants to design a life they are truly proud and joyful to live! With stories that will engage you and make the book impossible to put down, resources that will become a part of your daily life, and ideas that will spur you on to a more successful life and career, this is the very next book you need to read! About ...
99
Nov. 22, 2020

Special Episode: Talking books with Steph Clarke and Kelly Irving

Time for something a little different. This week, to celebrate the 100th episode of Steph’s Business Bookshelf (yes, you read this right, there was an episode zero, so episode 99 is the 100th episode) AND my birthday, I’ve invited a guest host onto the podcast… introducing, Kelly Irving. Kelly is an author coach who helps you unlock what’s inside your head, so you plan, write and publish your best book as fast, fun and pain-free as possible. She is obsessed with helping experts, CEOs and thoug...
98
Nov. 15, 2020

Think Like a Freak by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner: Why morals can get in the way of the right answer

About the Book With their trademark blend of captivating storytelling and unconventional analysis, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner take us inside their thought process and teach us all how to think a bit more productively, more creatively, more rationally. In Think Like A Freak, they offer a blueprint for an entirely new way to solve problems, whether your interest lies in minor lifehacks or major global reforms. The topics range from business to philanthropy to sports to politics, all w...
97
Nov. 8, 2020

Dream Teams by Shane Snow: How to fight your way to working better together

About the Book A journey through science and history to understand incredible teams and what makes them tick. In Dream Teams, award-winning journalist Shane Snow takes us on an adventure through psychology, neuroscience, business and more, revealing what separates groups that simply get by together from teams that get better together. You’ll meet rap groups, pirate gangs, buddy cops, pioneering women in journalism and the FBI, soviet hockey teams, outrageous artists and city planners, and the p...
96
Nov. 1, 2020

Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon: How to unlock your creativity and make better work

About the Book An inspiring guide to creativity in the digital age, Steal Like an Artist presents ten transformative principles that will help readers discover their artistic side and build a more creative life. Nothing is original, so embrace influence, school yourself through the work of others, remix and reimagine to discover your own path. Follow interests wherever they take you—what feels like a hobby may turn into you life’s work. Forget the old cliché about writing what you know: Instead...
95
Oct. 25, 2020

Marketing Made Simple by Donald Miller: How to use enlightenment to create commitment

About the Book An essential part of any marketing professional’s tool kit – this strategic and actionable guide shows you how to apply the renowned StoryBrand framework to your brand. Every day, brands lose millions of dollars simply because they do not have a clear message that tells consumers who they are and what value they will add to their customers’ lives. To solve this dilemma, Donald Miller wrote Building a StoryBrand, which has become the quintessential guide for anyone looking to craf...
94
Oct. 18, 2020

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott: Why you need to start being more weird

About the Book For a quarter century, more than a million readers—scribes and scribblers of all ages and abilities—have been inspired by Anne Lamott’s hilarious, big-hearted, homespun advice. Advice that begins with the simple words of wisdom passed down from Anne’s father—also a writer—in the iconic passage that gives the book its title. An essential volume for generations of writers young and old, Bird by Bird is a modern classic. Source: amazon.com About the Author Anne Lamott is the New Y...
93
Oct. 11, 2020

When I Woke Up by Paul Evans: Why the right relationships can save your life

About the Book The True Story of Paul Evans written by Carolyn Coe – is one man’s inspiring story of starting rough, making mistakes, personal suffering and the raw grit it takes to get back up when life deals the heaviest blows. Told with his authentic humour and frank wit, this is an upfront and personal account of a life of full of jaw-dropping, gut-wrenching and heartwarming events that will leave you reeling in disbelief and full of admiration for one man’s spirit to survive and live life t...
92
Oct. 4, 2020

Further Faster by Warren James: How to get your career off to the best start

About the Book You too can find direction and build a roadmap to take your life and career further faster, even if you are feeling a little under-equipped for the journey ahead. “‘Further Faster’ is an actionable guide full of important steps for those who want to make the most of their career” – Nir Eyal, bestselling author of ‘Hooked‘ and ‘Indistractable‘ Come on a journey of self-discovery with Warren James, The Rapid Mentor, to uncover: Who you are and where you want to go The pillars yo...
91
Sept. 27, 2020

Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss: how to make your habits your key for success

About the Book Tim has interviewed more than 200 world-class performers for his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show. The guests range from super celebs (Jamie Foxx, Arnold Schwarzenegger, etc.) and athletes (icons of powerlifting, gymnastics, surfing, etc.) to legendary Special Operations commanders and black-market biochemists. For most of my guests, it’s the first time they’ve agreed to a two-to-three-hour interview. This unusual depth has helped make The Tim Ferriss Show the first business/intervie...
90
Sept. 20, 2020

On Writing by Stephen King: Why boredom is the key to great writing

Sign up to the bookmark newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/1119b1358a84/thebookmark About the Book On Writing Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the...
89
Sept. 13, 2020

Smarter, Faster, Better by Charles Duhigg: Why you need to embrace control but relinquish certainty

Sign up to the bookmark newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/1119b1358a84/thebookmark About the Book From the author of the New York Times bestselling phenomenon The Power of Habit comes a fascinating new book that explores the science of productivity, and why, in today’s world, managing how you think—rather than what you think—can transform your life. A young woman drops out of a PhD program and starts playing poker, a group of data scientists at Google embark on a four-year study of how the best te...
88
Sept. 6, 2020

The Power of Ritual by Casper ter Kuile: how wizards and gyms will make you more spiritual

Sign up to the bookmark newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/1119b1358a84/thebookmark About the Book “After half a decade of research and hundreds of conversations with people around the country, I am convinced we are in the midst of a paradigm shift. That what used to hold us in community no longer works, and that the spiritual offerings of yesteryear no longer help us thrive.”–Casper ter Kuile What do Soul Cycle, gratitude journals, and tech breaks have in common? For ter Kuile they offer rituals...
87
Aug. 30, 2020

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou: How powerful stories can change your life

Sign up to the bookmark newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/1119b1358a84/thebookmark About the Book Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a sm...
86
Aug. 23, 2020

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl: What is the meaning of life?

Sign up to the bookmark newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/1119b1358a84/thebookmark About the Book Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl’s memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Between 1942 and 1945 Frankl labored in four different camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Based on his own experience and the experiences of others he treated later in his practice, Frankl argue...
85
Aug. 16, 2020

What I talk about when I talk about running by Haruki Murakami: What you can learn about life from running

Sign up to the bookmark newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/1119b1358a84/thebookmark About the Book An intimate look at writing, running, and the incredible way they intersect, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running is an illuminating glimpse into the solitary passions of one of our greatest artists. While training for the New York City Marathon, Haruki Murakami decided to keep a journal of his progress. The result is a memoir about his intertwined obsessions with running and writing, full of ...
84
Aug. 9, 2020

Hit Refresh: How to build better companies and technology for humans

Sign up to the bookmark newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/1119b1358a84/thebookmark About the Book The New York Times bestseller Hit Refresh is about individual change, about the transformation happening inside of Microsoft and the technology that will soon impact all of our lives—the arrival of the most exciting and disruptive wave of technology humankind has experienced: artificial intelligence, mixed reality, and quantum computing. It’s about how people, organizations, and societies can and must...