Everything Tim Ferriss has recommended in 5-Bullet Friday — 2,095 books, articles, quotes, films, products and more, gathered from 480 issues since 2015. Browse by category, sort by what the community values or how often Tim has returned to it, and spend your 25 votes on what matters most to you. Each item's note is quoted from Tim's own words in the newsletter.
“Tabla Solo in Jhaptal.” I’ve developed a keen interest in hand percussion, and this video is one hell of a showcase. It features the legendary Ravi Shankar and Alla Rakha, who show how words can be converted to beautiful tabla playing at unbelievable speed.— Tim Ferriss
“Meu Pedaço de Pecado” (Spotify, YouTube) by Mãeana (@maeana_).— Tim Ferriss
“Trash Artist” Thomas Deininger (@tdeininger). For a quick, riveting video-portrait of the artist, who is also much more than meets the eye, check out this video.— Tim Ferriss
Perfect Days. Can you find enlightenment from cleaning toilets? After watching this Tokyo-based film, you might well think so. Perfect Days is beautifully shot and earned lead actor Kōji Yakusho (Shall We Dance) the Best Actor Award at the 76th Cannes Film Festival. Here is some background from UncleChatGPT: Wim Wenders’ film “Perfect Days” originated from an invitation by Koji Yanai to document The Tokyo Toilet project, which involved redesigning public restrooms in Shibuya with contributions from various creators. Initially, the producers envisioned Wenders creating a series of short films a— Tim Ferriss
“Wade Davis probes our relationship to the sacred.”— Tim Ferriss
“Low-Intensity Continuous Ultrasound Therapies—A Systematic Review of Current State-of-the-Art and Future Perspectives.” I’ve been experimenting with low-intensity continuous ultrasound (LICUS) for the past week to contend with shoulder pain and rehab while training for sports. My left shoulder was completely reconstructed in 2004. Thus far, the results have seemed almost miraculous, and I’m eager to see if it lasts or improves with 3x/weekly treatments. Given the plausible mechanisms for enhanced regeneration of muscle tissue and cartilage (see “LICUS Effects on Tissue Regeneration” at the ab— Tim Ferriss
“But no matter the medicinal virtues of being a true friend or sustaining a long close relationship with another, the ultimate touchstone of friendship is not improvement, neither of the other nor of the self, the ultimate touchstone is witness, the privilege of having been seen by someone and the equal privilege of being granted the sight of the essence of another, to have walked with them and to have believed in them, and sometimes just to have accompanied them for however brief a span, on a journey impossible to accomplish alone.” ― , Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and U
ProBody Pilates Ball. Yep, it’s a Pilates ball, but I don’t use it for Pilates. I keep it deflated in my backpack, and if I need lumbar support or butt padding anywhere on the road (in hotels, restaurants, airplanes, etc.), I give it literally 2–3 seconds of quick, partial inflation and voilà! Deflated, this is small enough to fold up and stick in a jacket or jeans pocket.— Tim Ferriss
George Gurdjieff. Hat tip to Cyan Banister! From Wikipedia: “Gurdjieff taught that people are not conscious of themselves and thus live their lives in a state of hypnotic ‘waking sleep,’ but that it is possible to awaken to a higher state of consciousness and serve our purpose as human beings. The practice of his teaching has become known as ‘The Work’ (connoting work on oneself) and is additional to the ways of the Fakirs (Sufis), Monks, and Yogis.”— Tim Ferriss
The Wild Robot. This is a family-friendly, “This is so cheesy! Why am I crying?!” type of feel-good watch. This film was adapted from the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrated middle-grade novel The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. Here’s the official description: “The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot—ROZZUM unit 7134, ‘Roz’ for short—that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.” It was directed by Chris Sanders (— Tim Ferriss
Roger Federer’s letter to Rafael Nadal: “Vamos, @RafaelNadal! As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional…” Click here to continue reading.— Tim Ferriss
“When it comes to filmmaking, money isn’t important. The intensity of your wishes and faith alone are the deciding factors.” — (Grizzly Man and more) to Errol Morris (Fog of War and more)
“Jensen Huang got his best career advice from a gardener in Japan.”— Tim Ferriss
“This scientist treated her own cancer with viruses she grew in the lab.” From the article: “Beata Halassy discovered in 2020, aged 49, that she had breast cancer at the site of a previous mastectomy. It was the second recurrence there since her left breast had been removed, and she couldn’t face another bout of chemotherapy. Halassy, a virologist at the University of Zagreb, studied the literature and decided to take matters into her own hands with an unproven treatment. A case report published in Vaccines in August outlines how Halassy self-administered a treatment called oncolytic virothera— Tim Ferriss
“Für Elise - Batiste” by Jon Batiste. This is the music video for “Für Elise - Batiste” from Jon Batiste’s album Beethoven Blues, which is out now.— Tim Ferriss
“63 principles” by Nabeel S. Qureshi. Nabeel is currently a stealth startup founder but was previously at Palantir. He has been a visiting scholar in AI at the Mercatus Center as well as an Emergent Ventures awardee.— Tim Ferriss
“Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” ― , often attributed to Margaret Thatcher
Solvitur ambulando. From Wikipedia: “Solvitur ambulando is a Latin phrase which means ‘it is solved by walking,’ referring to an anecdotal, practical solution to a seemingly complex philosophical problem. It is often attributed to Saint Augustine in a refutation of Zeno’s paradoxes of motion.”
Tamara de Lempicka. I randomly found this artist’s work on the streets of NYC, and it propelled me down a rabbit hole. Her life story and art work are one-of-a-kind. Here’s a gem from Britannica: “By her own account, de Lempicka sought to make a living from her art as a result of her husband’s reluctance to work.” I suppose necessity is the mother of invention! If you only have 30 seconds, watch this video. See more of her works here, here, and here.— Tim Ferriss
Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb. This is the amazing story of an iconic writer and his equally iconic (but more hilarious) editor. How do two stubborn geniuses collaborate—and productively fight—over decades? This is how. Description: “Turn Every Page explores the remarkable fifty-year relationship between two literary legends, writer Robert Caro and his longtime editor Robert Gottlieb. Now 86, Caro is working to complete the final volume of his masterwork, The Years of Lyndon Johnson; Gottlieb, 91, waits to edit it. The task of finishing their life’s work lo— Tim Ferriss
“Fall in love with yourself, with life, and then with whomever you want.” —
Jon Batiste on the podcast. This podcast episode is one of my all-time favorites. It’s rare that I rewatch or re-listen to my own stuff, but this is an exception. The flow was magical, and the live music was mesmerizing. Jon brought bottled lightning, and I was lucky to be there. Trust me on this one. For those who don’t know Jon, he is a five-time Grammy Award-winning and Academy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and composer.— Tim Ferriss
The Seth [Godin] Chocolate Bar by Askinosie. Longtime listeners will recognize Askinosie, as it is one of the chocolates that Seth—a lover of fine chocolates—recommended in our conversation back in 2016. This is a limited edition created to celebrate the launch of Seth’s newest book. It certainly excites me to brainstorm what I could be doing for my upcoming book…— Tim Ferriss
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” — , British science-fiction author and co-writer with Stanley Kubrick of the screenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey
“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by . One of the all-time greats.
“How Artificial Intelligence Gave a Paralyzed Woman Her Voice Back” (UCSF). Teaser: “Breakthrough brain implant and digital avatar allow stroke survivor, Ann, to speak with facial expressions for the first time in 18 years.” If you want to see a video demo of this technology, click here. Semi-related reading: Stem cell transplant gives hope for treating age-related sight loss (New Scientist).— Tim Ferriss
“The secret is comprised in three words — Work, Finish, Publish.” — , one of history’s most influential scientists, offering advice to the young William Crookes, who had asked him the secret of his success as a scientific investigator
“Mini-retirements are all the rage, but what exactly does it entail — and can you afford to take one?” If you have any issues accessing, try this link.— Tim Ferriss
“Could a Drug Prevent Hearing Loss from Loud Music and Aging?”— Tim Ferriss
Festina lente. Festina lente or speûde bradéōs (σπεῦδε βραδέως) is a classical adage and oxymoron meaning “make haste slowly.” It has been adopted as a motto numerous times, particularly by the emperors Augustus and Titus, then later by the Medicis and the Onslows. (Wikipedia)
Massachusetts will vote on creating legal, regulated, therapeutic access to psychedelic medicines in a few short weeks. I’m supporting this financially and hope Massachusetts residents will do the same by voting (or more). But what is it? Question 4 is a citizen-initiated ballot that creates a regulated framework for supervised use of certain psychedelics at licensed psychedelic therapy centers. It does not legalize retail sales or storefronts. Army veteran CJ LoConte supports “Yes on 4,” and you can watch him tell his personal story here. One of the campaign’s videos features the story of Emi— Tim Ferriss
“Jeder ist seines Glückes Schmied.” This German expression means “Everyone is the smith of their own luck.”
“Francis Ford Coppola Bet More Than $100 Million on His Legacy. Now What?” (WSJ). From the article: “The director talks about his passion project, Megalopolis, including reports of problems on set and how he paid for the film.” Writer Trung Phan shared the below article summary on Twitter of how Coppola financed Megalopolis: In 2021, Coppola merged his winery with Napa-based Delicato Family Wines Merged business valued at $650m Secured a $200m line of credit from a bank using his remaining stake in winery (he sold a piece as part of merger) He filmed in Georgia and bought a Days Inn hotel for — Tim Ferriss
“Psilocybin for dementia prevention? The potential role of psilocybin to alter mechanisms associated with major depression and neurodegenerative diseases.”— Tim Ferriss
The Strangers Project. Read just a few one-page stories and you’ll see why I find this fascinating. Here are the basics from the website: “Do you ever see a stranger and wonder… ‘What’s it like being you?’ I’ve been asking that question for the past fourteen years and have received more than 85,000 hand-written, true, and anonymous answers.” Thank you to Soman Chainani for the recommendation.— Tim Ferriss
Big Agnes’s Rapide SL Insulated. I absolutely love Big Agnes’s Q-Core SLX model, which was discontinued and replaced by the above linked Rapide SL. I’ve owned my Big Agnes for years. From the description: “Built with offset I-Beam construction, this proprietary design reduces weight while providing multi-directional support for consistent stability and comfort. This superlight air chamber pad sleeps warmer using two layers of heat reflective film, and is third-party rated with an R-Value of 4.8 for use through three seasons. The Rapide SL Insulated is lighter, tougher, more packable, easy to i— Tim Ferriss
Sitka’s Kelvin Aerolite 30. From the description: “Named on Outside Magazine’s list of the Best Hunting Gear of 2022, the Kelvin Aerolite 30 Sleeping Bag is a multifunctional layer for active time in camp, cold glassing sessions, or dreaded midnight nature calls.” Mark Seacat’s recommendation: the Valandré Mirage sleeping bag at a similar price point.— Tim Ferriss
Swarovski SLC 15x56, paired with this tripod adapter, and then mounted on top of this tripod/head setup. These are simply incredible. Sure, I’ve owned binoculars, but the clarity from these puppies takes it to a whole different level. Mark, our resident optics nerd, was the envy of the gang with the Swarovski glass. As he put it to me: “Tripod mounted 15’s are an absolute essential piece of glassing kit for me. If I don’t have them, I feel completely naked and unprepared on the mountain.” And if you want to go full Seacat, you might consider a spotting scope like the Swarovski ATX, also mounte— Tim Ferriss
Stone Glacier’s Sky 5900. This pack was recommended to me by Maui Nui Venison founder Jake Muise. Able to go from a bivy mode of 4,300 cubic inches to a max volume of 8,000 cubic inches, it’s the most versatile pack I own. Add the 2-oz. Hydro Holster for convenient hydration at the hip. I personally used a Camelbak 3L bladder inside the pack for plain water (don’t forget the Hydro Sleeve accessory to secure it), and I then used the Nalgene held in the Hydro Holster for water mixed with electrolytes or Recovery from Momentous, which I consumed at least once daily for… well, better recovery. The— Tim Ferriss
MSR’s Reactor 2.5 L Stove System. We used this for the majority of our meals, aside from the fish we caught, for which we used good old-fashioned fire. From the description: “Not only is the Reactor Stove System the fastest and most fuel-efficient stove ever made, it’s the only one that delivers that level of performance in the cold and wind of the real world.” It’s similar to the JetBoil cooking system, which I’ve used on previous trips. If the Reactor is out of stock, you can be notified of future availability here or try other locations.— Tim Ferriss
Flextail’s Max Pump High Speed 2-in-1 Rechargeable Air Pump. Mark yawned and used this while I strained my lungs and cheeks to inflate my sleeping pad. From the description: “Max Pump 3 combines powerful performance with lightweight portability, weighing just 122 g (4.3 oz., or roughly the weight of a bar of soap). With an integrated, powerful LED light, Max Pump 3 serves as both a pump and a light source, perfect for easy carrying during outdoor activities and travel, ideal for camping, hiking, fishing, and more. It delivers a powerful 5 kPa pressure (.725 psi) and a high airflow rate of 500 — Tim Ferriss
Sitka’s Ascent Glove on warmer days. From the description: “Lightweight and breathable, this glove delivers. … It features conductive technology in the index finger and thumb for one-handed operation of your GPS or phone and a Cordura and nylon back for durability.” For extra warmth on colder days, I used the Merino 330 Glove, also from Sitka. From the description: “Merino wool offers a high warmth-to-weight ratio to reduce bulk without sacrificing warmth, and the recycled synthetic lining wicks sweat fast to prevent your hands from getting cold and clammy.”— Tim Ferriss
Pair any of the above with this Range Light Cushion Crew Hike Sock, and you’re ready for any duration, conditions, or terrain. They dry quickly if wet, and I didn’t experience any chafing whatsoever on my trip— Tim Ferriss
The Crispi Briksdal MTN has been helping me weather long days of carrying heavy loads on questionable footing. Below are other strong recommendations from Mark, all from La Sportiva: The Boulder X is an approach shoe (a hybrid between a hiking boot and a climbing shoe) combining excellent protection and solid performance for the early season (i.e., no snow). For tackling snow but not staying overnight, check out Trango Tech GTX. If you are encountering snow and staying overnight, consider the Spantik, which might be available but has been discontinued. The G-Summit is a great alternative, desi— Tim Ferriss
The Allak from Hilleberg. This one is from Mark. I slept under multiple tarps held up by trekking poles on my last trip, which was a fun creative exercise but a little breezy for 12,000 feet. From the description of the Allak: “Remarkably light yet impressively strong, Allak models are well-suited for anything from summer paddling to winter ski mountaineering and from year-round backpacking to all-season peak bagging. They are easily light enough for mobile journeys, when you move your camp every day, and their two-entrance construction allows for superb ventilation options in warm weather.”— Tim Ferriss
I used the Leki Khumbu Lite telescoping trekking poles daily. Nearly everyone in our six-person group, including the pros, used trekking poles, which help you climb and also save your knees on the descent. You might also consider the ultra-light Cross Trail 3 Carbon trekking poles for improved stability and endurance. They’ve been discontinued, but there might be a few left in stock.— Tim Ferriss
PEAX Backcountry Duo. My weaker headlamp wasn’t doing the job on tricky terrain or during cooking prep, so Mark was kind enough to loan me his backup PEAX. I’ve since ordered my own, and this will be essential packing in the future. Weighing in at just 4.8 ounces with battery and described by one customer as “hands down the best on the market,” PEAX touts this as “the brightest, most durable … headlamp ever designed.” Breakthrough lumen output armored in a machined aluminum housing; 3600 mAh rechargeable battery with run times up to 69 hrs; and 180-degree adjustability so you never have to wor— Tim Ferriss
“The perfectionist is never satisfied. The perfectionist never says, ‘This is pretty good. I think I’ll just keep going.’ To the perfectionist, there is always room for improvement. The perfectionist calls this humility. In reality, it is egotism. It is pride that makes us want to write a perfect script, paint a perfect painting, perform a perfect audition monologue. Perfectionism is not a quest for the best. It is a pursuit of the worst in ourselves, the part that tells us that nothing we do will ever be good enough—that we should try again. No. We should not.” — (Click here to
“Bacteria are talking” by Annie Roth in Johns Hopkins Magazine. Here is a taste: She discovered that all bacteria produce the same autoinducer, also known as the universal communication molecule or “autoinducer 2,” allowing them to communicate across species. Bassler next began to wonder whether bacteria had species-specific languages. She examined all known autoinducers and noticed an interesting pattern: They all shared the same base structure, but many had a unique addition for intraspecific (i.e., within one species) communication. Think of this chatter as “private, secret conversations,” — Tim Ferriss
Coach Christopher Sommer’s email to me. Coach Sommer is a former US National Team gymnastics coach and the creator of Gymnastic Bodies. Below is one part of his email that continues to resonate deeply and serves as a great reminder on a lot of levels: In fact, this impatience in dealing with frustration is the primary reason that most people fail to achieve their goals. Unreasonable expectations timewise, resulting in unnecessary frustration, due to a perceived feeling of failure. Achieving the extraordinary is not a linear process. The secret is to show up, do the work, and go home. A blue co
NotebookLM. I know everyone is sick of hearing about AI, but if you haven’t heard this sample podcast, which was generated from a simple article, it will blow your mind. Those are not real humans. NotebookLM is an AI-powered research and writing assistant that works best with the sources you upload. Thanks to Mark Frauenfelder, who recommended this in Recomendo as an “Easy AI Tool for Document Analysis”: Google has released an experimental AI called NotebookLM that allows you to upload PDF and text files for processing. The AI then generates various outputs such as FAQs, study guides, and brie— Tim Ferriss
Telegram founder Pavel Durov on the freedom of not owning any major assets.— Tim Ferriss
“The best life is the one in which the creative impulses play the largest part and the possessive impulses the smallest.” —
David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived. This doc has 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. Click here for the official trailer. Description: “The film is a coming-of-age story of stuntman David Holmes, a prodigious teenage gymnast from Essex, England, who is selected to play Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double in the first Harry Potter film, when Daniel is just eleven. Over the next ten years, the two form an inextricable bond, but on the penultimate film, a tragic accident on set leaves David paralyzed with a debilitating spinal injury, turning his world upside down. As Daniel and his closest stunt colleagues rally t— Tim Ferriss
The 22 Pixar rules of storytelling. Here are some of my personal faves: #1: You admire a character for trying more than for their successes. #4: Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___. #6: What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal? #7: Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front. #9: When you’re stuck, make a list of what WOULDN’T happen next. Lots of times the mater— Tim Ferriss
“Brain’s ‘Background Noise’ May Explain Value of Shock Therapy” on the Quanta Science podcast (Apple, Spotify, Overcast). If you prefer a text version, here you go. A preview: “Electroconvulsive therapy [ECT] is highly effective in treating major depressive disorder, but no one knows why it works. New research suggests it may restore balance between excitation and inhibition in the brain.”— Tim Ferriss
My New Rules for Podcasting – To Keep Things Interesting.— Tim Ferriss
Below are just a few of the 100+ highlights I’ve made in The Unbearable Lightness of Being. Far from being depressing, I find a lot of Kundera’s insights incredibly liberating if you look at them closely enough. For instance, in the case of the second quote, I don’t take it to mean we’re all doomed to sadness. I take it to mean that the endless pursuit of happiness is almost doomed to backfire, but that, per a quote often attributed to Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon y
“The vital question TaskRabbit founder Leah Solivan wished she asked investors.” What a great trip down memory lane! This is a short and tactical podcast episode. Leah Solivan explains how she founded TaskRabbit, launched it in Boston, and expanded it from an experiment in one neighborhood to a global business that was ultimately acquired by IKEA. If you want to skip around, the genesis story and early prototyping starts around 08:05 with “I’m going to take you back.”— Tim Ferriss