Everything Tim Ferriss has recommended in 5-Bullet Friday — 2,122 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.
Decluttering books. Even folks like Mark Manson make cameos answering the following questions I posted on Twitter/X: “The topic is decluttering books -- Anyone out there have advice for donating, getting rid of, or organizing an excess of books? What mental tricks or systems do you use to thin books out of your house?”— Tim Ferriss
“Over the long term, the future is decided by optimists.” — of Kevin Kelly’s website
Global fan meetups! To celebrate the podcast’s 10th anniversary, I am very excited to launch fan-hosted meetups on Thursday, April 25th, around the world! Now the ball is in your court… Would you like to host fellow fans of the show in your city? Nothing crazy required; any bar or venue that can handle a decent group could work. If so, apply to host here. Want to attend a meetup that someone else hosts? You can RSVP in your area even before a host is decided, so please express interest now!— Tim Ferriss
“You can’t hoard life” by Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. Hat tip to Chris Williamson for sending this to me.— Tim Ferriss
“Forget Siri. Turn your iPhone’s ‘Action Button’ into a ChatGPT voice assistant instead.” Hat tip to Kevin Rose, who first showed me this shortcut. I now use it daily myself. Note that only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have an “action” button. Do you have a favorite way of using Shortcuts or the action button? Please let me know on Twitter (@tferriss) with #shortcuts!— Tim Ferriss
“I believe that if, at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try.” — , “Go gentle into that good night.”
“Behind the Scenes: Who Is The Real Audience of The Tim Ferriss Show?” Nearly 8,000 of you filled out my recent audience survey. I promised I would share the results, and here they are.— Tim Ferriss
Pitbull Head and Face Shaver (official website, Amazon). A few weeks ago, I met a fellow baldy while skiing. My pate was growing out and beginning to look a little bedraggled, and I complimented him on his clean shave. To that, I added my usual comment: “I just can’t use a blade on my head. Cut it once and it bled everywhere. Too much hassle.” He responded with “Oh, I don’t use a blade” and sent me the Pitbull Head and Face Shaver as a gift. I’ve only used it for a few weeks, but it’s been absolutely fantastic. I suggest using it at least every other day or every few days, since it can’t chomp— Tim Ferriss
“Pisces (Live Session)” by JINJER (@jinjerofficial). A lot of you have been asking me for Ukrainian music and gorgeous, talented humans with extreme range (or was that a fever dream?). Well, JINJER might be just what you need. Be sure to listen to the first two minutes for the surprise transformation. It’s no joke. As commenter @davidacus956 put it, “I heard this on Spotify and was like ‘I like the distinction between the two vocalists’ and then I watched this.” And if that whets your appetite, here’s a bonus with a festive costume change. Huge thanks to S. for the recommendation!— Tim Ferriss
The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future by Sebastian Mallaby. This book was mentioned quite a few times by podcast guests before I picked it up as an audiobook, in part because I learned so much from Sebastian’s earlier book, More Money Than God. I expected to know most of the venture history, but there were a ton of behind-the-scenes stories and details that I hadn’t heard before. It was also fun to get more background on at least a dozen game-changers who have been on the podcast (Bill Gurley, Patrick Collison, Roelof Botha, etc.). Even if you don’t have time for the — Tim Ferriss
“Alfred Hitchcock defines happiness.” This is an excerpt from a 1964 interview with Alfred Hitchcock, part of the CBC television series “Telescope,” with host-director Fletcher Markle.— Tim Ferriss
“Intelligence is the capacity to perceive the essential, the what is; and to awaken this capacity, in oneself and in others, is education.” —
“Book Startup Pitches Authors a Novel Deal: $0 Up Front, Bigger Profits” (Wall Street Journal) and “A New Publisher Promises Authors ‘the Lion’s Share of the Profit’” (New York Times). I’m thrilled to be involved with this new venture in publishing. I hope it sets new precedents in an age-old industry that’s ripe for innovation. You can find the Authors Equity website here. For more on unorthodox approaches to publishing and book deals (e.g., how can you hit the NYT list with self-published books?), check out next week’s podcast with one of the most successful present-day authors.— Tim Ferriss
“Ketamine is being sold as a depression wonder drug. For some, it’s making everything worse.” Please try this alternate link if you have any trouble accessing the article. This is a timely and important piece by Anna Silman (@annaesilman). In the last three years, I’ve seen more high-functioning people derailed by ketamine than any other substance.— Tim Ferriss
“Kobe Bryant - ‘Failure Doesn’t Exist’” It’s easy to get caught up in labels and false constructs. Don’t let “failure” be one of them.— Tim Ferriss
“El Estuche” (YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music) by Aterciopelados. Perfect for Texas spring and calling in some Latin vibes.— Tim Ferriss
American Symphony. This is the most beautiful documentary I’ve seen in a long time. If you listen carefully, there are a lot of philosophical gems worth chewing on. Here’s the official description: “In this deeply intimate documentary, musician Jon Batiste attempts to compose a symphony as his wife, writer Suleika Jaouad, undergoes cancer treatment.” At the least, I suggest you watch the short trailer here.— Tim Ferriss
“The people I distrust most are those who want to improve our lives but have only one course of action in mind.” —
“Lululemon’s Founder Is Racing to Cure the Rare Disease Destroying His Muscles” by Ari Altstedter (Bloomberg). Alternate article link, in case you have any issues accessing using the previous one. >From the sub-heading: “For decades, Chip Wilson has been facing a form of muscular dystrophy. Now the notoriously unfiltered billionaire is spending $100 million to cure it.” Sometimes, the ultra-rich can produce breakthroughs in medicine, if they’re willing to spend big and take risks. Chip is willing to do both. Survival is one hell of a motivator. Here’s one excerpt from the piece: “If you’re goi— Tim Ferriss
“The Greatest Submission Artist – Gordon Ryan.”— Tim Ferriss
“Body Electric Part 2: When Human Met Desk” from the TED Radio Hour podcast (Apple Podcasts, Spotify). I recommend the first 7–8 minutes and the last 7–8 minutes. If in a rush, listen to the last 10 minutes. “Body Electric Part 3: Why Our Eyes Are Elongating”— Tim Ferriss
The Handmaiden. I absolutely loved this movie. It’s beautiful, hilarious, horrifying, and sensual in equal measure. This BAFTA-winning film was introduced to me by recent podcast guest Steve Jang (see his top-10 recommended Korean films here), and it currently has 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. Description: “From Park Chan-wook, the celebrated director of Oldboy, Lady Vengeance and Stoker, comes a ravishing new crime drama. Park presents a gripping and sensual tale of two women—a young Japanese lady living on a secluded estate and a Korean woman who is hired to serve as her new handmaiden but is secr— Tim Ferriss
behind the pain someone is rejoicing behind the torture there is love who’s going to buy this bullshit if you don’t become the ocean you’ll be seasick every day — Leonard Cohen, “Good Advice For Someone Like Me”
String Theory: David Foster Wallace on Tennis. “Federer Both Flesh and Not” is considered one of Wallace’s best essays, and it doesn’t disappoint. I’m not a tennis player, and that didn’t affect my enjoyment of this writing one iota. The essay was first published in The New York Times as “Federer as Religious Experience” in 2006. Here are two excerpts to give you a taste: There are three kinds of valid explanation for Federer’s ascendancy. One kind involves mystery and metaphysics and is, I think, closest to the real truth. The others are more technical and make for better journalism. The meta— Tim Ferriss
“The 24 Best Places to Go in 2024” If you have any clear favorites, please let me know on Twitter @tferriss! I’ll start referring to it as “X” in 2030.— Tim Ferriss
Glerups. Many of you asked about the shoes I’m wearing in this photo. In the colder months, I wear Glerups indoors effectively 100% of the time. I love them.— Tim Ferriss
“Anatomy Of A Twitter/X Account Takeover Hack.” If Fred Wilson can get caught, so can you, and this short post is a great reminder. NOTE ON TWO CURRENT TIM FERRISS SCAMS: First, there are multiple scammers emailing people from “The Tim Ferriss Show,” offering to pay them to appear on the podcast. These are all a scam. I don’t pay people to appear, and no one has ever paid me to appear on the show. The grift appears to be this: they eventually get you on a Zoom call, have you share your screen, then either take over your Facebook page (possibly to drain crypto wallets with fake offerings) or co— Tim Ferriss
“A former church girl’s search for a new spiritual home.” Sex, drugs, and Pentecostals? Doms and dungeons? You betcha. Not for the faint of heart. There’s something in this that will make nearly everyone uncomfortable. I strongly suggest you feel the discomfort and ride it through. Think of it as an auditory BDSM meditation. There are quite a few gems sprinkled throughout. Sometimes “life begins at the end of your comfort zone” (Neal Donald Walsch), so you might as well get some practice.— Tim Ferriss
“The Law of Shitty Clickthroughs.” This is an oldie but goodie from podcast guest Andrew Chen. It still applies. NOTE: If his giant popup covers your screen, there is a light-colored, gray “X” exit at the very top right.— Tim Ferriss
“How Taylor Tomlinson Nailed the Closing Joke in her Netflix Special.” This text-plus-video feature shows how comic Taylor Tomlinson spent a year workshopping the closing joke of her Netflix special. It’s incredible that all of this was captured and woven together. As they say, writing is rewriting. This is true for nearly everything. In the world of tech, Steve Blank has said, “No plan survives first contact with customers.” Same same. Quality begins with a shitty first draft, so just get started and take the punches. That’s how you press the carbon into diamonds: pressure and time.— Tim Ferriss
“The hardest thing to teach a student—and the hardest thing to believe consistently—is that there is nothing ‘out there’ to go and get. There is no part, no career, no opportunity for which you should be searching and scrounging and coveting. All of the preparation is within, and you keep yourself mentally and physically fit; you remain generous with yourself and others; you stay deeply in study about your craft. Whatever is yours will then arrive.” —
Ryan Reynolds on the SmartLess podcast. Special thanks to everyone on Twitter who shared their favorite episodes of SmartLess. This one came up repeatedly and doesn’t disappoint. The official description: “The super-handsome, ultra-talented, and mildly-funny Ryan Reynolds joins us this week on the show. We go deep with the double-R, from stocking shelves label-out, to vulnerability as a performer and business owner… while touching on his ‘humanitarian efforts’ diving for Melo Melo pearls that he bedazzles his new line of toe-loop sandals with. It’s another naughty shipwreck on the S.S. SmartLe— Tim Ferriss
“Some wise words from synth pioneer Herbie Hancock.” This is an amazing story from a very young Herbie Hancock about Miles Davis. Rare video. Special thanks to Dave Elitch for the find.— Tim Ferriss
“You Don’t Need More How-To Advice — You Need a Beautiful and Painful Reckoning.” If you like it, please leave a comment on the blog post. Here is the opener: For most of us, the how-to books on our shelves represent a growing to-do list, not advice we’ve followed. Several of the better-known tech CEOs in San Francisco have asked me at different times for an identical favor: an index card with bullet-point instructions for losing abdominal fat. Each of them made it clear: “Just tell me exactly what to do and I’ll do it.” I gave them all of the necessary tactical advice on one 3×5 card, knowing— Tim Ferriss
“Most people end up being conformists; they adapt to prison life. A few become reformers; they fight for better lighting, better ventilation. Hardly anyone becomes a rebel, a revolutionary who breaks down the prison walls. You can only be a revolutionary when you see the prison walls in the first place.” —
“Psychedelics with Joe Green” (Apple Podcasts, Spotify) on the On with Kara Swisher podcast. I skip most podcasts about psychedelics, but Joe and Kara both did an outstanding job in this conversation, with hard questions and answers that cover specifics. You’ll learn many stats and facts I’d never heard assembled in one place. This is a great “where we are and where we are going” overview of the ecosystem, especially as related to Oregon, MDMA-assisted psychotherapy as the tip of the spear, and reclassification as only one piece of the fascinating puzzle. For those interested in exploring the — Tim Ferriss
“Overlooked No More: Beatrix Potter, Author of ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’” via JZ, Dr. Jeffrey Zurofsky from The 4-Hour Chef. From the article: With “The Tale of Peter Rabbit,” Beatrix Potter created what would become one of the world’s best-known children’s book characters. The book, about a cheeky rabbit who steals vegetables from the garden of one Mr. McGregor and loses his coat and shoes in a narrow escape, became a literary juggernaut that has sold more than 45 million copies. It also spawned a merchandising empire and has left an indelible imprint on children’s book publishing. But Potte— Tim Ferriss
“No Biological Free Lunches.” It’s alarming how many folks now treat “T” or “TRT” (testosterone replacement therapy) as something akin to taking a multivitamin, when they never would have considered taking androgenic-anabolic steroids (AAS) a few years earlier. Like Patagonian toothfish has become Chilean sea bass on fashionable menus worldwide, it’s quite the rebrand story, but that doesn’t change the underlying biology, which is nuanced. I explore this, performance-enhancing drugs in general, and much more in my brand-new blog post here. Included are some personal experiences with anabolics,— Tim Ferriss
“The highest point a man can obtain is not Knowledge, or Virtue, or Goodness, or Victory, but something even greater, more heroic, and more despairing: Sacred Awe!” — , in Zorba the Greek.
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. A good friend and bestselling author told me that he considered this the greatest American novel of the last 20 years. I haven’t read enough classics to know if that’s accurate, but it’s one hell of a read, the prose is gorgeous, and you’ll laugh out loud many times. The official book description makes it sound darker than it is. Certainly, parts of the book showcase questionable characters and questionable actions, but this doesn’t detract from the pervasive humor and beauty of the writing, which are pleasures unto themselves. From Amazon: “In June, 1954, e— Tim Ferriss
“I Feel Love: MDMA for Autism and Social Anxiety” by Rachel Nuwer. “Why You Should Seek More Awe in the New Year” by Ashley Stimpson. Every time I’ve done a past-year review (PYR), a pattern emerges: peak positive emotional experiences are correlated to awe at least 70% of the time. For at least the past 3–5 years, this has been so consistent that I often determine what big blocks to schedule in the new year based on potential for awe. The payoffs include time dilation and, more broadly, traversing the miraculous canvas of full human experience. Friends have asked me why I do silent retreats i— Tim Ferriss
“The Acceleration of Addictiveness” by Paul Graham (@paulg). This was strongly recommended to me by Matt Mullenweg, who was recently on the podcast. To give you a taste, here are two excerpts that I highlighted for myself: One sense of “normal” is statistically normal: what everyone else does. The other is the sense we mean when we talk about the normal operating range of a piece of machinery: what works best. These two senses are already quite far apart. Already someone trying to live well would seem eccentrically abstemious in most of the US. That phenomenon is only going to become more pron— Tim Ferriss
Mary Oliver reciting her poem “Wild Geese.” Pause and spend a few minutes with this poem. It’s worth the reminder. The full text is available here, and I read it often.— Tim Ferriss
“Who can say if the thoughts you have in your mind as you read these words are the same thoughts I had in my mind as I typed them? We are different, you and I, and the qualia of our consciousnesses are as divergent as two stars at the ends of the universe. And yet, whatever has been lost in translation in the long journey of my thoughts through the maze of civilization to your mind, I think you do understand me, and you think you do understand me. Our minds managed to touch, if but briefly and imperfectly. Does the thought not make the universe seem just a bit kinder, a bit brighter, a bit war
Wine & Prayer: Eighty Ghazals from the Divan of Hafiz. Hat tip to Professor Omid Safi (@ostadjaan) for the recommendation. From the description: “Wine & Prayer is a new edition of Elizabeth Gray’s 1995 work The Green Sea of Heaven. In this new volume, Gray has joined with Iraj Anvar, a scholar of Sufism and Persian poetry, expanding the book from fifty to eighty translations of Hafiz’s brilliant ghazals. This work brings to each reader Hafiz’s poetic genius, expressing his passion for the Divine Beloved and his scandalous (to the Muslim clergy of his day) exaltation of music and wine as vehicl— Tim Ferriss
Corvo EKG Electric Kettle from Fellow. I’ve tried a lot of electric kettles for tea and coffee over the decades, and this is my favorite. From the description: “The electric kettle that does it all, precision engineered to meet all your hot water needs. Exact temperature control, 1200 watts for a quick heat time, and a world of features for ultimate control.” Big thanks to Blake from LMNT for the gift! >From NYT’s Wirecutter: “If you like a modern aesthetic, and you don’t mind paying more for smaller capacity: The Fellow Corvo EKG Electric Kettle is attractive, and it performed very well, but — Tim Ferriss
An Irish Goodbye (Vimeo, YouTube, HBO Max). This is one of the funniest and most poignant short films I’ve ever seen. I found this BAFTA and Academy Award winner via ChatGPT. Here is the official description: “On a farm in rural Northern Ireland, estranged brothers Turlough (Seamus O’Hara) and Lorcan (James Martin) are forced to reunite following the untimely death of their mother (Michelle Fairley). But when the pair discover an unfulfilled bucket list belonging to their late mum, their pained reunion takes an altogether different course.” At the very least, watch the trailer. It’s not as hea— Tim Ferriss
“Health lies in action, and so it graces youth. To be busy is the secret of grace, and half the secret of content. Let us ask the gods not for possessions, but for things to do; happiness is in making things rather than in consuming them.” — (Hat tip to Matt Mullenweg who introduced me to this quote in our most recent podcast conversation.)
Classic Norwegian Roasted Salmon from Changing Seas. These days, I’m doing endurance training in the morning for 3–4 hours, and I like quick turnaround meals. For protein, I’m alternating between these ready-to-eat salmon filets and three sticks of Maui Nui wild-harvested venison.— Tim Ferriss
Becorns Episode 3: Orioles vs Catbirds. This is both creatively inspiring and deeply calming. From the description: “A peek at my creative process as I create a Becorn and photograph it with an oriole... and inevitably, with catbirds too.” Thanks to Whitmire for sending me this family-friendly goodness, which makes a great palate cleanser after any craziness on the web.— Tim Ferriss
“Would you do it if you could? Advanced DNA testing for embryos is here — and it’s fraught.” Click here if you have any issues accessing the link. From the article: “This has somewhat flown under the societal radar, but it’s happening,” says Todd Lencz, a professor of psychiatry and molecular medicine in the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and a leading researcher on the new genetic testing of embryos. “It’s not a question of if it will happen, or what the technology will be in three years. People are doing this now.”— Tim Ferriss
“D’un crépuscule, l’autre” (YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music) by Abderraouf Ouertani via Sr. Mugwort. Excellent for evening and Friday wind-downs.— Tim Ferriss
“The future is already here—it’s just not evenly distributed.” —
The Tim Ferriss Experiment TV show! I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be releasing all episodes of my TV show, The Tim Ferriss Experiment, on YouTube—for free. It was a maze to secure the rights, but now it’s done. Click here for episode #1! The show is like MythBusters meets Jason Bourne. In every episode, I partner with the world’s best and most unorthodox teachers (e.g., Laird Hamilton, Marcelo Garcia, Stewart Copeland), who train me for a final gauntlet. Shocking breakthroughs, injuries, epiphanies, and disasters are all part of the journey. Along the way, I show you how to replicate resu— Tim Ferriss
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop. If you want to see the real Conan, the indefatigable master comic with a penchant for punching people, this is for you. It’s also a portrait of someone in transition. In this case, after Conan’s split with NBC, he was legally prohibited from entertaining on television for one year. So what do you do when your identity is taken from you? Or more broadly, how does someone at the top of their game reinvent themselves for a year? >From the official description: “After a much-publicized departure from hosting NBC’s ‘Tonight Show,’ Conan O’Brien hit the road with a 32-city — Tim Ferriss
A Glimpse of the Future: Electroceuticals for 70%–90% Remission of Depression, Brain Stimulation for Sports Performance, and De-risking Ibogaine for TBI/PTSD. I believe this podcast episode is a sneak peek at what’s coming in the next five years. Pair it with Nolan’s latest groundbreaking study, which was published this morning in Nature Medicine: “Magnesium–ibogaine therapy in veterans with traumatic brain injuries.”— Tim Ferriss
“And it dawned on me that I might have to change my inner thought patterns...that I would have to start believing in possibilities that I wouldn’t have allowed before, that I had been closing my creativity down to a very narrow, controllable scale...that things had become too familiar and I might have to disorient myself.” —
LALO. I first had LALO at Suerte in Austin, Texas, at the strong recommendation of the waiter. This was several years ago, and it was a new staff favorite. I was having a long overdue dinner with the lovely Chase Jarvis and his even lovelier wife, and we ended up drinking and talking for hours upon hours. I assumed my next day would be a total write-off, as would usually be the case with that much booze. I was shocked to wake up with no hangover, and LALO has been my go-to tequila ever since. The morning after this week’s Random Show with Kevin Rose, he texted me with “Dude, I literally have z— Tim Ferriss