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.
“Haters” by Paul Graham (@paulg). Hat tip to Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong), who recommended this essay during our conversation for the podcast. Pair this with another favorite essay of mine from Paul Graham: “The Top Idea in Your Mind.”— Tim Ferriss
Isle of Dogs (Amazon, Apple TV, YouTube, Disney+). The “critics consensus” from Rotten Tomatoes, where the film has a 90% approval rating: “The beautifully stop-motion animated Isle of Dogs finds Wes Anderson at his detail-oriented best while telling one of the director’s most winsomely charming stories.” Watch the trailer here. Thanks to Cristina for the wonderful recommendation. A little bird told me this film is especially hilarious on edibles with 5–10mg of THC. I challenge you to watch the trailer and dispute this.— Tim Ferriss
My NFT project, “Project 555.” “Project 555” is the codename for my upcoming NFT project. It’s going to be highly stylized and unlike anything I’ve ever done. I started buying BTC in 2012–2013, I began collecting NFTs in early 2021, I quietly launched my first stand-alone NFT (also my first published fiction) in February 2022 with PROOF/Kevin Rose, and this will be my first in-depth NFT project. It’s going to be very elaborate and unbelievably bizarre. 100% of primary sale proceeds will go to the Saisei Foundation. The Saisei Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit private foundation th— Tim Ferriss
“Those who are easily shocked should be shocked more often.” —
1883 (Amazon, Apple TV, YouTube, Google Play, Paramount Plus). From Wikipedia: “The series is a prequel to Taylor Sheridan’s series Yellowstone ) and follows the story of how the Duttons came to own the land that would become the Yellowstone Ranch.” Taylor Sheridan is one of my favorite writers and directors out there. The series stars Academy Award nominee Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw (who was also kind enough to answer questions for Tribe of Mentors), Faith Hill, and others. Watch the trailer here. I am loving this series, and many thanks to Brother Brad for getting the trailer in front of me! --— Tim Ferriss
Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake (@MerlinSheldrake). This is a beautifully written and deliciously thought-provoking book. The portions on lichen alone made my head spin. From the description: “In Entangled Life, the brilliant young biologist Merlin Sheldrake shows us the world from a fungal point of view, providing an exhilarating change of perspective. Sheldrake’s vivid exploration takes us from yeast to psychedelics to the fungi that range for miles underground and are the largest organisms on the planet to those that link plants together in complex networks known as the ‘Wood Wide Web’ t— Tim Ferriss
“Saved My Life” (YouTube, Spotify) by Andy Grammer (@andygrammer) and R3HAB (@R3HAB).— Tim Ferriss
“50 ways to be ridiculously generous—and feel ridiculously good.” by Alexandra Franzen. This is a great list, which I found recommended on the website of fellow Austinite Professor Raj Raghunathan, author of If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Happy?. If you feel overwhelmed or underjoyed, try this: give an extra $10 or $20 to the barista next time you buy coffee. Give $5 of that to the barista and pay for the next person or next few people behind you. Simply walk out after the drive-by karma bomb. The afterglow is incredible and can last hours. Paradoxically, the fastest path to feeling better— Tim Ferriss
Jakt Gear’s SLING-A-LING Magnetic Paracord Bow Sling. Huge thank you to Jedi Jordon for the recommendation!— Tim Ferriss
“Animal: What Makes You Truly Happy?” If this week has been stressful or heavy for you, this very short video might help you decompress. #bunnyrabbit— Tim Ferriss
“The only man I know who behaves sensibly is my tailor; he takes my measurements anew each time he sees me. The rest go on with their old measurements and expect me to fit them.” —
“If Everything Is ‘Trauma,’ Is Anything?” by Jessica Bennett (The New York Times). From the article: “Call it post-traumatic hyperbole. Or TikTok pseudo-psychology. Or even therapy-speak. There are plenty of horrible things going on in the world, and serious mental health crises that warrant such severe language. But when did we start using the language of harm to describe, well, everything?”— Tim Ferriss
Top 10 Ippons from Zagreb Grand Prix 2022. I’d never seen #6 before in competition, and #5 wins my heart for pure elegance. Gorgeous.— Tim Ferriss
Antidepressant and Psychedelic Drug Interaction Chart. I found this while digging around on Google, and I sent it to several psychiatrists and doctors I know, as I’d never seen all of these combinations presented in one easy-to-read chart. Extremely important disclaimer: “This chart is not intended to be used to make medical decisions and is for informational purposes only. It was constructed using data whenever possible, although extrapolation from known information was also used to inform risk. Any decision to start, stop, or taper medication and/or use psychedelic drugs should be made in co— Tim Ferriss
KETOSTART, exogenous ketones. This is a product that past podcast guest and ketosis expert Dr. Dominic “Dom” D’Agostino (@DominicDAgosti2) loves, has tested, and recommends to others. It was developed by Csilla Ari D’Agostino. I’m personally testing the version without caffeine for help with altitude acclimation and exercise with hypoxia.— Tim Ferriss
Ep. 207: “Getting Free with Karma Yoga” (Apple Podcasts, Spotify) on the Ram Dass Here And Now podcast. This was sent to me by a close friend, and it is exceptional. I was extremely skeptical given the title of the episode. Now that I’ve finished listening, it could just as easily be titled “Finding Freedom Through The Everyday.” The host intro is roughly four minutes long, if you want to skip to the meat. Ram Dass also takes a little while to warm up, but it all adds up to a wonderfully useful and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny recording. I will be listening to this one again.— Tim Ferriss
Beanie Mania on HBO Max. Thanks to Adam Locklin for the recommendation. Some people compare NFTs to the Dutch tulip craze of the 1630s, but it’s a poor comparison for a lot of reasons. If you’re an NFT bear (get it?), a much, much better analog might be Beanie Babies. From the description: “Beanie Mania is a layered and riveting look at how a children’s toy spawned an unprecedented investment bubble and a frenzy of American greed. The documentary features illuminating interviews with passionate collectors, notable influencers, and company insiders.” At the very least, you gotta watch the trail— Tim Ferriss
“The NFT Mint ‘Sweet Spot’: Data on Early Decisions” by Daren Matsuoka. I’m a fan of Daren’s analysis in the NFT space. This is a great primer on some fundamental mint decisions, and the matrices are very thought-provoking. It tackles many good questions, points out some important negative correlations, and also raises a lot of good questions. This was published on 3/31/22 (the date is somewhat hidden in the URL and at the very bottom of the piece), and I hope Daren posts a further exploration of potential confounders (e.g., What’s the likelihood that 10x returns for projects with 0.5–1.0 ETH — Tim Ferriss
“Billionaire No More: Patagonia Founder Gives Away the Company” by David Gelles (New York Times). I’ve loved Yvon ever since I first read Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman in 2005. Here are a few colorful bits from the NYT piece that make me love Yvon even more: “In some ways, the forfeiture of Patagonia is not terribly surprising coming from Mr. Chouinard. As a pioneering rock climber in California’s Yosemite Valley in the 1960s, Mr. Chouinard lived out of his car and ate damaged cans of cat food that he bought for five cents apiece. Even today, he wears ragge— Tim Ferriss
“Bad Horsie” (YouTube, Spotify) by Steve Vai (@stevevai). Pair it with “Steve Vai - Vinnie Colaiuta’s Sight Reading,” which is hilarious. Before you watch the sight-reading video, read the following sight-reading definition from Wikipedia: “In music, sight-reading, also called a prima vista (Italian meaning ‘at first sight’), is the practice of reading and performing a piece in a music notation that the performer has not seen or learned before. Sight-singing is used to describe a singer who is sight-reading. Both activities require the musician to play or sing the notated rhythms and pitches.”— Tim Ferriss
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin. First and foremost, huge thanks to everyone who recommended their favorite novels from Ursula on Twitter. I’m now three deep, but this was my first, and it is still absolutely my favorite. This is also a favorite of Neil Gaiman and countless other writers who were deeply influenced by Ursula. One could argue that without A Wizard of Earthsea, there is no Harry Potter or Hogwarts. Last but not least, Rob Inglis is the perfect narrator for this book. To listen at faster than 1x speed would be sacrilege! Savor instead of optimizing. He also narrated the — Tim Ferriss
Protekt REST (Protekt, Amazon). This was given to me by a friend after I mentioned I was avoiding melatonin due to its effects on gonadal function and next-day sluggishness. From the description: “While other sleep aids leave you groggy in the morning, we’ve chosen valerian root, theanine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA.” Pro tip #1: If you have trouble opening the packets, just use scissors. Pro tip #2: Mix the packets with water. Do *not* skip that step and chug it alone. This REST cocktail has worked well for me over the last few weeks, so I plan to continue using it as part of my sle— Tim Ferriss
“Is the Psychedelic Therapy Bubble About to Burst?” by Grace Browne for WIRED. This coverage expands upon a recent paper that’s received some attention: “Preparing for the Bursting of the Psychedelic Hype Bubble” by David Yaden, PhD, James B. Potash, MD, and Roland R. Griffiths, PhD, in JAMA Psychiatry.— Tim Ferriss
“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” —
XPO Trainer. I love the XPO Trainer. Recommended to me by elite powerlifter Mark Bell (check his other gear here; our podcast together here), it is effectively a “prowler” with mechanical resistance. I was initially skeptical, but it’s been one of my favorite torture tools for years now. The harder you push, the harder it pushes back, and the wheels allow me to easily use this anywhere. Perhaps counterintuitively, it is much more difficult to use on asphalt than soft or loose surfaces, which suits my urban environment perfectly. No weight plates are required. The XPO is not made in high volume— Tim Ferriss
“Off Course” from This American Life. This was just what I needed this week, as my life has taken an unexpected turn. Here’s the episode description: “Three people, and one animal, who know the path their lives will take until, suddenly, they don’t.” My favorite story is the first with Yibin Li, which deeply moved me. Don’t be surprised if your eyes well up. Take 15–20 minutes and thank me later. Huge hat tip to Loni for the recommendation.— Tim Ferriss
“The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process, is its own reward.” —
“Real Mind Control: The 21-Day No-Complaint Experiment” “What My Morning Journal Looks Like” “The Painless Path to Endurance” “How to Lose 100 Pounds on The Slow-Carb Diet – Real Pics and Stories.” Pair it with this one-pager PDF from The 4-Hour Chef.— Tim Ferriss
“Psychedelic drug helped people with alcohol use disorder reduce drinking, study shows.” From the article: “More than 80% of those who were given the psychedelic treatment had drastically reduced their drinking eight months after the study started, compared to just over 50% in the antihistamine (active placebo) control group, according to results published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry.” Here’s a snippet of the experience of Jon Kostas, one of the study’s participants: “When he began the psilocybin trial at age 25, he was consuming almost 23 drinks in a single bender.” Flash forward to today, a— Tim Ferriss
“Playing God” (YouTube, Spotify) by Polyphia (@polyphia). Exceptional talents. I am listening to this track on repeat for working, walking, wizardry, and whatever else.— Tim Ferriss
“Is Selling Shares in Yourself the Way of the Future?” by Nathan Heller for The New Yorker.— Tim Ferriss
My work is loving the world. Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird— equal seekers of sweetness. Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums. Here the clam deep in the speckled sand. Are my boots old? Is my coat torn? Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect? Let me keep my mind on what matters, which is my work, which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished. The phoebe, the delphinium. The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture. Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here, which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart and these body-clothes
“The First-Ever Quantified Self Notes (Plus: LSD as Cognitive Enhancer?)” This is a fun slice of history. It combines my notes from the first-ever “quantified self” meetup at Kevin Kelly’s home in 2008 with a term paper I wrote in 1996… when I was ~19 years old! Despite the hilarious typo in the title (it wasn’t the final draft) and some overreach and correlation/causation mixing, I still maintain there are profound similarities between REM sleep and some psychedelic experiences, and I further believe that the implications for learning have yet to be properly explored.— Tim Ferriss
“Surfing with the Alien” (YouTube, Spotify) by Joe Satriani (@chickenfootjoe). I’m having so much fun revisiting the greats from Joe Satriani. Perfect Friday writing music. Some song trivia from Wikipedia: “The song refers to the comic book character, Silver Surfer. The song was considered the 30th greatest guitar solo ever by readers of Guitar World magazine, and is one of Satriani’s most prominent shred-style tracks.”— Tim Ferriss
“Lifestyles” by Morgan Housel (@morganhousel). Sometimes I just want to burn it all down and disappear. This helped me scratch that itch without any collateral damage.— Tim Ferriss
Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin (Amazon, Apple TV). Ursula was one of a kind. It’s almost impossible to overstate how far outside of the box she was for her generation. Much of what we take for granted now was simply unheard of when she was crafting worlds. Here is a brief snippet from Ursula’s Wikipedia page (bolding and link are mine): Le Guin’s writing was enormously influential in the field of speculative fiction and has been the subject of intense critical attention. She received numerous accolades, including eight Hugos, six Nebulas, and twenty-two Locus Awards. … Le Guin influenced many oth— Tim Ferriss
“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ … You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” —
“Why I’m Open-Sourcing an NFT Insider Trading Policy for the Web3 Community.”— Tim Ferriss
Arcane: Bridging the Rift. This is the behind-the-scenes story of the making of Arcane, my favorite animated (does that term even do it justice?) series in many years. It includes the mania, mess, and marvel of trying to do something nearly impossible. Here are Parts 1 (“Only Dream in Risky”) and 2 (“Persistence (Or When Your Best Still Sucks)”), with more to come.— Tim Ferriss
Vanishing Asia by Kevin Kelly (@kevin2kelly), arguably the real-life most interesting man in the world. Here’s a short summary from Kevin: “I relied on my 1,000 true fans to fund a huge, oversized, 1,000-page celebration of old Asia. This 3-volume book set is titled Vanishing Asia, and it records 9,000 photographs of the festivals, costumes, architecture, and rituals that are disappearing in Asia.” This has been his passion project for 40 years. Kevin did all of the following: (a) took all the photos, (b) designed every page, (c) wrote a caption for each of the 9,000 photos, and (d) designed t— Tim Ferriss
“‘Despair, or folly?’ said Gandalf. ‘It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not. It is wisdom to recognize necessity, when all other courses have been weighed, though as folly it may appear to those who cling to false hope. Well, let folly be our cloak, a veil before the eyes of the Enemy! For he is very wise, and weighs all things to a nicety in the scales of his malice. But the only measure that he knows is desire, desire for power; and so he judges all hearts. Into his heart the thought will not enter that any will refuse it, that having the
Vengeance. I loved this film and laughed so hard that I made people uncomfortable. Give it 10–15 minutes to really warm up. Here’s the description: “Vengeance, the directorial debut from writer and star B.J. Novak (@bjnovak) (The Office), is a darkly comic thriller about Ben Manalowitz, a journalist and podcaster who travels from New York City to West Texas to investigate the death of a girl he was hooking up with.” The dialogue in this entire movie is hilarious. At least watch the trailer, and here’s one sample exchange from a dinner in Abilene, TX: Ty: “There’s something you gotta know about— Tim Ferriss
“Fata Morgana” (YouTube, Spotify) by Their Dogs Were Astronauts (@theirdogswereastronauts).— Tim Ferriss
“The Perils of Audience Capture” by Gurwinder Bhogal (@G_S_Bhogal). Everyone should read this brilliant piece. It could alternatively be titled “How Influencers Become Caricatures with No Exit,” “How Anyone Online Can Lose Themselves,” or “Succumbing to Quicksand: Digital Identity Creep in the 2020s.” If you spend any time online, you are subject to the dynamics described in this article. Read it, even if only for preemptive planning. I chat so often with friends about these things that one texted me this today: “Holy shit. Reading now. Has this guy been reading our texts?”— Tim Ferriss
“I never even thought about whether or not they understand what I’m doing. … The emotional reaction is all that matters. As long as there’s some feeling of communication, it isn’t necessary that it be understood.” —
“Dominant eye test: How to find your dominant eye.” I’m right-handed but left-eye dominant, which is sometimes referred to as “cross dominance.” This can make a mess of things, which is part of why I explored eye dominance for sports with experts in The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life (a book title I regret, as the book is mostly focused on meta-learning/accelerated learning). From 2009–2010, I was consistently missing basketball shots by a few inches until I made adjustments for cross dominance with Rick Torbett. And this can app— Tim Ferriss
“The Bronc-busting, Cow-punching, Death-defying Legend of Boots O’Neal” by Christian Wallace for Texas Monthly. This is a thought-provoking portrait of someone who lives to do his work and who can’t imagine doing otherwise. Here’s the opening paragraph: “The sun is not yet up when Boots O’Neal starts his workday. As the 89-year-old cowboy readies his mount in the predawn quiet, he stuffs his hands into well-worn leather gloves. His dark chaps are decorated with fringe, a slight sheen on the right hip where his nylon rope has polished the leather over the years. He pulls down his silverbelly ha— Tim Ferriss
“The Art of Peace begins with you. Work on yourself and your appointed task in the Art of Peace. Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow. You are here for no other purpose than to realize your inner divinity and manifest your inner enlightenment. Foster peace in your own life and then apply the Art to all that you encounter.” — , founder of aikido (Source: The Art of Peace). Great reminder to start with the person in the mirror
“These Mormons Have Found a New Faith — in Magic Mushrooms” by Cassady Rosenblum for Rolling Stone. Worshippers are leaving the Church of Latter-day Saints in record numbers, and some are finding a new kind relationship with the divine through a psilocybin church co-founded by a man who was for years one of the most powerful Republicans in the Utah State Legislature. It’s a fascinating story about faith, mushrooms, and Mormonism. Why am I excited about this piece? First, it’s the first published piece out of the Ferriss-UC Berkeley Psychedelic Journalism Fellowship. Second, it’s Cassady’s firs— Tim Ferriss
“TaskRabbit: Leah Solivan” (Apple Podcasts, Spotify) on How I Built This with Guy Raz. Pair this episode with Guy Raz on The Tim Ferriss Show or my interview with famed investor Ann Miura-Ko, whose very first investment was TaskRabbit.— Tim Ferriss
“Night of the Mini Dead” (S3E4) from Love, Death & Robots. If you don’t have Netflix, here is a great taste on YouTube. The series’ description from Wikipedia: “Love, Death & Robots (stylized as LOVE DEATH + R⬤BOTS, and represented in emoji form as ❤️💀🤖) is an adult animated anthology streaming television series created by Tim Miller ). Produced by Blur Studio, it consists of stand-alone episodes that feature different narrative and animation styles and are produced by different animation studios from a range of countries, exploring diverse genres, particularly comedy, horror, science fictio— Tim Ferriss
How to Keep Your Cool: An Ancient Guide to Anger Management (The Painted Porch, Audible). Thanks to Ryan Holiday (@RyanHoliday) for this recommendation. From the official description: “In his essay ‘On Anger’ (De Ira), the Roman Stoic thinker Seneca (c. 4 BC–AD 65) argues that anger is the most destructive passion: ‘No plague has cost the human race more dear.’ This was proved by his own life, which he barely preserved under one wrathful emperor, Caligula, and lost under a second, Nero. This splendid new translation of essential selections from ‘On Anger,’ presented with an enlightening introd— Tim Ferriss
“And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” — , East of Eden
Wind River (Amazon, YouTube), written and directed by the incredible Taylor Sheridan, co-creator of Yellowstone. This is an excellent but very dark movie. It received a lengthy eight-minute standing ovation at the end of its premiere in the Un Certain Regard competition of the Cannes film festival. Description: “A chilling murder mystery set in the icy backwoods of a Native American Reservation, starring Elizabeth Olsen and Jeremy Renner (@JeremyRenner).” You can find the trailer here. Not suitable for family viewing.— Tim Ferriss
Spermidine. Long-ass story, but this pops up on a podcast soon. The conversation provoked a fascination and a lot of worthwhile questions.— Tim Ferriss
“Panpsychism is crazy, but it’s also most probably true” by Philip Goff (@Philip_Goff).— Tim Ferriss
“The test of all beliefs is their practical effect in life. If it be true that optimism compels the world forward, and pessimism retards it, then it is dangerous to propagate a pessimistic philosophy.” — , Optimism
The Gatekeepers (Amazon, YouTube, Apple TV). Here is the official description: “Charged with overseeing Israel’s war on terror—both Palestinian and Jewish—the head of the Shin Bet, Israel’s secret service, is present at the crossroad of every decision made. For the first time ever, six former heads of the agency agreed to share their insights and reflect publicly on their actions and decisions. The Gatekeepers offers an exclusive account of the sum of their successes and failures. It validates the reasons that each man individually and the six as a group came to reconsider their hard-line posi— Tim Ferriss
“Exogenous Testosterone or Testosterone with Finasteride Increases Bone Mineral Density in Older Men with Low Serum Testosterone.” I’m not a doctor and don’t play one on the Internet, but this was sent to me by a well-respected researcher who focuses a lot on mTOR and other subjects. I take neither drug but found it worth the read. Here is an excerpt of the abstract: “This finding suggests that dihydrotestosterone is not essential for the beneficial effects of T on BMD in men. In addition, the concomitant administration of F with T appears to attenuate the impact of T therapy on prostate size — Tim Ferriss