232 Podcast Episode 32 - Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley…and the family tree of ‘hard boiled detective noir’

Celeste Headlee's book challenges our tendency to judge ourselves by how productive we are, whether we are working or not. We dive into this topic, and how this book fits in that conversation. Does it simply restate what we should already know? Or is this an important tension worth re-litigating?

This weeks book is Nigel Latta’s posthumous book, Lessons on Living. We reflect on Latta’s poignant insights and his unique blend of psychological expertise and heartfelt storytelling. Where does practical wisdom, personal agency and emotional connection fit?

Comfort books! This week we bring together Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Toshikazu Kawaguchi) and The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park (Michiko Aoyama) for a Japanese fiction double header. We explore culture and psychology and the massive healing fiction genre (known as iyashi-kei or K-healing). These books are like a warm hug - did we like that hug?!

Matt Heath, known for his lively and yobbo media persona, surprises readers with a thoughtful exploration of life’s complexities and personal reflections.

This 2023 book explores six fundamental materials that have transformed humanity. Welcome to the world of sand, salt, iron, copper, oil and lithium. "In many ways the title doesn't do justice to this book. You might be able to pass by this book in a bookshop, but we're here to tell you don't sleep on this." — Carl And with that, welcome to a great UGB episode!