3 Books With Neil Pasricha

We welcome global gallivant and raging bibliophile Eve Harlow on 3 Books! Born in Russia, raised in Israel, living in Canada and the U.S., Eve Harlow is a talented actress best known for roles in The 100, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Night Agent, and her current star turn as Dr. Ingrid Derian in Watson, the medical-mystery thriller inspired by stories of Sherlock Holmes. Somehow between her busy acting schedule, Eve finds time to read a book a week. She's a library junkie, a reading phenom, and posts stacks of her latest reads @eveharlow between red carpet shots and behind-the-scenes clips from her shows.  This is a conversation for all of us who aspire to grow our love of reading books amidst the digital deluge. We live in worlds designed to tease our brains into shallow skimming. So how does Eve do it? What systems does she use? How does she think about her reading life? And (of course!) which 3 books shaped her more than any others?  We talk about reading habits, magic realism, identity in a politically ro

Join me on the couch in Molly Bloom's hotel room at the Four Seasons in downtown Toronto.  Molly began her career as a world-class skier, but while training as a pre-teen was diagnosed with severe scoliosis. Her doctor told her she could never ski again, but even as a pre-teen Molly had incredible strength of mind and she ended up back on the slopes only a year after her surgery.    By age 21, she was ranked #3 in North America. She then took off to LA and began running one of the most exclusive, high-stakes, underground poker games in the world, featuring players like Alex Rodriguez, Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, and was raking in millions of dollars per year. Then what happened? The feds went after her! The mafia went after her! And there was a dramatic takedown. While awaiting sentencing, she wrote her life's story in her memoir, Molly's Game. That book became a bestseller and was turned into a movie written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, writer of The West Wing and The Social Network, s

​Sonja Lyubomirsky​ is one of the most influential happiness researchers of our time. Sonja moved to the United States from Moscow at age 9 in the 70s. She went to Harvard and Stanford in the 80s and began studying happiness in 1989 ... longer than almost anyone else alive! Positive psychology wasn't "founded" by ​Martin Seligman​ and ​Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi​ for another decade. Sonja has published hundreds of papers including her ​Most Cited 2005 paper​ which defined the field by flipping a long-held assumption on its head: That happiness doesn't follow success but causes it. Sonja is now following up her bestsellers '​The How of Happiness​' and '​The Myths Of Happiness​' with a new book called '​How to Feel Loved​', a joint effort co-written with relationship expert ​Dr. Harry Reis​, which is a culmination of 30 years of research that all point to one central truth: that feeling loved (not just being loved!) is a crucial ingredient of happiness. In this conversation we talk about the four horsemen that c

A few years ago I was in LA and I went with my friend Chad to a "Judd Apatow and friends" comedy show where I was blown away by the lineup he brought out. Ray Romano! Zach Galifianakis! And, of course, the incredible Pete Holmes. Pete was my favorite comic that night. I have loved his comedy for years! And his book '​Comedy Sex God​' was a wonderful read. My parents are Hindu but I grew up in the secular suburbs of Toronto being exposed to many different religions. Pete was very religious, and then wasn't, and now is again ... in this thoughtful, examining, spiritual way. His book, which is essentially his memoir, chronicles his journey through faith with lots of laughs and his trademark mind-expanding insights along the way. Pete's podcast ​You Made It Weird​ is a comedic exploration of the meaning of life, with guests ranging from ​Ryan Holiday​ to ​Mayim Bialik​ to ​Ben Stiller​. Pete also starred in the HBO show ​Crashing​ which he executive produced with Judd Apatow. And, big news, he is currently to

Paul Hawken is a brilliant thinker, author, activist, and elder who masterfully distills wisdom about our planetary home. I remember hearing Paul's 2009 commencement speech called "​You Are Brilliant and The Earth is Hiring​" where he said "You are going to have to figure out what it means to be a human being on Earth at a time when every living system is declining and the rate of decline is accelerating."  Paul is the author of nine bestselling books including '​Drawdown​', '​Regeneration​', and his latest book '​Carbon, The Book of Life​'—an incredible book that came out in 2025 and masterfully distills endless planetary wisdom into simple truths we all need to hear. (I included it in '​The Very Best Books I Read in 2025​.')  Grab a seat between us and let's talk about how nature cooperates, why fighting climate change is the wrong metaphor, why the climate crisis is a human crisis, how jargon disconnects, and what decades of activism have taught Paul about being human. This conversation with a sage of

Thirteen years ago I was surfing online when I stumbled on a blog post called "​How To Read More — A Lot More​" by someone I'd never heard of named Ryan Holiday. I started reading the post and got sucked in. He had a point! Many great points, actually. And he was young. 26 years old! A 26-year-old young man telling the world to read more books? In an era where most twenty-something men read, uh, none? I found Ryan to be a breath of fresh air. I immediately began to copy everything he did! He launched a ​monthly book club​. I launched a ​monthly book club​! (With his blessing, of course.) He was talking about reading fifty then a hundred and then hundreds of books a year. Well, I started reading five books and then ten books and then fifty books a year. I began cancelling news subscriptions and consciously put my phone away. I installed a bookshelf at my front door. I moved my TV to the basement! And, of course, I started this podcast—all about reading. In a way 3 Books would not exist without Ryan H

Africa is the world's second largest continent—by land and population!   One and a half billion people spread across fifty-five countries. It's huge! Even a trip there, even many trips there, can only scratch the surface. But we're trying! My mum was born in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1950, and I recently returned from my first journey to Africa where I met incredible people and heard remarkable stories.   In this third African chapter of 3 Books I sat down with Salim Amin where we discuss what it means to be a great citizen in the world today and how leading with compassion and curiosity can be some of the balm the world needs.    As some background Salim's father Mo Amin lived from 1943 to 1996 and at his peak was the single most well-known photographer ... in the world! His photos of the 1984 Ethiopian famine were the basis of the famous Live Aid concert and directly responsible for saving millions of lives. Salim is going to share some of the most memorable stories from his dad's remarkable career and legacy ...

Happy Solstice, everyone! In the northern hemisphere today we have the least amount of daylight of any day of the year. Below the equator it has the most! And as we do every December solstice it's time for our annual "Best Of" episode of 3 Books. 3 Books is our award-winning 22-year-long conversation to uncover and discuss the 1000 most formative books in the world ... 3 books at a time. This year we recorded shows in Nairobi, Ottawa, Del Mar, and even a few on the street ... journeying to collect stories and lessons that can help us all live richer lives of meaning and intention. Featuring clips from... ​Nick Sweetman​ - Street muralist ​Lindyman​ - Lindy Effect evangelist ​Emily Nagoski​ - Sex educator ​Nickisha​ - Dog walker ​ Ginny Yurich​ - Founder of '​1000 Hours Outside​' ​John and Alison​ - Booksellers, ​Camino Books​, Del Mar, CA ​ Jean Chrétien​ - Former Canadian Prime Minister ​ The Holderness Family​ - YouTubers and authors '​ADHD is Awesome​' ​ Robin Sloan​ - Novelist, '​Moonbound​' / '​Mr.

Who we are is a function of where we are. Do you agree with that? Who you are depends on where you are. We're different people in different places, right? You're different in the board room than you are on vacation. You're different with your parents than you are with your kids. I'm different hanging out with Malcolm Gladwell in his West Village apartment than I am sitting in my basement as I type up a little note about it. That theme is one that we get to open up in this chapter of 3 Books with the one and only ​Malcolm Gladwell​. I flew down to New York and joined Malcolm at his place where we settled around a table surrounded by books. Top to bottom! Floor to ceiling! And, no big deal, all hardcovers. "This is a fraction of my books, I should say," he told me as we began the chat. We talk about raising nerds in a world forcing us into being average, how to find tribes where we truly fit in, who Malcolm thinks is the best non-fiction author alive, why thrillers are instructive, what Malcolm's biggest

This podcast is me reading a little book I put out earlier this year: CANADA IS AWESOME It's an audio book about all the weird, wonderful, beautiful things that make Canada ... Canada. Did you ever notice Canadians speak in the collective? "What do you think of the weather we're having?" "Shall we grab a Timmy's before the meeting?" "Think we have a shot at the playoffs?" We, we, we. We use the word we so much. Why do we feel like such a collective? I don't think it's complicated. I think it's because we are one. We all toss around half of everything we make into a big glass jar and use it to pay for everyone's health care, education, and services. Sure, the system's never perfect, but if you shatter your ankle in an icy Canadian Tire parking lot, need a dozen years of free school for five kids in Kamloops, or want to drive on freshly snowplowed roads from Comox to Cornwall to Cape Spear, well ... we got you. We got you. We got everyone. This is a different type of book than I've done before—in addition to th

We're back to Africa! Last month we kicked off a little Kenyan series on ​3 Books​ and today I'm thrilled to share another chapter recorded in the heart of pulsing downtown Nairobi in the country's top bookstore. I landed after an overnight flight and immediately filled my belly with fresh samosas, pakoras, curried goat tripe, and fresh tamarind juice ... for breakfast! ... and then, after seeing the city I hopped into a car with Perlexy, who works with our guest in Chapter 104 and current Kenyan Presidential nominee ​Boniface Mwangi​, and drove downtown... We parked the car and met up with Boniface and his son before walking up together to the second floor of a busy plaza. Tucked inside was a 1000-square-foot bookshop that happens to be one of the most influential literary hubs in the country: ​Nuria Bookstore​. That's where I met Bulle (pronounced "Boo-lay") who is of Somalian descent and born 700km north of Nairobi where he was largely raised by his wise camel-herding grandmother (who is 101 today!).

So one day I'm out taking one of my magical ​life-changing long walks​ when suddenly two guys are like "Hi! How are you?!" And I look up kind of stunned because I'm walking around downtown Toronto where no one really pops out of the woodwork to shout a "Hi! How are you?!" at you … What do I see? Two young men smiling back at me. Like, big smiles! Gigantic smiles. Dressed up, too. It takes me a minute to piece it together but turns out they're Mormon Missionaries living away from home for two years with the sole purpose of teaching people about their church. They asked me what I'd heard about Mormonism and I said, uh, well, they don't drink much and they have a lot of kids. Oh, and there's a play called The Book of Mormon! Super ignorant. I got to talking to them and my fascination with these guys deepened. They are teenagers. They go by Elder Cox and Elder Corona. They are living away from home for two years while most of their peers go to college. They get no TV, no music, no books, no booze, no bars,

We're heading to Africa! Over the years we have taken the 3 Books podcast on the road many times ... from recording in ​Judy Blume's bookstore​ in Key West to to the ​back of Jackie's Uber​ in St. Louis to ​Jonathan Haidt's kitchen​ in New York we've gone where the stories take us. And for the first time we are going to the 55-country and 1.5 billion person continent of Africa. I am so excited to share the first of three chapters of 3 Books recorded in Nairobi, Kenya. I landed there and went whizzing down busy streets with colourful stalls, wandering goats, people pulling carts full of eggs, women carrying baskets on their heads, endless whizzing bodas (motorcycles). I visited the lovely home of novelist and professor ​Peter Kimani​ — where he lives with his wife Anne and their two boys. Peter is a huge mind and talented writer whose work spans New York Times Notable novels such as '​Dance of the Jakaranda​' to writing a poem for Barack Obama's presidential inauguration. Peter has studied at the Universi

"Whatever Jen Agg says is worth listening to," said Anthony Bourdain. I fully agree! If you live in Toronto you probably know Jen Agg. If you don't, let me tell you she runs the best restaurants in town! Come visit and try them! Her most recent stunner is a two-story converted auto-body shop turned Toronto Life #1 ranked restaurant called "​General Public​" and it is a feast for the senses. Jen describes the place as "part Narnia, part fancy British pub, and part '80s cocaine dream" which gives you a sample of her incredible way with words on top of dishes on top of lighting on top of music on top of ... vibe. I was at General Public last week with my friend Agostino and we split Rainbow Trout Tartare, Hiramasa Crudo, Chicory Salad, and Popcorn Clams and Mussels. And those were just our appetizers! And precisely none of the items fully described the depth of surprising and fresh ingredients leading to the full-body sensory experiences we had when taking our first bites... Jen Agg has opened many other

The pace of living is accelerating. I often feel like things are happening too quickly to process ... the reels are going too fast, the scrolls have too many colors, the information feed feels like a flood. I just can't process it all! Do you feel the same way? If so you need this conversation as much as I did. Carl Honoré is the godfather of the "slow movement" — a Canadian born, UK-based author, journalist, and ​popular TED speaker​ whose first book, the 2004 long-running bestseller '​In Praise of Slowness​', sparked a global conversation about time, speed, and how we live. What's happened since 2004? Life has gotten even faster! Which makes his ideas and insights even more valuable. I love Carl's work so much I’ve read 'In Praise of Slowness' three times and enjoyed his tangential books on parenting in an era of hyper pressure ('​Under Pressure​') and making the most of our longer lives ('​Bolder​'). Carl is a warm, sagacious soul who oozes kindness and wisdom and in this conversation we talk abou

Last year I picked up a book called ‘​Moonbound​’ by Robin Sloan and it blew me away. Reading it was like riding some rainbow-speckled rocket ship where I experienced the bizarre combination of having no idea what was going on while not being able to wait for what happened next. The book was full of talking beavers. Talking swords! Strange video games. And ever-expanding worlds with wizards, who maybe aren’t really wizards, and oh—it's narrated by a microscopic AI-type chronicler, who’s been in many different lives across millennia and who now sits inside our protagonist’s left shoulder. The writing was like a jacked up ‘Star Wars’ meets ‘Cloud Atlas’ by ​David Mitchell​ featuring Willy Wonka and Mad Hatter types with moments of poignancy dashed in to let us see, and see around, our endlessly twisting lives together. It is a big, loud, cymbal crash of a book so after I was done I reached out to the giant-minded author Robin Sloan to invite him on the show. Robin Sloan is a writer, printer, and manufactur

My friend Drew Dudley once told me that, other than his parents, he hadn’t heard anyone speak to him more in his life than Jerry Howarth… The voice of the Toronto Blue Jays. I can relate. Growing up I would listen to Jerry Howarth call the Blue Jays games on the radio on long summer drives, with my friends at the park, or just on my clock radio with the “Sleep” timer on as I fell asleep. Why do I love Jerry? Because for thirty-six years he was a local leader and community-builder who created trust with millions of baseball fans… So I was thrilled to visit the Skydome in downtown Toronto to sit down with Jerry Howarth in this classic chapter of 3 Books. Join me and Jerry to watch batting practice just before the game begins as we discuss how to build a community, developing authentic connections, the art of being objective, how to coach leaders, and, of course, Jerry's 3 most formative books... GO JAYS GO! Let's flip the page back to Chapter 30 now...

What do Xmas Jammies, ADHD, and The Amazing Race have in common?   The Holderness Family!   Penn and Kim Holderness have created viral videos with ... billions of views.   They entered Season 33 of The Amazing Race ... and won.   They wrote one of my favourite books ... 'ADHD is Awesome'.   Penn and Kim started their careers in broadcasting but have old ditched that to find a massive 8 million person following as creators of hilarious yet educational videos on topics as wide-ranging as wearing masks during COVID, the 5 stages of pickleball, and, of course, losing your phone.   They host the popular Holderness Family podcast and their book 'ADHD Is Awesome' helped me realize I have ADHD. (Have you left your keys in the fridge before, too?)   In this special couples episode of 3 Books my beautiful wife Leslie joins me to talk with Penn and Kim Holderness about better names for ADHD, the secrets of making great comedy, the benefits of turning 40, premarital counseling tips, Shel Silverstein's best poems, why the

A few years ago, I settled into the children's section of Book City in the heart of Toronto's beautiful Bloor West Village for the first chapter of 3 Books recorded live in an open bookstore with my favorite bookseller in the world—the one and only Sarah Ramsey.   I love Sarah because she takes the art of bookselling seriously and seemingly reads people’s minds to find the exact book they need to help them grow. As we always say: Humans are the best algorithm. Listen in to hear us talk about how books can transcend generations, if memoirs are over, why you *can* judge a book by its cover, honoring lost loved ones through storytelling and, of course, Sarah's 3 most formative books...   Let's flip the page back to Chapter 4 now...