2 Pages with MBS

Discover the best bits of the best books read by people you admire. Michael Bungay Stanier hosts the podcast where brilliant people read the best two pages of a favourite book. Listen as authors, leaders, activists, academics, celebrities, and entrepreneurs dig in with MBS to explore the insights and ideas within. Whether it’s books that inspire leadership, change, self-development and growth, power, strategy, ambition, productivity, or creativity and innovation - this is hand-curated wisdom from people who know. These are the books that change minds, shape lives, and inspire great work and worthy goals.

Business
Books
Self-Improvement
176
32. How to be World-Positive: Swati Mylavarapu ...
Swati Mylavarapu reading from Mary L. Gray and Siddharth Suri’s Ghost Work: How to Stop Silicon Valley from Building a New Global Underclass and discussing a ‘world-positive’ view on investing.
32 min
177
31. How to Get to Grips with Reality: Oliver Bu...
Oliver Burkeman reading from James Hollis’ Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life and discussing how accepting our limitations leads to a fulfilling life.
30 min
178
30. Joy and Power: Minna Salami x ‘The Sex Live...
Minna Salami reading from Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah’s The Sex Lives of African Women and discussing sexual oppression.
36 min
179
29. How to Keep Curiosity Alive: Martin Reeves ...
Martin Reeves reading from John Kay and Mervyn King's Radical Uncertainty: Decision-Making Beyond the Numbers and discussing the significance of new approaches and imaginative ideas in business.
38 min
180
28. How to Resist Conformity: Julie Lythcott-Ha...
Julie Lythcott-Haims reading from Tara Westover's Educated and discussing the emotional suffering that follows shame and following the crowd to fit in.
47 min
181
27. You are Predictably Imperfect: Katy Milkman...
Katy Milkman reading from Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler's Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness and discussing the nuances of human behaviour.
36 min
182
26. How to focus on what matters: John Zeratsky...
John Zeratsky reading from Winifred Gallagher's Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life and discussing the power and importance of where you place your attention.
39 min
183
25. How to Deconstruct Yourself: Luke Burgis x ...
Luke Burgis reading from René Girard's Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World and discussing the importance of business aims beyond mere profit-making potential.
41 min
184
24. How to be 100% Yourself: Jordan Dinwiddie x...
Jordan Dinwiddie reading from L.L. McKinney's Nubia: Real One and discussing being a woman of colour in the world of advertising.
33 min
185
23. What To Do With Power: Matthew Barzun x ‘To...
Matthew Barzun reading an essay from his grandfather, Jacques Barzun’s A Jacques Barzun Reader and discussing how to use power mindfully.
50 min
186
22. One Way to be an Activist: Dr. Caroline Hel...
Dr. Caroline Heldman reading James Baldwin’s essay On Being White ... And Other Lies and discussing how to facilitate social change.
38 min
187
21. The Power of Being a Generalist: Vikram Man...
Vikram Mansharamani reading from Laurence J. Peter’s The Peter Principle and discussing holistic development.
41 min
188
20. How (and why) to be good-ish: Dolly Chugh x...
Dolly‌ ‌Chugh‌ reading from Jeanne Theoharis’ A More Beautiful and Terrible History: The Uses and Misuses of Civil Rights History and discussing ways to combat our unconscious biases.
34 min
189
19. How to Overcome Loneliness: Ximena Vengoech...
Ximena Vengoechea reading from Sherry Turkle’s Reclaiming Conversation and discussing the essence of healthy communication.
38 min
190
18. Do We Want the Other Half to Fail?: Indra A...
Indra Adnan reading from Ken Wilbur’s A Theory of Everything and discusses the growing chasm in society.
51 min
191
17. I am disabled but not broken: Christa Coutu...
Christa Couture reading from Eli Clare’s Brilliant Imperfection and discussing society’s labels.
36 min
192
16. Goes to 11: A.J. Jacobs x ‘The Bible’
A.J. Jacobs reading from Ecclesiastes and discussing four lessons that can be learned from the passage.
38 min
193
15. Scaling Learning: Magdy Karam x ‘Dare to Lead’
Reading from Dare to Lead by Brené Brown and discussing his leadership tactics.
36 min
194
14. Transformed by Failure: Ashley Good x ‘The ...
Reading from ‘The Rise’ by Sarah Lewis and discussing the positive elements of failure.
41 min
195
13. Freedom in Constraints: David Nour x ‘The L...
Reading from Walter Keichel’s The Lords of Strategy and discussing how relationships facilitate growth in life.
40 min
196
12. Trust is the Key: Jennifer Paylor x “Leader...
Reading from Leadership and Self-Deception by The Arbinger Institute and discussing the significance of humility in our lives.
35 min
197
11. Conflict & Curiosity: Ian Leslie x ‘Revolut...
Reading from Revolution in the Head: The Beatles’ Records and the Sixties by Ian MacDonald and discussing the power of conflict in creativity.
40 min
198
10. Lead Care Win: Dan Pontefract x 21 Letters ...
Reading from Charles Handy’s 21 Letters on Life and Its Challenges and discussing the importance of humanity in organizations.
37 min
199
9. Brave Choices: Shannon Minifie x “A Supposed...
Reading from David Foster Wallace’s essay “A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again” and discussing the challenges surrounding decision making.
40 min
200
8. Heart of Abundance: Nell Edgington x “Playin...
Reading from Tara Mohr’s Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak up, Create, and Lead and discussing putting an abundance mindset at the heart of social change.
35 min