Chapter 4: Sarah Ramsey on beating book blame with brilliant bookselling

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 University of Iowa—the Harvard of writing schools, perhaps!—and earned his doctorate at the University of Houston. He was awarded the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature, Kenya's highest literary honor, and is a professor at Aga Khan University in Nairobi. Let's sit down outside in his backyard garden, near the mango and orange trees, below the calls of the Pied Crows, and discuss normalizing abnormalities, decolonizing our minds, The Hardy Boys, writing as an extension of living, whitewashing conservation, Peter's 3 most formative books, and much, much more... Let's flip the page to Chapter 154 now...

"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 award-winning restaurants including ​Bar Vendetta​, ​Grey Gardens​, ​Le Swan​, ​Rhum Corner​, ​Hoof Cocktail Bar​ and, famously, The Black Hoof (RIP), where I still remember my friend Drew ordering a Spicy Raw Horse Sandwich with raw egg on top many years ago. His verdict? "Delicious!" Of course that place turned the restaurant scene in the city sharply sideways! And sharply sideways is such a great way to live... I admire Jen Agg's sharply sideways ways and also highly recommend her bestselling memoir "​I Hear She's A Real Bitch​" (perhaps the best memoir title of all time?) Now there is of course no where else to sit down with Jen than one of her restaurants so for this one we slip into the front booth at the delectable "french diner" that is ​Le Swan​. Btw, if you go you might find yourself making a new Spotify playlist like I did to remember the great music you're hearing—"Ooh la la" by Ronnie Lane followed by "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison followed by "Everybody's Talkin'" by Harry Nilsson followed by "Tangled Up In Blue" by Bob Dylan! Of course it's hard to pay attention to the music when you're gobbling Smoked Trout Rillette, Steak Tartare, and the city's best Corn Dogs! Let's sit down and talk about fussiness as a virtue, the art of dining alone, having a healthy marriage with someone much older than you, the brilliant Jen Agg's 3 most formative books, and much, much, MUCH more... It was an honour and privilege to talk to Jen Agg in this classic chapter of 3 Books.

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 about the best way to cook risotto, why you should read Orwell to your kids even in their 20s, how social media is changing travel, the benefits of learning new languages, the meaning of the phrase "tempo giusto", mindful ways to slow down our busy lives, and, of course, his 3 most formative books... Let's flip the page to Chapter 153 now...

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 manufacturer—his new 3-word biography!—with three mind-expanding novels including '​Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore​', '​Sourdough​', and, of course, the magical '​Moonbound​'. Robin splits his time between the San Francisco Bay Area and the San Joaquin Valley of California where he (wait for it) manufactures California extra virgin olive oil. He also (yes) prints wonderful zines and sends out a delightfully nerdy newsletter every 29 1/2 days via his ​website​. Strap in as we discuss social media, AI ethics, childhood obsession, books as technology, olive oil, working with your partner, myths and identity, and, of course, the brilliant Robin Sloan's 3 most formative books… Let's flip the page to Chapter 152 now...

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 world need introverts, and, of course, The Holderness Family's 3 ... no wait, 6! ... most formative books...   Let's flip the page to Chapter 151 now...

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...

Born in 1934, the 18th of 19 children in the small blue-collar town of Shawinigan Falls, Quebec, Jean Chrétien has risen to become the "grandfather of Canada" and a definitive force in global politics for over 50 years.   Chrétien was one of the longest-serving Prime Ministers in Canadian history and led three successive majority terms as leader of the Liberal Party from 1993 to 2003.   He famously said no to joining the US in the Iraq War (solidifying Canada's independence on foreign policy), signed the Kyoto Protocol (committing Canada to its first-ever international environmental agreement), established the Oceans Act (helping Canada become the first country to prioritize ocean health), creating the Clarity Act (to establish terms for secession movements after leading the 'No' side to victory in the 1995 Quebec Referendum), and leading Operation Yellow Ribbon which helped 40,000 Americans in the air and traveling through Canada on September 11, 2001 and beyond.   Let's put on a suit and tie and fly up to Ottawa, Canada to sit in the office of the 91-year-old leader—who still does meetings back-to-back three days a week!—and discuss the secrets of healthy living into your 90s... Canada on the global stage... how to get along with almost anyone... humility as a virtue... lessons from 63 years of marriage... thoughts on Alberta secession... the definition of liberal... how he said no to the Iraq war... and, of course, the Right Honorable Jean Chrétien's most formative books...   Huge thank you to Bob Wright, Bruce Hartley, and Monsieur Jean Chrétien for making this happen.   A rare and special conversation with a rare and special man.   Get ready to soak in so much wisdom.   Let's flip the page to Chapter 150 now...

Long before I oriented my life around reading, I would get the majority of my (4-5!) books per year read during the summer. But summer reads get a bad rap for being too silly, too saucy, too simple. So this summer join me in bridging the gap to find great beachy reads. We want books that have a speedy pace *and* expand our minds! We want books that help us escape our everyday lives *and* teach us something new. A mesmerizing coming-of-age novel! A slim tear-jerky memoir! A crucial self-help book! An evocative life story from the deep south. And, of course, the Tom Wolfe novel I think everybody should start with… I made this video and podcast for you: Please enjoy my 5 summer beach books to stretch your mind like taffy while you bake in the sun… Let's find your next read now...