Key Moments
The 6 Books I Read In June 2022 | Deep Questions With Cal Newport
Deep Questions with Cal NewportKey Moments
Cal Newport discusses 6 books read in June 2022, spanning sports, film, crafting, history, TV, and thrillers.
Key Insights
Cal Newport's reading habit involves scheduling dedicated time and avoiding phone distractions.
'Ball Four' by Jim Bouton is a groundbreaking, impressionistic diary-style memoir revealing the realities of professional baseball.
'Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli' details the making of 'The Godfather,' highlighting its historical context and paperback rights.
'Every Tool Is a Hammer' by Adam Savage blends memoir, advice on making, and personal philosophy, inspired by his 'Cave' workshop.
'Cod' by Mark Kurlansky explores history through a single subject, integrating recipes and broad historical context.
'Desperate Networks' by Bill Carter examines the shift in network TV dominance, offering a parable on slow, creative productivity.
'First Blood' by David Morrell is a nuanced novel exploring post-Vietnam polarization, distinct from its action-movie adaptation.
The choice and structure of books can serve different purposes, from relaxation to providing material for future work.
CAL'S READING GOALS AND HABITS
Cal explains his consistent goal of reading five books per month, a habit he cultivates by making reading a default activity. He avoids phone distractions and strategically schedules reading blocks into his time-blocked work schedule. In June 2022, he exceeded his goal by reading six books, partly due to a week of recovery from COVID-19, which allowed for more at-home reading time.
'BALL FOUR': A REVOLUTIONARY BASEBALL MEMOIR
The first book discussed is 'Ball Four' by Jim Bouton, a diary-style memoir from the early 1970s. It's famous for being the first to reveal the unfiltered lives of professional athletes, including amphetamine use and off-field carousing. The book famously debunked the myth of Mickey Mantle hitting a home run while drunk. Though read for a sports-focused book group, Newport found its impressionistic, non-linear narrative style reminiscent of early modernism in literature.
'LEAVE THE GUN, TAKE THE CANNOLI': THE GODFATHER'S BIRTH
Next, Newport covers 'Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli' by Mark Seal, which chronicles the filming of the first 'The Godfather' movie. The book delves into the contributions of Al Pacino, Robert Evans, and Mario Puzo, author of the original novel. Newport read it during a trip to California wine country, finding it fitting to consume a book about a beloved film. He notes the historical detail about Puzo setting a record for paperback rights with 'The Godfather'.
'EVERY TOOL IS A HAMMER': INSIGHTS FROM ADAM SAVAGE
'Every Tool Is a Hammer' by Adam Savage is described as an interesting memoir that combines personal stories with advice on making and a unique personal philosophy. Newport highlights Savage's 'Cave,' a personal workshop that inspired Newport's own 'Deep Work HQ.' The book details Savage's time at Industrial Light & Magic and his creative process. Newport also shares a trivia point about challenges Savage faces at his workshop, potentially leading to more self-filming.
'COD': HISTORY THROUGH A SINGLE SUBJECT
Newport then discusses 'Cod' by Mark Kurlansky, a book that exemplifies a genre popular in the early 2000s focusing deeply on a single subject to illuminate broader historical themes. He previously enjoyed Kurlansky's 'Salt.' 'Cod' traces the history of cod fishing and its impact on European and American history, weaving in historical recipes. Newport identifies it as a reread that he cherishes for its innovative and beautifully constructed narrative.
'DESPERATE NETWORKS': TELEVISION DRAMA AND PRODUCTIVITY
Bill Carter's 'Desperate Networks' is examined for its account of NBC's decline and ABC/CBS's rise in the early 2000s. Newport finds these inside looks at network television relaxing and intellectually stimulating. An anecdote from this book about CBS's turnaround under Les Moonves will be featured in Newport's upcoming book, 'Slow Productivity.' It contrasts Moonves's focus on visible activity with the actual success driven by the slow, creative development of a show like 'CSI.'
'FIRST BLOOD': THE NUANCED ORIGINAL NOVEL
The final book is David Morrell's 'First Blood,' the novel that introduced John Rambo. Newport emphasizes that the book, unlike the famous movie adaptation, is a deep exploration of post-Vietnam political polarization and PTSD. The narrative alternates between Rambo and the sheriff, offering no clear hero and highlighting the era's ambiguity. He notes that the book was once taught in colleges but fell out of favor after the second Rambo movie became associated with mindless action.
AUDIOBOOK AND OTHER READING
In addition to the six primary books, Newport mentions listening to the audiobook 'Goldeneye,' which details Ian Fleming's life in Jamaica and his writing of the James Bond novels. He shares an anecdote about Fleming's disciplined writing routine and the high personal cost, including heavy smoking. Newport also briefly touches on reading large biographies, such as one on Benjamin Franklin, indicating a continuous and varied reading engagement.
Mentioned in This Episode
●Software & Apps
●Companies
●Organizations
●Books
●People Referenced
Common Questions
Cal Newport makes reading a default activity, avoids using his phone for distractions, and schedules dedicated reading blocks into his work schedule.
Topics
Mentioned in this video
Author whose paperback rights for 'Carrie' were around $400,000, mentioned in comparison to Mario Puzo's record-setting rights for 'The Godfather'.
Author of 'The Americanization of Ben Franklin', known for his academic writing on colonial history and the philosophical context of the American Revolution.
Former host of Mythbusters and author of 'Every Tool is a Hammer'. He discusses his workshop ('The Cave') and personal philosophy.
Author of 'Cod' and 'Salt', known for his deep dives into single topics and their historical significance.
Author of a book about Benjamin Franklin, mentioned as another writer on the subject of Franklin. (Correction: The transcript mentions 'Brands' as a distinguished professor, not Walter Isaacson. Assuming 'Brands' refers to a specific author or professor not fully identified in transcript).
Author of 'The Godfather'. His paperback rights for the book set a record at the time ($500,000).
Former host of The Tonight Show, whose retirement was the subject of Bill Carter's book 'Late Shift'.
Author of 'Ball Four', a baseball book written in diary format detailing a year in the life of a professional athlete, revealing aspects like amphetamine use and carousing.
Author of 'Take the Gun, Leave the Cannoli', a book detailing the filming of the first Godfather movie.
New York Times TV reporter and author of 'Desperate Networks' and 'Late Shift', books that analyze specific periods in network television history.
Author of 'First Blood', the novel introducing John Rambo. He noted that the book stopped being taught in colleges after the second Rambo movie, due to its association with 'rah-rah Reaganism'.
The fictional spy character created by Ian Fleming, whose novels were written at Goldeneye in Jamaica.
A famous baseball player whose myth was challenged by 'Ball Four', which revealed he hit a home run while drunk.
Former executive at CBS who believed success was tied to visible activity and longer office hours, contrasted with the success driven by creative development like CSI.
The character introduced in David Morrell's novel 'First Blood'. Originally a former Green Beret grappling with PTSD, the character evolved significantly in the film sequels.
Author of the James Bond novels, who built the Goldeneye estate in Jamaica and wrote his books there. He began writing 'Casino Royale' at age 43.
Adam Savage's memoir, offering advice on workshops, making, and his personal philosophy.
An audiobook about the house Ian Fleming built in Jamaica, Goldeneye, where he wrote the James Bond novels, and the history of the place.
A previous book by Bill Carter discussed on the show, focusing on events after Johnny Carson's retirement.
A baseball book written in diary format by Jim Bouton, famous for being the first to reveal the unvarnished reality of professional athletes' lives in the early 70s.
David Morrell's novel that introduced John Rambo, exploring themes of post-Vietnam political polarization and the ambiguity between hero and anti-hero.
Stephen King's novel, whose paperback rights were sold for $400,000 around the same time Mario Puzo's 'The Godfather' rights were sold.
Bill Carter's book analyzing a five-year period after NBC's 'Must-See TV' lineup declined, and how ABC and CBS gained ground.
A book by Gordon Wood exploring colonial history and the philosophical influences on the American Revolution.
Another book by Mark Kurlansky, mentioned alongside 'Cod' as an example of his thematic deep dives into single subjects.
A show that helped ABC gain ground during the period discussed in Bill Carter's 'Desperate Networks'.
The subject of Mark Seal's book 'Take the Gun, Leave the Cannoli', focusing on the filming of the first movie. It had its 50th anniversary recently.
The sequel to the first Rambo movie, which became a 'rah-rah Reagan-era' action film and is noted for changing the public perception of the Rambo character, leading to the original novel being less taught.
The first James Bond novel written by Ian Fleming, started when he was 43 and facing fatherhood.
A popular show that was part of NBC's 'Must-See TV' lineup, mentioned as having ended, contributing to the network's challenges detailed in 'Desperate Networks'.
The TV show formerly hosted by Adam Savage, mentioned in relation to his book 'Every Tool is a Hammer' and his career trajectory.
A key show in NBC's 'Must-See TV' lineup, mentioned as having disappeared, leading to NBC's decline discussed in 'Desperate Networks'.
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