Simon’s Book Club Podcast

About Simon’s Book Club Podcast

I’m really into ideas of Metamodernism, embodiment, compassion, mindful presence, and consciousness. Here’s me brainstorming on how all these subjects are connected simonsbookclub.substack.com (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Simon Stawski

Category

arts · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

11 Feb 2025

Latest episode

19 Oct 2025

Latest episodes

19 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Oct 2025

   Video review for Ursula K Le Guin's "The Dispossessed"

   Simon's Book Club Podcast reviews Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Dispossessed," exploring its post-capitalist themes and anarchist society, offering insights into ideologies and the human condition.

2. 

   28 Feb 2025

   There isn't a person you couldn't learn to love

   I listened to a lot of Jack Kornfield’s talks. He’s one of the prominent figures that brought Buddhism and meditation to the West, and has written many books about mindfulness and spirituality that really guided me through my phase of intense Buddhist practice. I really like how he talked about attention and mindfulness as “Loving Awareness.” That was a phrase I heard him use often. When we’re mindful, then we’re paying close attention, and from that arises a feeling of love. That aligns with Barbara Frederickson’s work on the neuroscience of love (https://amzn.to/41iBMWA), and it also aligns with what Mr Rogers is talking about here. You can love anybody, ANYBODY, if you just choose to listen to their story. Nobody is exempt from this rule. If you want to feel love, to feel it deep within your bones, to feel it in an embodied way, then a very easy way to do it is to really connect with someone else’s story. Listen to them deeply. Ask more questions. Investigate. Uncover their story and visualize it in your mind the way you visualize the stories of fake characters actors play as on screens. I remember hearing somewhere else that it’s really hard to maintain a loving romantic relationship with someone if you aren’t connecting with them for at least a couple hours weekly, just to hear what their inner worlds are like. If you’re just running tasks with them of taking care of children, maintaining a home, and working, but not spending time to hear what’s happening through your partner’s subjective experience, then connections tend to fade. What we’re not mindful of, what we’re not paying attention to, what we’re not offering micro moments of resonance, what we’re not giving our loving awareness to, will fade. And so, if we’re going to be listening to stories anyways, whose stories do you want to listen to? This is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Simon’s Book Club at simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

3. 

   27 Feb 2025

   The When, not How, to Start a Journal

   Today I had a call with a company from Japan that is interested in creating a product line with me. We talked about the Japanese idea of Takumi, which refers to artistry and mastery. They talked about how many products are mass produced, cheap and fast, and they’re interested in creating higher quality products that promote Japan’s interest in craftsmanship and mastery. I shared with them the story of a man I met in Japan whose name I don’t remember anymore. He was a salaryman in Tokyo, and one day for a lunch meeting he had Parma Ham for the first time. The story goes, the next day he bought a ticket to Italy, and ripped up his return ticket. He then went from factory to factory to learn the best way to make Parma Ham. After 10 years in Italy, he came back to Japan, not to Tokyo, but to the mountains of Nagoya, where they have the perfect humidity and atmospheric pressure to make ideal Parma Ham. And now he has his own factory there, where he runs it by himself. When I met him, I saw two lines of restaurant owners, begging him to sell his ham to them. He has a limited supply, and only gives it to people he trusts. His ham is so good that Italian masters come visit him to learn some of his techniques. I’ve been thinking about mastery lately as an antidote to perfectionism. This nameless man didn’t start off with making great ham. He just made the commitment to show up and try, and everyday to learn. That’s the approach I’m taking with this writing practice. I show up everyday at the same time, write my pages, make my video, and share it with the world. Every day, I’m hoping that I’m getting better, if not noticeably at least marginally. A journal, for me, isn’t about what I should write or what questions I should answer. It’s just about showing up, every day, and trying to figure things out. I have no clue how far I can go with this, and I’m happy to see where I’ll be one year from now. This is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Simon’s Book Club at simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

4. 

   26 Feb 2025

   Victim of my Own News Snobbery

   I stopped watching the news because it didn't impact my life in any positive way. Now, I'm questioning how I've justified paying attention to big tech news. Get full access to Simon’s Book Club at simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

5. 

   25 Feb 2025

   Mastery over Productivity

   In the few yet too many Digital Nomad meetups I’ve been to in Lisbon, the conversations I often slip into answer the question “so, what do you do?” The answers I hear are always tied into a project they’re working on with others, at some small, medium, or large sized company. The answers are never about what they’re developing in themselves, for themselves, about themselves, or any other preposition followed by “themselves”. There’s a thing people are trying to build rather than a skill, a product people are trying to develop rather than a talent, and the time they spend are in service of others rather than themselves. A phrase I often heard growing up was to “be a productive member of society,” and - if you’re not one - well, ooof! That’s a big sting. You want to be producing something for the world, for the society you’re living in, and not just mooching off of it. To be producing something for yourself, for your own sake, is selfish unproductive narcissism. Give your time to a company and get money to be able to cover your basic needs so that you can continue to give your time to a company. I’d love to give time to myself, and to see what I can develop from there, and see how I can shape my life around my continuous development. What’s the Infinite Game (https://amzn.to/41wpUSa) I’d like to play for the rest of my life? Reading, Running, Writing, and Lifting (damn I wish it was pronounced Rifting instead) is a game I love to play, and I’d love to see how far I can go with it. I’m currently writing these emails and making these videos to embolden myself to believe in myself and my development and craft. I have worked on projects for others for the past couple of years, and now I’d like to spend a few months just working on my own development. I want to develop my athleticism and my wordcraft, my body and my mind, side by side, and to see what I can grow from there. I don’t have a product in mind, just a process. But, if you like this project, and want to support it and to see where it goes, I’d love if you consider becoming a member of this newsletter: Simon’s Book Club is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Simon’s Book Club at simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

6. 

   24 Feb 2025

   Algorithm is the New Religion

   Create an environment where you're free to say what you're afraid to say. Get full access to Simon’s Book Club at simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

7. 

   23 Feb 2025

   Squeezing Myself for All that I've Got

   Leave no drops behind. Squeeze every bit of juice out of me. While I still can, why not see what I’m capable of? Get full access to Simon’s Book Club at simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

8. 

   22 Feb 2025

   Starting the Journey of Self-Discovery

   Today, I'm answering a question from Jennifer, and talking about my writing throughout my lifetime. Get full access to Simon’s Book Club at simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

9. 

   21 Feb 2025

   Where are all the Buff Philosophers?

   Where are all the buff philosophers, and why did Nietzsche call Socrates ugly? Get full access to Simon’s Book Club at simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

10. 

    20 Feb 2025

    Are You Healing or Developing?

    Healing and Developing are the same thing, but coming from different positions. One is focused on empowerment while the other is on victimhood. The work is the same. Which language, then, serves us better? Get full access to Simon’s Book Club at simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

11. 

    19 Feb 2025

    Batman: The Dark Jerk

    I’ve been speaking with someone in the comment section of my YouTube videos about whether I should talk about Narcissism or not. From their perspective, I’m taking on unnecessary self-inflicted atonement and too much emotional hygiene. I loved the provocation, and it got me thinking about not talking about Narcissism anymore, but, my god, it’s such an interesting topic! It’s hard for me to put down. I feel very strongly against binary thinking, and good guy vs bad guy reasoning, and - to be honest - the vilification of narcissists is something that I want to explore. I think an entry point to this discussion is how The Dark Knight depicts schizophrenics, which is neither humane nor empathetic, and is oversimplified. The movie hasn’t aged well as a result. At the same time, the way we look back at what our parents and grandparents used to say, and think about how that didn’t age well, it’s folly, or even lol narcissism, to think that we have everything figured out now. What are the ways we speak and interact now that, 20 years from now, will make us cringe? Is how we think of narcissists going to be one of them? Will our circle of compassion extend to them anytime soon, or are there too many cultural factors at play to allow us to empathize with them? I’m not sure, but what I am sure about is that this is vrrrrry interesting to me. Let me know what you think. This is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Simon’s Book Club at simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

12. 

    18 Feb 2025

    Inspiration vs Rumination

    Are all of these ideas coming to me inspiration, or rumination? Get full access to Simon’s Book Club at simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

13. 

    17 Feb 2025

    Day 7: Running Alone and Together

    What different thoughts arise when running alone vs running with someone Get full access to Simon’s Book Club at simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

14. 

    16 Feb 2025

    Don't Delegate Your Emotional Regulation

    Technofeudlaism, Cloudalists, and Effective Value Memes discussed during a 17k run. Get full access to Simon’s Book Club at simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

15. 

    15 Feb 2025

    Technofedualism and Post-Shame

    For today's morning run, I thought a lot about technofeudalism and post-shame. Here, I'll share some of these thoughts. Get full access to Simon’s Book Club at simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

16. 

    14 Feb 2025

    Day 4: It's an Uphill Battle

    Can a Good Morning run overcome a Bad Night of Sleep? No it can't. Not even close. Get full access to Simon’s Book Club at simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

17. 

    13 Feb 2025

    Day 3: Metamodern Journaling

    How personal should a personal journal be? Is it all about stories and experiences, or about analysis of patterns, or both? Get full access to Simon’s Book Club at simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

18. 

    12 Feb 2025

    Day 2: A New Way to Get Deeper Sleep

    Day 2 of my Daily Writing Project, where I'll share my morning pages, and hopefully encourage some of you to get into writing. Get full access to Simon’s Book Club at simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

19. 

    11 Feb 2025

    Day 1

    February 11th 2025. What a dark and rainy morning, cold and uninviting. I'm writing today's journal without having run in the morning. My body felt the rain before I knew it was there. I felt very heavy and lethargic and stayed in bed longer before I opened the shutters and saw the storm. The city now has a blue filter over it all, a hazy pro mist look. Cold temperature, no warmth. Why are rainy days blue? Why not red or green? Is it the same reason why oceans and lakes are blue? I need Neil deGrasse Tyson to explain this to me. Would Homer describe this look as pale wine? I'm at a part of my life now where I'm looking for my next project and trying to figure it out. I have some runway after my last project in Spain, and I also have an awareness of what I didn't like about corporate work, and even writing this now feels scary. I want to share my writing, but if my projects don't work, will talking about corporate life be damaging? Really, I just want to write every day the way Asle paints every day in Septology (https://amzn.to/4gw5ugl). Just let me feel this pen on paper and share what's alive in me. Find those moments of light in the darkness, as Asle was interested in. I gave up on that book after 100 pages. It was just, too miserable. An artist is terribly alone and misses his dead wife, and just prays and paints and thinks all the time about what other people are thinking. It's unrelentingly sad. It's not what I want to go to sleep with. My nighttime reading of fiction should be light and not that heavy. And I really miss reading Infinite Jest (https://amzn.to/4gz0Ca7). What if I start reading it again? Some people watch reruns of Friends and Seinfeld. Why not rereads of Infinite Jest? People reread Harry Potter and they live in that world. People reread the Bible and they live there. Why not reread the only Metamodern text that I actually enjoyed? Why keep looking for different iterations of themes that I've already found? Well, it's because this book is so goddamn heavy, and I don't mean like dark heavy, but just heavy. Physically, it's a huge book. You know, I've really been entertaining the idea of sharing these daily journals, but something seems very vulnerable about it, and I worry about the pornographic element. What's usually deeply intimate and vulnerable changes when it becomes performative. How will my writing change knowing I have someone over my shoulder? Will I be able to connect with myself as deeply as I'd like to, as I usually do, or will my writing change based on viewer response? And, is this fear of changing for others a sense of the ego creeping in? I'm gonna start reading Rick Rubin's book today on the Creative Act (https://amzn.to/4jPYdL9) and see what that could tell me. Get full access to Simon’s Book Club at simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe (https://simonsbookclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

Podcast Authority Score: 24 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

47

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

Contact Simon’s Book Club Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.