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3 Books With Neil Pasricha - Chapter 105: Nancy the Librarian on the riches and rewards of resplendent reading
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Chapter 105: Nancy the Librarian on the riches and rewards of resplendent reading

06/14/22 • 81 min

3 Books With Neil Pasricha

Nancy Pearl is a Superhero Librarian.

One of our values on 3 Books is “Librarians and booksellers are doctors for the mind” and while we’ve hung out with a number of booksellers, Nancy is somehow our very first librarian!

How did we find Nancy? Well, 3 Booker Cindy Sharek left us a gushing voicemail at 1-833-READ-A-LOT singing Nancy’s praises and we were convinced. She’s won the Librarian of the Year Award, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, and, get this, has even been turned into an action figure!

Nancy is a frequent guest on NPR’s Morning Edition, has her own TV show called Book Lust with Nancy Pearl, and, as if all that wasn’t enough, is also a bestselling author with titles like George and Lizzie, Book Lust, and The Writer’s Library.

Nancy joined me from her home in Seattle and we talked about the role of the library today, the power of reading, the joy of meandering, the 4 Ps of books, which books help reluctant readers get their start, what makes debut novels special, movie adaptations, audio books, and, of course, her 3 most formative books.

Let’s flip the page into Chapter 105 now...

What You'll Learn:

  • What purpose does a public library serve today?
  • How do librarians help readers choose books?
  • What are the 4 Ps of books?
  • What books help reluctant readers?
  • Why should we reread Harry Potter?
  • What’s special about debut novels?
  • Which books let you meander?
  • Should we see movies adapted from books?
  • What are the best books to start enjoying audio books?

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.3books.co/chapters/105

Leave us a voicemail. Your message may be included in a future chapter: 1-833-READ-A-LOT.

Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list

3 Books is a completely insane and totally epic 22-year-long quest to uncover and discuss the 1000 most formative books in the world. Each chapter discusses the 3 most formative books of an inspiring person. Sample guests include: Brené Brown, David Sedaris, Malcolm Gladwell, George Saunders, Angie Thomas, Daniels, Cheryl Strayed, Rich Roll, Soyoung the Variety Store Owner, Derek the Hype Man, Kevin the Bookseller, Vishwas the Uber Driver, Roxane Gay, David Mitchell, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Mark Manson, Seth Godin, Judy Blume, and Quentin Tarantino. 3 Books is published on the lunar calendar with each of the 333 chapters dropped on the exact minute of every single full moon all the way up to April 26, 2040. 3 Books is an Apple "Best Of" award-winning show and is 100% non-profit with no ads, no sponsors, no commercials, and no interruptions. 3 Books has 3 clubs including the End of the Podcast Club, the Cover to Cover Club, and the Secret Club, which operates entirely through the mail and is only accessible by calling 1-833-READ-A-LOT. Each chapter is hosted by Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of 'The Happiness Equation', 'Two-Minute Mornings', and 'The Book of Awesome.' For more info check out: https://www.3books.co

plus icon
bookmark

Nancy Pearl is a Superhero Librarian.

One of our values on 3 Books is “Librarians and booksellers are doctors for the mind” and while we’ve hung out with a number of booksellers, Nancy is somehow our very first librarian!

How did we find Nancy? Well, 3 Booker Cindy Sharek left us a gushing voicemail at 1-833-READ-A-LOT singing Nancy’s praises and we were convinced. She’s won the Librarian of the Year Award, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, and, get this, has even been turned into an action figure!

Nancy is a frequent guest on NPR’s Morning Edition, has her own TV show called Book Lust with Nancy Pearl, and, as if all that wasn’t enough, is also a bestselling author with titles like George and Lizzie, Book Lust, and The Writer’s Library.

Nancy joined me from her home in Seattle and we talked about the role of the library today, the power of reading, the joy of meandering, the 4 Ps of books, which books help reluctant readers get their start, what makes debut novels special, movie adaptations, audio books, and, of course, her 3 most formative books.

Let’s flip the page into Chapter 105 now...

What You'll Learn:

  • What purpose does a public library serve today?
  • How do librarians help readers choose books?
  • What are the 4 Ps of books?
  • What books help reluctant readers?
  • Why should we reread Harry Potter?
  • What’s special about debut novels?
  • Which books let you meander?
  • Should we see movies adapted from books?
  • What are the best books to start enjoying audio books?

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.3books.co/chapters/105

Leave us a voicemail. Your message may be included in a future chapter: 1-833-READ-A-LOT.

Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list

3 Books is a completely insane and totally epic 22-year-long quest to uncover and discuss the 1000 most formative books in the world. Each chapter discusses the 3 most formative books of an inspiring person. Sample guests include: Brené Brown, David Sedaris, Malcolm Gladwell, George Saunders, Angie Thomas, Daniels, Cheryl Strayed, Rich Roll, Soyoung the Variety Store Owner, Derek the Hype Man, Kevin the Bookseller, Vishwas the Uber Driver, Roxane Gay, David Mitchell, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Mark Manson, Seth Godin, Judy Blume, and Quentin Tarantino. 3 Books is published on the lunar calendar with each of the 333 chapters dropped on the exact minute of every single full moon all the way up to April 26, 2040. 3 Books is an Apple "Best Of" award-winning show and is 100% non-profit with no ads, no sponsors, no commercials, and no interruptions. 3 Books has 3 clubs including the End of the Podcast Club, the Cover to Cover Club, and the Secret Club, which operates entirely through the mail and is only accessible by calling 1-833-READ-A-LOT. Each chapter is hosted by Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of 'The Happiness Equation', 'Two-Minute Mornings', and 'The Book of Awesome.' For more info check out: https://www.3books.co

Previous Episode

undefined - Chapter 104: Boniface Mwangi combats corrosive Kenyan corruption with courage and kindness

Chapter 104: Boniface Mwangi combats corrosive Kenyan corruption with courage and kindness

Boniface Mwangi is a Nairobi-based social justice activist fighting for equity in his home country and abroad. In 2007 his photos of violence following the national election went viral and spawned global attention on political instability and corruption in Kenya.

He is the subject of the Sundance-award winning documentary Softie and the author of the photojournalism book Unbounded which has been hailed by Hilary Clinton and President Barack Obama.

Over two million people follow him @bonifacemwangi on Twitter and Facebook where he remarkably fearlessly calls attention to untold cases of abuse, corruption, and cronyism. For his work he has been beaten, arrested for “organizing a revolution”, and had his home burned down.

His 2014 TED Talk is called “The Day I Stood Alone” and in it he shares that he’s called a heckler, troublemaker, irritant, rebel, activist, and ... the voice of the people. He continues to fight for justice every day alongside his wife Hellen Njeri Mwangi and their three children.

Boniface joined me from Nairobi, Kenya and I think you’re going to feel as inspired and energized by this conversation as I was.

We talk about what it’s like advocating for the most vulnerable, whether we can trust photographs today, how you deal with intimidation, how you live in fearlessness, how you bring back dignity to an oppressed people, why we must all seek to become activists, and, of course, what are Boniface’s 3 most formative books.

This is an exciting, engaging, passion-filled conversation.

Let’s flip the page into Chapter 104 now...

What You'll Learn:

  • How do we advocate for the vulnerable?
  • What was the single greatest act of giving in the modern world?
  • How do you deal with intimidation when you have a family?
  • How do you become an activist?
  • What are the biggest issues in Kenya right now?
  • Why is it so hard to travel as a black person?
  • What should African unity bring?
  • How was the mafia brought down in Italy?
  • How do you live in fearlessness?
  • Why must we all be activists?

You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.3books.co/chapters/104

Leave us a voicemail. Your message may be included in a future chapter: 1-833-READ-A-LOT.

Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list

3 Books is a completely insane and totally epic 22-year-long quest to uncover and discuss the 1000 most formative books in the world. Each chapter discusses the 3 most formative books of an inspiring person. Sample guests include: Brené Brown, David Sedaris, Malcolm Gladwell, George Saunders, Angie Thomas, Daniels, Cheryl Strayed, Rich Roll, Soyoung the Variety Store Owner, Derek the Hype Man, Kevin the Bookseller, Vishwas the Uber Driver, Roxane Gay, David Mitchell, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Mark Manson, Seth Godin, Judy Blume, and Quentin Tarantino. 3 Books is published on the lunar calendar with each of the 333 chapters dropped on the exact minute of every single full moon all the way up to April 26, 2040. 3 Books is an Apple "Best Of" award-winning show and is 100% non-profit with no ads, no sponsors, no commercials, and no interruptions. 3 Books has 3 clubs including the End of the Podcast Club, the Cover to Cover Club, and the Secret Club, which operates entirely through the mail and is only accessible by calling 1-833-READ-A-LOT. Each chapter is hosted by Neil Pasricha, New York Times bestselling author of 'The Happiness Equation', 'Two-Minute Mornings', and 'The Book of Awesome.' For more info check out: https://www.3books.co

Next Episode

undefined - Bookmark: How to help someone with anxiety or depression

Bookmark: How to help someone with anxiety or depression

Happy Summer Solstice! (and happy Winter Solstice!)

Have you noticed we're tilting further toward the sun compared to every other time of the year? While our Australian, Chilean, and Easter Islander friends are tilting further away? This means is time for another 3 Book bookmark -- our relatively recent innovation to add a little spice to our 333 chapters along the way. Sometimes a bookmark will be me on another podcast, sometimes it'll be me giving a speech, and sometimes, like this time, it'll literally just be a YouTube video I made years ago that's somehow struck a nerve online. Please enjoy "How to help someone with anxiety or depression."

If you'd like to spread the 3 Books love, please share online or drop us a 10-second review at this link.

Enjoy the bookmark and I'll see you on the New Moon with Alok Vaid-Menon!

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