The personal reading list · Oct 2021 — Aug 2026
Cal Newport
Books read, not necessarily recommendations. Compiled by Brian Renshaw from podcast transcriptions.
August 2026
3 episodes
- An Inside JobRethinking the Deep Life Stack (Again!) | Monday Advice ↗
- Into the DeepHow to Build a Cognitive Training Plan | Monday Advice ↗
- The Laws of ThoughtHow to Build a Cognitive Training Plan | Monday Advice ↗
- The New Dark AgeHow I’m Organizing My Life this Fall | Advice ↗
- This Is for EveryoneHow to Build a Cognitive Training Plan | Monday Advice ↗
- Three Years in WonderlandRethinking the Deep Life Stack (Again!) | Monday Advice ↗
July 2026
1 episode
- A Brief History of IntelligenceHow Do I Finish Meaningful Projects? | Monday Advice ↗
- Disneyland and the Rise of AutomationHow Do I Finish Meaningful Projects? | Monday Advice ↗
- LostHow Do I Finish Meaningful Projects? | Monday Advice ↗
- More Everything ForeverHow Do I Finish Meaningful Projects? | Monday Advice ↗
- Orality and LiteracyHow Do I Finish Meaningful Projects? | Monday Advice ↗
- SapiensHow Do I Finish Meaningful Projects? | Monday Advice ↗
June 2026
3 episodes
- FootballDo I Need a “Brain Gym”? | Monday Advice ↗
- Hit MakersAm I Lazy or Overstimulated? | Monday Advice ↗
- Steven Spielberg: A Life in FilmsAm I Lazy or Overstimulated? | Monday Advice ↗
- The Jewish Way to a Good LifeCan I Be a Digital Minimalist in 2026? | Monday Advice ↗
- The New Dark AgesAm I Lazy or Overstimulated? | Monday Advice ↗
May 2026
3 episodes
- All Systems RedHow Do I Reclaim My Schedule? (w/ Laura Vanderkam) | Monday Advice ↗
- Grow Healthier as You Grow OlderHow Do I Reclaim My Schedule? (w/ Laura Vanderkam) | Monday Advice ↗
- In Defense of FoodHow Do I Escape the “Busyness Singularity”? | Monday Advice ↗
- The Ride of a LifetimeHow Do I Reclaim My Schedule? (w/ Laura Vanderkam) | Monday Advice ↗
- What to Make of a LifeAm I Addicted to My Phone? (w/ Anna Lembke) | Monday Advice ↗
April 2026
5 episodes
- A World AppearsDo I Need More Discipline? | Monday Advice ↗
- How Society Should Deal with InequalityDo I Need a Digital Intervention? | Monday Advice ↗
- KookOriginal episode ↗
- Magic JourneyEp. 400: Should I Embrace “Slow Technology”? ↗
- The Noonday DevilHow Do I Build “Cognitive Fitness”? | Monday Advice ↗
March 2026
3 episodes
- John and PaulEp. 395: Should I Try a “Social Media Pause”? ↗
- Mistborn: The Final EmpireEp. 399: Is Deep Work Still Possible in 2026? ↗
- Reader, Come HomeEp. 397: Why Do “Productivity Technologies” Make My Job Worse? ↗
- The Age of ExtractionEp. 395: Should I Try a “Social Media Pause”? ↗
- What Do You Say?Ep. 397: Why Do “Productivity Technologies” Make My Job Worse? ↗
February 2026
4 episodes
- Attensity!Ep. 393: Can Movies Save Us From Our Phones? ↗
- The Hidden Book in the BibleEp. 392: Are “Micro-Streamers” the Future of Media? + Why Cal Spent $60 on a Task App ↗
- The Last Kings of HollywoodEp. 394: Do I Need a Better Planning System? ↗
- The Lost IslandEp. 393: Can Movies Save Us From Our Phones? ↗
- Time FreedomEp. 391: Is AI Reporting Broken? + Rethinking Morning Routines ↗
January 2026
3 episodes
- Future BoyEp. 389: Is the Internet Hijacking Ambition? + Escaping Messaging Hell ↗
- In the Shadow of ManEp. 388: What’s Worrying Jon Haidt Now? + Should You Buy a Landline? (Cal just did…) ↗
- The Animated ManEp. 390: What Happens When You Ditch Your Smartphone? + Assessing the Internet’s Latest Self-Help Sensation ↗
- The Unauthorized Story of Walt Disney’s Haunted MansionEp. 389: Is the Internet Hijacking Ambition? + Escaping Messaging Hell ↗
- Walt Disney’s Trains: A Grand Circle Tour Through His Life and LegacyEp. 388: What’s Worrying Jon Haidt Now? + Should You Buy a Landline? (Cal just did…) ↗
December 2025
2 episodes
- 20th Century-FoxEp. 388: What’s Worrying Jon Haidt Now? + Should You Buy a Landline? (Cal just did…) ↗
- AirframeEp 387: Can Substack Save Journalism? + Viral Advice for Ignoring Your Phone ↗
- Fantastic VoyageEp 387: Can Substack Save Journalism? + Viral Advice for Ignoring Your Phone ↗
- The Great Train RobberyEp 387: Can Substack Save Journalism? + Viral Advice for Ignoring Your Phone ↗
November 2025
1 episode
- Making Mary PoppinsEp. 382: Is the Internet Becoming Television? ↗
- Notes on Being a ManEp. 382: Is the Internet Becoming Television? ↗
- RealitylandEp. 382: Is the Internet Becoming Television? ↗
- Tradition in an Untraditional AgeEp. 382: Is the Internet Becoming Television? ↗
- What Is the Bible?Ep. 382: Is the Internet Becoming Television? ↗
October 2025
1 episode
- InspiredEp. 378: The Lost Art of Long Thinking ↗
- Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an ArtistEp. 378: The Lost Art of Long Thinking ↗
- Society of the SpectacleEp. 378: The Lost Art of Long Thinking ↗
- The Future of TutoringEp. 378: The Lost Art of Long Thinking ↗
- The Gift of the JewsEp. 378: The Lost Art of Long Thinking ↗
September 2025
1 episode
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The supplied archive covers October 2021 through August 2026. October 2022 is absent from the source list; monthly totals are preserved as compiled. Episode names are taken from the show’s own podcast feed. This is an independent archive, not an official Cal Newport project.