Cal Newport’s reading list · Oct 2021 — Oct 2026
What Is Cal Reading?
303 books60 months
Compiled from Deep Questions
Books read, not necessarily recommendations. Compiled by Brian Renshaw from podcast transcriptions.
Jump to a year
October 2026
3 episodes
September 2026
1 episode
№TitleAuthorHeard on
- Dungeon Crawler CarlCombating the Whirlwind with a Single Sheet of Paper ↗︎
- Floating MountainsCombating the Whirlwind with a Single Sheet of Paper ↗︎
- Journey into ImaginationCombating the Whirlwind with a Single Sheet of Paper ↗︎
- The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AICombating the Whirlwind with a Single Sheet of Paper ↗︎
- The TreelineCombating the Whirlwind with a Single Sheet of Paper ↗︎
August 2026
3 episodes
№TitleAuthorHeard on
- 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
№TitleAuthorHeard on
- 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
№TitleAuthorHeard on
- 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
№TitleAuthorHeard on
- 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
№TitleAuthorHeard on
- 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
№TitleAuthorHeard on
- 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
№TitleAuthorHeard on
- 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
№TitleAuthorHeard on
- 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
№TitleAuthorHeard on
- 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
№TitleAuthorHeard on
- 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? ↗︎
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By year
The supplied archive covers October 2021 through October 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.