These people are currently my main sources of health, personal effectiveness, and management expertise. If not directly providing reliable guidance, they guide me to the best sources of wisdoom in their respective fields.
Health
AK Lectures – HD video lectures on general and organic chemistry, classical and modern physics, biology, and mathematics, but I only watch the chemistry/biology videos for this site. They are on a mission to create a library of lectures that provide simple explanations to the many difficult concepts that arise in the sciences. They believe that every difficult concept can be explained in simple terms and it is their aim to do just that in a shortest amount of time. I love their thorough and clear coverage of the topics. This is my first stop for video explanations on the intricate mechanisms of nutrition.
Peter Attia Podcast; “The Drive” – From his site: “Peter earned his M.D. from Stanford University and holds a B.Sc. in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics. He is licensed in California (A96452) and New York (281406-1). He trained for five years at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in general surgery, where he was the recipient of several prestigious awards, including resident of the year, and the author of a comprehensive review of general surgery. He also spent two years at NIH as a surgical oncology fellow at the National Cancer Institute where his research focused on immune-based therapies for melanoma.” He’s one of two key sources of info on nutritional ketosis, fasting, and longevity (the other is Dominic D’Agostino). I appreciate his Socratic approach to effective health, taking little for granted. Over the few years I’ve been following his work, he’s increased his focus on solving the health crises in America, specifically.
Dave Asprey a.k.a. the “Bulletproof Executive”. His podcast “Bulletproof Radio” never fails to introduce a new, absolutely unique perspective, and often a new topic. They’re usually about 45 minutes with little to no idle chat. Don’t listen if you’re tired–this show is full of hardcore science talk due to the expert guests. Currently the most visible bio-hacker, he put it best when he said, “I own my biology. I’m gonna have to manage it.”
Personal Effectiveness
Jesus, Christ. He came to show us how to live, which is another way to say he came to define “personal effectiveness”. Every time I’ve had the discipline to follow his lead about what’s important and how to treat people, it has proven beneficial.
The Tim Ferriss Show. Tim Ferriss’s podcast has been ranked #1 of all podcasts and it’s no wonder why, judging by his list of interviewees. He speaks with the best in every field to “dissect” their habits and methods for becoming top in their field (e.g. everyone from Jamie Foxx and Tony Robbins to Ketosis expert Dom D’Agostino and altruistic philosopher Will MacAskill). Tim’s the author of the best-selling books “The Four-hour Workweek”, “The Four-hour Body”, and “The Four-hour Chef” so he’s gained popularity as a producer of high-quality guidance for general effectiveness in several fields. These fields include nutrition and health, as he dives deep into meditation, fasting, sleep hacking, workouts, etc. to share the details of exactly how to perform at a high-level no matter your profession.
Management
Manager Tools Only recently getting the publicity they deserve, Manager Tools has delivered timeless, actionable guidance for managers for about 15 years via their podcast and website. Furthermore, they provide equally-helpful guidance for non-managers via their “Career Tools” podcast. I’ve used their guidance as a professional direct report and as a manager of employees. Collectively, their recommendations have proven more reliable than have any others from my education and work experience.
Peter Drucker. Though I’ve barely scratched the surface of his writing, what I’ve read I’ve tried to test in-practice. It’s proven so helpful in my experience that I have to believe quotes like the following from McKinsey aren’t totally off-base:
“In the world of management gurus, there is no debate. Peter Drucker is the one guru to whom other gurus kowtow.” –McKinsey Quarterly, 1997