Best James de Klerk Podcasts (2025)

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#26 - Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman 2:34:53

6d ago2:34:53

2:34:53

A discussion of the book Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman. Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman challenges the conventional approach to productivity and time management, arguing that the modern obsession with "getting everything done" is an attempt to control the uncontrollable. Instead, the book encourages read…

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#25 - The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma 1:45:26

1M ago1:45:26

1:45:26

A discussion of the book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is a fictional story about a man named Julian Mantle, a successful lawyer who faces death, from that, he realizes he needs to change his ways. Through a discussion with a friend John, Julian passes on the wisdom he gained on his personal odyssey. A…

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#24 - The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho 1:47:35

2M ago1:47:35

1:47:35

A discussion of the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a story about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago. It follows his mystical journey from being a shepherd with a dream, to traveling the world and encountering many people along the way, from bakers to thieves, gypsies to alchemists. It's a story about fol…

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#23 - Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl 1:50:59

3M ago1:50:59

1:50:59

A discussion of the book Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. Man's Search for Meaning is a book by Holocaust survivor and psychotherapist Viktor Frankl. The book looks at the suffering experienced in the concentration camps, and how finding meaning allows one to survive even the harshest of conditions. For Frankl, there are three sources of …

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#22 - Lessons in Stoicism by John Sellars 1:38:24

4M ago1:38:24

1:38:24

A discussion of the book Lessons in Stoicism by John Sellars. In the book Lessons in Stoicism, John Sellars takes one through some of the core teachings of Stoicism. He focuses on the works of the well known Stoics: Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. Covering topics such as: * What is the philosopher’s role in life? * What is within our contro…

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#21 - Do the Work by Steven Pressfield 1:35:04

5M ago1:35:04

1:35:04

A discussion of the book Do the Work by Steven Pressfield. Do the Work by Steven Pressfield, as with many of Steven's non-fiction books, is about battling Resistance. It's about how to do the work, and the the challenges Resistance will throw your way for any meaningful project. The book is broken into a beginning, middle, and an end - as Steven wo…

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#20 - Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday 2:07:52

6M ago2:07:52

2:07:52

A discussion of the book Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday. Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday is a book about ego and all its dangers. It looks at how ego is the enemy throughout different stages in our lives such as when we aspire, when we succeed, and even when we fail. Through various stories and quotes these ideas are explored, and we see how ego…

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#19 - Range by David Epstein 1:41:46

7M ago1:41:46

1:41:46

A discussion of the book Range by David Epstein. Range explores the debate between generalists and specialists, examining why, as the subtitle suggests, “Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World.” The book contrasts “kind” learning environments - where patterns are repetitive and predictable - with “wicked” environments, which mirror our everyday…

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#18 - Essentialism by Greg McKeown 1:28:09

8M ago1:28:09

1:28:09

Essentialism by Greg McKeown presents a philosophy centered on the "disciplined pursuit of less." The book explores the mindset of an essentialist, then outlines a systematic approach for achieving this disciplined pursuit. The core components of this approach are to "explore," "eliminate," and "execute." As McKeown delves into each of these, he co…

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#17 - Letters from a Stoic by Lucius Seneca 1:16:09

9M ago1:16:09

1:16:09

Letters from a Stoic by Lucius Seneca is a collection of letters addressed to Lucilius, but intended for a public audience. The letters use different aspects of daily life to reflect on philosophical ideas - reflecting on those ideas through a Stoic lens. Hosted by Peter Banda & James de Klerk This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss …

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#16 - The Enchiridion by Epictetus 1:13:04

11M ago1:13:04

1:13:04

The Enchiridion was likely compiled by one of Epictetus's students and attributed to Epictetus himself - a prominent Stoic Philosopher in the Roman Empire. It is a famous book in the world of Stoic philosophy, a philosophy that focuses on self-control, particularly, controlling ones emotions in the face of adversity. The Stoics also emphasize livin…

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#15 - Slow Productivity by Cal Newport 2:23:41

12M ago2:23:41

2:23:41

*Apologies for any rain noise that came through or distorted the audio. Slow Productivity by Cal Newport is about the philosophy of Slow Productivity, which in turn is about, as the subtitle suggests, "The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout". It looks at the structure of work over time, from hunter gatherers to modern knowledge workers, foc…

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#14 - Hidden Potential by Adam Grant 1:52:45

1y ago1:52:45

1:52:45

Hidden Potential by Adam Grant looks at the many ways in which we can perform at a level higher than we thought possible. The book is broken into three main sections, skills of character, structures for motivation, and systems of opportunity. It looks at various scenarios and ties many of them to scientific studies to expand on how we can achieve g…

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#13 - The War of Art by Steven Pressfield 1:27:48

1y ago1:27:48

1:27:48

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield has the subtitle, "break through the blocks and win your inner creative battles." It's about the war against what Pressfield calls resistance, a term that Pressfield pears at from many different angles, and exposes as the ultimate enemy. Beat resistance, and you win the war. Hosted by Peter Banda & James de Klerk…

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#12 - Same as Ever by Morgan Housel 1:51:45

1y ago1:51:45

1:51:45

Same as Ever was written by Morgan Housel, the author of The Psychology of Money. The book is a series of 23 short and timeless lessons on, as the subtitle says, "Risk, Opportunity and Living a Good Life". It looks at the natural cycles of history, and the lessons we can learn, while also focusing on the psychology of how humans act in the world. H…

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#11 - How Emotions Are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett 2:30:36

1+ y ago2:30:36

2:30:36

"How Emotions Are Made" is a book by Lisa Feldman Barrett, a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and a neuroscience researcher. This book delves into Barrett's Theory of Constructed Emotions, offering a fresh perspective on how emotions are formed. Initially, the book presents the classical view of emotions, which suggests that emotions are simpl…

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#10 - Leadership Strategy and Tactics by Jocko Willink 1:16:27

1+ y ago1:16:27

1:16:27

A discussion of the book Leadership Strategy and Tactics by Jocko Willink. Jocko is a US Navy officer who served in the Navy SEALs. Through the SEALs training he learnt various fundamental principles of leadership, writing them down, codifying them, and putting them to the test in SEALs training and mission scenarios. Leadership Strategy and Tactic…

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#9 - How to Live on 24 Hours a Day by Arnold Bennett 1:06:21

1+ y ago1:06:21

1:06:21

A discussion of the book How to Live on 24 Hours a Day by Arnold Bennett How to Live on 24 Hours a Day by Arnold Bennett was published in 1908. The book looks at the work day, and the time outside of that - what Bennett calls the day within a day. It claims that most view the day - especially during the work week - as simply the time from when you …

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#8 - Zero to One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters 2:29:42

1+ y ago2:29:42

2:29:42

A discussion of the book Zero to One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters Zero to One by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters is a book that looks at exactly that, going from zero to one. Specifically, going from something not existing to one existing. "Doing what we already know how to do takes the world from 1 to n, adding more of something familiar. But ev…

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#7 - The Last Arrow by Erwin Raphael McManus 1:09:01

1+ y ago1:09:01

1:09:01

A discussion of the book The Last Arrow by Erwin Raphael McManus The Last Arrow by Erwin McManus book begins with the biblical story in 2 Kings 13, where Elisha tells King Jehoash to strike the ground with his arrows, so he strikes 3 times, and then, stops. As the story goes on we find out that he stopped striking the ground too early, had he conti…

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#6 - How to Think by Alan Jacobs 1:45:52

2y ago1:45:52

1:45:52

A discussion of the book How to Think by Alan Jacobs How to Think by Alan Jacobs is a book in which Alan thinks about thinking. What is thinking? How do we do it well? And where does it go wrong? The book looks at how we classify people and ideas, and how those classifications shape how we think; It looks at the words and metaphors we use, and how …

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#5 - Deep Work by Cal Newport 2:15:59

2y ago2:15:59

2:15:59

A discussion of the book Deep Work by Cal Newport. Deep Work by Cal Newport is divided into two parts, the first part is titled "The Idea", and goes on to explain the difference between deep work and shallow work: "Deep Work: Professional activity performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their …

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#4 - Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed 1:35:44

2y ago1:35:44

1:35:44

A discussion of the book Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed. Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed at it's core is about learning from failure. In aviation there is the idea of a black box, these are systems installed in planes that continually gather all kinds of information about the aircraft and its crew - from the altitude of the plane to the word…

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#3 - The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel 1:15:38

2y ago1:15:38

1:15:38

A discussion of the book The Psychology of Money by Morgan House. As the title suggests, the book is about the psychology of money, and as the subtitle suggests, it goes through timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness. The book looks at how people think about money, how they feel about money, how they spend it or don't, the idea of status …

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#2 - Effortless by Greg McKeown 1:32:32

2y ago1:32:32

1:32:32

A discussion of the book Effortless by Greg McKeown. Effortless, as it says on the cover, is about making it easier to do what matters most. Put differently, making it easier to do the essential things, and hard to do the pointless. The book looks at various situations where people take the difficult path and various situations where people take th…

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#1 - Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel S. F. Heller 1:02:28

2+ y ago1:02:28

1:02:28

A discussion of the book Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel S. F. Heller. Attached is about understanding the three different attachment styles - anxious, avoidant, and secure. With the anxious people usually being anxious about the state of the relationship, the avoidant people usually avoiding the relationship when things get too close, and the s…

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Ep10: Cape Town with Khensani de Klerk and Maxwell Mutanda 40:34

4+ y ago40:34

40:34

In this special episode, pluri-disciplinary artist and architect Maxwell Mutanda and I get into conversation about Cape Town, and my current research focus around notions of Safe Space? Usually I speak to people about their contexts of interest, whereas in episode 10, the microphone flips with Maxwell spearheading the conversation and asking the qu…

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Ep9: Gurgaon with Joseph Marchbank 24:20

4+ y ago24:20

24:20

As we begin to slowly approach the end of the season, I am in conversation with Joseph Marchbank who is currently a post-graduate researcher in Architecture and Urban Design at The University of Cambridge exploring IKEA’s expansion into Indian Cities on an urban and domestic scale. We explore urban and residential forms, along with the socio-econom…

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Ep8: Old Oak Common with James Smith 23:59

4+ y ago23:59

23:59

What an interesting episode this was with James Smith, who is currently a post-graduate researcher in Architecture and Urban Design at The University of Cambridge interested in housing, capital, equality and transport. James takes us through the development dilemmas and opportunities in Old Oak Common, west of London. We explore themes capital and …

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Ep7: New Chum Beach with Charlotte Airey 28:19

4+ y ago28:19

28:19

This episode I am in conversation with post-graduate researcher in Architecture and Urban Design at The University of Cambridge, Charlotte Airey. Researching and discussing a place familiar to her, Charlotte takes us through New Chum Beach in New Zealand. Through her lens of “People and Land” we explore themes of well-being, preservation, capitalis…

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Ep6: Singapore with Chelsea Sia 27:39

4+ y ago27:39

27:39

In episode 6 of KONTEXT, I am in conversation with Chelsea Sia. We speak across Cambridge and Singapore about Chelsea’s lens of ‘Quotidian life and its Value’ in a place with a strikingly decreasing deathscape. Chelsea is also an Architecture and Urban Design at The University of Cambridge, and takes us through her specific site of research in Bhuk…

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Ep5: Shenzhen with Elliot Zhou 21:39

4+ y ago21:39

21:39

We’re half way through the season! In episode five of KONTEXT, I am in conversation with Elliot Zhou, who is a post-graduate researcher in Architecture and Urban Design at The University of Cambridge. We look at Urban Villages in Shenzen and through Elliot’s lens, dig into ‘Cultural Production at Precarious Space’. A short yet rich episode explorin…

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Ep4: Croydon with Irene Carlucci 28:03

4+ y ago28:03

28:03

This episode I am in conversation with post-graduate researcher in Architecture and Urban Design at The University of Cambridge, Irene Carlucci. Living in and researching Croydon, with a layered and underlying Italian-influenced approach to urban design and architecture, Irene speaks through her lens of “Psychology and the City” as we explore theme…

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Ep3: Hong Kong with Jefferson Chan 26:48

4+ y ago26:48

26:48

In episode three of KONTEXT, I am in conversation with Jefferson Chan, who is a post-graduate researcher in Architecture and Urban Design at The University of Cambridge. Through Jefferson’s lens, we look at Hong Kong New Towns in the ‘Post-Colonial’ Era. Exploring themes of communities in scale shifting infrastructures and conditions, we learn abou…

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Ep 2: Winchester with Stephen Smith 24:06

4+ y ago24:06

24:06

This episode I am in conversation with post-graduate researcher in Architecture and Urban Design at The University of Cambridge, Stephen Smith. We look at Winchester in the UK, through Stephen’s lens of “Heritage in the Cityscape and the Heart”. Exploring themes of nostalgia, sentiment, heritage, memory and tourism - join our conversation on Winche…

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Ep 1: Limehouse with Shirley Lo 18:40

4+ y ago18:40

18:40

To kick off KONTEXT, I will be in conversation with Shirley Lo, a post-graduate researcher in Architecture and Urban Design at The University of Cambridge. Shirley, like the other guests in season one, are all currently researching different places in the Cambridge Design Research Studio. This episode we discuss Limehouse in London through Shirley’…

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Ep 0: Season one trailer! Welcome to KONTEXT 1:54

5y ago1:54

1:54

In season one I will be in conversation with 10 guests currently researching different location in the Cambridge Design Research Studio at The University of Cambridge. These episodes were all recorded during the initial first wave lockdowns of the corona virus pandemic. I say this both as an audio quality disclaimer, and also to mention that this s…

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