Introducing: The Recipe with Kenji and Deb

In this episode of "Wiser Than Me," host Julia Louis-Dreyfus and guest Ruth Reichl hold a detailed conversation filled with wisdom and depth. They candidly discuss personal struggles, aging, body image issues and their shared love of food. If you're looking for inspiration or relatability in narrations of overcoming trials, or simply take joy in good food and cooking, these personal anecdotes and thoughtful insights are sure to captivate.

Scientists have long said that overcoming adversity is a key component of personal growth and development - that's essentially learning to be "wiser." Reichl and Louis-Dreyfus transparently lend their wisdom on this front, each offering valuable perspective. Reichl, at 75, provides rich insights into aging and the understanding it brings, whilst Louis-Dreyfus helps listeners navigate the topic of body image and self love. Touching on food as a source of joy, tackling cooking as a therapeutic activity and appreciating the wisdom of our seniors; this podcast is embedded with lessons learned, making it an enlightening listen for anyone keen on personal growth and the exquisiteness of life.

In The Art of Learning, chess prodigy and tai chi World Champion Josh Waitzkin argues that a passionate commitment to growth leads to both competitive success and a fulfilling life. He explains what he learned in becoming the U.S. Junior Chess Champion as well as World Champion in Tai Chi Chuan Push Hands, arguing that excellence comes from unwavering focus, tenacious training, and creative self-actualization.

Waitzkin builds from basic to advanced strategies for both the psychological and technical sides of skill-building, showing that your growth as a competitor parallels your growth as an individual. In our guide, we’ll explain how to build any skill from the bottom up, from mastering the basic elements to developing high-level competitive tactics. We’ll also clarify and expand Waitzkin’s ideas with other perspectives on learning, from The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle, Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed, and others.

Though it takes time and tenacity to excel, Waitzkin’s lessons will improve your approach to learning and help you find fulfillment in mastery.

What if there were a secret shortcut to elite performance and creative innovation? According to workplace performance psychologist Ron Friedman, there is—and it’s called reverse engineering. In Decoding Greatness, Friedman argues that the surest road to success is to take apart work you admire to see how it’s made, and then create your own version of it. By doing so, he says, you’ll spark original ideas, improve your skills, and ultimately find creative success.

In our guide, we’ll explain Friedman’s advice for doing great work—whether that means getting a show at an art gallery, winning a marathon, or nailing a big product pitch. We’ll explore reverse engineering in depth and show you how to go from taking apart someone else’s work to creating your own. Then, we’ll discuss how to practice effectively and how to get useful feedback from peers and experts. We’ll also build on Friedman’s ideas by putting them in conversation with advice from creativity and performance experts such as Austin Kleon and Tim Ferriss.