Chapter 35: Jen Agg on fussy feminism and ferocious fastidiousness
Release Date: 10/21/2025
Chapter 50: Marcus Buckingham on soul ciphers and strength of self
3 Books With Neil Pasricha
Hey everybody, Welcome to Chapter 50 of 3 Books! We’re going to hang out on a hotel room couch in Vancouver for a little bit of calm. I am very excited to have you on the couch beside me and the absolutely incredible . Who is Marcus? Well, if you’re in the business world, you’ve probably heard of him. Why? Well, he’s written books sitting on every executive’s bookshelf and his assessments and work are used everywhere. Marcus Buckingham is a global researcher and thought leader focused on unlocking people's strengths, increasing their performance, and pioneering...
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Chapter 163: Jon Klassen talks turtles, tackling tension, and turning toward the terrifying
3 Books With Neil Pasricha
Happy Buck Moon, everyone! As we sink into the summer heat, I'm thrilled to welcome Jon Klassen on 3 Books! Jon is a Canadian born, LA living author and illustrator whose darkly humorous, minimalist storytelling has helped define contemporary children’s literature. In 2016, Jon concluded his breakout book series ‘’, which features ‘, ‘, and ‘’ ‘This Is Not My Hat’ was the first book to ever win both the and the . Jon’s books have now sold over 12 million copies (!) and he might be the most...
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Chapter 49: Dr. Andrea Sereda’s oddly original offerings on opioid overdosing
3 Books With Neil Pasricha
I sat down with at the Sherbourne Health Centre on the east side of downtown Toronto, an area of the city sometimes known for its challenges with drug abuse. Who is Dr. Andrea Sereda? She is a family physician who practices street outreach medicine and provides care through the in London, Ontario. She works with the emergency safer supply substitution program, prescribing hydromorphone, an opioid used by injection drug users to reduce the risk of contaminated street drugs. Wait! What? Yes, on the face of it, Dr. Andrea Sereda gives drugs to drug users but there is a...
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Chapter 162: Shawn Achor on becoming boundlessly buoyant by building better beliefs
3 Books With Neil Pasricha
Happy Strawberry Moon, everyone! As we ease into summer and the hydrangeas and garden roses begin blooming here in Toronto, I find myself struck by the awe and beauty that quietly surrounds us each day. There’s so much science behind how we experience the world. My guest on this moon’s chapter of 3 Books has spent his career proving just that. Join me in welcoming one of the world’s leading experts on happiness and human potential, a Harvard-trained positive psychologist and researcher whose has been watched over 30 million (!) times, and a genuinely warm human I am proud to call a...
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Chapter 48: Michael Bungay Stanier on massive moons and the magic of metaphor
3 Books With Neil Pasricha
On a pair of folding lawn chairs on his front porch in Toronto's Roncesvalles neighborhood, I sat down with my friend Michael Bungay Stanier. Michael’s mind is like a box that you open and a whole bunch of springs suddenly fly out in all directions. Here’s a bit of to give you a taste of this guy: “I’ve never quite fit the traditional mold, and honestly, I think that’s been the advantage that has shaped my life. Smart and successful don’t have to look one way. But making space for that – for different voices, different ambitions, different ways of moving through...
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Chapter 161: Yann Martel on rural revelations and reliable writing routines
3 Books With Neil Pasricha
Happy blue moon, everyone! Yes, it is indeed the second full moon of the month which brings us a second May chapter of 3 Books. This one features an author I’ve been hoping to have on our show for years. Join me in welcoming the Booker Prize–winning novelist, deeply philosophical storyteller, and one of Canada’s most distinctive literary voices ... Mr. Yann Martel! Yann is best known for ‘, the global phenomenon that won , sold over 15 million copies worldwide, and was later adapted into an . Born in Salamanca, Spain in 1963,...
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Chapter 46: Dr. Laura Markham on prioritizing presence to parent peacefully
3 Books With Neil Pasricha
Nestled into a beautiful century-old brownstone in Park Slope, Brooklyn, I spoke with the amazing —a preacher of love, letting love in, sending love out, and using that as a way to deepen our connection with ourselves and our children. Who is Dr. Laura Markham? She’s a Columbia-trained clinical psychologist, founder and editor at , author of including my favorite, a parenting expert, and a life-changer for many, many families—including mine. (You’ll hear what my wife Leslie thinks at the beginning of this chapter!) Dr. Laura Markham translates...
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Chapter 160: Nita Prose on mastering manuscripts and making Molly the Maid
3 Books With Neil Pasricha
Happy , everyone! Up in Toronto we're experiencing a wonderful blooming, a beautiful , and lots of slowly-getting-warmer days as we inch towards summer. With this warm spring breeze I’m thrilled to welcome our latest 3 Books guest: a luminous force in publishing, a powerhouse editor-turned-author, and a wonderful storyteller ... the one and only ! Today Nita is best known for her mystery series which features three main titles and a holiday edition—‘,’ ‘,’ ‘,’ and ‘’—which have collectively sold over 2 million copies. Raised in Ontario’s Simcoe County, Nita began...
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Chapter 45: Rich Roll on wrestling with recovery and running to redemption
3 Books With Neil Pasricha
Happy new moon, everybody! Today we fly down to the hills of Calabasas, California, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, where I sat behind a microphone at a walnut desk across from the one and only Rich Roll. Rich went to Stanford and Cornell and was a national athlete in swimming before his career was cut short by a decade-long struggle with alcohol—eventually landing him in jail and rehab. On the eve of his 40th birthday, as he walked up the stairs he was left totally winded… and decided it was time to make a change. The next day, Rich overhauled his life. He switched to a 100% vegan,...
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Chapter 159: Eve Harlow on bolstering bibliophilia and boosting bookish brains
3 Books With Neil Pasricha
We welcome global gallivant and raging bibliophile Eve Harlow on 3 Books! Born in Russia, raised in Israel, living in Canada and the U.S., is a talented actress best known for roles in , , and her current star turn as Dr. Ingrid Derian in , the medical-mystery thriller inspired by stories of Sherlock Holmes. Somehow between her busy acting schedule, Eve finds time to read a book a week. She's a library junkie, a reading phenom, and posts stacks of her latest reads between red carpet shots and behind-the-scenes clips from...
info_outline"Whatever Jen Agg says is worth listening to," said Anthony Bourdain.
I fully agree!
If you live in Toronto you probably know Jen Agg. If you don't, let me tell you she runs the best restaurants in town! Come visit and try them!
Her most recent stunner is a two-story converted auto-body shop turned Toronto Life #1 ranked restaurant called "General Public" and it is a feast for the senses.
Jen describes the place as "part Narnia, part fancy British pub, and part '80s cocaine dream" which gives you a sample of her incredible way with words on top of dishes on top of lighting on top of music on top of ... vibe. I was at General Public last week with my friend Agostino and we split Rainbow Trout Tartare, Hiramasa Crudo, Chicory Salad, and Popcorn Clams and Mussels. And those were just our appetizers! And precisely none of the items fully described the depth of surprising and fresh ingredients leading to the full-body sensory experiences we had when taking our first bites...
Jen Agg has opened many other award-winning restaurants including Bar Vendetta, Grey Gardens, Le Swan, Rhum Corner, Hoof Cocktail Bar and, famously, The Black Hoof (RIP), where I still remember my friend Drew ordering a Spicy Raw Horse Sandwich with raw egg on top many years ago. His verdict? "Delicious!" Of course that place turned the restaurant scene in the city sharply sideways!
And sharply sideways is such a great way to live...
I admire Jen Agg's sharply sideways ways and also highly recommend her bestselling memoir “I Hear She’s A Real Bitch” (perhaps the best memoir title of all time?)
Now there is of course no where else to sit down with Jen than one of her restaurants so for this one we slip into the front booth at the delectable "french diner" that is Le Swan. Btw, if you go you might find yourself making a new Spotify playlist like I did to remember the great music you're hearing—"Ooh la la" by Ronnie Lane followed by "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison followed by "Everybody's Talkin'" by Harry Nilsson followed by "Tangled Up In Blue" by Bob Dylan!
Of course it's hard to pay attention to the music when you're gobbling Smoked Trout Rillette, Steak Tartare, and the city's best Corn Dogs!
Let's sit down and talk about fussiness as a virtue, the art of dining alone, having a healthy marriage with someone much older than you, the brilliant Jen Agg's 3 most formative books, and much, much, MUCH more...
It was an honour and privilege to talk to Jen Agg in this classic chapter of 3 Books.