Chapter 155: Bulle the Bookseller broadens borders and births bibliophiles
Release Date: 12/04/2025
Chapter 52: Wagner Moura on lessons in living and loving
3 Books With Neil Pasricha
A few years ago I was lucky enough to cross paths with Wagner Moura. He was on the eve of releasing his film '' after a long run playing Pablo Escobar in the hit series '.' Since then I've watched as his acting career has channeled upwards and onwards into feature roles in '', '', and his star turn in '' where he won 'Best Actor' at both the Golden Globes and Cannes and was nominated for 'Best Actor' at the Oscars. Over the years Wag ("Vag") has become a dear friend. He's a massive heart, a fellow "boy dad", and he and his wife San live life with such a deep passion for humanity, always...
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Chapter 164: Nick Epley invites introverts into improved interpersonal interactions
3 Books With Neil Pasricha
Happy full moon, everybody! Humans are the most social species on the planet. So ... why don't we act like it? Why is loneliness rising? Why are we increasingly entombed in echo chambers? What is preventing us from connecting? Enter Nick Epley, Professor of Behavioral Science at the and one of the world's leading researchers on the psychology of social interaction. Nick grew up in rural Iowa, lives in Chicago with his family, and has spent his career asking a deceptively simple question: Why do the most social creatures on Earth often choose to be...
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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...
info_outlineWe're back to Africa!
Last month we kicked off a little Kenyan series on 3 Books and today I’m thrilled to share another chapter recorded in the heart of pulsing downtown Nairobi in the country's top bookstore.
I landed after an overnight flight and immediately filled my belly with fresh samosas, pakoras, curried goat tripe, and fresh tamarind juice ... for breakfast! ... and then, after seeing the city I hopped into a car with Perlexy, who works with our guest in Chapter 104 and current Kenyan Presidential nominee Boniface Mwangi, and drove downtown...
We parked the car and met up with Boniface and his son before walking up together to the second floor of a busy plaza. Tucked inside was a 1000-square-foot bookshop that happens to be one of the most influential literary hubs in the country: Nuria Bookstore.
That’s where I met Bulle (pronounced "Boo-lay") who is of Somalian descent and born 700km north of Nairobi where he was largely raised by his wise camel-herding grandmother (who is 101 today!). Bulle took a business path early in life but as we'll hear his plans changed and now he runs what many consider the most successful bookstore in Kenya and is a huge champion and evangelist for African authors and African literature.
Let’s hang out upstairs in the Nairobi bookshop and talk about amplifying African voices, growing up among camels, the winding path of purpose, Bulle’s 3 most formative books, and so much more …
Let’s flip the page to Chapter 155 now …