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Unlocking Great Books

Seán Barnes and Carl Davidson
Unlocking Great Books
Latest episode

70 episodes

  • Unlocking Great Books

    Unlocking Great Books 69 - Do Nothing by Celeste Headlee

    18/10/2026 | 27 mins.
    Celeste Headlee's book challenges our tendency to judge ourselves by how productive we are, whether we are working or not. We dive into this topic, and how this book fits in that conversation. Does it simply restate what we should already know? Or is this an important tension worth re-litigating?

    We are powered by The Curiosity Company - unleash the power of insatiable curiosity :-) curiositycompany.co.nz
    Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-)
    Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen (or watch!) your podcasts.
    Connect with us here: ⁠⁠⁠the232podcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠
    Get Sean’s book The Impact Professional at: ⁠⁠⁠impactprofessional.nz⁠

    Stop, read and repeat :-)
  • Unlocking Great Books

    Unlocking Great Books 68 - Lessons on Living by Nigel Latta

    11/10/2026 | 29 mins.
    This weeks book is Nigel Latta’s posthumous book, Lessons on Living. We reflect on Latta’s poignant insights and his unique blend of psychological expertise and heartfelt storytelling. Where does practical wisdom, personal agency and emotional connection fit?

    We are powered by The Curiosity Company - unleash the power of insatiable curiosity :-) curiositycompany.co.nz
    Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-)
    Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen (or watch!) your podcasts.
    Connect with us here: ⁠⁠⁠the232podcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠
    Get Sean’s book The Impact Professional at: ⁠⁠⁠impactprofessional.nz⁠

    Stop, read and repeat :-)
  • Unlocking Great Books

    Unlocking Great Books 67 - Japanese Double Header! Before the Coffee Gets Cold and The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park

    04/10/2026 | 29 mins.
    Comfort books! This week we bring together Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Toshikazu Kawaguchi) and The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park (Michiko Aoyama) for a Japanese fiction double header.
    We explore culture and psychology and the massive healing fiction genre (known as iyashi-kei or K-healing). These books are like a warm hug - did we like that hug?!

    We are powered by The Curiosity Company - unleash the power of insatiable curiosity :-) curiositycompany.co.nz
    Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-)
    Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen (or watch!) your podcasts.
    Connect with us here: ⁠⁠⁠the232podcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠
    Get Sean’s book The Impact Professional at: ⁠⁠⁠impactprofessional.nz⁠

    Stop, read and repeat :-)
  • Unlocking Great Books

    Unlocking Great Books 66 - A Life Less Punishing by Matt Heath

    27/09/2026 | 27 mins.
    Matt Heath, known for his lively and yobbo media persona, surprises readers with a thoughtful exploration of life’s complexities and personal reflections.

    Is this a self-help book? Or is it a serious attempt to communicate some pretty deep philosophy to readers who may not have heard it before? We debate where this sits in the literary universe.

    We are powered by The Curiosity Company - unleash the power of insatiable curiosity :-) curiositycompany.co.nz
    Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-)
    Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen (or watch!) your podcasts.
    Connect with us here: ⁠⁠⁠the232podcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠
    Get Sean’s book The Impact Professional at: ⁠⁠⁠impactprofessional.nz⁠

    Stop, read and repeat :-)
  • Unlocking Great Books

    Unlocking Great Books 65 - Material World by Ed Conway

    20/09/2026 | 32 mins.
    This 2023 book explores six fundamental materials that have transformed humanity. Welcome to the world of sand, salt, iron, copper, oil and lithium.
    "In many ways the title doesn't do justice to this book. You might be able to pass by this book in a bookshop, but we're here to tell you don't sleep on this." — Carl
    And with that, welcome to a great UGB episode!

    We are powered by The Curiosity Company - unleash the power of insatiable curiosity :-) curiositycompany.co.nz
    Support your local bookstore or library PLEASE :-)
    Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen (or watch!) your podcasts.
    Connect with us here: ⁠⁠⁠the232podcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠
    Get Sean’s book The Impact Professional at: ⁠⁠⁠impactprofessional.nz⁠

    Stop, read and repeat :-)
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About Unlocking Great Books
Seán and Carl are two passionate book lovers who are UNLOCKING GREAT BOOKS! In each episode we explore a book, and how it has translated into our world, or the world of someone else. We think reading is fun, and important, and we encourage you to read these books and let us know what you think! Every episode is a very listenable 20-30mins... great for the commute or when you're out for a wander. Connect with us here: the232podcast@gmail.com Powered by 🦉 The Curiosity Company - Unleash the power of insatiable curiosity 🦉
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