Dr. Jane Goodall and Cal Fussman (#743) - The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss

This episode is a two-for-one, and that’s because the podcast recently hit its 10-year anniversary and passed one billion downloads. To celebrate, I’ve curated some of the best of the best—some of my favorites—from more than 700 episodes over the last decade. I could not be more excited. The episode features segments from episode #421 “Dr. Jane Goodall — The Legend, The Lessons, The Hope” and episode #145 “The Interview Master: Cal Fussman and the Power of Listening.”

Please enjoy!

Bios of guests may be found at tim.blog/combo.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, or on your favorite podcast platform.

This episode is brought to you by Momentous high-quality supplements, Eight Sleep’s Pod 4 Ultra sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating, and Wealthfront high-yield cash account.

Transcript of the full Dr. Jane Goodall episode | Transcript of the full Cal Fussman episode | Transcripts of all episodes

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#743: Dr. Jane Goodall and Cal Fussman

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What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SHOW NOTES

[04:48] Notes about this supercombo format.
[05:51] Enter Dr. Jane Goodall.
[06:19] Connecting with Louis Leakey and becoming his secretary.
[09:43] Gaining acceptance among chimpanzees.
[13:09] Primate personalities, compassion, and the story of Old Man saving Marc Cusano.
[17:34] Observations of chimpanzee compassion and violence, and inferences about human nature.
[19:19] Explaining variance in chimpanzee attitudes toward dominance.
[20:55] Cultivating hope to overcome apathy.
[26:19] Mr. H, Gary Haun, the indomitable human spirit, and overcoming adversity.
[29:37] Dr. Goodall’s billboard.
[31:20] Enter Cal Fussman.
[32:56] Quincy Jones’ unique book signing practice.
[34:19] Cal’s pivotal childhood moment.
[38:55] Deconstructing the skill of asking great questions.
[42:43] Contrasting interview styles from different life stages.
[48:25] University of Missouri Journalism’s role in Cal’s career.
[52:24] Drinking with Hunter S. Thompson and Johnny Depp.
[55:45] Cal’s start in international travel (and my family trip to Iceland).
[1:06:34] How a single question got Cal six months of lodging.
[1:14:45] Common mistakes and lessons learned about the art of asking questions.
[1:23:30] Honing the ability to tell stories.
[1:27:11] A life-changing event at the end of Cal’s travels.
[1:31:43] Perfecting the conversational interview.
[1:33:43] Speaking at Summit at Sea.
[1:46:15] What Mikhail Gorbachev taught Cal about the art of the interview.
[1:55:45] Boxing Julio César Chávez.
[2:30:31] Why Alex Banayan and George Foreman define success for Cal.
[2:42:58] Most gifted books.
[2:49:47] Favorite documentaries and movies.
[2:55:37] Cal’s billboard.
[2:56:08] Advice to Cal’s 30-year-old self.
[2:59:05] Overcoming writer’s block with Harry Crews’ advice.
[3:18:56] Parting thoughts.