Margaret Atwood and Boyd Varty (#763) - 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 #573 “Margaret Atwood — A Living Legend on Creative Process, The Handmaid’s Tale, Being a Mercenary Child, Resisting Labels, the Poet Rug Exchange, Liminal Beings, Burning Questions, Practical Utopias, and More” and #571 “Boyd Varty — The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life.”

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

Please enjoy!

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

Listen onApple Podcasts

Listen onSpotify

Listen onOvercast

#763: Margaret Atwood and Boyd Varty

This episode is brought to you by AG1. I’ve taken AG1 for more than a decade. Longtime listeners have heard me call it my nutritional insurance. Here’s the news: they’ve just launched AG1 Pro, designed for people focused on performance and longevity. I’ll be traveling soon, and I’m throwing this in my bag to cover my bases while I travel. Past a certain age, maintaining lean muscle becomes priority number one, and AG1 Pro is formulated to support exactly that. It includes HMB, a clinically studied compound that supports protein synthesis and helps reduce protein breakdown, plus zinc carnosine to support the gut lining. Remember: training is only half the equation. Recovery is where the work compounds, and AG1 Pro is built to support it. It’s NSF Certified for Sport, so what’s on the label is what’s in the pouch. Get your free AG1 Pro Yeti Shaker in the Welcome Kit at Drinkag1.com/Tim.

This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep. Temperature is one of the main causes of poor sleep, and heat is my personal nemesis. But a few years ago, I started using the Pod Cover, and it has transformed my sleep. Eight Sleep has launched their newest generation of the Pod: Pod 5. It cools, it heats, and now it elevates, automatically. With the best temperature performance to date, the Pod 5 ensures you and your partner stay cool in the heat and cozy warm in the cold. And now, listeners of The Tim Ferriss Show can get $350 off of the Pod 5 for a limited time! Click here to claim this deal and unlock your full potential through optimal sleep.

This episode is brought to you by Wealthfront! Wealthfront is a financial services platform that offers services to help you save and invest your money. Right now, your cash can earn 3.30% APY—that’s the Annual Percentage Yield—with the Wealthfront Cash Account from its network of program banks. That’s 8 times more interest than a typical savings account at a bank, according to FDIC.gov as of 05/18/2026 (Wealthfront’s 3.30% APY vs. 0.38% average savings rate). Right now, for a limited time, Wealthfront is offering new clients that use my sign-up link an additional 0.75% boost over the base rate for three months, meaning you can get up to 4.05% APY, limited to a $150,000 balance. Terms & Conditions apply. Visit Wealthfront.com/Tim to get started.

The Cash Account, which is not a deposit account, is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC (“Wealthfront Brokerage”), member FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. The 3.30% Base APY on cash deposits is as of January 30, 2026, is representative, subject to change, and requires no minimum balance. Wealthfront Brokerage sweeps cash balances to Program Banks, where it earns the variable base APY. The Direct Deposit Plus Investing Program from Wealthfront Advisers LLC and Wealthfront Brokerage LLC provides eligible clients a 0.25% APY increase above the base APY on eligible Cash Account balances (up to an overall boosted rate of 4.30% for a limited time when including the three month 0.75% APY boost for new Cash Account clients) when you direct deposit $1,000/month plus maintain a funded investing account. Wealthfront may change or end the program at any time and determine eligibility at its discretion. Terms and conditions apply. Full details for both promotions at wealthfront.com/promo-terms.

Tim Ferriss, who is not a client, receives cash compensation from Wealthfront Brokerage LLC for advertising and holds a non-controlling equity interest in the corporate parent of Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, which creates an incentive that results in a conflict of interest. Tim expresses his own opinions and Wealthfront does not endorse, sponsor, or promote them. This ad may not reflect the experience of other Cash Account clients, and similar outcomes are not guaranteed. Investment advisory services are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. Securities investments: not bank deposits, not bank-guaranteed or FDIC-insured, and may lose value. See full disclosures here.

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

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

SHOW NOTES

[05:11] Notes about this supercombo format.
[06:14] Enter Margaret Atwood.
[06:48] What drives Margaret’s ability to craft engaging speculative fiction?
[10:52] The downsides of raising a family isolated in the woods.
[15:44] Factors that nudged young Margaret toward poetry.
[21:54] How limited options led Margaret to her current vocation.
[24:07] How long it took for writing to pay off, and its benefits in the meantime.
[30:34] Life lessons learned by teaching.
[34:18] Enter Boyd Varty.
[34:42] Setting the scene.
[37:00] Origins of Londolozi Game Reserve and Boyd’s childhood influences.
[39:17] Why Boyd’s family kept the seemingly useless property.
[41:23] Boyd’s experiences with The White Knuckle Charter Company.
[50:00] Transforming scrubland into a safari business with help from Ken Tinley and Shangaan trackers.
[56:04] Shangaan trackers’ lineage and wildlife trust in Londolozi’s caretakers.
[59:46] Renias Mhlongo’s supreme tracking skills and work ethic.
[1:05:18] Hardest animals to track at Londolozi.
[1:08:30] Safety measures in Londolozi’s unpredictable environment.
[1:10:21] “I don’t know where we’re going, but I know exactly how to get there.” —Renias Mhlongo
[1:12:26] Boyd’s tracking evolution: from childhood to trauma recovery.
[1:30:30] Definition of Ubuntu.
[1:32:40] Boyd’s 40-day tree-dwelling experience.
[1:45:47] Bees, birds, and hive algorithms.
[1:57:07] Interacting with lions in the wild.
[2:01:41] Death conversations, ancient myths, and inexplicable animal movements.
[2:07:30] Comparing trauma recovery paths within Boyd’s family.
[2:11:08] Ceremony work for trauma healing.
[2:14:06] An authentic life as activism.
[2:19:27] The impact of Byron Katie’s Work on Boyd and me.
[2:23:55] Boyd’s first sweat lodge experience in Arizona.
[2:29:18] Feelings. Nothing more than feelings.
[2:31:48] What a close encounter with a beautiful predator taught Boyd about Ubuntu.
[2:40:53] The therapeutic value of spending time with animals.
[2:45:22] Contrasting lion roar descriptions: van der Post vs. Boyd.
[2:49:40] Invitation to Londolozi and parting thoughts.