The book this episode covers
Authentic
Paul Van Doren · Reading rank 257
David calls the memoir fantastic and credits a subscriber recommendation for finding it.
Dedicated episode · Explicit praise · Founder theme
Books David recommends along the way
The Fish That Ate the Whale
Rich Cohen · Reading rank 2 · in 38 other episodes
David says the book is excellent and that he intends to reread it.
Explicit praise
Steve Jobs
Walter Isaacson · Reading rank 13 · in 23 other episodes
David applies Jobs's simplicity principle from Isaacson's biography to Paul Van Doren's approach to making and selling shoes.
Founder theme
Becoming Trader Joe
Joe Coulombe with Patty Civalleri · Reading rank 91 · in 9 other episodes
David invokes the Trader Joe's biography while comparing founders who lose influence after selling their companies.
Founder theme
The Man Who Sold America
Jeffrey L. Cruikshank and Arthur W. Schultz · Reading rank 136 · in 4 other episodes
Cross-episode reference
Also mentioned
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
Eric Jorgenson · Reading rank 33 · in 18 other episodes
David connects Naval's advice about becoming the best in the world at what you do to Paul Van Doren.
Founder theme
Each note is a short paraphrase of why David brings the book up. Book pages show every piece of evidence and its review status. How ranking works