Why More Freedom Is Making You Miserable | David Epstein on Constraints

What if everything you believe about freedom is wrong? Author David Epstein joins Michael Easter to break down why constraints — not freedom — drive better work, better wellness, and better creativity. Epstein is the bestselling author of Range and The Sports Gene, and his new book Inside the Box…

The Subtraction Mindset: How To Get More By Doing Less | Dr. Leidy Klotz

A 3-year old beat a PhD engineer at an engineering problem while playing legos—and that single moment kicked off a decade of research that exposed one of the strongest, most underrated biases in the human brain: we almost never subtract. This week, Michael sits down with Dr. Leidy Klotz — Universi…

Meth, Fentanyl, and the Power of Hard Work Without Fanfare

More than 100,000 Americans die of drug overdose every year. The solution—or at least part of it—might be dorky as hell. Sam Quinones spent 12 years reporting on America’s drug crisis and how — heroin, fentanyl, meth have reshaped the country. In this episode, l he unpacks how Mexican cartels repl…

Find Joy in Any Job: Lessons from a Top Doctor and a Vagabond

Is work supposed to feel this miserable? In this episode, Michael Easter sits down with two people who answer the question from opposite ends of the spectrum: one who found deep fulfillment inside the system, and one who walked away from it entirely. First, Dr. Mim Ari, an internist and associate…

Is Alcohol Actually Bad for You? The Truth About Drinking, Social Media & Diet Soda

Everyone has a vice. Drinking, smoking, social media, diet soda. And the modern wellness internet will tell you that if you want to live a long, healthy life, you need to cut every single one of them out. But is that actually true? In this episode of Two Percent, we take a nuanced look at vices an…

Build Better Habits & Break the Food-Addiction Cycle | Melissa Urban, Whole 30 Founder

Melissa Urban — founder of Whole 30 and author of The Whole30 (updated 2024) and The Book of Boundaries — sits down with Michael Easter for one of the most honest conversations on this feed yet. Two sober people (Michael 10+ years, Melissa 24+ years) unpack the parallels between drug addiction and …

Boston Marathon Secrets, Super Shoes, Ultra Processed Foods & a Ridiculous Trail Recipe

The 130th Boston Marathon is this Monday. To mark the occasion, Michael sits down with Brady Holmer — a science writer, runner, and 2:24 Boston finisher — to go deep on what the race actually feels like, why super shoes might be saving you 5-8 minutes, how to fuel a marathon without your gut explod…

Donnie Vincent: Hunting, Hard Things, and the Mindset That Gets You Through Storms

In this episode of Two Percent, Michael sits down with backcountry bow hunter and filmmaker Donnie Vincent to unpack what months in remote wilderness teach you about stress, calm, and competence. Donnie was featured heavily in Michael’s bestselling book, The Comfort Crisis, and now he joins Michael…

How Walking Rewires Your Brain & Body: Endurance, Habits, Pain Tolerance & Longevity

Walking shaped humans into who we are—and it’s one of the simplest ways to improve health, mood, and longevity right now. In this episode of Two Percent, Michael sits down with evolutionary geneticist Dr. Melissa Ilardo and writer Foster Kamer to explore what endurance science says about how far hu…

Coming April 7: Two Percent with Michael Easter

From New York Times bestselling author and journalist Michael Easter comes a twice-weekly deep dive into the science of living better by doing things the hard way. Building on the insights of his #1 Substack and acclaimed books, Easter balances rigorous evidence with a healthy dose of skepticism to…