Hey everyone, it's Sophia. Welcome to a bonus episode of Work in Progress. In order to thank you all for supporting one dr on the podcast, I thought it was time we spent a little more one on one time together. In the spirit of us approaching the end of I've put together favorites list that includes favorite shows, podcasts, and books. So let's go on. Was a really good year for catching new shows and rewatching or rediscovering old ones. It was a tough list to pick through because there are so many good shows out there and so so many groundbreaking ones coming through all the time. But here they are my top five shows of I got to start off with ted Lasso. Guys, I love this show so much. You all know I'm a huge soccer fan, no secret there, whether it's watching the women's national team crushed at the World Cup, getting up at four in the morning to watch matches around the world, or becoming an investor in and part owner of Angel City FC, l A's brand new women's football club. I love the game. When I heard the plot of ted Lasso, knowing that this was based on a character Jason because had played on us, and now that we hadn't really seen a whole lot of and then hearing that it was about that character becoming the coach of an English football team, because yes, soccer is the real football, don't at me. I got really excited to see the comedy that would come out of it, and what I didn't really expect was the heart, the way that this show making us laugh, being so genuine about human connection and what you can do if you choose to be a kind person who supports those around you. Inside of that really positive container, the show deals with issues of legacy, It deals with depression, panic attacks, It deals with turning over gender dynamics, putting women in power positions, and making women into friends instead of enemies. In every single way, it's beautiful and it's smart, and I think it shows us how you can address topical issues and shine a light on things without you know, hitting people over the head with it or saying I'm just gonna tell a happy story and ignore it. Ded Lass always nailing it, guys. It's doing everything right, and I just love seeing that a show about kindness and soccer is dominating the world as it should be. Next up, I would have to say, I may destroy you was and will probably forever be a top five show for me. I think that MICHAELA. Cole is one of the more brilliant creatives of our time, and the razor sharp foresight and honesty that she applies to everything, The way that she draws people into worlds and deals with what it is to be a woman in the world, to be a survivor of sexual assault, to be a creative, to be exploring how to move through your life in such a raw and honest way. I just can't say enough good things about it. I was fortunate enough to meet MICHAELA at the Emmys this year, and I mean I just I was doing what I'm doing now, I was babbling, I think, and she She's just an unbelievable human being. Um. She gave a really stunningly beautiful speech to creators that night and has inspired me not only on screen but off, so truly, hats off to her. I another show that swept the Emmy's very deservedly was Hacks. Jeans Smart has had the most incredible year. I mean, starring in mayra Ve Eastown, which honestly was was really a tie to be on this list as well, what a show and starring on Hacks. She just blows my mind. And I think what I loved so much about seeing those performances side by side this year is that one was so based in character and accent, a place, um, a tense environment, and the other another character, but in a completely different lens, this larger than life personality, this comedy icon, this you know, feminine leader Um who's dealing with agism and sexism and and the kind of malaise that sometimes can come from repetition and routine. Routine and creativity often are really uh at odds with each other. And so it was really beautiful to see her unpacking that and her co star Hannah, Oh my god, what a light she is, and and these two women, I just couldn't get enough of them. And I do have to say, you know, shout out to my friends Paul Downs and Lucia and Yellow who wrote the show. Lots of you who are TV fans will recognize those names as two of the writers on Broad City with Abby and a Llana, and they just did this incredible job of looking at these generation gaps, looking at the ways that women can support and at times not support each other, of analyzing the world of comedy how far we've come, how far we have to go. It was funny, it was poignant. I was laughing out loud, I was in tears, I was stressed, I was all the things. So if you haven't seen Hacks yet, check it out. And yes, Jean smart one and Emmy for it, and my god, I couldn't imagine anyone else taking it home. Next up, I would have to say, this is not a new show, but a show that I love that never gets old to me is Sex Education, and season three is perfect. I love the way the writers of this show have managed to tell the first at least what feels to me as a viewer, and by the way, as a person who made a show about teenagers in high school, this really feels like the first truly honest look at the way that that experience can be for kids. Um. Yes, there are things that are heightened. I literally wind up looking away during some of the sex scenes. I'm like, oh my god, I can't handle this. But I do think that they're exploring how we all explore ourselves, how we get to know ourselves, how we learn to communicate, how we learned to be in relationships, how we grow, and it's at such a formative time, and so many shows try to make kids grow up too fast, and this one is just so freaking funny and poignant and letting people be who they are. All of the actors on that show, I think are just so phenomenally talented, and I really can't get enough of the worlds of all these kids, of maven Otis, of Eric and the whole rest of the gang. It's it's just a phenomenal show. So if you haven't seen it, highly recommend. And last, but not least, guys, did you all watch Nine Perfect Strangers. Lane Moore already wrote this book that was a huge smash hit and it was adapted for TV. They filmed in Australia over the pandemic, which I think is so interesting. They were able to get everybody quarantined and then basically exist in a bubble, which I'm sure just heightened the story itself about this group of people who go to a wellness retreat who are in the middle of nowhere in a bubble. And it was just such a phenomenal, phenomenal show. I mean, Melissa McCarthy produced it and Nicole Kidman produced it. Those two are unbelievable. Melissa McCarthy is truly one of my favorite people to watch on screen, and in the last couple of years, I feel like audiences have been so blessed with so much content from her that examines all walks of life, and I just I feel like I could get her sensibility all through the show, if that makes sense, knowing that she helped to develop it, you know, she's not just a producer entitled. She actually helped develop this entire project. And I was so excited to see the lens that she put on a story like this, because I felt like we really looked at the characters first often as humans do, from the ways that we make first impressions, from the assumptions that we make about each other, the stereotypes we might you know, subconsciously or consciously hold, and then all of these people begin to get unpacked. And it was such a beautiful look at grief, at growth, at anger, at loss, at love, at taking risks, at confronting your fear. I could not get enough of it. And all set to the backdrop of this groundbreaking research that's being done right now by organizations like maps who are looking at the ways that psychedelics can cure trauma and depression, they can help veterans, survivors of assault, um folks who have really intense clinical issues, and it was really exciting to see it explored in a way that was allowing the audience and the characters to ask questions and to see what the potential might be. I just loved it. And by the way, whoever did the artwork for the magazine at the end, I'll try not to give it away, but wow, you're amazing art direction, wardrobe, set deck. The show was just phenomenal. Onto the next top five, which are top five podcasts. Thank you to all of you who tell us that Work in Progress is in your top five or the greatest compliment of all is your favorite podcast. That's incredibly meaningful to us, especially since these is it feels like everybody's got a podcast. In fact, a lot of the guests that I have on this podcast have podcasts of their own, and I've got my go to listens and some new ones that I discovered this year. So let's dive in. My top five favorite podcasts are two time Working Progress guests, Friend Legend and comedian Extraordinary. Chelsea Handler has her podcast Dear Chelsea, which I just love. It's a weekly show and Chelsea answers a listener questions with the hilarious perspective that you know only she can bring. She gets joined each week by celebrity guests, expert guests, and she never shies away from telling you what she thinks. She gives everyone her honest opinions, whether we're talking about you know, love, sex, weed, family issues, or diving deeper into the realms of grief and exploration that a lot of us find ourselves in not only because life is well what it is, but because this has been a really intense year for so many people. And I love that Chelsea manages to take all of us on a ride from the hilarious to the heartfelt and do it with a grace that I think she really exemplifies. You all have heard me talk about this show before, and I will talk about it forever. The Daily, the New York Times podcast, is the show if people say to me, what is one thing I should be listening to or looking towards to learn about what's going on in the world, For me, it's The Daily. I just think it is one of the more incredible shows that exists out there. And what I love about it is that The New York Times creates this show. It comes out Monday through Friday, and now they have special Sunday readings of incredible long form essays. But Monday through Friday, you're getting anywhere from twenty to thirty five minutes on a subject you need to know about that day. So it could be a global political issue, it could be some thing happening at home. It might be something going on with the Supreme Court, it might be um the news about Facebook being trash. Whatever it is, they break it down for you with interviews, experts and incredibly well researched reporting, and it's the thing that makes me feel like I can tap in and make sure I know what's going on each and every day. You've also heard me talk about this podcast in the past, and I cannot wait for the day when she joins me on this show. Krista Tippett on Being It is simply one of the most beautiful shows I think I've ever listened to. This show has won a Peabody Award. This show has become a go to for so many seekers, educators, academics, curious people. It is a show about spiritual inquiry and science, social healing, and the arts, and episodes published every Thursday, so it's a really wonderful way to close out your week. I often save them for Saturday mornings and go walking around or running the errands I need to run while listening to these conversations, and I'm just I'm just so in love with the show, So christa thank you. Another podcast that I love so much is WTF with Marc Maron. Mark is a comedian and an actor, and he's such a keen observer of people. I think probably because he's such a talented writer. He's always looking at what makes people tick and the ways that they behave and I just love his show. He welcomes on actors and comedians, directors and writers, authors, musicians and folks from all different walks of life to have these really revealing conversations, and he manages to probe into the ways that people really think and really feel and do it with a comedic flair. And I find that there are people I listened to him interview who I hear tell a story or who share an anecdote that I've never heard before when they've been on other shows and that's always to me the mark of a really phenomenal interviewer. Another show that I love very deeply is called How to Fail. Elizabeth Day launched this podcast to celebrate the things that haven't gone right, and every week she interviews someone about what their failures taught them, what a door closing actually allowed to open afterward in their life. She's really given me a new perspective on what it means to really come to terms with the truth that when something doesn't work out, it's probably because it wasn't meant to, and that what is meant for you isn't going to miss you. It's a really, really great show, and I think in this time when everyone is out there trying to figure out what they're doing and what they're meant to be doing, it is a really good guide. And now onto my top five books for the year. Oh guys, this has been a fun one to prep and think about. I'm going to start by going backwards. I loved the miniseries Docu Menory about Frandly Boets that came out this year. I just thought it was so phenomenal. Martin Scorsese produced it. Their interviews are so fun to watch and you really kind of get inside the experience of this literary icon. Honestly, that might have needed to go on one of my top five shows lists. But here we are. We're talking about books that doc got me thinking about fran and her work, and so I went back and I decided to pick up an old vintage copy of her book Social Studies. It's actually her second collection that followed up Metropolitan Life, and Social Studies is a collection of twenty six pieces. Her observations about people are witty and sarcastic and rye. She's such a wise cracker, and she's just so entertaining. She turns she turns a light on irony, on the weird things that make people tick. I've just really enjoyed diving back into France world. Next up is a book from an author named Maggie Nelson. She's the author of a book called The Argonauts, and this latest novel on freedom is stunning, you guys. She analyzes what the rhetoric of freedom means, why it can inspire people, why it can frustrate people. The book, when you first open it talks about how freedom is often deployed as a jingoistic, even menacing rallying cry or limited by a focus on passing moments of liberation, and she asks does it remain key to autonomy, justice and well being. It is such an incredible book that draws on a vast range of material. She looks at critical theory, pop culture, and the intimacies of everyday life, and she explores how we might think, experience, or talk about freedom in ways that are appropriate and responsive to the conditions of today. As we are in this moment of global shift, of a climate emergency, of looking at rising authoritarianism that we haven't seen in levels like these in nearly a hundred years. This book is really a north star for me to think about how to analyze why freedom and liberty are so meaningful to so many of us. So I highly recommend it. We've talked about this book a bit before, especially as I've started production on Good Sam and we're gearing up to launch this fabulous medical show for all of you a tool. Gowan Day is an incredible surgeon and author, and his book Being Mortal was one of the first things that I read to do research for the role. And now we are moving on to the Disordered Cosmos. Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred by Chanda Prescott Weinstein. Prescott Weinstein is a star theoretical physicist, and this book is a journey into the world of particle physics and the cosmos, and at the same time as it's deeply rooted in science, it is a call for a more liberatory practice of science. Dr Prescott Weinstein shares her love for physics, from the standard model of particle physics and what lies beyond, to the physics of melanin in skin to the latest theories of dark matter, and she manages to tie all of this in with a new spin that's informed by history, politics, and even the wisdom of Star Trek. One of fewer than one hundred black women to earn a PhD from a department of physics, Dr Prescott Weinstein presents a vision of the universe that is vibrant and non traditional and grounded in feminist lineages Black feminist lineages. I urge you to read this book because she urges us to recognize how science, like most fields, is rife with racism and misogyny and other forms of oppression, and and on the hopeful side, lays out a bold new approach to science and society that begins with the belief that we all have a fundamental right to know and love the night sky. The Disordered Cosmos is such a beautiful book. It made such an impact on me as a woman in terms of what I know of society and what I am still learning, and I highly recommend it to each of you who wants to experience and understand the wonders of the universe. And last, but not least, a book that comes to us from a recent work in progress, guest Ay Car See No Stranger, a memoir and manifesto of a revolutionary love. Valerie is one of the humans who in recent years has perhaps inspired me most her kindness, her fierce compassion, her choice to love above all else. She is one and a million. She is a woman who an author we all love like. Elizabeth Gilbert writes about using the words stunning, timely, timeless, and a world stricken with fear and turmoil. Valerie car shows us how to summon our deepest wisdom. Yeah, Elizabeth Gilbert, she knows, so now you know the whole point of this book is to examine what the future holds our fear that it might be dark, the potential that it might be immense and beautiful. She asks, as she spoke of on her episode of Work in Progress, what if this darkness is not the darkness of the tomb, but the darkness of the womb. What if this is our greatest transition? And with those words, as you all know, Valerie car ignited the hearts of millions of people around the globe. Breathe and Push became a mantra in movements for change. And now not just in her ted talk, not just in her teachings, but in this book. We have a stunning debut and a declaration of revolutionary love. She says, it is the call of our time, and in a way that I so deeply appreciate. Being a person who loves to draw upon many teachings from many verticals of learning, Valerie draws on the wisdom of sages and scientists and activists. And she peppers this story with her own riveting journey as a brown girl growing up on California farmland, and as a young adult who was galvanized to become an activist in the wake of post nine eleven violence. She became a law student. She fought injustices in American prisons, and she is an activist who works with communities. Valerie takes this global and national lens and merges it with her own experiences as a woman who's trying to heal from her strife, her trauma from sexual assault, from police violence, and she discovers these practices of revolutionary love that bring us out of our fear, out of our wounds, into longevity and joy and resilience. We talked a lot about resilience on her episode, and so while See No Stranger deals with some of the things that are the hardest for us, it also offers us a way to do so with the most hope and the most joy and the most positivity, and that for me, feels like a way forward. So this story of awakening of revolutionary love being medicine for us and for our time is the last, but certainly not the least, perhaps even the most profoundly effective, of my top five books. And I want to say thank you for paying attention and joining for this part. And with that thanks, that is that I'm so happy that I get to do these special bonus episodes for you, and even more thankful that I can express thanks for your support there's a whole lot of gratitude around here because we love making this show and we have some really great guests coming up for our next few episodes. I'll see you all again next month for another exclusive, and in the meantime, take care and sincerely thanks. I really appreciate all you bip smarties. Talk to you soon.

Hey everyone, it's Sophia. Welcome to a bonus episode of Work in Progress. In order to thank you all for supporting one dr on the podcast, I thought it was time we spent a little more one on one time together. In the spirit of us approaching the end of I've put together favorites list that includes favorite shows, podcasts, and books. So let's go on. Was a really good year for catching new shows and rewatching or rediscovering old ones. It was a tough list to pick through because there are so many good shows out there and so so many groundbreaking ones coming through all the time. But here they are my top five shows of I got to start off with ted Lasso. Guys, I love this show so much. You all know I'm a huge soccer fan, no secret there, whether it's watching the women's national team crushed at the World Cup, getting up at four in the morning to watch matches around the world, or becoming an investor in and part owner of Angel City FC, l A's brand new women's football club. I love the game. When I heard the plot of ted Lasso, knowing that this was based on a character Jason because had played on us, and now that we hadn't really seen a whole lot of and then hearing that it was about that character becoming the coach of an English football team, because yes, soccer is the real football, don't at me. I got really excited to see the comedy that would come out of it, and what I didn't really expect was the heart, the way that this show making us laugh, being so genuine about human connection and what you can do if you choose to be a kind person who supports those around you. Inside of that really positive container, the show deals with issues of legacy, It deals with depression, panic attacks, It deals with turning over gender dynamics, putting women in power positions, and making women into friends instead of enemies. In every single way, it's beautiful and it's smart, and I think it shows us how you can address topical issues and shine a light on things without you know, hitting people over the head with it or saying I'm just gonna tell a happy story and ignore it. Ded Lass always nailing it, guys. It's doing everything right, and I just love seeing that a show about kindness and soccer is dominating the world as it should be. Next up, I would have to say, I may destroy you was and will probably forever be a top five show for me. I think that MICHAELA. Cole is one of the more brilliant creatives of our time, and the razor sharp foresight and honesty that she applies to everything, The way that she draws people into worlds and deals with what it is to be a woman in the world, to be a survivor of sexual assault, to be a creative, to be exploring how to move through your life in such a raw and honest way. I just can't say enough good things about it. I was fortunate enough to meet MICHAELA at the Emmys this year, and I mean I just I was doing what I'm doing now, I was babbling, I think, and she She's just an unbelievable human being. Um. She gave a really stunningly beautiful speech to creators that night and has inspired me not only on screen but off, so truly, hats off to her. I another show that swept the Emmy's very deservedly was Hacks. Jeans Smart has had the most incredible year. I mean, starring in mayra Ve Eastown, which honestly was was really a tie to be on this list as well, what a show and starring on Hacks. She just blows my mind. And I think what I loved so much about seeing those performances side by side this year is that one was so based in character and accent, a place, um, a tense environment, and the other another character, but in a completely different lens, this larger than life personality, this comedy icon, this you know, feminine leader Um who's dealing with agism and sexism and and the kind of malaise that sometimes can come from repetition and routine. Routine and creativity often are really uh at odds with each other. And so it was really beautiful to see her unpacking that and her co star Hannah, Oh my god, what a light she is, and and these two women, I just couldn't get enough of them. And I do have to say, you know, shout out to my friends Paul Downs and Lucia and Yellow who wrote the show. Lots of you who are TV fans will recognize those names as two of the writers on Broad City with Abby and a Llana, and they just did this incredible job of looking at these generation gaps, looking at the ways that women can support and at times not support each other, of analyzing the world of comedy how far we've come, how far we have to go. It was funny, it was poignant. I was laughing out loud, I was in tears, I was stressed, I was all the things. So if you haven't seen Hacks yet, check it out. And yes, Jean smart one and Emmy for it, and my god, I couldn't imagine anyone else taking it home. Next up, I would have to say, this is not a new show, but a show that I love that never gets old to me is Sex Education, and season three is perfect. I love the way the writers of this show have managed to tell the first at least what feels to me as a viewer, and by the way, as a person who made a show about teenagers in high school, this really feels like the first truly honest look at the way that that experience can be for kids. Um. Yes, there are things that are heightened. I literally wind up looking away during some of the sex scenes. I'm like, oh my god, I can't handle this. But I do think that they're exploring how we all explore ourselves, how we get to know ourselves, how we learn to communicate, how we learned to be in relationships, how we grow, and it's at such a formative time, and so many shows try to make kids grow up too fast, and this one is just so freaking funny and poignant and letting people be who they are. All of the actors on that show, I think are just so phenomenally talented, and I really can't get enough of the worlds of all these kids, of maven Otis, of Eric and the whole rest of the gang. It's it's just a phenomenal show. So if you haven't seen it, highly recommend. And last, but not least, guys, did you all watch Nine Perfect Strangers. Lane Moore already wrote this book that was a huge smash hit and it was adapted for TV. They filmed in Australia over the pandemic, which I think is so interesting. They were able to get everybody quarantined and then basically exist in a bubble, which I'm sure just heightened the story itself about this group of people who go to a wellness retreat who are in the middle of nowhere in a bubble. And it was just such a phenomenal, phenomenal show. I mean, Melissa McCarthy produced it and Nicole Kidman produced it. Those two are unbelievable. Melissa McCarthy is truly one of my favorite people to watch on screen, and in the last couple of years, I feel like audiences have been so blessed with so much content from her that examines all walks of life, and I just I feel like I could get her sensibility all through the show, if that makes sense, knowing that she helped to develop it, you know, she's not just a producer entitled. She actually helped develop this entire project. And I was so excited to see the lens that she put on a story like this, because I felt like we really looked at the characters first often as humans do, from the ways that we make first impressions, from the assumptions that we make about each other, the stereotypes we might you know, subconsciously or consciously hold, and then all of these people begin to get unpacked. And it was such a beautiful look at grief, at growth, at anger, at loss, at love, at taking risks, at confronting your fear. I could not get enough of it. And all set to the backdrop of this groundbreaking research that's being done right now by organizations like maps who are looking at the ways that psychedelics can cure trauma and depression, they can help veterans, survivors of assault, um folks who have really intense clinical issues, and it was really exciting to see it explored in a way that was allowing the audience and the characters to ask questions and to see what the potential might be. I just loved it. And by the way, whoever did the artwork for the magazine at the end, I'll try not to give it away, but wow, you're amazing art direction, wardrobe, set deck. The show was just phenomenal. Onto the next top five, which are top five podcasts. Thank you to all of you who tell us that Work in Progress is in your top five or the greatest compliment of all is your favorite podcast. That's incredibly meaningful to us, especially since these is it feels like everybody's got a podcast. In fact, a lot of the guests that I have on this podcast have podcasts of their own, and I've got my go to listens and some new ones that I discovered this year. So let's dive in. My top five favorite podcasts are two time Working Progress guests, Friend Legend and comedian Extraordinary. Chelsea Handler has her podcast Dear Chelsea, which I just love. It's a weekly show and Chelsea answers a listener questions with the hilarious perspective that you know only she can bring. She gets joined each week by celebrity guests, expert guests, and she never shies away from telling you what she thinks. She gives everyone her honest opinions, whether we're talking about you know, love, sex, weed, family issues, or diving deeper into the realms of grief and exploration that a lot of us find ourselves in not only because life is well what it is, but because this has been a really intense year for so many people. And I love that Chelsea manages to take all of us on a ride from the hilarious to the heartfelt and do it with a grace that I think she really exemplifies. You all have heard me talk about this show before, and I will talk about it forever. The Daily, the New York Times podcast, is the show if people say to me, what is one thing I should be listening to or looking towards to learn about what's going on in the world, For me, it's The Daily. I just think it is one of the more incredible shows that exists out there. And what I love about it is that The New York Times creates this show. It comes out Monday through Friday, and now they have special Sunday readings of incredible long form essays. But Monday through Friday, you're getting anywhere from twenty to thirty five minutes on a subject you need to know about that day. So it could be a global political issue, it could be some thing happening at home. It might be something going on with the Supreme Court, it might be um the news about Facebook being trash. Whatever it is, they break it down for you with interviews, experts and incredibly well researched reporting, and it's the thing that makes me feel like I can tap in and make sure I know what's going on each and every day. You've also heard me talk about this podcast in the past, and I cannot wait for the day when she joins me on this show. Krista Tippett on Being It is simply one of the most beautiful shows I think I've ever listened to. This show has won a Peabody Award. This show has become a go to for so many seekers, educators, academics, curious people. It is a show about spiritual inquiry and science, social healing, and the arts, and episodes published every Thursday, so it's a really wonderful way to close out your week. I often save them for Saturday mornings and go walking around or running the errands I need to run while listening to these conversations, and I'm just I'm just so in love with the show, So christa thank you. Another podcast that I love so much is WTF with Marc Maron. Mark is a comedian and an actor, and he's such a keen observer of people. I think probably because he's such a talented writer. He's always looking at what makes people tick and the ways that they behave and I just love his show. He welcomes on actors and comedians, directors and writers, authors, musicians and folks from all different walks of life to have these really revealing conversations, and he manages to probe into the ways that people really think and really feel and do it with a comedic flair. And I find that there are people I listened to him interview who I hear tell a story or who share an anecdote that I've never heard before when they've been on other shows and that's always to me the mark of a really phenomenal interviewer. Another show that I love very deeply is called How to Fail. Elizabeth Day launched this podcast to celebrate the things that haven't gone right, and every week she interviews someone about what their failures taught them, what a door closing actually allowed to open afterward in their life. She's really given me a new perspective on what it means to really come to terms with the truth that when something doesn't work out, it's probably because it wasn't meant to, and that what is meant for you isn't going to miss you. It's a really, really great show, and I think in this time when everyone is out there trying to figure out what they're doing and what they're meant to be doing, it is a really good guide. And now onto my top five books for the year. Oh guys, this has been a fun one to prep and think about. I'm going to start by going backwards. I loved the miniseries Docu Menory about Frandly Boets that came out this year. I just thought it was so phenomenal. Martin Scorsese produced it. Their interviews are so fun to watch and you really kind of get inside the experience of this literary icon. Honestly, that might have needed to go on one of my top five shows lists. But here we are. We're talking about books that doc got me thinking about fran and her work, and so I went back and I decided to pick up an old vintage copy of her book Social Studies. It's actually her second collection that followed up Metropolitan Life, and Social Studies is a collection of twenty six pieces. Her observations about people are witty and sarcastic and rye. She's such a wise cracker, and she's just so entertaining. She turns she turns a light on irony, on the weird things that make people tick. I've just really enjoyed diving back into France world. Next up is a book from an author named Maggie Nelson. She's the author of a book called The Argonauts, and this latest novel on freedom is stunning, you guys. She analyzes what the rhetoric of freedom means, why it can inspire people, why it can frustrate people. The book, when you first open it talks about how freedom is often deployed as a jingoistic, even menacing rallying cry or limited by a focus on passing moments of liberation, and she asks does it remain key to autonomy, justice and well being. It is such an incredible book that draws on a vast range of material. She looks at critical theory, pop culture, and the intimacies of everyday life, and she explores how we might think, experience, or talk about freedom in ways that are appropriate and responsive to the conditions of today. As we are in this moment of global shift, of a climate emergency, of looking at rising authoritarianism that we haven't seen in levels like these in nearly a hundred years. This book is really a north star for me to think about how to analyze why freedom and liberty are so meaningful to so many of us. So I highly recommend it. We've talked about this book a bit before, especially as I've started production on Good Sam and we're gearing up to launch this fabulous medical show for all of you a tool. Gowan Day is an incredible surgeon and author, and his book Being Mortal was one of the first things that I read to do research for the role. And now we are moving on to the Disordered Cosmos. Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred by Chanda Prescott Weinstein. Prescott Weinstein is a star theoretical physicist, and this book is a journey into the world of particle physics and the cosmos, and at the same time as it's deeply rooted in science, it is a call for a more liberatory practice of science. Dr Prescott Weinstein shares her love for physics, from the standard model of particle physics and what lies beyond, to the physics of melanin in skin to the latest theories of dark matter, and she manages to tie all of this in with a new spin that's informed by history, politics, and even the wisdom of Star Trek. One of fewer than one hundred black women to earn a PhD from a department of physics, Dr Prescott Weinstein presents a vision of the universe that is vibrant and non traditional and grounded in feminist lineages Black feminist lineages. I urge you to read this book because she urges us to recognize how science, like most fields, is rife with racism and misogyny and other forms of oppression, and and on the hopeful side, lays out a bold new approach to science and society that begins with the belief that we all have a fundamental right to know and love the night sky. The Disordered Cosmos is such a beautiful book. It made such an impact on me as a woman in terms of what I know of society and what I am still learning, and I highly recommend it to each of you who wants to experience and understand the wonders of the universe. And last, but not least, a book that comes to us from a recent work in progress, guest Ay Car See No Stranger, a memoir and manifesto of a revolutionary love. Valerie is one of the humans who in recent years has perhaps inspired me most her kindness, her fierce compassion, her choice to love above all else. She is one and a million. She is a woman who an author we all love like. Elizabeth Gilbert writes about using the words stunning, timely, timeless, and a world stricken with fear and turmoil. Valerie car shows us how to summon our deepest wisdom. Yeah, Elizabeth Gilbert, she knows, so now you know the whole point of this book is to examine what the future holds our fear that it might be dark, the potential that it might be immense and beautiful. She asks, as she spoke of on her episode of Work in Progress, what if this darkness is not the darkness of the tomb, but the darkness of the womb. What if this is our greatest transition? And with those words, as you all know, Valerie car ignited the hearts of millions of people around the globe. Breathe and Push became a mantra in movements for change. And now not just in her ted talk, not just in her teachings, but in this book. We have a stunning debut and a declaration of revolutionary love. She says, it is the call of our time, and in a way that I so deeply appreciate. Being a person who loves to draw upon many teachings from many verticals of learning, Valerie draws on the wisdom of sages and scientists and activists. And she peppers this story with her own riveting journey as a brown girl growing up on California farmland, and as a young adult who was galvanized to become an activist in the wake of post nine eleven violence. She became a law student. She fought injustices in American prisons, and she is an activist who works with communities. Valerie takes this global and national lens and merges it with her own experiences as a woman who's trying to heal from her strife, her trauma from sexual assault, from police violence, and she discovers these practices of revolutionary love that bring us out of our fear, out of our wounds, into longevity and joy and resilience. We talked a lot about resilience on her episode, and so while See No Stranger deals with some of the things that are the hardest for us, it also offers us a way to do so with the most hope and the most joy and the most positivity, and that for me, feels like a way forward. So this story of awakening of revolutionary love being medicine for us and for our time is the last, but certainly not the least, perhaps even the most profoundly effective, of my top five books. And I want to say thank you for paying attention and joining for this part. And with that thanks, that is that I'm so happy that I get to do these special bonus episodes for you, and even more thankful that I can express thanks for your support there's a whole lot of gratitude around here because we love making this show and we have some really great guests coming up for our next few episodes. I'll see you all again next month for another exclusive, and in the meantime, take care and sincerely thanks. I really appreciate all you bip smarties. Talk to you soon.