OLIVER BURKEMAN Life is shorter than you think–why not be here for it?
A long-time productivity and self-help writer for The Guardian, Oliver Burkeman catapulted to international renown with his 2021 book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. In that book, as well as his 2025 follow up Meditations for Mortals, Burkeman jolts our productivity-obsessed culture awake with the reminder that we can’t possibly get everything under control in the short time we have here on earth. It’s a realization that seems terrifying and slightly depressing at first blush, but the more Burkeman talks us through it the more liberating and life-enhancing it feels. In this conversation, Oliver Burkeman expands on imperfectionism ,on the wisdom of not seeing life as a problem to be solved, and the power that comes with letting the future be the future.Subscribe to our newsletter for more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Taking risks brings us closer to what really matters—with Anar Ali
How do you go from a corporate job you don’t actually like to living your creative and professional dream? For Anar Ali the path involved a lot of leaps into the unknown. Anar is creator and producer of Allegiance, the top-rated show on CBC Television. Before that she was a respected author with a multi-book deal at a major publisher. But none of it would have happened without listening to her instincts and trusting in the possibility of uncertainty. Wise, reflective and bracingly candid, Anar shares her remarkable story—including the frightening chapter that changed how she views everything and made her feel most alive in the midst of the uncertainty.Subscribe to our newsletter for more A Love Affair with the Unknown Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Hope is a muscle we can strengthen—with Andrea Curtis
Waking up each morning to a relentless news cycle of fear and despair, sometimes being hopeful can seem naive. How can we possibly have hope for a future that often feels grim? As award-winning author Andrea Curtis shares in her newest book, hope and struggle actually go hand in hand. The Story and Science of Hope is written for middle-grade readers but the neuroscience behind it offers comfort to us all. In her warm and upbeat style, Andrea explains how hope differs from optimism, and lays out the evidence showing the power we have to develop our sense of hope. This conversation is like a mini-course in how to cultivate an essential, life-enhancing emotion.Subscribe to our newsletter for more A Love Affair with the Unknown Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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TIMOTHY CAULFIELD Certainty leaves us vulnerable to misinformation
Living in a post-truth world is wildly destabilizing. With so much conflicting information, how can we trust what is real? Timothy Caulfield is Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy as well as a popular author. In his latest book The Certainty Illusion: What You Don’t Know and Why It Matters, Caulfield cuts through simplistic misinformation and reminds us why science, in all its complexity, is our best shot at navigating the way forward. As he discusses in this week’s thought-provoking episode, we must learn to get more comfortable with not always having clear answers and control; it is—ironically enough—actually a desire for certainty that has led to the havoc of disinformation and conspiracy theories. Subscribe to our newsletter for more A Love Affair with the Unknown Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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ALEX HUTCHINSON Bring on the uncertainty! We’re built to handle it
New York Times bestselling author Alex Hutchinson wants us to try new things. A science journalist with a focus on human performance, his new book The Explorer’s Gene is a fascinating dive into why humans are actually wired to not just handle uncertainty but to evolve and thrive because of it. Betting on the path we don’t know about will yield more rewarding results—even if it doesn’t work out the way we had hoped. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. This is a conversation that will buoy the spirits and boost our confidence to explore, in any part of life. With delightful passion, Alex lays out the research-based arguments showing why trying new foods, new music or a new route on our commute makes us more creative and more able to handle unknowns as they arise. The more we lean into the uncertainty the more the world opens up. Subscribe to our newsletter for more A Love Affair with the Unknown Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
About A Love Affair with the Unknown with Gill Deacon
Saying Yes to uncertainty. Finding humour, courage and community as we navigate the wild ride of modern life. This could be a love affair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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