In this episode of The Knowledge Project, I have the brilliant Robert Greene. Robert is the

author of 5 New York Times bestsellers, including The 48 Laws of Power and The 33 Strategies of War. He's also written on mastery and seduction.

Robert’s books have been somewhat controversial over the years and have been called amoral, cunning, and even ruthless for what they reveal. Yet millions of readers, from mid-level managers to hip-hop royalty and corporate executives have revered his work as a sort of canonized scripture for the ambitious.

In this conversation, we cover a lot of ground, including:

• Why Robert believes his first book, 48 Laws of Power has continued to sell steadily for over two decades.
• What Robert calls “alive time” and “dead time” and how we can optimize each day to be filled with “alive time” and live the life we’re proud of
• The one skill that determines how far you’ll get in life, no matter how talented you are in anything else
• Robert’s research method and how he finds such unique and interesting examples
• What Robert looks for when he reads, and what qualities separate good books from excellent books
• How Robert developed his famous note card system to extract the meat out of anything he reads
• Why Robert insists on writing all his notes longhand even though it’s less convenient and less accessible than taking notes digitally
• What Robert’s daily routine looks like, particularly when he’s writing and researching for a new book
• What Robert considers to be the single greatest power any human has, and what we can do to strengthen it
• How having unfettered access to information is actually making us dumber in very important ways and what we can do about it
• How to fine tune your “bullshit detector” so you’re able to tell the difference between pretenders and performers. (As a bonus, Robert shares a few ways you can improve your bullshitting skills when it becomes necessary)

And a lot more.

Plus, Robert gives us a sneak peek into his newest project, The Laws of Human Nature, which explores the hidden motivations that drive what we do and say.

This interview is packed to the brim with interesting and actionable insights that I think you’re going to love. Grab a pen, a notebook, and a glass of wine and enjoy!

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Since the popularity of Obstacle Course Racing, or OCR, has exploded onto the scene, there has been one woman who has dominated the sport: Amelia Boone.

Amelia ran her first race in 2011 after some prodding from a co-worker, and though she says she stumbled her way to an unimpressive finish, she was smitten. She has since amassed over  50 podiums and two dozen victories, including the Spartan Race World Championship in 2013, and the World's Toughest Mudder (three times!) in 2012, 2014 and 2015.

Oh, and her 2014 victory came just eight weeks after major knee surgery.

Though she vehemently denies it, Amelia is superhuman.

This interview is a little different than others you may have heard on The Knowledge Project but no less fascinating.

We cover a wide variety of topics including habits, reading, self-reliance, and training.

Specifically, you’ll learn:

• Why Amelia was drawn to obstacle racing even though running was something she despised
• The complementary connection between her sport and her professional work and how racing has made her a more effective attorney
• How Amelia fights physical and mental fatigue when most people quit (she even shares a story of how she dealt with a vacant support station halfway through a 100 mile race)
• What she does to develop grit and resilience so she knows she can rely on herself when things get rough
• Amelia’s “to-do list” trick that makes sure she’s productive — you’ll want to steal this
• How a serious injury taught Amelia some of her most powerful lessons about who she is and what’s important to her
• What Amelia’s parents did to teach her to be self-sufficient from a very young age
• How she learned to deal with setbacks, and how careful she is with the language she uses when she speaks to herself when things go wrong
• Why Amelia runs with a Sharpie and the same playlist she’s listened to for the past 5 years
• How Amelia transformed herself from a casual weekend warrior to one of the most finely tuned athletes in the world

Whether you’re an athlete, a weekend jogger, or the only exercise you get is the leisure stroll from the couch to the refrigerator, there are lots of insights and plenty of inspiration waiting for you in this interview.

Go Premium: Members get early access, ad-free episodes, hand-edited transcripts, searchable transcripts, member-only episodes, and more. Sign up at: https://fs.blog/membership/

Every Sunday our newsletter shares timeless insights and ideas that you can use at work and home. Add it to your inbox: https://fs.blog/newsletter/

Follow Shane on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/ShaneAParrish