Uploaded August 2022 | Updated September 2026, 10 hours ago
SHOW BACKGROUND:
3 Books is an award-winning podcast discussing life's biggest themes through the 3 most formative books of an inspiring guest. Past guests include: Brené Brown, David Sedaris, Malcolm Gladwell, Roxane Gay, Judy Blume, Quentin Tarantino, etc.
GUEST BACKGROUND:
Kevin Kelly is a man of many titles.
Krista Tippett calls him a ‘philosopher technologist’, Tim Ferriss calls him ‘the world’s most interesting man’, and Stephen J. Dubner says simply, “If I was the Queen, I would want Kevin Kelly on my Privy Council.”
Kevin dropped out of college to travel for 10 years through Asia. He was the first person -- ever! -- to be hired online in 1983. In the same breath Kevin drops stories of spending time with the Amish just as quickly as he mentions chatting with Google’s founders in the late 90s. His online home, kk.org, is a fountain of deeply insightful and wise blog posts, such as 1000 True Fans and his annual bits of birthday advice.
Kevin also edited THE WHOLE EARTH CATALOG, founded The Hacker’s Conference, and is Co-chair of the Board of the Long Now Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to encouraging long term thinking. The Internet may know him best as ‘Senior Maverick at Wired Magazine’ (which he cofounded in 1993.) But he’s also written a series of prophetic bestsellers including: WHAT TECHNOLOGY WANTS (2010) and THE INEVITABLE (2016). That last book came out six years ago but it lays out the future of technology over the next thirty. Clear and clairvoyant, Kevin’s words helped me feel more positive about the omnipresent magnetic pull of technology we’re all breathing in today.
Kevin Kelly is a kind, wise, and optimistic finger-pointer. And, unlike most mystics, fortune tellers, and futurists, he’s got a long track record of being right.
We reached Kevin in Pacifica California, where he lives. We discussed how to optimize learning on podcasts, why books are the best long term technology, what technology wants, how AI might change us, problems being the path to progress, long term thinking, recursive loops, infinite games, Kevin’s most formative books, and much, much more.
Please enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with Kevin Kelly!
For full show notes: 3books.co/chapters/110
For more on the podcast: 3books.co
I will try my best to answer the comments below.
Thanks for listening!
Neil
-
SUBSCRIBE: bit.ly/2HHWPYg
Hey there,
I'm Neil and I spend a ton of time thinking, writing, podcasting, and speaking about living intentionally. I'm the New York Times bestselling author of six books including The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation. I've been lucky to speak at places like TED, SXSW, and Google. And I host a huge passion project called the 3 Books podcast.
Want to read more of my stuff?
https://www.neil.blog/archive/
Want to check out my podcast?
3books.co
Want to learn about my live events?
globalhappiness.org/speaking
Want my monthly book recos?
1000awesomethings.com/reading-club
Want my articles on intentional living?
https://www.neil.blog/newsletter/
I am also on the following drugs:
Facebook: facebook.com/NeilPasricha
Twitter: twitter.com/neilpasricha
Instagram: instagram.com/neilpasricha
Lastly, thanks so much for watching this vid.
👊,
Neil
neil@globalhappiness.org
SHOW BACKGROUND:
3 Books is an award-winning podcast discussing life's biggest themes through the 3 most formative books of an inspiring guest. Past guests include: Brené Brown, David Sedaris, Malcolm Gladwell, Roxane Gay, Judy Blume, Quentin Tarantino, etc.
GUEST BACKGROUND:
Kevin Kelly is a man of many titles.
Krista Tippett calls him a ‘philosopher technologist’, Tim Ferriss calls him ‘the world’s most interesting man’, and Stephen J. Dubner says simply, “If I was the Queen, I would want Kevin Kelly on my Privy Council.”
Kevin dropped out of college to travel for 10 years through Asia. He was the first person -- ever! -- to be hired online in 1983. In the same breath Kevin drops stories of spending time with the Amish just as quickly as he mentions chatting with Google’s founders in the late 90s. His online home, kk.org, is a fountain of deeply insightful and wise blog posts, such as 1000 True Fans and his annual bits of birthday advice.
Kevin also edited THE WHOLE EARTH CATALOG, founded The Hacker’s Conference, and is Co-chair of the Board of the Long Now Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to encouraging long term thinking. The Internet may know him best as ‘Senior Maverick at Wired Magazine’ (which he cofounded in 1993.) But he’s also written a series of prophetic bestsellers including: WHAT TECHNOLOGY WANTS (2010) and THE INEVITABLE (2016). That last book came out six years ago but it lays out the future of technology over the next thirty. Clear and clairvoyant, Kevin’s words helped me feel more positive about the omnipresent magnetic pull of technology we’re all breathing in today.
Kevin Kelly is a kind, wise, and optimistic finger-pointer. And, unlike most mystics, fortune tellers, and futurists, he’s got a long track record of being right.
We reached Kevin in Pacifica California, where he lives. We discussed how to optimize learning on podcasts, why books are the best long term technology, what technology wants, how AI might change us, problems being the path to progress, long term thinking, recursive loops, infinite games, Kevin’s most formative books, and much, much more.
Please enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with Kevin Kelly!
For full show notes: 3books.co/chapters/110
For more on the podcast: 3books.co
I will try my best to answer the comments below.
Thanks for listening!
Neil
-
SUBSCRIBE: bit.ly/2HHWPYg
Hey there,
I'm Neil and I spend a ton of time thinking, writing, podcasting, and speaking about living intentionally. I'm the New York Times bestselling author of six books including The Book of Awesome and The Happiness Equation. I've been lucky to speak at places like TED, SXSW, and Google. And I host a huge passion project called the 3 Books podcast.
Want to read more of my stuff?
https://www.neil.blog/archive/
Want to check out my podcast?
3books.co
Want to learn about my live events?
globalhappiness.org/speaking
Want my monthly book recos?
1000awesomethings.com/reading-club
Want my articles on intentional living?
https://www.neil.blog/newsletter/
I am also on the following drugs:
Facebook: facebook.com/NeilPasricha
Twitter: twitter.com/neilpasricha
Instagram: instagram.com/neilpasricha
Lastly, thanks so much for watching this vid.
👊,
Neil
neil@globalhappiness.org
