N4L 074: "Thanks A Thousand" by A.J. Jacobs

On a dare from his son, author A.J. Jacobs set out to thank everyone who contributed to bringing him a cup of coffee. The result is his book, "Thanks A Thousand," and a TEDTalk viewed by more than a million people. Jacobs's "Gratitude Journey," a timely exploration of our interconnectedness, illustrates our need to eschew tribalism and recognize the staggering number of people who make our everyday lives wonderful.  00:15   Intro to A.J. Jacobs, author of Thanks a Thousand: A Gratitude Journey 01:15   Jacobs finds the Nonfiction4Life podcast expensive—buying books we feature! 01:45   Story begins with a cup of coffee and morphs into a high-adventure journey 02:15   Jacobs, an immersive journalist, likes to dive deeply into his studies 02:30   Learns of psychological and physical benefits of gratitude, and gives it a try 02:45   Rather than thanking God, Jacobs offers prayers of gratitude to helpful people 03:45   Begins thanking over 1000 people involved in making his morning cup of coffee possible 04:45   “Deceptively simple quest” 05:15   His quest supports the gratitude research, improving many aspects of his life 05:55   Our brains divided: pessimistic, cynical, (“Larry David”) side vs. optimistic, positive (“Mr. Rogers”) side 06:45   Gratitude a practice that doesn’t tend to come naturally; negative bias gets in the way 08:00   Notices hundreds of things that need to “go right” to produce a cup of coffee 09:20   People who say, “I am grateful” (vs. “Thank you”) perceived as more genuinely grateful 10:00   Recommends including details in words of appreciation, especially in thank you notes 11:30   Making someone else’s day gives him a dopamine boost 12:15   His grumpiness abated by expressing gratitude 12:45   “It’s easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than to think your way into a new way of acting.” 14:10   Loves the genuine passion some have for their jobs (e.g., coffee lid inventor) 16:05   His family welcome the personal transformation in Jacobs 17:10   Now a “gratitude extremist” – makes kids thank Amazon “Alexa” 18:45   “Almost everything good in the world is the result of teamwork.” 19:00   As a writer, would have liked to add many names to the cover of his book 20:15   Responsibility bias – we like to (falsely) credit just one person 21:00   “Lead singer bias” applies to marriage 22:15   Connectedness becomes increasingly important to Jacobs 22:30   Replaces “YOLO” with “WOLO" - being aware of others 22:30   Jacobs’s book, It’s All Relative, also includes the theme of connectedness 24:50   Counters tribalism: "There’s just US!" 26:15   Nobody too opposed to being thanked 27:00   Start being grateful by following the gratitude trail 27:30   Small acts help: looking people in the eye to thank them 28:15   Technology, with its pros and cons, can making thanking people easier 29:15   Personal thanks can be emotionally rewarding (e.g., write a letter; read it aloud) 30:30   Examines how gender affects gratitude 31:30   We underestimate how meaningful being thanked can be, and we underestimate how awkward it can be 33:00   End of the book includes a list of the 1000+ people he thanks 33:30   What Jacobs might do differently the next time 35:00   Janet receives two separate notes of gratitude for the Nonfiction4Life podcast 35:30   How to leave a podcast review 36:20   Recommendation: Shari’s Berries (free printable thank you notes and 85 ways to say “Thank you”) BUY Thanks A Thousand: A Gratitude Journey (TED Books) Watch A.J. Jacobs deliver his now-famous TEDTalk with over 1 million views! Other books by A.J. Jacobs: BUY The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible BUY It's All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World's Family Tree  Get free printable thank you notes from Shari’s Berries   Connect with Nonfiction4Life! Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Website Special thanks… Music Credit Sound Editing Credit