BookThinkers Newsletter #5 - AI Doesn't Have a Soul
Published about 2 months ago • 2 min read
BookThinkers Newsletter #5
This Week at BookThinkers
Some weeks, something happens that reminds you why you do this. This was one of those weeks.
Here's what's going on:
⭐ LinkedIn Highlight — A Day at Shangri-La with Steven Pressfield
On Tuesday, Nick and Luke spent the day with Steven Pressfield at Shangri-La Recording Studio in Malibu — owned by his friend Rick Rubin. Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Adele, Eminem. Decades of creative energy in the walls. They were there filming content for Steven's upcoming novel The Arcadian, launching May 26.
One theme came up again and again throughout the day: AI might be fast, but it doesn't have a soul. Steven is old school — show up, put in the reps, earn the work. That reminder hit Nick hard. It's easy to drift. It's harder to stay human in the process.
Live Author Readings is up and running! The next session is with Amy Purdy on Tuesday, May 5th.
If you haven't experienced this format yet, it's unlike anything else. No webinar energy, no keynote polish. Just an author reading powerful passages from their book, with a light conversation to bring the ideas to life. Free to attend, but you need to register.
Podcast Flashback — Ep. 163: Steven Pressfield | The Daily Pressfield
Given the week Nick just had, this one felt right to bring back. In this episode, Steven talks about the importance of cultivating a daily practice, why showing up consistently over time matters more than inspiration, and how he actually invokes the creative process before sitting down to write. He wrote for 17 years before earning his first penny. The work was always the point.
After spending a day with him in Rick Rubin's studio, that message lands a little differently.
Standing in a room where legends have created some of their most important work has a way of clarifying things.
Steven Pressfield isn't interested in shortcuts. He's never been. He wrote in obscurity for decades, took odd jobs to stay afloat, and kept showing up anyway. Why? Because the work demanded it. Spending a day with him is a reminder that the people who make something that lasts aren't the ones who found the fastest path. They're the ones who refused to quit when the path disappeared.
We're 11 weeks out from BookThinkers LIVE in Boston. July 11–12. Jim Kwik, Jill Schulman, Markus Kaulius, and a room full of people who think books matter and are willing to do something about it.
That's the energy we're building toward. Hope to see you there.
