Tim Ferriss has a highly successful podcast in which he interviews people who are tops at what they do and tries to uncover some of the secrets of their success. He’s good at this because he seems to be genuinely curious about his guests and he likes to apply some of their methods to his own life in an ongoing effort to improve himself.

He has interviewed more than 200 people for his show and distilled some of their keys to success into bite-sized nuggets. The result is “Tools of Titans”. The book is organized into the main sections of healthy, wealthy and wise. Within each section are mini chapters (2-6 pages) summarizing conversations with specific people ranging from tech billionaires to olympic athletes to four star generals. He has interviewed some seriously heavy hitters.

For each person he writes about, the author includes their twitter handle, facebook page and website. In the electronic version of the book, these are clickable links, making it very easy to research or follow people who you find interesting. The rest of the content about each person varies greatly. Sometimes we learn about what books they’re gifting to other people. Or we might learn about their morning routine. And sometimes we learn about apps they use to improve productivity. There’s something here for everyone and the way it’s organized makes it very easy to scan for relevant content.

I won’t pretend that I’ve read this entire book – it’s just over 700 pages. But I also don’t think this is the kind of book that needs to be or even should be read all at once. It’s the kind of book that’s good to pull out when you’re feeling stuck or need inspiration. Several of the passages certainly got me thinking.

It’s interesting to see inside the heads of such highly successful people. It’s also a little humbling. Most of them are extremely curious, self aware and really engaged with the world. Reading about them was a good kick in the pants for me.

My recommendation – sample this book at the library or bookstore. If you like what you see, buy the electronic format. The printed version is a little bulky to lug around, plus the electronic version has those convenient, clickable links. Prepare to be inspired!