We're heading to Africa!

Over the years we have taken the 3 Books podcast on the road many times ... from recording in ​Judy Blume's bookstore​ in Key West to to the ​back of Jackie's Uber​ in St. Louis to ​Jonathan Haidt's kitchen​ in New York we've gone where the stories take us. And for the first time we are going to the 55-country and 1.5 billion person continent of Africa.

I am so excited to share the first of three chapters of 3 Books recorded in Nairobi, Kenya.

I landed there and went whizzing down busy streets with colourful stalls, wandering goats, people pulling carts full of eggs, women carrying baskets on their heads, endless whizzing bodas (motorcycles).

I visited the lovely home of novelist and professor ​Peter Kimani​ — where he lives with his wife Anne and their two boys. Peter is a huge mind and talented writer whose work spans New York Times Notable novels such as '​Dance of the Jakaranda​' to writing a poem for Barack Obama's presidential inauguration. Peter has studied at the University of Iowa—the Harvard of writing schools, perhaps!—and earned his doctorate at the University of Houston. He was awarded the Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature, Kenya's highest literary honor, and is a professor at Aga Khan University in Nairobi.

Let's sit down outside in his backyard garden, near the mango and orange trees, below the calls of the Pied Crows, and discuss normalizing abnormalities, decolonizing our minds, The Hardy Boys, writing as an extension of living, whitewashing conservation, Peter's 3 most formative books, and much, much more...

Let's flip the page to Chapter 154 now...

"Whatever Jen Agg says is worth listening to," said Anthony Bourdain.

I fully agree!

If you live in Toronto you probably know Jen Agg. If you don't, let me tell you she runs the best restaurants in town! Come visit and try them!

Her most recent stunner is a two-story converted auto-body shop turned Toronto Life #1 ranked restaurant called "​General Public​" and it is a feast for the senses.

Jen describes the place as "part Narnia, part fancy British pub, and part '80s cocaine dream" which gives you a sample of her incredible way with words on top of dishes on top of lighting on top of music on top of ... vibe. I was at General Public last week with my friend Agostino and we split Rainbow Trout Tartare, Hiramasa Crudo, Chicory Salad, and Popcorn Clams and Mussels. And those were just our appetizers! And precisely none of the items fully described the depth of surprising and fresh ingredients leading to the full-body sensory experiences we had when taking our first bites...

Jen Agg has opened many other award-winning restaurants including ​Bar Vendetta​, ​Grey Gardens​, ​Le Swan​, ​Rhum Corner​, ​Hoof Cocktail Bar​ and, famously, The Black Hoof (RIP), where I still remember my friend Drew ordering a Spicy Raw Horse Sandwich with raw egg on top many years ago. His verdict? "Delicious!" Of course that place turned the restaurant scene in the city sharply sideways!

And sharply sideways is such a great way to live...

I admire Jen Agg's sharply sideways ways and also highly recommend her bestselling memoir "​I Hear She's A Real Bitch​" (perhaps the best memoir title of all time?)

Now there is of course no where else to sit down with Jen than one of her restaurants so for this one we slip into the front booth at the delectable "french diner" that is ​Le Swan​. Btw, if you go you might find yourself making a new Spotify playlist like I did to remember the great music you're hearing—"Ooh la la" by Ronnie Lane followed by "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison followed by "Everybody's Talkin'" by Harry Nilsson followed by "Tangled Up In Blue" by Bob Dylan!

Of course it's hard to pay attention to the music when you're gobbling Smoked Trout Rillette, Steak Tartare, and the city's best Corn Dogs!

Let's sit down and talk about fussiness as a virtue, the art of dining alone, having a healthy marriage with someone much older than you, the brilliant Jen Agg's 3 most formative books, and much, much, MUCH more...

It was an honour and privilege to talk to Jen Agg in this classic chapter of 3 Books.

The pace of living is accelerating.

I often feel like things are happening too quickly to process ... the reels are going too fast, the scrolls have too many colors, the information feed feels like a flood.

I just can't process it all!

Do you feel the same way?

If so you need this conversation as much as I did.

Carl Honoré is the godfather of the "slow movement" — a Canadian born, UK-based author, journalist, and ​popular TED speaker​ whose first book, the 2004 long-running bestseller '​In Praise of Slowness​', sparked a global conversation about time, speed, and how we live.

What's happened since 2004? Life has gotten even faster! Which makes his ideas and insights even more valuable. I love Carl's work so much I've read 'In Praise of Slowness' three times and enjoyed his tangential books on parenting in an era of hyper pressure ('​Under Pressure​') and making the most of our longer lives ('​Bolder​').

Carl is a warm, sagacious soul who oozes kindness and wisdom and in this conversation we talk about the best way to cook risotto, why you should read Orwell to your kids even in their 20s, how social media is changing travel, the benefits of learning new languages, the meaning of the phrase "tempo giusto", mindful ways to slow down our busy lives, and, of course, his 3 most formative books...

Let's flip the page to Chapter 153 now...