Chapter 159: Eve Harlow on bolstering bibliophilia and boosting bookish brains
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In this episode of '3 Books With Neil Pasricha,' host Neil Pasricha welcomes actress Eve Harlow to discuss her deep passion for reading and how books have shaped her identity and mental well-being. Born in Moscow and raised in Israel and Canada before moving to LA, Harlow reflects on her multicultural upbringing and how it informs her sense of self as a 'citizen of the world.' She shares her disciplined reading habits—aiming for one book a week, using Goodreads to track progress, and reading on the floor in solitude to avoid distractions. Her three formative books are Julio Cortázar’s 'Blow Up and Other Stories,' Jennifer Egan’s 'A Visit from the Goon Squad,' and Dr. Edith Eger’s 'The Choice.' Each book profoundly impacted her: Cortázar’s magic realism expanded her imagination, Egan’s nonlinear narrative reshaped her view of time and storytelling, and Eger’s memoir on trauma and resilience became a life-changing guide to empathy and personal freedom. Harlow emphasizes reading as a form of mental exercise and a sanctuary from digital overload, calling it a 'bastion of privacy' in an increasingly surveilled world. She also shares her love for independent bookstores, her strict book-lending policy (knowing books are never returned), and her ambition to conquer 'white whale' books like Roberto Bolaño’s '2666' and David Foster Wallace’s 'Infinite Jest.' The episode closes with Neil reflecting on Harlow’s wisdom: that reading is both escape and grounding, a way to nourish the soul and reclaim attention in a distracted age. He celebrates her as a model of intentional living through books, urging listeners to 'just do it'—to start reading, find their own story, and build a reading life that feeds both brain and spirit. The show ends with Neil’s call for listener engagement, inviting calls, letters, and the 'word of the chapter'—'voracious'—highlighting the insatiable appetite for knowledge and stories that defines true bibliophiles.
Design a reading system that works for you: set a goal (e.g., one book per week), use tools like Goodreads for accountability, and create a distraction-free reading zone.
Reading is mental exercise and emotional nourishment—Harlow says she feels depressed without it, calling it 'exercise for the brain.'
Books like 'The Choice' by Dr. Edith Eger teach that resilience comes from choice, not circumstance, and that healing is possible when we take responsibility for our inner world.
Prioritize privacy and solitude: Harlow values reading as a private act, a sanctuary from social media’s performative culture and constant surveillance.
Support independent bookstores and the physical book experience—Harlow loves the 'thrill of the hunt' in used bookstores and the tactile joy of paperbacks.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Introduction to Eve Harlow and Her Global Identity
Neil Pasricha introduces Eve Harlow, an acclaimed actress known for roles in 'The 100,' 'The Night Agent,' and 'Watson.' He explores her multicultural background—born in Moscow, raised in Jerusalem and Vancouver, now based in LA—and how it shaped her identity as a 'citizen of the world.' The conversation touches on her family’s immigrant journey, her mother’s sacrifices, and the emotional weight of growing up in politically tense environments.
The Power of the Library and Early Reading Habits
Harlow recounts how her love for reading began in childhood, fueled by her family’s financial hardship and the free access to Vancouver’s public library. She describes how her mother would drop her and her younger sister off at the library for hours, creating a safe, enriching space. She shares how she read her mother’s favorite books to feel closer to her, and how this early ritual laid the foundation for her lifelong bibliophilia.
Blow Up and Other Stories by Julio Cortázar: Magic Realism and the Mundane Made Strange
“It's like, you know, the world is ours, but really weird things are happening and the people who are experiencing them don't perceive them as being strange.”
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan: Time, Memory, and the Fragility of Life
“Time's a goon. And it sends chills. It gives me chills because that moment you're like, yes, time, the way that it passes and it passes by so quickly and so unexpectedly...”
The Choice by Dr. Edith Eger: Trauma, Forgiveness, and the Power of Choice
“It's not just about surviving. It's about choosing how you respond. And that’s the key to freedom.”
“People are inherently good. We all at the very core want the same thing, safety and love for ourselves and the people we love.”
“You don’t know where you’re going. You don’t know what’s going to happen, but no one can take away from you what you put into your own mind.”
“The only way that we will get through anything is empathy, listening, and communication. And we're losing all of that.”
Host
Guest
Eve Harlow
person
Neil Pasricha
person
Julio Cortázar
person
Jennifer Egan
person
Dr. Edith Eger
person
Watson
other
The 100
other
Goodreads
product
Dewey Decimal System
other
The Night Agent
other
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