When Things Fall Apart
by Pema Chödrön
Mentioned 3 times across 2 shows · first heard Oct 2025 on On Purpose with Jay Shetty.
The general take
Tim Ferriss speaks highly of When Things Fall Apart, specifically praising a poem from it that Pema Chodron wrote—one that Henry Schuchman introduced him to about ascending a mountaintop. He found it meaningful enough to reference it when discussing the book, though he couldn't recite the full poem during the conversation.
About
Pema Chödrön's perennially best-selling classic on overcoming life's difficulties cuts to the heart of spirituality and personal growth--now in a newly designed 20th-anniversary edition with a new afterword by Pema--makes for a perfect gift and addition to one's spiritual library. How can we live our lives when everything seems to fall apart—when we are continually overcome by fear, anxiety, and pain? The answer, Pema Chödrön suggests, might be just the opposite of what you expect. Here, in her most beloved and acclaimed work, Pema shows that moving toward painful situations and becoming intimate with them can open up our hearts in ways we never before imagined. Drawing from traditional Buddhist wisdom, she offers life-changing tools for transforming suffering and negative patterns into habitual ease and boundless joy.
Who said what
Ezra Klein👍 Recommends
…opening discussion of pema chodron's most influential books on discomfort
“There's this book I love and I go back to him back to called Comfortable with Uncertainty. It's by the Buddhist teacher Pema Chödrön, who has also written really, really, really well-known beloved books like When Things Fall Apart and Welcoming the Unwelcome.”
The Ezra Klein Show — This Is Why I Find Pema Chödrön So Essentialat 01:05
Tim Ferriss👍 Recommends
…citing pema chodron buddhist teachings on embracing difficulty and human relationships
“Pema Chodron has a really great poem who Henry Schuchman introduced me to actually and I won't be able to recite it because it's pretty long, but it effectively, it's from when things fall apart and talks about ascending the mountaintop.”
On Purpose with Jay Shetty — Tim Ferriss: Feeling Stuck Right Now? (Use THIS 10-Minute Exercise to Stop Overthinking and Take Action)at 33:20
Judd Apatow👍 Recommends
…listing favorite self-help and buddhist philosophy books
“I always read Pima Chodron books, just all of them when things fall apart, start where you are. She's amazing. And I think she writes better than almost anybody about Buddhism.”
On Purpose with Jay Shetty — Judd Apatow: Fear of Rejection Holding You Back? THIS Trick Will Silence the Inner Critic & Help You Feel Confident to Createat 1:06:00
Listener reviews
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