joel friedlander

Joel Friedlander: Books for Understanding Your Place in the World

Phil Treagus-Evans

Joel Friedlander’s reading list

11 books mentioned in this interview

  1. The Road Less Traveled · M. Scott Peck
  2. Anatomy of Bibliomania · Holbrook Jackson
  3. Launch · Jeff Walker
  4. Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds · Kelly A. Turner, Ph.D
  5. The Body Keeps the Score · Bessel van der Kolk, M.D
  6. In Search of the Miraculous · P.D. OuspenskyRecommended 3 times
  7. The Rule of Four · Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason
  8. Writing Down the Bones · Natalie GoldbergRecommended 3 times
  9. If You Want to Write · Brenda UelandRecommended 4 times
  10. Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and PersuadeRecommended 4 times
  11. InfluenceRecommended 13 times

Books by Joel Friedlander: Body Types: The Enneagram of Essence Types, A Self-Publisher’s Companion, Expert Advice for Authors Who Want to Publish

Rank these books in a tier list

Joel Friedlander is the owner of Marin Bookworks in California, and he has won awards for his book design and production. Born in the Bronx, New York, Joel is also the author of Body Types: The Enneagram of Essence Types; as well as a series of eBooks that help solve questions for self-publishers called Self Publisher’s Quick & Easy Guides. One of Joel Friedlander’s more recent works is his book A Self-Publisher’s Companion, Expert Advice for Authors Who Want to Publish. The book draws from his uber-popular blog The Book Designer, arguably the most popular book design blog on the internet, boasting over 700 articles. Joel Friedlander gets his inspiration from ensuring that the writers of the world get their books designed and published, stating that he feels that ‘writers change the world one reader at a time, but you can’t change the world with a book that is still on your hard drive or in a box under your bed’. Please enjoy my interview with the wonderful Joel Friedlander…

When you think about your childhood, what book comes to mind?

I wasn’t much of a reader early in life, I really discovered books as a teenager.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

A teacher. And, in a way, I’ve fulfilled that desire by becoming an educator and advocate for authors.

What do you think your school aged self would think of the present day you?

Just another “old” person over 30, and at that time we didn’t trust anyone over 30.

If you could wrap up a single book and gift it to yourself as you left education – which book would it be?

You know, that’s really a long time ago! But now, I think I would give that younger me a copy of The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck.

Does your reading have routine? Is there a particular time or place that you like to read?

Routine? Newspaper at breakfast, I don’t read during the work day, then settling down with a good book at bedtime. I love to read in bed!

Which book has had the biggest impact on your career so far?

For my life in books, probably Anatomy of Bibliomania by Holbrook Jackson, and for my life online, I would say Launch by Jeff Walker.

Do you have any books that you strongly associate with someone important in your life?

My mother loved to read, and what she loved most of all was histories.

The book I have recommend most would be Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds by Kelly A. Turner, Ph.D.

Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction?

I love both, but these days I spend a lot more time reading non-fiction.

Do you think reading is important?

I think reading is absolutely vital for anyone who wants to understand the world and how it came to be the way it is, and to understand your own place within it.

What’s the best book you’ve read in the last 6 months?

The best book I’ve ready in the last six months is The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.

Do you prefer real books or digital books?

So, I see from the question that you do not consider e-books to be “real” books; that’s interesting. I much prefer print when I’m reading a book.

Name a book that you feel every human should have to read by law.

I am not a fascist. People should read what they like, or not read if they don’t want to.

What is the book that you feel has had the single biggest impact on your life?

The book that has had the single biggest impact on my life is In Search of the Miraculous by P.D. Ouspensky.

Are there any books you haven’t mentioned that you feel would make your reading list?

Sure! I loved The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg completely changed my writing life, as did If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland.

What books or subject matter do you plan on reading in the next year?

I just started Robert Cialdini’s new book, Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade. His earlier book, Influence is one of the most influential books in the history of marketing psychology.

If you were to write an autobiography – what would it be called?

Printer’s Progress: A Life in Graphic Arts.

If you’d like to learn more about Joel Friedlander and his work, you can find him on his website and Twitter.

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