Episode 116 - The Last Book Written by a Human with Jeff Burningham

What does it really mean to be human in a world where machines are learning faster than we are? As AI continues to evolve, are we at risk of losing touch with the very things that make us deeply human?

In this episode of Productivity Smarts, Gerald J. Leonard sits down to delve into these big questions with Jeff Burningham, an entrepreneur, author, and the mind behind The Last Book Written by a Human. Jeff shares his journey from building startups to running for governor, and how those experiences led him to rethink success. He talks about the shift from being a "human doing" to a "human being," and why slowing down, being present, and reconnecting with what really matters is more urgent than ever.

They explore the power of daily reflection, the grounding effect of nature, and a touching story about Jeff's daughter that highlights the emotional cost of chasing success. Jeff also offers his take on AI, describing it as a kind of cosmic mirror that reflects both our strengths and our blind spots  and how it might be nudging us toward a more meaningful path, guided by love, wisdom, and connection.

If you're craving more purpose in the midst of rapid change, this conversation is one to tune into.

What We Discuss

• [00:00] Introduction to Jeff Burningham

• [03:31] Vision and the power of seeing around corners

• [06:17] Thriving in disruption and building in downturns

• [08:10] From human doing to human being: redefining productivity

• [10:52] Presence over performance: lessons from fatherhood

• [12:28] Balancing high performance with presence and awareness

• [17:45] Turning failure into transformation after a gubernatorial loss

• [21:56] What your body knows before you do: the cost of overwork

• [25:31] The 4-part framework of Jeff's book: Disruption,  Reflection, Transformation, Evolution

• [26:51] How AI is nudging us into a "new game" of authenticity and karma

• [36:27] Jeff's daily spiritual practices for staying grounded and creative

• [39:11] How to connect with Jeff and grab his new book

Notable Quotes

• [06:17] "When people are irrational, you know, there's always opportunity for businesses. I'm speaking specifically within disruption. There's always opportunity." – Jeff Burningham

• [06:43] "In the age of AI, there's a gift, there's a little-known gift. It's called skip thinking. Some of us can kind of skip ahead and almost kind of have a sense." – Jeff Burningham

• [28:55] "I think AI will push us this way to pivot to what I call a new game. A new game where karma is the currency, where authenticity is the real power and motivation." – Jeff Burningham

• [33:57] "AI is just the data that we've fed it. It's all of human data that it has. It looks for patterns. And by the way, it's able to see patterns better than maybe we ever could." – Jeff Burningham

• [36:29] "The most powerful ideas are often the most simple. So therefore the most neglected, the simple basics that I come back to, and I'm not perfect at this, but I try to do these three things every day." – Jeff Burningham

• [38:18] "Get into nature, spend as much time in nature as you absolutely can. That's another one of our universal teachers."– Jeff Burningham
  

Our Guest

Jeff Burningham is a visionary entrepreneur, early-stage tech investor, and author of The Last Book Written by a Human: Becoming Wise in the Age of AI. Over his diverse career, Jeff has founded and scaled billion-dollar ventures, led institutional real estate funds, and ev