3 Books With Neil Pasricha Chapter 40: Comedian Pete Holmes on infinite infinities and the insanity of is-ness
A few years ago I was in LA and I went with my friend Chad to a "Judd Apatow and friends" comedy show where I was blown away by the lineup he brought out. Ray Romano! Zach Galifianakis! And, of course, the incredible Pete Holmes.
Pete was my favorite comic that night. I have loved his comedy for years! And his book 'Comedy Sex God' was a wonderful read. My parents are Hindu but I grew up in the secular suburbs of Toronto being exposed to many different religions. Pete was very religious, and then wasn't, and now is again ... in this thoughtful, examining, spiritual way. His book, which is essentially his memoir, chronicles his journey through faith with lots of laughs and his trademark mind-expanding insights along the way.
Pete's podcast You Made It Weird is a comedic exploration of the meaning of life, with guests ranging from Ryan Holiday to Mayim Bialik to Ben Stiller.
Pete also starred in the HBO show Crashing which he executive produced with Judd Apatow. And, big news, he is currently touring! He's in Miami, LA, Royal Oaks, Irving, Madison, and Denver before the summer.
Check out his comedy specials: Impregnated with Wonder (2011), Nice Try, The Devil (2013), Faces and Sounds (2016), Dirty Clean (2018), and I Am Not For Everyone (2023).
So flip the page back to Chapter 40 of 3 Books and talk about why we withhold love, why myths are always true and sometimes really happen, why our brains want certainty but our hearts are comfortable with mystery, the salty sweet conundrum of life, and, of course, Pete's 3 most formative books.
I hope you enjoy this classic chapter with Pete Holmes.