‘Books on Pod’ host Trey Elling chats about the unexpected questions he asks stars like Matthew McConaughey, Tony Hawk, and more

“Books on Pod” host Trey Elling stopped by Podsauce for a book-tastic conversation all about his podcast and passion for reading. Trey shared his extensive prep process for interviewing guests, his favorite author, the book that shaped his life, and what it’s like to ask stars unexpected questions.

Trey gave Podsauce a Cliffnotes-style summary of what listeners can look forward to on the podcast. “Books on Pod” takes listeners inside stories as Trey speaks with authors, celebrities, and fascinating people. When interviewing stars like Alan Cumming and Matthew McConaughey, Trey prepares by jotting down pages of notes and questions while reading the guests’ books in advance.

In recent episodes, Trey headed to SXSW and chatted with filmmakers, cast, crew, musicians, and more. He’s excited to release these episodes over the next few weeks with the cast of Atlanta, Tony Hawk, and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels – just to name a few.

One of Trey’s favorite celebrity memoirs is Matthew McConaughey‘s Greenlights. He appreciates that McConaughey’s writing style mirrors the way he speaks and adds humor when retelling even the saddest parts of his life, like his father’s death.

Podsauce host Alesha challenged Trey to name his all-time favorite author, a difficult choice for any avid reader. Trey loves Aldous Huxley. But which book impacted Trey’s life? Trey cites former world chess champion Gary Kasparov’s book, How Life Imitates Chess, sharing critical advice to plan several steps ahead on the chessboard and in the game of life.

Reading this book inspired Trey to step out of the box and change his life personally and professionally after attending college. He worked in radio, moved to different cities, and took chances on a journey that led to podcasting and future decisions.

Some of Trey’s favorite podcast interviews include director/filmmaker Oliver Stone’s episodes. Oliver talked about his documentary, JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass, on the anniversary of JFK’s assassination.

Dax, Alesha, and Trey discussed audiobooks. Alesha is a fan of hearing iconic voices like Barack Obama and Will Smith narrate their own books.

Since Trey is a self-proclaimed fitness nerd, he recommends the podcast “Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth” for anyone looking to amp up their workouts.

Lastly, Alesha asked a zinger – what Trey considered the best question of the interview: hardcover or paperback?

Trey Elling’s Picks

Books on Pod with Trey Elling

Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth