Choke

This book by Chuck Palahniuk has come up 2 times on Tim Ferriss. The people who brought it up: Chuck Palahniuk, Tim Ferriss. Every occurrence below links to the episode page and to the exact second it was said on YouTube.

Victor Mancini, a medical-school dropout, is an antihero for our deranged times. Needing to pay elder care for his mother, Victor has devised an ingenious scam: he pretends to choke on pieces of food while dining in upscale restaurants. He then allows himself to be "saved" by fellow patrons who, feeling responsible for Victor's life, go on to send checks to support him. When he's not pulling this stunt, Victor cruises sexual addiction recovery workshops for action, visits his addled mom, and spends his days working at a colonial theme park.