Behind the Bastards
Book Recommendations

Behind the Bastards

There’s a reason the History Channel has produced hundreds of documentaries about Hitler but only a few about Dwight D. Eisenhower. Bad guys (and gals) are eternally fascinating. Behind the Bastards dives in past the Cliffs Notes of the worst humans in history and exposes the bizarre realities of th...

Episodes 1,988
Books 1,560
The Tale Of The Wise Little Squirrel Cover

SEL SLEND

The Tale Of The Wise Little Squirrel

It was written by Brett Schickler, a salesman, who used ChatGPT to write a children's story about financial literacy, presented through the perspective of Sammy the Squirrel. It is available only in paperback format and received mixed reactions.

"

He told Reuters the idea of writing a book finally seemed possible.

— Episode: Part One: AI Is Coming for Your Children

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Episode: Part One: AI Is Coming for Your Children

It was written by Brett Schickler, a salesman, who used ChatGPT to write a children's story about financial literacy, presented through the perspective of Sammy the Squirrel. It is available only in paperback format and received mixed reactions.

"

He told Reuters the idea of writing a book finally seemed possible.

I thought I can do this.

Unfortunately, the book he put out is...

Why is that so funny? I can do this by not actually doing it.

Oh, it's a guide to financial literacy through the eyes of Sammy the Squirrel.

Ma Barker: America's Most Wanted Mother Cover

Chris Enss

Ma Barker

America's Most Wanted Mother

It was described as the best write-up of the story that the speaker had found and was a fun book to read, providing a main source for the episode's information about Ma Barker.

"

The Dalton's and the James boys were raised by strong defiant mothers who made sure they knew how to use a weapon and fight for what they wanted.

— Episode: Ma' Barker: A Doting Mother And Gangster...

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Episode: Ma' Barker: A Doting Mother And Gangster Overlord

It was described as the best write-up of the story that the speaker had found and was a fun book to read, providing a main source for the episode's information about Ma Barker.

"

The Dalton's and the James boys were raised by strong defiant mothers who made sure they knew how to use a weapon and fight for what they wanted.

Members of the Barker Karpis gang who were close to Ma generally kept the women they were seriously involved with away from her. It was a crazy system Alvin admitted years later and often created friction with our women who couldn't understand why we were so careful with her feelings.

Bank robberies beneath our dignity, she said bigger game is in our future.

Although it was a trying experience, I was treated with the utmost respect and courtesy.

Now you're thinking boys, now you're thinking.

Anarchism and Its Aspirations (Anarchist Interventions Book 1) Cover

Cindy Milstein

Anarchism and Its Aspirations (Anarchist Interventions Book 1)

It was described as a short and accessible read that explores mutual aid as an ethical compass and its role in fostering connections and challenging social detachment.

"

The other one that I really like is Cindy Milstein's Anarchism and Its Aspirations.

— Episode: It Could Happen Here Weekly 88

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Episode: It Could Happen Here Weekly 88

It was described as a short and accessible read that explores mutual aid as an ethical compass and its role in fostering connections and challenging social detachment.

"

The other one that I really like is Cindy Milstein's Anarchism and Its Aspirations.

Ultimate Guide Wiring, Updated 9th Edition (Ultimate Guides) Cover

Charles Byers

Ultimate Guide Wiring, Updated 9th Edition (Ultimate Guides)

It was mentioned as a six-page book that supposedly teaches you everything you need to know about electrical work, including that metal conducts electricity and you don't need to wear gloves.

"

go to Amazon dot com and look up Cool Zones Media. Cool Zone Media is home electrician's guide. It's six pages long.

— Episode: Part Two: Elon Musk is Being Sued, LMAO

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Episode: Part Two: Elon Musk is Being Sued, LMAO

It was mentioned as a six-page book that supposedly teaches you everything you need to know about electrical work, including that metal conducts electricity and you don't need to wear gloves.

"

go to Amazon dot com and look up Cool Zones Media. Cool Zone Media is home electrician's guide. It's six pages long.

It's everything you need to know about doing electrical work. You'll be as as skilled as a licensed journeyman electrician. If you if you read this book, it includes such bangers as you don't need to wear gloves and metal conducts electricity.

And Hell Followed With Her: Crossing the Dark Side of the American Border Cover

David Neiwert

And Hell Followed With Her

Crossing the Dark Side of the American Border

It was mentioned in passing as an excellent book about border vigilantism, providing a detailed example of a border vigilante group murdering a father and daughter.

"

Here's just one example culled from David Newart's excellent book And Hell Followed With Her.

— Episode: It Could Happen Here Weekly 86

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Episode: It Could Happen Here Weekly 86

It was mentioned in passing as an excellent book about border vigilantism, providing a detailed example of a border vigilante group murdering a father and daughter.

"

Here's just one example culled from David Newart's excellent book And Hell Followed With Her.

The ego and his own: The case of the individual against authority Cover

Max; James J. Martin (editor) Stirner

The ego and his own

The case of the individual against authority

It was described as a book written by a well-known egoist philosopher who was influential on Arthur Desmond. It was also said that the book is difficult to understand, with interpretations ranging from left to right wing.

"

sterner wrote a book called The ego and his own

— Episode: Part One: Ragnar Redbeard: The Patron Sa...

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Episode: Part One: Ragnar Redbeard: The Patron Saint of Tox...

It was described as a book written by a well-known egoist philosopher who was influential on Arthur Desmond. It was also said that the book is difficult to understand, with interpretations ranging from left to right wing.

"

sterner wrote a book called The ego and his own

Max sterner's individualist anarchism is a way to overcome the horrors of the modern state he envisions a union of rational egoists in a society that does not need a ruler the community of rational egoists is a universal commercial society in fact the more a society is based on voluntary exchange the less right it is and thus less effective the force individualist anarchism carries its purpose in itself and does not serve a higher end the rational egoist will respect the what rights of others because he respects himself he will not be violent because he does not want to be attacked this attitude of the individual anarchist stands in sharp contrast to the destructive role of the collectivist entities individual egoism is the answer to the egoism of the collectives

sterner wrote my cause is neither the divine nor the human it is not the true the good the right the free etc but only mine and it is not universal but is unique like me as I am only I nothing goes beyond me and myself

The Influence of Soros: Politics, Power, and the Struggle for an Open Society Cover

Emily Tamkin

The Influence of Soros

Politics, Power, and the Struggle for an Open Society

The book was mentioned as a source for Soros's early career as a financial whiz, his predictions of the Plaza Accords, and his later involvement in currency speculation.

"

He's talking about - this guy named Karl Popper who is like a philosopher of science who also wrote this book called The Open Society that we'll talk about next episode more. Popper's philosophy made...

— Episode: It Could Happen Here Weekly 85

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Episode: It Could Happen Here Weekly 85

The book was mentioned as a source for Soros's early career as a financial whiz, his predictions of the Plaza Accords, and his later involvement in currency speculation.

"

He's talking about - this guy named Karl Popper who is like a philosopher of science who also wrote this book called The Open Society that we'll talk about next episode more. Popper's philosophy made me more sensitive to the role of misconceptions in financial markets, Soros said decades later.

People believe that markets don't lie and should be trusted but that isn't true, Soros knew. Markets react to humans and humans are fallible.

Instead of looking at the money being made or as Sebastian Malaby put it in More Money Than God, his book on the history of hedge funds, the psychology that drove investors' appetites, Soros looked at how one impacted the other, predicting that each would drive the other forward until the trust were so completely overvalued that a crash was inevitable.

It was a debate we had, Jones told me. We'd gone to work in Asia and here you are taking large-scale short positions in countries with institutional fragility. Going for the jugular in the United Kingdom was one thing. Doing the same in Thailand was another.

The Bank of England would surely recover. Thailand was a developing economy and it was unclear what impact outside investors could have. Soros has justified speculation with the idea that it could serve as a kind of warning to governments.

More Money Than God: Hedge Funds and the Making of a New Elite Cover

Sebastian Mallaby

More Money Than God

Hedge Funds and the Making of a New Elite

The book is about the history of hedge funds and was mentioned in relation to George Soros's approach to finance.

"

Instead of looking at the money being made or as Sebastian Malaby put it in More Money Than God, his book on the history of hedge funds, the psychology that drove investors' appetites...

— Episode: It Could Happen Here Weekly 85

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: It Could Happen Here Weekly 85

The book is about the history of hedge funds and was mentioned in relation to George Soros's approach to finance.

"

Instead of looking at the money being made or as Sebastian Malaby put it in More Money Than God, his book on the history of hedge funds, the psychology that drove investors' appetites, Soros looked at how one impacted the other, predicting that each would drive the other forward until the trust were so completely overvalued that a crash was inevitable.

The Eighth Wonder of the World: The True Story of André the Giant Cover

Bertrand Hébert

The Eighth Wonder of the World

The True Story of André the Giant

A 2018 documentary was discussed and criticized for whitewashing some of the details of Andre the Giant's life and career, specifically regarding the relationship between Andre and Vince McMahon.

"

I found a documentary. There's a documentary came out in 2018 by Bill Simmons, just titled Andre the Giant.

— Episode: Part Four: Vince McMahon, History's Grea...

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Episode: Part Four: Vince McMahon, History's Greatest Monst...

A 2018 documentary was discussed and criticized for whitewashing some of the details of Andre the Giant's life and career, specifically regarding the relationship between Andre and Vince McMahon.

"

I found a documentary. There's a documentary came out in 2018 by Bill Simmons, just titled Andre the Giant.

When his career was over, he had no value, you know, to himself.

No longer am I going to be around the boys and socializing and things of that nature, I'm stuck here in North Carolina.

And I was responsible for the fact that business was good and everybody else was going on about it.

I'm very more or less wanted to blame me, you know, and presented me a bit because he knew the business was going to go on about him.

Death of the Territories: Expansion, Betrayal and the War that Changed Pro Wrestling Forever Cover

Tim Hornbaker

Death of the Territories

Expansion, Betrayal and the War that Changed Pro Wrestling Forever

It was discussed as a detailed resource on the history of wrestling, specifically how Vince McMahon's WWF impacted the regional wrestling territories in the US.

"

And I'm going to quote now from a book called 'Death of the Territories' by Tim Hornbaker.

— Episode: Part Three: Vince McMahon, History's Gre...

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Episode: Part Three: Vince McMahon, History's Greatest Mons...

It was discussed as a detailed resource on the history of wrestling, specifically how Vince McMahon's WWF impacted the regional wrestling territories in the US.

"

And I'm going to quote now from a book called 'Death of the Territories' by Tim Hornbaker.

The central idea was to build up a succession of threatening challengers for Sammartino.

If you are a huge wrestling nerd and you want forensic detail about how this went, the book 'Death of the Territories' is the best resource by a mile.

Sex, Lies, and Headlocks: The Real Story of Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation Cover

Shaun Assael

Sex, Lies, and Headlocks

The Real Story of Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation

This book alleges that a source close to the McMahons tipped them off that the FBI was going after their doctor, George Zahorian. It also claims that Vince McMahon used human growth hormone on his bodybuilders, taken from human cadavers.

"

The book Sex, Lies and Headlocks alleges that a source close to the McMahons tipped them off that this has happened.

— Episode: Part Six: Vince McMahon, History's Great...

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Episode: Part Six: Vince McMahon, History's Greatest Monste...

This book alleges that a source close to the McMahons tipped them off that the FBI was going after their doctor, George Zahorian. It also claims that Vince McMahon used human growth hormone on his bodybuilders, taken from human cadavers.

"

The book Sex, Lies and Headlocks alleges that a source close to the McMahons tipped them off that this has happened.

One of Vince's bodybuilders later claimed we all had our connections on the streets. If you were smart, you could get around the test. The ones who could afford it just moved on to human growth hormones taken from human cadavers, which was the latest thing. I wasn't worried.

Anarchism and the Black Revolution: The Definitive Edition (Black Critique) Cover

Lorenzo Kom’boa Ervin

Anarchism and the Black Revolution

The Definitive Edition (Black Critique)

The book was written while Irvin was in prison and emphasized that anarchism is the most democratic, effective, and radical way to obtain freedom for the Black community. The book gained immense popularity and was later published in 2021.

"

Anarchism and the Black Revolution was written in prison.

— Episode: It Could Happen Here Weekly 84

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Episode: It Could Happen Here Weekly 84

The book was written while Irvin was in prison and emphasized that anarchism is the most democratic, effective, and radical way to obtain freedom for the Black community. The book gained immense popularity and was later published in 2021.

"

Anarchism and the Black Revolution was written in prison.

He emphasized that anarchism is the most democratic, effective, and radical way to obtain freedom for the Black community.

The first edition of Anarchism and the Black Revolution was published quite a while ago. It's still the edition that is available in the anarchist library which you can check out.

But it is, I would consider it to be a sort of rough early edition. There are certainly some typos and editorial mistakes and stuff that were addressed in the most recent edition that was published in I believe 2021.

And edited with some help from William C. Anderson, who also is another leading figure in the modern Black anarchist movement, having written works like Nation on No Map.

The Holy Quran:English Translation of The Noble Qur'an English Translate Thermo Leather Covered Quran| Quran Size:9.4*6.7 İnch/24*17cm Great Ramadan Gifts for Muslim Men,Women,Child(White,Quran) Cover

The Holy Quran

English Translation of The Noble Qur'an English Translate Thermo Leather Covered Quran| Quran Size

This book, co-authored with an unnamed individual, was self-published, and its introduction warned Muslim readers against reading it, fearing that it might lead to them understanding Islamic history and doctrines too thoroughly, potentially resulting in them becoming killers.

"

If you are a Muslim, please put this book down. We do not wish you to become a killer because this book leads you to understand the doctrines and history of Islam more thoroughly.

— Episode: Tommy Robinson: The Fascist Grifter With...

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Episode: Tommy Robinson: The Fascist Grifter With An Addict...

This book, co-authored with an unnamed individual, was self-published, and its introduction warned Muslim readers against reading it, fearing that it might lead to them understanding Islamic history and doctrines too thoroughly, potentially resulting in them becoming killers.

"

If you are a Muslim, please put this book down. We do not wish you to become a killer because this book leads you to understand the doctrines and history of Islam more thoroughly.

Freckle Juice Cover

Judy Blume

Freckle Juice

It was mentioned in passing as a book with a tip on how to travel to the future, which was likely a sarcastic comment.

"

And by the way, you have no retirement and zero retirement. Absolutely no benefits whatsoever. Your retirement is dying at 37. Yeah, that's your pension is you're not going to make it to 50. You're se...

— Episode: Part Two: Vince McMahon, History's Great...

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Episode: Part Two: Vince McMahon, History's Greatest Monste...

It was mentioned in passing as a book with a tip on how to travel to the future, which was likely a sarcastic comment.

"

And by the way, you have no retirement and zero retirement. Absolutely no benefits whatsoever. Your retirement is dying at 37. Yeah, that's your pension is you're not going to make it to 50. You're securing the knowledge that you're like, I mean, we're already mad. It's tragedy.

And also, you know, but Jose Canseco's book Juice. He's got some tips on how to use travel to the future. Do it.

WWE Legends - Superstar Billy Graham: Tangled Ropes Cover

Billy Graham

WWE Legends - Superstar Billy Graham

Tangled Ropes

It was mentioned as a source for the story about Jerry Graham's actions at the hospital following his mother's death.

"

When she died later that day, Graham showed up at the hospital with his 12 year old son wielding a hunting knife and a sawed off shotgun. A tearful Graham shoved down a nurse and tossed a security gua...

— Episode: Part Two: Vince McMahon, History's Great...

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Episode: Part Two: Vince McMahon, History's Greatest Monste...

It was mentioned as a source for the story about Jerry Graham's actions at the hospital following his mother's death.

"

When she died later that day, Graham showed up at the hospital with his 12 year old son wielding a hunting knife and a sawed off shotgun. A tearful Graham shoved down a nurse and tossed a security guard across a hallway, hoisting his dead mother's body off a gurney and draping it over his shoulder.

Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.