The Backgammon Chronicles
Robert Wachtel
Mentioned 1 month ago
677. Can Backgammon Save Us from Ourselves?
Book Recommendations
Freakonomics Radio
Freakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner uncovers the hidden side of everything. Why is it safer to fly in an airplane than drive a car? How do we decide whom to marry? Why is the media so full of bad news? Also: things you never knew you wanted to know about wolves, bananas, pollution, search engin...
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Books
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Recently mentioned
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In the Game until the End Volume II
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Mentioned 1 month ago
677. Can Backgammon Save Us from Ourselves?
"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"
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Madame Bovary
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What Do You Care What Other People Think
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The Grasshopper - Third Edition
Bernard Suits
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675. Has the New York Times Become a Games Company?
Rules of Play
Katie Salen Tekinbas
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Interaction of Color
Josef Albers
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The Wealth of Nations (Modern Library)
Adam Smith
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674. How Does a Composer Feel After the World Premiere?
Adam Smith’s America
Glory M. Liu
Mentioned 2 months ago
674. How Does a Composer Feel After the World Premiere?
Jane Eyre
Charlotte Bronte
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673. What Is Money?
Hard Times
Charles Dickens
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673. What Is Money?
Most Recommended
Presumed Guilty (Presumed Innocent, 3)
It was mentioned as one of Scott Turow's books, and he also mentioned that it was a New York Times Bestseller.
"
We know you as the prototype of the lawyer novelist whose books include Presumed Innocent and most recently Testimony.
— Episode: "Tell Me Something I Don't Know" on the...
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Episode: "Tell Me Something I Don't Know" on the topic of R...
It was mentioned as one of Scott Turow's books, and he also mentioned that it was a New York Times Bestseller.
"
We know you as the prototype of the lawyer novelist whose books include Presumed Innocent and most recently Testimony.
Sense and Sensibility
It was briefly mentioned as an example of how Jane Austen used manipulative characters and strategic thinking within her writing.
"
But Michael Che's point isn't just that Jane Austen is doing all this in her novels, Emma and Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park and Sense and Sensibility.
— Episode: 132. Jane Austen, Game Theorist
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Episode: 132. Jane Austen, Game Theorist
It was briefly mentioned as an example of how Jane Austen used manipulative characters and strategic thinking within her writing.
"
But Michael Che's point isn't just that Jane Austen is doing all this in her novels, Emma and Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park and Sense and Sensibility.
The Firm
A Novel (The Firm Series)
It was mentioned in a discussion about how quickly markets can change, using the example of a 2001 article predicting an 'unbreakable monopoly' on instant messaging for AOL-Time Warner, based on the book's premise.
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I keep on my desk some articles from way back then about how back in 2001, for example, that demanding the Federal Trade Commission take aggressive action to block the merger of Time Warner and AOL be...
— Episode: 406. Can You Hear Me Now?
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Episode: 406. Can You Hear Me Now?
It was mentioned in a discussion about how quickly markets can change, using the example of a 2001 article predicting an 'unbreakable monopoly' on instant messaging for AOL-Time Warner, based on the book's premise.
"
I keep on my desk some articles from way back then about how back in 2001, for example, that demanding the Federal Trade Commission take aggressive action to block the merger of Time Warner and AOL because that company would have an unbreakable monopoly on instant messaging.
Tools Of Titans
The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers
It was mentioned as the latest book written by Tim Ferriss. The podcast host collected antique Japanese saddles as a reward for reaching milestones or goals.
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We know that your latest book is Tools Of Titans and that you host a hugely successful podcast called The Tim Ferris Show.
— Episode: 280. “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” on...
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Episode: 280. “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” on the topic...
It was mentioned as the latest book written by Tim Ferriss. The podcast host collected antique Japanese saddles as a reward for reaching milestones or goals.
"
We know that your latest book is Tools Of Titans and that you host a hugely successful podcast called The Tim Ferris Show.
Turning the Tables
From Housewife to Inmate and Back Again
It was mentioned that Andrew Haley, the author of this book, discussed the history of restaurants and how the practice of free bread became a tradition, especially with fixed-price meals.
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Andrew Haley, we should say here, is the author of a fascinating book called Turning the Tables, Restaurants and the Rise of the American Middle Class.
— Episode: 171. There’s No Such Thing as a Free App...
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Episode: 171. There’s No Such Thing as a Free Appetizer
It was mentioned that Andrew Haley, the author of this book, discussed the history of restaurants and how the practice of free bread became a tradition, especially with fixed-price meals.
"
Andrew Haley, we should say here, is the author of a fascinating book called Turning the Tables, Restaurants and the Rise of the American Middle Class.
Rule Makers, Rule Breakers
How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World
It was published in 2018 and detailed findings from a research project where roughly 7000 individuals from 33 countries were interviewed, looking into 'tight' and 'loose' cultures.
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In 2018, Gelfand published a book of these findings called Rulemakers, Rule Breakers, How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World.
— Episode: 469. The U.S. Is Just Different — So Let...
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Episode: 469. The U.S. Is Just Different — So Let’s Stop Pr...
It was published in 2018 and detailed findings from a research project where roughly 7000 individuals from 33 countries were interviewed, looking into 'tight' and 'loose' cultures.
"
In 2018, Gelfand published a book of these findings called Rulemakers, Rule Breakers, How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World.
The Year of Living Biblically
One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible
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The Sun Also Rises
The Original 1926 Unabridged And Complete Edition (Ernest Hemingway Classics)
Wachter quoted Hemingway's line from The Sun Also Rises about two ways to go bankrupt--gradually then suddenly--to illustrate healthcare's slow and sudden failures.
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The quote I like is Hemingway's quote from The Sun Also Rises. Now, 100 years ago, one of the characters goes bankrupt and another character says, how does a man go bankrupt? And famo...
— Episode: 661. Can A.I. Save Your Life?
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Episode: 661. Can A.I. Save Your Life?
Wachter quoted Hemingway's line from The Sun Also Rises about two ways to go bankrupt--gradually then suddenly--to illustrate healthcare's slow and sudden failures.
"
The quote I like is Hemingway's quote from The Sun Also Rises. Now, 100 years ago, one of the characters goes bankrupt and another character says, how does a man go bankrupt? And famously, he says, two ways: gradually then suddenly.
Hard Times
The hosts mentioned Dickens' novel as one of the literary sources they considered when selecting texts for the oratorio.
"
I thought there was Dickens' Hard Times and Trollope and Jane Eyre and I'm a huge Zola fan.
— Episode: 673. What Is Money?
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Episode: 673. What Is Money?
The hosts mentioned Dickens' novel as one of the literary sources they considered when selecting texts for the oratorio.
"
I thought there was Dickens' Hard Times and Trollope and Jane Eyre and I'm a huge Zola fan.
The Secret Garden (Puffin Classics)
Jennifer Egan referenced this children's classic, comparing its fantastical themes of entering another world to a basic, fundamental human desire for creative exploration.
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I think this is like a scourge for young people now from everything I hear. But if I can get that out of my head, which I find easier and easier as I get older, there's a feeling that there's sort of...
— Episode: 355. Where Does Creativity Come From (an...
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Episode: 355. Where Does Creativity Come From (and Why Do S...
Jennifer Egan referenced this children's classic, comparing its fantastical themes of entering another world to a basic, fundamental human desire for creative exploration.
"
I think this is like a scourge for young people now from everything I hear. But if I can get that out of my head, which I find easier and easier as I get older, there's a feeling that there's sort of a mystery that's waiting for me that I can possibly enter. There's so many childhood narratives that are really about this. I mean, The Secret Garden, all of the Narnia books, you know, about passing through a membrane or a border or door or jumping into a pool and being in another world.
Little House on the Prairie
Full Color Edition (Little House, 3)
It was discussed as a show and book series where the main character was a 'jack of all trades' but not good at anything in particular, and his family lived in poverty.
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I think back to the books and the TV series that were on when I was a kid, Little House on the Prairie and Pauw Angles.
— Episode: 493. Why Does the Most Monotonous Job in...
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Episode: 493. Why Does the Most Monotonous Job in the World...
It was discussed as a show and book series where the main character was a 'jack of all trades' but not good at anything in particular, and his family lived in poverty.
"
I think back to the books and the TV series that were on when I was a kid, Little House on the Prairie and Pauw Angles.
Helter Skelter
The True Story of the Manson Murders
It was mentioned as a book written by Vince Bugliosi who was a lawyer involved in a trial with Scott Turow right after law school.
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He had written a book called Helter Skelter and the book was about Charlie Manson.
— Episode: "Tell Me Something I Don't Know" on the...
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7-day free trial
Episode: "Tell Me Something I Don't Know" on the topic of R...
It was mentioned as a book written by Vince Bugliosi who was a lawyer involved in a trial with Scott Turow right after law school.
"
He had written a book called Helter Skelter and the book was about Charlie Manson.
Chasing My Cure
A Doctor's Race to Turn Hope into Action; A Memoir
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ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN
It was mentioned as a book that inspired Boris Johnson to become a journalist, although not as specifically as Scoop.
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And it's the book that made me want to be a journalist and that and ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN.
— Episode: 187. The Man Who Would Be Everything
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Episode: 187. The Man Who Would Be Everything
It was mentioned as a book that inspired Boris Johnson to become a journalist, although not as specifically as Scoop.
"
And it's the book that made me want to be a journalist and that and ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN.
The End of History and the Last Man
It was discussed in the context of the author's prediction about the future of liberal democracy, which he has not entirely changed his mind about, despite the recent political shifts.
"
In 1992, Fukuyama wrote a book that became a sensation. It was called The End of History and the Last Man.
— Episode: How to Change Your Mind (Ep. 379 Update)
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Episode: How to Change Your Mind (Ep. 379 Update)
It was discussed in the context of the author's prediction about the future of liberal democracy, which he has not entirely changed his mind about, despite the recent political shifts.
"
In 1992, Fukuyama wrote a book that became a sensation. It was called The End of History and the Last Man.
In the late 1980s, as I was following events in the Soviet Union, I said, well, to the extent that there's an end of history, it's going to look like liberal democracy tied to a market economy.
The Omnivore's Dilemma
A Natural History of Four Meals
It was discussed as a book that explores the challenges of food choices for humans, known as the omnivore's dilemma, stemming from our ability to consume a wide range of food items, some beneficial and others harmful.
"
He says a lot of our food problems are due to what's called The Omnivore's Dilemma, which is also the title of one of his books.
— Episode: 76. You Eat What You Are, Part 1
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Episode: 76. You Eat What You Are, Part 1
It was discussed as a book that explores the challenges of food choices for humans, known as the omnivore's dilemma, stemming from our ability to consume a wide range of food items, some beneficial and others harmful.
"
He says a lot of our food problems are due to what's called The Omnivore's Dilemma, which is also the title of one of his books.
The phrase The Omnivore's Dilemma is an anthropological term for an omnivore that can eat so many different things, some of which is not good for you, some of which will kill you.
And deciding between what is good and what is bad is a big part of why we have these giant brains we have.
Fast Food Nation
The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
It was mentioned as a book that made the speaker very hungry, even though it discussed fast food and its negative aspects.
"
I did read that book Fast Food Nation. It made me very very hungry.
— Episode: 230. The Cheeseburger Diet
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Episode: 230. The Cheeseburger Diet
It was mentioned as a book that made the speaker very hungry, even though it discussed fast food and its negative aspects.
"
I did read that book Fast Food Nation. It made me very very hungry.
To the Lighthouse
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The Death and Life of Great American Cities
50th Anniversary Edition (Modern Library)
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Complications
A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science
It was one of four books Atul Gawande authored, offering insights into the medical profession as a surgeon's notes on an imperfect science.
"
His other books are Complications, A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science,
— Episode: 333. The Most Ambitious Thing Humans Hav...
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Episode: 333. The Most Ambitious Thing Humans Have Ever Att...
It was one of four books Atul Gawande authored, offering insights into the medical profession as a surgeon's notes on an imperfect science.
"
His other books are Complications, A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science,
Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.