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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912
Books
635
Recently mentioned
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In the Game until the End Volume II
Robert H Wachtel
Mentioned 1 month ago
677. Can Backgammon Save Us from Ourselves?
"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"
Richard P. Feynman
Mentioned 1 month ago
The Vanishing Mr. Feynman (Update)
Madame Bovary
Gustave Flaubert
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The Vanishing Mr. Feynman (Update)
What Do You Care What Other People Think
Richard P. Feynman
Mentioned 1 month ago
The Vanishing Mr. Feynman (Update)
The Grasshopper - Third Edition
Bernard Suits
Mentioned 2 months ago
675. Has the New York Times Become a Games Company?
Rules of Play
Katie Salen Tekinbas
Mentioned 2 months ago
675. Has the New York Times Become a Games Company?
Interaction of Color
Josef Albers
Mentioned 2 months ago
675. Has the New York Times Become a Games Company?
The Wealth of Nations (Modern Library)
Adam Smith
Mentioned 2 months ago
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
Mentioned 2 months ago
673. What Is Money?
Hard Times
Charles Dickens
Mentioned 2 months ago
673. What Is Money?
Most Recommended
Think Small
The Tiniest Art in the World
It was described as a self-help manual that used behavioral science insights from large-scale government policies to help people solve their own issues, and was mentioned as a book the authors wrote to spread the gospel of the nudge unit.
"
Think Small is a new book. Details to come later.
— Episode: 281. Big Returns from Thinking Small
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Episode: 281. Big Returns from Thinking Small
It was described as a self-help manual that used behavioral science insights from large-scale government policies to help people solve their own issues, and was mentioned as a book the authors wrote to spread the gospel of the nudge unit.
"
Think Small is a new book. Details to come later.
They became their own guinea pigs, distilling the insights from big government policies into a self-help manual called Think Small.
And the nudge unit's success led Rory Gallaher and Owen Service to want to spread the gospel via their book, Think Small.
So it's not just about public policy, but it's about what you can do in your personal lives and your work lives. And that we felt was a missing space.
The Know-It-All
One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World
The New York Times Bestselling author spent 18 months reading the entirety of the Encyclopedia Britannica, which he mentioned as his fact-checking credential.
"
For his first book, The Know-It-All, he spent 18 months reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica.
— 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...
The New York Times Bestselling author spent 18 months reading the entirety of the Encyclopedia Britannica, which he mentioned as his fact-checking credential.
"
For his first book, The Know-It-All, he spent 18 months reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica.
Enchanted Islands
A Mediterranean Odyssey – A Memoir of Travels through Love, Grief and Mythology
It was mentioned as her most recent novel, which was one of three novels and a short story collection that she had written.
"
I've written a short story collection and three novels, the most recent of which is called Enchanted Islands.
— 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 her most recent novel, which was one of three novels and a short story collection that she had written.
"
I've written a short story collection and three novels, the most recent of which is called Enchanted Islands.
X-Men
Days of Future Past
It was a comic book series that Brian Singer adapted into a film, due to its interesting themes of tolerance and its characters, ultimately learning a lot about special effects in the process.
"
I always knew that I always wanted to get into science fiction and fantasy. I didn't realize I would do it through comic books, but a friend of mine, Tom, introduced me to the idea of The X-Me...
— Episode: 276. No Hollywood Ending for the Visual-...
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Episode: 276. No Hollywood Ending for the Visual-Effects In...
It was a comic book series that Brian Singer adapted into a film, due to its interesting themes of tolerance and its characters, ultimately learning a lot about special effects in the process.
"
I always knew that I always wanted to get into science fiction and fantasy. I didn't realize I would do it through comic books, but a friend of mine, Tom, introduced me to the idea of The X-Men.
Fantastic Four (Penguin Classics Marvel Collection)
It was mentioned in the context of Brian Singer meeting Stan Lee, who created it, along with other famous characters, and discussing the possibility of bringing a comic book universe to life.
"
And it was during that meeting I started thinking, wow, this is Stan Lee. This is the man who created Spider-Man and Fantastic Four and the Hulk and all these characters, and he's an...
— Episode: 276. No Hollywood Ending for the Visual-...
Listen on Audible
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Episode: 276. No Hollywood Ending for the Visual-Effects In...
It was mentioned in the context of Brian Singer meeting Stan Lee, who created it, along with other famous characters, and discussing the possibility of bringing a comic book universe to life.
"
And it was during that meeting I started thinking, wow, this is Stan Lee. This is the man who created Spider-Man and Fantastic Four and the Hulk and all these characters, and he's an icon, and he loved The Usual Suspects and went off on it and treated me so nicely.
The Incredible Hulk (Marvel
Incredible Hulk) (Little Golden Book)
It was mentioned in the context of Brian Singer meeting Stan Lee, who created it, along with other famous characters, and discussing the possibility of bringing a comic book universe to life.
"
And it was during that meeting I started thinking, wow, this is Stan Lee. This is the man who created Spider-Man and Fantastic Four and the Hulk and all these characters, and he's an icon, and he love...
— Episode: 276. No Hollywood Ending for the Visual-...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: 276. No Hollywood Ending for the Visual-Effects In...
It was mentioned in the context of Brian Singer meeting Stan Lee, who created it, along with other famous characters, and discussing the possibility of bringing a comic book universe to life.
"
And it was during that meeting I started thinking, wow, this is Stan Lee. This is the man who created Spider-Man and Fantastic Four and the Hulk and all these characters, and he's an icon, and he loved The Usual Suspects and went off on it and treated me so nicely.
Big Coal
The Dirty Secret Behind America's Energy Future
It was mentioned as the book that first introduced Michael Hendricks to the topic of coal mining and its potential public health impacts, sparking his research.
"
I happened to come across a book. It was written by a journalist, Jeff Goodell, called Big Coal.
— Episode: 275. Professor Hendryx vs. Big Coal
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Episode: 275. Professor Hendryx vs. Big Coal
It was mentioned as the book that first introduced Michael Hendricks to the topic of coal mining and its potential public health impacts, sparking his research.
"
I happened to come across a book. It was written by a journalist, Jeff Goodell, called Big Coal.
And he was doing stories about the important and kind of quiet role that coal played in American life.
And he was the one who was describing some of the stories of people that lived in these mining communities.
The Epic of America
It was written during the Great Depression but held a positive view of the US. It's believed the book introduced the concept of the American Dream.
"
He won a Pulitzer Prize for History of New England. And later he wrote a book called The Epic of America.
— Episode: Is the American Dream Really Dead?
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Episode: Is the American Dream Really Dead?
It was written during the Great Depression but held a positive view of the US. It's believed the book introduced the concept of the American Dream.
"
He won a Pulitzer Prize for History of New England. And later he wrote a book called The Epic of America.
Even though it was written during the Great Depression, Adams took a fundamentally bullish view of the United States. His book was hugely popular and as best as we can tell, it introduced the phrase the American Dream.
Adams defined this as, that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.
Wonder Woman (DC Super Heroes
Wonder Woman) (Little Golden Book)
It was mentioned that Debora Spar, president of Barnard College, wrote a book about business, technology and society, titled Wonder Women: Sex, Power and the Quest for Perfection.
"
We know you've written widely about business, technology and society, most notably in a book called Wonder Women, Sex, Power and the Quest for Perfection.
— Episode: Introducing Stephen J. Dubner's new podc...
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Episode: Introducing Stephen J. Dubner's new podcast, "Tell...
It was mentioned that Debora Spar, president of Barnard College, wrote a book about business, technology and society, titled Wonder Women: Sex, Power and the Quest for Perfection.
"
We know you've written widely about business, technology and society, most notably in a book called Wonder Women, Sex, Power and the Quest for Perfection.
Panic at the Pump
The Energy Crisis and the Transformation of American Politics in the 1970s
Meg Jacobs, a history professor, mentioned her book 'Panic at the Pump' in the context of the 1974 energy crisis and how it impacted the American public.
"
So I've just written a book called Panic at the Pump about the energy crisis.
— Episode: Introducing Stephen J. Dubner's new podc...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Introducing Stephen J. Dubner's new podcast, "Tell...
Meg Jacobs, a history professor, mentioned her book 'Panic at the Pump' in the context of the 1974 energy crisis and how it impacted the American public.
"
So I've just written a book called Panic at the Pump about the energy crisis.
The Electors
It was written by Roy Neal, a campaign manager for Al Gore. The book was a fantasy about what could happen if electors don't vote how their state intended.
"
Roy Neal, who was my third campaign manager and very close to Al Gore, just wrote a wonderful book called The Electors.
— Episode: 255. Ten Ideas to Make Politics Less Rot...
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Episode: 255. Ten Ideas to Make Politics Less Rotten
It was written by Roy Neal, a campaign manager for Al Gore. The book was a fantasy about what could happen if electors don't vote how their state intended.
"
Roy Neal, who was my third campaign manager and very close to Al Gore, just wrote a wonderful book called The Electors.
The Triumph of William McKinley
Why the Election of 1896 Still Matters
Karl Rove wrote this book about the 1896 election, which he uses to draw comparisons to the modern political climate, saying that the past political climate was worse, but that it was still broken.
"
Let's start briefly with your most recent book, The Triumph of William McKinley. Why the election of 1896 still matters.
— Episode: 255. Ten Ideas to Make Politics Less Rot...
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Episode: 255. Ten Ideas to Make Politics Less Rotten
Karl Rove wrote this book about the 1896 election, which he uses to draw comparisons to the modern political climate, saying that the past political climate was worse, but that it was still broken.
"
Let's start briefly with your most recent book, The Triumph of William McKinley. Why the election of 1896 still matters.
I didn't set out to write a book drawing parallels. I set out to write a durable history of the 1896 election.
Whatever Happened to the Metric System?
How America Kept Its Feet
It was discussed as a book that looked at the idealism of measures, such as the metric system, and explored its history and the people involved in its development, particularly in the context of the French Revolution and American figures.
"
I'm in the middle of almost about to finish Whatever Happened to the Metric System Which is written by my dear friend John Marciano great book when I was a kid We were all gonna give up, you know Amer...
— Episode: 252. Confessions of a Pothole Politician
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Episode: 252. Confessions of a Pothole Politician
It was discussed as a book that looked at the idealism of measures, such as the metric system, and explored its history and the people involved in its development, particularly in the context of the French Revolution and American figures.
"
I'm in the middle of almost about to finish Whatever Happened to the Metric System Which is written by my dear friend John Marciano great book when I was a kid We were all gonna give up, you know American Standard System and go to metric system and it just shows about the idealism of clocks of measures the French Revolution the metric system the people like John Quincy Adams and historical figures that have been idealists and practical ones
Walkable City
How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time
The book was described as a great read, offering a perspective on urban planning and design that moves away from car-centric views and focuses on pedestrian-friendly spaces.
"
Another book that I have been reading is called Walkable City It's a great great book that kind of Looks at how we can turn places even like Los Angeles and not just think about the v...
— Episode: 252. Confessions of a Pothole Politician
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: 252. Confessions of a Pothole Politician
The book was described as a great read, offering a perspective on urban planning and design that moves away from car-centric views and focuses on pedestrian-friendly spaces.
"
Another book that I have been reading is called Walkable City It's a great great book that kind of Looks at how we can turn places even like Los Angeles and not just think about the view from the car But how we can look at the view from the sidewalks and make sure that we have something that is more human Centered
Labyrinths
It was mentioned as a rereading of a favorite book of the speaker's, who found its ideas about the universe and an infinite library of books appealing, particularly in a short story called 'The Library of Babel'.
"
I've been rereading Jorge Luis Borges Labyrinthos or Labyrinths. He's my favorite author and the moment that we ever think we have the world organized I just read about one of my favo...
— Episode: 252. Confessions of a Pothole Politician
Listen on Audible
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Episode: 252. Confessions of a Pothole Politician
It was mentioned as a rereading of a favorite book of the speaker's, who found its ideas about the universe and an infinite library of books appealing, particularly in a short story called 'The Library of Babel'.
"
I've been rereading Jorge Luis Borges Labyrinthos or Labyrinths. He's my favorite author and the moment that we ever think we have the world organized I just read about one of my favorite short stories and it is the library of Babel which says that the universe essentially is a set of interconnected hexagonal rooms of books and Every book that could ever be written in every combination of words and every language is in this infinite library And I love that as an idea.
Cockpit Confidential
Everything You Need to Know About Air Travel
It was described as a book with everything you need to know about air travel, covering many aspects of the aviation industry. The author, a pilot, shared insights into the airline experience from a professional perspective.
"
And my book is called Cockpit Confidential, Everything You Need to Know About Air Travel.
— Episode: 250. Why Does Everyone Hate Flying? And...
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Episode: 250. Why Does Everyone Hate Flying? And Other Ques...
It was described as a book with everything you need to know about air travel, covering many aspects of the aviation industry. The author, a pilot, shared insights into the airline experience from a professional perspective.
"
And my book is called Cockpit Confidential, Everything You Need to Know About Air Travel.
Patrick Smith is an airline pilot with a website called askthepilot.com and a book called Cockpit Confidential.
Naked Economics
Undressing the Dismal Science
It was mentioned in passing as one of the author's books, and briefly used as a reference to show that bookmakers' odds aren't precise calculations of probabilities.
"
That's Charlie Whelan... and I'm the author of the Naked Books, Naked Economics, Naked Statistics and most recently Naked Money
— Episode: 249. The Longest Long Shot
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Episode: 249. The Longest Long Shot
It was mentioned in passing as one of the author's books, and briefly used as a reference to show that bookmakers' odds aren't precise calculations of probabilities.
"
That's Charlie Whelan... and I'm the author of the Naked Books, Naked Economics, Naked Statistics and most recently Naked Money
Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.