Freakonomics Radio
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...

Episodes 912
Books 635

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Latest Recommendations

The Backgammon Chronicles: A Pro's Adventures on Tour Volume 1 cover

The Backgammon Chronicles

Robert Wachtel

Mentioned 1 month ago

677. Can Backgammon Save Us from Ourselves?

The book was referenced as a chronicle of the backgammon scene, with Wachtell using it to compare past and present eras of the game.

Here's how Bob Wachtell described it in his book The Backgammon Chronicles, A Pro's Adventure on Tour, Volume 1.

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In the Game until the End Volume II: Ace-Point Endgame Analysis--the Next Generation cover

In the Game until the End Volume II

Robert H Wachtel

Mentioned 1 month ago

677. Can Backgammon Save Us from Ourselves?

The title was mentioned as the name of the first volume focusing on a tiny segment of the bearoff situation in backgammon.

Yes, but only a tiny segment of the bear-off. The first volume, I decided to name it In the Game Until the End, because back in the day at the Mayfair Club in New York, the marks or pigeons, when they got in these positions, would say, at least I'm in the game until the end.

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"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character cover

"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"

Richard P. Feynman

Mentioned 1 month ago

The Vanishing Mr. Feynman (Update)

The hosts said it was the first of the two books that made Feynman famous toward the end of his life and noted it had become a bestseller.

The first one was called Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman, Adventures of a Curious Character.

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Madame Bovary: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) cover

Madame Bovary

Gustave Flaubert

Mentioned 1 month ago

The Vanishing Mr. Feynman (Update)

Leighton recounted that Feynman once mentioned having read the novel Madame Bovary.

He said, I did read a novel once. It was called Madame Bovary and it was kind of nifty.

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What Do You Care What Other People Think: Further Adventures of a Curious Character cover

What Do You Care What Other People Think

Richard P. Feynman

Mentioned 1 month ago

The Vanishing Mr. Feynman (Update)

The episode identified it as the second book cowritten by Feynman, describing it as a further collection of his adventures.

The second book was called What Do You Care What Other People Think? Further Adventures of a Curious Character.

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The Grasshopper - Third Edition: Games, Life and Utopia cover

The Grasshopper - Third Edition

Bernard Suits

Mentioned 2 months ago

675. Has the New York Times Become a Games Company?

The host noted that Bernard Suits had published a sly and influential little book called The Grasshopper, which defined game playing as the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles.

In 1978, the Canadian philosopher Bernard Suits published a sly and influential little book called The Grasshopper, Games, Life, and Utopia, in which he defined game playing as the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles.

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Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals (Mit Press) cover

Rules of Play

Katie Salen Tekinbas

Mentioned 2 months ago

675. Has the New York Times Become a Games Company?

The conversation highlighted Zimmerman's book Rules of Play as the defining textbook of game design, emphasizing its influence on the field.

Zimmerman's book, Rules of Play, is now considered a defining textbook of game design.

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Interaction of Color: 50th Anniversary Edition cover

Interaction of Color

Josef Albers

Mentioned 2 months ago

675. Has the New York Times Become a Games Company?

Albers was mentioned as the author of Interaction of Color, described as an amazing book on color theory that the host had read during art school.

Joseph Albers was a German artist who came to the United States and taught at Yale University. He wrote this amazing book called Interaction of Color.

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The Wealth of Nations (Modern Library) cover

The Wealth of Nations (Modern Library)

Adam Smith

Mentioned 2 months ago

674. How Does a Composer Feel After the World Premiere?

The transcript repeatedly referenced Adam Smith's 1776 classic, noting that Lang's new oratorio was based on its text and that its ideas were still seen as relevant to modern economics.

At the end of March, the composer David Lang debuted a modern piece of music set to a 250-year-old book, Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations.

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Adam Smith’s America: How a Scottish Philosopher Became an Icon of American Capitalism cover

Adam Smith’s America

Glory M. Liu

Mentioned 2 months ago

674. How Does a Composer Feel After the World Premiere?

The episode mentioned Glory Liu's nonfiction book, Adam Smith's America, which examines how the 18thcentury economist became an emblem of American capitalism.

author of a book called Adam Smith's America, how a Scottish philosopher became an icon of American capitalism.

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Jane Eyre cover

Jane Eyre

Charlotte Bronte

Mentioned 2 months ago

673. What Is Money?

The novel was referenced alongside other classic works as possible textual material for the composition.

I thought there was Dickens' Hard Times and Trollope and Jane Eyre and I'm a huge Zola fan.

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Hard Times cover

Hard Times

Charles Dickens

Mentioned 2 months ago

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.

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Most Recommended

Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity Cover

Peter Attia MD

Outlive

The Science and Art of Longevity

The host introduced Peter Atiyah as the author of the bestselling book Outlive, The Science and Art of Longevity, highlighting his expertise in longevity medicine.

"

He wrote the bestselling book, Outlive, The Science and Art of Longevity.

— Episode: 658. This Is Your Brain on Supplements

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Episode: 658. This Is Your Brain on Supplements

The host introduced Peter Atiyah as the author of the bestselling book Outlive, The Science and Art of Longevity, highlighting his expertise in longevity medicine.

"

He wrote the bestselling book, Outlive, The Science and Art of Longevity.

Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! Cover

Robert T. Kiyosaki

Rich Dad Poor Dad

What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!

The book was cited as one of the bestselling personalfinance titles whose advice was compared to academic research in Choi's paper.

"

He examines the advice given in books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley and William Danko, and Women and Money by Susie Orman.

— Episode: Are Personal Finance Gurus Giving You Ba...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Are Personal Finance Gurus Giving You Bad Advice?...

The book was cited as one of the bestselling personalfinance titles whose advice was compared to academic research in Choi's paper.

"

He examines the advice given in books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley and William Danko, and Women and Money by Susie Orman.

The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy Cover

Thomas J. Stanley Ph.D.

The Millionaire Next Door

The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy

The book was referenced as a topselling personalfinance work examined in the research comparing popular advice to academic findings.

"

He examines the advice given in books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley and William Danko, and Women and Money by Susie Orman.

— Episode: Are Personal Finance Gurus Giving You Ba...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Are Personal Finance Gurus Giving You Bad Advice?...

The book was referenced as a topselling personalfinance work examined in the research comparing popular advice to academic findings.

"

He examines the advice given in books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley and William Danko, and Women and Money by Susie Orman.

Women & Money (Revised and Updated) Cover

Suze Orman

Women & Money (Revised and Updated)

The title was listed among the widelyread finance books whose advice was scrutinized in Choi's academic analysis.

"

He examines the advice given in books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley and William Danko, and Women and Money by Susie Orman.

— Episode: Are Personal Finance Gurus Giving You Ba...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Are Personal Finance Gurus Giving You Bad Advice?...

The title was listed among the widelyread finance books whose advice was scrutinized in Choi's academic analysis.

"

He examines the advice given in books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley and William Danko, and Women and Money by Susie Orman.

The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke Cover

Suze Orman

The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke

The book was mentioned as a popular finance title that is less academically rigorous than the economistauthored papers discussed.

"

The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous and Broke by Susie Orman might sound a wee bit more accessible than an econ paper like Optimal Lifecycle Asset Allocation, Understanding the Empirical Evidence.

— Episode: Are Personal Finance Gurus Giving You Ba...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Are Personal Finance Gurus Giving You Bad Advice?...

The book was mentioned as a popular finance title that is less academically rigorous than the economistauthored papers discussed.

"

The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous and Broke by Susie Orman might sound a wee bit more accessible than an econ paper like Optimal Lifecycle Asset Allocation, Understanding the Empirical Evidence.

Super Freakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance Cover

Steven D. Levitt

Super Freakonomics

Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance

The hosts noted that they had discussed the Dictator Game in depth in SuperFreakonomics, referring to the book as a source for that material.

"

For what it's worth, we wrote about the Dictator Game at length in Super Freakonomics and a related game called Ultimatum.

— Episode: Are the Rich Really Less Generous Than t...

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Episode: Are the Rich Really Less Generous Than the Poor? (...

The hosts noted that they had discussed the Dictator Game in depth in SuperFreakonomics, referring to the book as a source for that material.

"

For what it's worth, we wrote about the Dictator Game at length in Super Freakonomics and a related game called Ultimatum.

Handel in London: The Making of a Genius Cover

Jane Glover

Handel in London

The Making of a Genius

The host said it was one of the most helpful books they read while making the series about Handel's Messiah.

"

When we first set out to make this series about Handel's Messiah, one of the most helpful books I read was called Handel in London, The Making of a Genius by Jane Glover.

— Episode: 657. Whose “Messiah” Is It Anyway?

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Episode: 657. Whose “Messiah” Is It Anyway?

The host said it was one of the most helpful books they read while making the series about Handel's Messiah.

"

When we first set out to make this series about Handel's Messiah, one of the most helpful books I read was called Handel in London, The Making of a Genius by Jane Glover.

Tainted Glory in Handel's Messiah: The Unsettling History of the World's Most Beloved Choral Work Cover

Michael Marissen

Tainted Glory in Handel's Messiah

The Unsettling History of the World's Most Beloved Choral Work

The conversation identified it as a controversial book that explores the unsettling history of the world's most beloved choral work.

"

These are the topics explored in a book, a controversial book in Messiah circles, called Tainted Glory in Handel's Messiah, the unsettling history of the world's most beloved choral w...

— Episode: 657. Whose “Messiah” Is It Anyway?

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: 657. Whose “Messiah” Is It Anyway?

The conversation identified it as a controversial book that explores the unsettling history of the world's most beloved choral work.

"

These are the topics explored in a book, a controversial book in Messiah circles, called Tainted Glory in Handel's Messiah, the unsettling history of the world's most beloved choral work. Its author is Michael Marissen.

Handel: Album For the Piano | 22 Favorite Baroque Pieces for Classical Pianists | Piano Sheet Music Collection for Students and Teachers | Intermediate to Advanced Repertoire for Recitals Cover

Giuseppe Buonamici

Handel

Album For the Piano | 22 Favorite Baroque Pieces for Classical Pianists | Piano Sheet Music Collection for Students and Teachers | Intermediate to Advanced Repertoire for Recitals

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial
Baby Dunks-a-Lot: A Picture Book Cover

Jayson Tatum

Baby Dunks-a-Lot

A Picture Book

During the bookstore event, the host reported that NBA star Jason Tatum had recently published a children's book titled Baby DunksALot.

"

He has come to the big bookstore ... to talk about a children's book he just published. It's called Baby Dunks-a-Lot.

— Episode: Dying Is Easy. Retail Is Hard. (Update)

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Dying Is Easy. Retail Is Hard. (Update)

During the bookstore event, the host reported that NBA star Jason Tatum had recently published a children's book titled Baby DunksALot.

"

He has come to the big bookstore ... to talk about a children's book he just published. It's called Baby Dunks-a-Lot.

Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything Cover

Steven D. Levitt

Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]

A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

They wrote the original book with low expectations, it received unexpectedly strong reviews and became a bestseller that inspired many readers over two decades.

"

The book did not enter the world with high expectations. It had no central thesis, and even our publisher disliked the title.

— Episode: What Happens When You Turn 20

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: What Happens When You Turn 20

They wrote the original book with low expectations, it received unexpectedly strong reviews and became a bestseller that inspired many readers over two decades.

"

The book did not enter the world with high expectations. It had no central thesis, and even our publisher disliked the title.

The reviews were almost embarrassingly good. The book showed up on bestseller lists and then, weirdly, on TV shows like Modern Family and Jeopardy and Sherlock.

And thanks to everyone who's ever read Freakonomics or will read it now in the 20th anniversary edition.

Freakonomics Twentieth Anniversary Edition: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything—A Groundbreaking Exploration of Hidden Incentives, Behavioral Economics, and Unconventional Wisdom Cover

Steven D. Levitt

Freakonomics Twentieth Anniversary Edition

A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything—A Groundbreaking Exploration of Hidden Incentives, Behavioral Economics, and Unconventional Wisdom

The 20thanniversary edition, published on November112025, includes a new forward and celebrates two decades of impact.

"

I am recording this on November 11th, 2025, which is the very day that the 20th anniversary edition of our book Freakonomics is being published.

— Episode: What Happens When You Turn 20

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: What Happens When You Turn 20

The 20thanniversary edition, published on November112025, includes a new forward and celebrates two decades of impact.

"

I am recording this on November 11th, 2025, which is the very day that the 20th anniversary edition of our book Freakonomics is being published.

And thanks to everyone who's ever read Freakonomics or will read it now in the 20th anniversary edition.

Super Freakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance Cover

Steven D. Levitt

Super Freakonomics

Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance

Their second book, finished as a manuscript around 2009, expanded the original ideas with new stories and datadriven insights.

"

We just finished the manuscript for our second book, Super Freakonomics. This was maybe 2009.

— Episode: What Happens When You Turn 20

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: What Happens When You Turn 20

Their second book, finished as a manuscript around 2009, expanded the original ideas with new stories and datadriven insights.

"

We just finished the manuscript for our second book, Super Freakonomics. This was maybe 2009.

Silk Roads Cover

Peter Frankopan

Silk Roads

The book was highlighted as Frankopan's bestknown work, published in 2015, covering world history through the lens of trade routes.

"

Frankopan has written several books about the ancient world. His best known, published in 2015, is called The Silk Roads, A New History of the World.

— Episode: 651. The Ultimate Dance Partner

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: 651. The Ultimate Dance Partner

The book was highlighted as Frankopan's bestknown work, published in 2015, covering world history through the lens of trade routes.

"

Frankopan has written several books about the ancient world. His best known, published in 2015, is called The Silk Roads, A New History of the World.

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