THE SCIENCE OF GETTING RICH
Wallace D. Wattles
Mentioned 7 months ago
How to talk (or not talk) politics at family holidays
Book Recommendations
Search Engine
We try to make sense of the world, one question at a time. No question too big, no question too small. Hosted by PJ Vogt, edited by Sruthi Pinnamaneni. ***Named one of the best podcasts by Vulture, Time, The Economist, & Vogue. (OK, in 2023, but still...)***
Episodes
124
Books
37
Recently mentioned
Latest Recommendations
Inflation
Mark Blyth
Mentioned 1 year ago
Is everyone pretending to understand inflation (or just me)?
Dark Wire
Joseph Cox
Mentioned 1 year ago
What's the best phone to do crimes on?
Smart on Crime
Kamala Harris
Mentioned 1 year ago
Is there a sane way to follow this election?
Politics Is for Power
Eitan Hersh
Mentioned 1 year ago
Is there a sane way to follow this election?
The Ice at the End of the World
Jon Gertner
Mentioned 1 year ago
The End
Lost and Sound
Tobias Rapp
Mentioned 2 years ago
Why didn’t Chris and Dan get into Berghain? (Part 1)
Berlin Now
Peter Schneider
Mentioned 2 years ago
Why didn’t Chris and Dan get into Berghain? (Part 1)
Like Catching Water in a Net
Val Webb
Mentioned 2 years ago
What does it feel like to believe in God?
Your Face Belongs to Us
Kashmir Hill
Mentioned 2 years ago
Should this creepy search engine exist?
The Car
Bryan Appleyard
Mentioned 2 years ago
Where's my flying car?
Untamed
Glennon Doyle
Mentioned 2 years ago
How do we survive the media apocalypse?
Most Recommended
The Ice at the End of the World
An Epic Journey into Greenland's Buried Past and Our Perilous Future
The host highlighted the book as a favorite because it recounted the daring 19th‑century expeditions across Greenland’s ice sheet, long before modern climate science. It examined the explorers’ drive for fame and a morbid fascination with death, while drawing connections to today’s climate concerns. The discussion conveyed strong admiration for the title.
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: The End
It was discussed as a book about explorers in the late 1800s who walked across Greenland's ice sheet, long before the scientific understanding of climate change.
"
I fell pretty deep into a few books before this trip. My favorite was called The Ice at the End of the World by John Gertner.
Episode: 09 The End
It chronicles how, in the late 1800s, lunatic explorers tried to walk across Greenland's ice sheet, often dying in the process. The author reflects on their motivations, highlighting both the pursuit of fame and a darker, almost self-destructive fascination with death.
"
a weird beauty without feeling as though of a dead planet built of shining white marble And everything so still so awfully still with the silence that shall one day rain When the earth becomes desolate and empty when the fox will no more haunt these marines When the bear will no longer wander about on the ice out there When even the wind will not rage Infinite silence Isn't that beautiful
Lost and Sound
Berlin, Techno and the Easyjet set
The book discussed the history and the scene that birthed the Klubnacht party at Berghain. It was mentioned how the party initially was for Berliners but soon spread internationally with the emergence of EasyJet flights.
"
I found Tobias Rapp's Lost and Sound to be particularly helpful.
— Episode: Why didn’t Chris and Dan get into Bergha...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Why didn’t Chris and Dan get into Berghain? (Part...
The book discussed the history and the scene that birthed the Klubnacht party at Berghain. It was mentioned how the party initially was for Berliners but soon spread internationally with the emergence of EasyJet flights.
"
I found Tobias Rapp's Lost and Sound to be particularly helpful.
The Diary of a Young Girl
The Definitive Edition
It was mentioned that the narrator struggled to focus on the words while reading a small print paperback version of this book as a child, suspecting a problem with her concentration.
"
I remember picking up the diary of Anne Frank. I had a sister who was three years older and she was reading it and I think I was probably 10 or 11 and it was very small print paperback but I just reme...
— Episode: Why'd I take speed for twenty years? (Pa...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Why'd I take speed for twenty years? (Part 2)
It was mentioned that the narrator struggled to focus on the words while reading a small print paperback version of this book as a child, suspecting a problem with her concentration.
"
I remember picking up the diary of Anne Frank. I had a sister who was three years older and she was reading it and I think I was probably 10 or 11 and it was very small print paperback but I just remember I could not like focus on the words I could only see the sort of spaces between the words come at me and for the life of me I just couldn't finish a sentence I was very frustrated and I put it down
Elon Musk
A biography of Elon Musk covering his early life through Tesla and SpaceX that was recommended highly by the podcast host. It was described as hard to put down, and provided context for understanding Elon's later behavior.
"
Last week I read this amazing biography of Elon Musk by the reporter Ashley Vance. I cannot recommend this book more. It covers his early life through Tesla and SpaceX. It was publish...
— Episode: What's going on with Elon Musk?
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: What's going on with Elon Musk?
A biography of Elon Musk covering his early life through Tesla and SpaceX that was recommended highly by the podcast host. It was described as hard to put down, and provided context for understanding Elon's later behavior.
"
Last week I read this amazing biography of Elon Musk by the reporter Ashley Vance. I cannot recommend this book more. It covers his early life through Tesla and SpaceX. It was published in 2015, a few years before Elon Musk would sink deeply into Twitter.
Empire of Pain
The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
The book was described as focusing on the Sackler family and their role in the opioid crisis, particularly Purdue Pharma's marketing of OxyContin and its downplaying of its addictive nature. The book highlighted how their actions contributed to the crisis.
"
My favorite book about it is Patrick Raddenkief's Empire of Pain. It's about not just the introduction of oxycodone, but really how one family, the Sacklers, made billions of dollars...
— Episode: Why are drug dealers putting fentanyl in...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Why are drug dealers putting fentanyl in everythin...
The book was described as focusing on the Sackler family and their role in the opioid crisis, particularly Purdue Pharma's marketing of OxyContin and its downplaying of its addictive nature. The book highlighted how their actions contributed to the crisis.
"
My favorite book about it is Patrick Raddenkief's Empire of Pain. It's about not just the introduction of oxycodone, but really how one family, the Sacklers, made billions of dollars by rewriting the story of the poppy seed.
Purdue-formulated oxycodone. Crucially, according to Purdue, oxycodone was not addictive.
Untamed
Glen and Doyle mentioned their book "Untamed" as the book they wrote and the basis for their podcast "We Can Do Hard Things".
"
I'm Glen and Doyle, author of Untamed and host of the podcast We Can Do Hard Things.
— Episode: How do we survive the media apocalypse?
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: How do we survive the media apocalypse?
Glen and Doyle mentioned their book "Untamed" as the book they wrote and the basis for their podcast "We Can Do Hard Things".
"
I'm Glen and Doyle, author of Untamed and host of the podcast We Can Do Hard Things.
Your Face Belongs to Us
A Secretive Startup's Quest to End Privacy as We Know It
Kashmir Hill's book, published a few months prior to the podcast, details her journey in discovering the existence of facial search engines and the mysterious company behind them, Clearview AI.
"
It's called, appropriately, Your Face Belongs to Us.
— Episode: Should this creepy search engine exist?
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Should this creepy search engine exist?
Kashmir Hill's book, published a few months prior to the podcast, details her journey in discovering the existence of facial search engines and the mysterious company behind them, Clearview AI.
"
It's called, appropriately, Your Face Belongs to Us.
She published a book a few months ago about these search engines and about the very strange story of how she discovered that they even existed.
Berlin Now
The City After the Wall
The book is a documentary that profiles Sven Markhart, the intimidating bouncer at Berghain. It features a scene where Sven talks about his childhood in East Berlin and how he frequently was picked up by the secret police.
"
There's this one documentary, Berlin Bouncer, that profiles Sven.
— Episode: Why didn’t Chris and Dan get into Bergha...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Why didn’t Chris and Dan get into Berghain? (Part...
The book is a documentary that profiles Sven Markhart, the intimidating bouncer at Berghain. It features a scene where Sven talks about his childhood in East Berlin and how he frequently was picked up by the secret police.
"
There's this one documentary, Berlin Bouncer, that profiles Sven.
Sven saying, we just wanted to see the other side of the wall. We didn't really want to leave home. We just wanted to find out. What were we being deprived of? What weren't we allowed to see?
Like Catching Water in a Net
Human Attempts to Describe the Divine
This was Zvika Krieger's favorite book about how to describe God. It is a book about how to describe God, and the title refers to the difficultly of attempting to describe such a concept.
"
It's a book about how to describe God.
— Episode: What does it feel like to believe in God...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: What does it feel like to believe in God?
This was Zvika Krieger's favorite book about how to describe God. It is a book about how to describe God, and the title refers to the difficultly of attempting to describe such a concept.
"
It's a book about how to describe God.
Oh, really? Yeah, so it's like this is the title.
It's called Catching Water in a Net, which is like, it's so hard to talk about. So I'm going to try to talk about it.
The Car
The Rise and Fall of the Machine that Made the Modern World
The story of Bertha Benz's first automotive road trip in 1885 is recounted, emphasizing how her drive represented the possibility of freedom and the ability to move faster and further than ever before.
"
I read about all this in a piece by Brian Appleyard, author of The Car, The Rise and Fall of the Machine that Made the World.
— Episode: Where's my flying car?
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Where's my flying car?
The story of Bertha Benz's first automotive road trip in 1885 is recounted, emphasizing how her drive represented the possibility of freedom and the ability to move faster and further than ever before.
"
I read about all this in a piece by Brian Appleyard, author of The Car, The Rise and Fall of the Machine that Made the World.
She took their two sons on the first automotive road trip in history.
Cockroach Combat Manual
The book was referenced as the source of the episode’s title, with host PJ Vogt noting he had authored it. It was described as a work by Dr. Austin Frischmann that detailed the development of combat cockroach traps and their success in reducing roach populations. The mention was brief and informational, without an explicit endorsement.
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Where did all the roaches go?
It's the name of a book written by Dr. Austin Frischmann, who played a key role in the development of Combat cockroach traps and their success in reducing roach populations.
"
I had written a book called The Cockroach Combat Manual, so that's how it got its name.
Cat Wars
The Devastating Consequences of a Cuddly Killer
The book discussed the devastating consequences of cats on the environment, comparing them to an invasive species. The book's subtitle, 'The Devastating Consequences of a Cuddly Killer,' was described as very good.
"
Cat Wars, The Devastating Consequences of a Cuddly Killer, which is a very good subtitle.
— Episode: What are we gonna do about all these cat...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: What are we gonna do about all these cats?
The book discussed the devastating consequences of cats on the environment, comparing them to an invasive species. The book's subtitle, 'The Devastating Consequences of a Cuddly Killer,' was described as very good.
"
Cat Wars, The Devastating Consequences of a Cuddly Killer, which is a very good subtitle.
This entire story of cats versus birds, it's really a fight about humans and data, about people refusing to believe each other's charts.
I absolutely do not trust the data.
allowing feral cats to continue their daily struggle for survival in a hostile environment is rarely a humane option
Cats, Pete Mara says, have already contributed to the execution of 63 species on this planet. He thinks we should try to prevent the 64th.
... the Domestic Cat
Bird Killer, Mouser and Destroyer of Wild Life; Means of Utilizing and Controlling It
The book discussed the cat's threat to wildlife and provided a conservative estimate of the number of birds cats were killing in Massachusetts at the time (700,000 per year).
"
The Domestic Cat, Bird Killer, Mouser, and Destroyer of Wildlife, Means of Utilizing and Controlling It
— Episode: What are we gonna do about all these cat...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: What are we gonna do about all these cats?
The book discussed the cat's threat to wildlife and provided a conservative estimate of the number of birds cats were killing in Massachusetts at the time (700,000 per year).
"
The Domestic Cat, Bird Killer, Mouser, and Destroyer of Wildlife, Means of Utilizing and Controlling It
Back in 1916, Forbush estimated that cats were killing 700,000 birds per year in a single state, Massachusetts, and he considered that to be a conservative estimate.
THE SCIENCE OF GETTING RICH
Unlock the Secrets to Financial Abundance with the Timeless Classic
This book was co-authored by Ezra Klein, who was a guest on the podcast to discuss political conversations at family holidays.
"
Ezra Klein, he's the host of the excellent podcast, The Ezra Klein Show and co-author of the book Abundance.
— Episode: How to talk (or not talk) politics at fa...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: How to talk (or not talk) politics at family holid...
This book was co-authored by Ezra Klein, who was a guest on the podcast to discuss political conversations at family holidays.
"
Ezra Klein, he's the host of the excellent podcast, The Ezra Klein Show and co-author of the book Abundance.
The Bell Jar
A Novel (Perennial Classics)
The narrator recalls a difficult experience in class during her sophomore year where she was unable to read aloud and explain a metaphor from this book, highlighting her reading comprehension challenges.
"
In fact there was one day in class I think in my sophomore year we were reading The Bell Jar and I was asked to read out loud and comment on it and you know there was a metaphor about...
— Episode: Why'd I take speed for twenty years? (Pa...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Why'd I take speed for twenty years? (Part 2)
The narrator recalls a difficult experience in class during her sophomore year where she was unable to read aloud and explain a metaphor from this book, highlighting her reading comprehension challenges.
"
In fact there was one day in class I think in my sophomore year we were reading The Bell Jar and I was asked to read out loud and comment on it and you know there was a metaphor about peeling an onion and she asked me to explain that and I couldn't I think I literally talked about her like making dinner and I knew that wasn't right but I just I couldn't read and think at the same time and I was anxious of course and I remember she really humiliated me
Extremely Online
The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet
The podcast host, PJ Vogt, enjoyed Lorenz's book, describing it as having good stories, almost like fables, about the invention of modern internet fame; he particularly enjoyed a story about how influencers started to pretend to have sponsored content.
"
Her book is very appropriately called Extremely Online, The Untold Story of Fame, Influence and Power on the Internet.
— Episode: The Fond Du Lac Apartment Mystery
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: The Fond Du Lac Apartment Mystery
The podcast host, PJ Vogt, enjoyed Lorenz's book, describing it as having good stories, almost like fables, about the invention of modern internet fame; he particularly enjoyed a story about how influencers started to pretend to have sponsored content.
"
Her book is very appropriately called Extremely Online, The Untold Story of Fame, Influence and Power on the Internet.
I really enjoyed it. It has so many good stories. They're almost like fables about the invention of modern Internet fame.
Like one of my favorites is this story about how influencers started to pretend to have sponsored content, like they would post fake ads for real products because sponsored content at one point became a status symbol.
Amusing Ourselves to Death
Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
This book is described as more accessible than McLuhan's work and highlights how media change us by making us absorb the rules and structure of the medium.
"
Is that these mediums change you the fundamental way they affect society Is that while you're looking at the content, you're actually absorbing the rules and structure and ways of communicating and re...
— Episode: Is there a sane way to use the internet?
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Is there a sane way to use the internet?
This book is described as more accessible than McLuhan's work and highlights how media change us by making us absorb the rules and structure of the medium.
"
Is that these mediums change you the fundamental way they affect society Is that while you're looking at the content, you're actually absorbing the rules and structure and ways of communicating and relating of the medium
And it is that set of underlying rules like that way the medium acts upon you. It's much much more important
How to Do Nothing
Resisting the Attention Economy
This book contains a quote that resonated with Ezra Klein, prompting him to shift his focus from broadcasting to a smaller, more intimate audience.
"
I had been thinking about this line from genie o'dell's wonderful book How to Do Nothing where she talks about what if she's a Thing where she says what if we spent more time Talking...
— Episode: Is there a sane way to use the internet?
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Is there a sane way to use the internet?
This book contains a quote that resonated with Ezra Klein, prompting him to shift his focus from broadcasting to a smaller, more intimate audience.
"
I had been thinking about this line from genie o'dell's wonderful book How to Do Nothing where she talks about what if she's a Thing where she says what if we spent more time Talking to people who had the context to understand us And less time Trying to create things for people who have no context For what we're saying
The Country of the Blind
A Memoir at the End of Sight
It is a memoir about the author's experience of gradually losing his sight over two decades. The book explores the emotional and practical challenges of this process, including his use of technology and his engagement with the blind community.
"
I read this book recently which I really loved. It was called The Country of the Blind. It's by the writer Andrew Leland.
— Episode: What's it like to slowly go blind?
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: What's it like to slowly go blind?
It is a memoir about the author's experience of gradually losing his sight over two decades. The book explores the emotional and practical challenges of this process, including his use of technology and his engagement with the blind community.
"
I read this book recently which I really loved. It was called The Country of the Blind. It's by the writer Andrew Leland.
I picked up the book to learn about blindness, what blindness is like right now in our tech heavy present, how blind people use the internet.
Leland writes that when Americans are polled about what disability they'd like to not have, blindness is consistently pretty high on the charts. But among blind activists, there's blind pride.
I really enjoyed the book.
You said that the primary problem of blindness is access to information, which I just like hadn't thought of it that way.
Smart on Crime
A Career Prosecutor's Plan to Make Us Safer by Kamala Harris (October 01,2009)
The episode referenced the title as a revealing look at Harris's tenure in California politics, highlighting how it sheds light on her earlier policy positions and prosecutorial approach. Ezra Klein noted he had recently read it and found it an interesting perspective on who she was during that period. The discussion framed the book as a useful source for understanding her background rather than a must‑read endorsement.
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Is there a sane way to follow this election?
It was described as a revealing book about Kamala Harris's time in California politics, offering insights into her past stances and approaches.
"
I just recently read Smart on Crime, her 2009 book, which is a very interesting way of thinking about who Harris was in California politics.
Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.