The Shawn Ryan Show
Book Recommendations

The Shawn Ryan Show

The "Shawn Ryan Show" is hosted by Shawn Ryan, former U.S. Navy SEAL, CIA Contractor, and Founder of Vigilance Elite. We tell REAL stories about REAL people from all walks of life. We discuss the ups and downs, wins and losses, successes and struggles, the good and bad in a respectful but candid way...

Episodes 386
Books 310
War Without Rules: China's Playbook for Global Domination Cover

Robert Spalding

War Without Rules

China's Playbook for Global Domination

General Spalding also mentioned his book, "War Without Rules", which focuses on China's strategies for achieving global dominance through unconventional warfare methods.

"

My other book, "War Without Rules", I wrote on the idea that they were no longer bound by the old rules of war.

— Episode: #105 General Robert Spalding - Is TikTok...

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Episode: #105 General Robert Spalding - Is TikTok a PSYOP?

General Spalding also mentioned his book, "War Without Rules", which focuses on China's strategies for achieving global dominance through unconventional warfare methods.

"

My other book, "War Without Rules", I wrote on the idea that they were no longer bound by the old rules of war.

Scars and Stripes: An Unapologetically American Story of Fighting the Taliban, UFC Warriors, and Myself Cover

Tim Kennedy

Scars and Stripes

An Unapologetically American Story of Fighting the Taliban, UFC Warriors, and Myself

Tim Kennedy mentioned his book, Stars and Stripes, which he had written.

"

My book 'Stars and Stripes' is available on my website

— Episode: #100 Tim Kennedy - Green Beret Sniper /...

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Episode: #100 Tim Kennedy - Green Beret Sniper / UFC Fighte...

Tim Kennedy mentioned his book, Stars and Stripes, which he had written.

"

My book 'Stars and Stripes' is available on my website

Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance of Tech and Government Is Creating a New American Surveillance State Cover

Byron Tau

Means of Control

How the Hidden Alliance of Tech and Government Is Creating a New American Surveillance State

It was mentioned as a fantastic book that is shocking in how the industry of surveillance capitalism was created and how early federal government attempts at collecting this data were actually shut down by privacy worries in Congress, but then the pentagon rebadged it and started collecting more and more and more of this data.

"

There's a fantastic book written by Byron Tau called the Means of Control and it is shocking of how this industry was created how some of the early federal government attempts at coll...

— Episode: #123 Erik Prince - Breakdown of the Dona...

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Episode: #123 Erik Prince - Breakdown of the Donald Trump A...

It was mentioned as a fantastic book that is shocking in how the industry of surveillance capitalism was created and how early federal government attempts at collecting this data were actually shut down by privacy worries in Congress, but then the pentagon rebadged it and started collecting more and more and more of this data.

"

There's a fantastic book written by Byron Tau called the Means of Control and it is shocking of how this industry was created how some of the early federal government attempts at collecting this data were actually shut down by a privacy by privacy worries in congress but how basically the pentagon rebadged it and started collecting more and more and more of this data.

Holy Blood, Holy Grail Cover

Michael Baigent

Holy Blood, Holy Grail

Paul Overby was said to have written a book in the 1990s called Holy Blood about the SovietAfghan war.

"

He put out a book, I think it was like Holy Blood in the 90s, and he wrote about the Soviet Afghan war.

— Episode: #280 Sarah Adams - If China Isn’t the #1...

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Episode: #280 Sarah Adams - If China Isn’t the #1 Threat… T...

Paul Overby was said to have written a book in the 1990s called Holy Blood about the SovietAfghan war.

"

He put out a book, I think it was like Holy Blood in the 90s, and he wrote about the Soviet Afghan war.

The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings Boxed Set Hardcover Illustrated edition 2020 June 25 Cover

J.R.R. Tolkien

The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings Boxed Set Hardcover Illustrated edition 2020 June 25

Jay Yu referenced the Lord of the Rings when naming their enrichment project "the Return of the King."

"

I'm gonna go back to Lord of the Rings. Now we're gonna name, um, our project, the return of the King.

— Episode: #275 Jay Yu - Nano Nuclear Technology an...

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Episode: #275 Jay Yu - Nano Nuclear Technology and the Futu...

Jay Yu referenced the Lord of the Rings when naming their enrichment project "the Return of the King."

"

I'm gonna go back to Lord of the Rings. Now we're gonna name, um, our project, the return of the King.

Ender's Game (The Ender Saga, 1) Cover

Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game (The Ender Saga, 1)

The scifi novel was referenced while describing future autonomous combat concepts, comparing pilots to conductors of an orchestra.

"

I don't know if you've read the book or seen the movie Ender's Game. ... it's basically the, it's a science fiction novel ... the idea is that there's this guy Ender Wiggins, who is effectively contro...

— Episode: #245 Trae Stephens - Inside Anduril’s AI...

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Episode: #245 Trae Stephens - Inside Anduril’s AI Superweap...

The scifi novel was referenced while describing future autonomous combat concepts, comparing pilots to conductors of an orchestra.

"

I don't know if you've read the book or seen the movie Ender's Game. ... it's basically the, it's a science fiction novel ... the idea is that there's this guy Ender Wiggins, who is effectively controlling an entire like alien battle, ... from a bunker, where he's just there and he's giving the star fighters ... all operating autonomously in the battle space.

Nineteen Eighty-Four Cover

George Orwell

Nineteen Eighty-Four

It was mentioned in the context of Chinese companies developing monitoring software, which was described as 'Big Brother' style technology similar to the book's themes.

"

These are companies that, you know, develop the monitoring software that the Chinese state uses to watch people, the sort of Big Brother stuff that was written about in 1984.

— Episode: #19 Peter Schweizer - China's Influence...

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Episode: #19 Peter Schweizer - China's Influence Over the U...

It was mentioned in the context of Chinese companies developing monitoring software, which was described as 'Big Brother' style technology similar to the book's themes.

"

These are companies that, you know, develop the monitoring software that the Chinese state uses to watch people, the sort of Big Brother stuff that was written about in 1984.

The Threat: The Secret Agenda What the Aliens Really Want and How They Plan to Get It Cover

David M. Jacobs

The Threat

The Secret Agenda What the Aliens Really Want and How They Plan to Get It

Secret Agenda was mentioned as one of the best books about Watergate.

"

The best books about Watergate, like Secret Agenda and Silent Coup, great books.

— Episode: #139 Nick Bryant - Disturbing Parallels...

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Episode: #139 Nick Bryant - Disturbing Parallels Between P...

Secret Agenda was mentioned as one of the best books about Watergate.

"

The best books about Watergate, like Secret Agenda and Silent Coup, great books.

Sex Talks: The Five Conversations That Will Transform Your Love Life Cover

Vanessa Marin

Sex Talks

The Five Conversations That Will Transform Your Love Life

Vanessa and her husband Xander promoted their bestselling guide, noting it offered practical, conversationdriven tools for couples to rebuild intimacy and connection.

"

A bestselling author of the book, Sex Talks, Five Conversations That Will Transform Your Love Life.

— Episode: #246 Vanessa Marin - Sex Doctor Explains...

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Episode: #246 Vanessa Marin - Sex Doctor Explains Why Bad S...

Vanessa and her husband Xander promoted their bestselling guide, noting it offered practical, conversationdriven tools for couples to rebuild intimacy and connection.

"

A bestselling author of the book, Sex Talks, Five Conversations That Will Transform Your Love Life.

Our book is such a great resource because a lot of people will tell us, oh, well, I'm not in a relationship. I can't read it. But it's actually really useful to get started on a good foot, you know, right when you're getting started with a new relationship.

We're offering couples specific instructions of exactly what to do, exactly what to say, how to say it, when to say it. So what we start with, the very first conversation is called acknowledgement.

If you're looking for more support, we have a membership for couples called Deeper for couples who don't want to settle, but we're also here to help with our book.

I'd love to see people take a couple of the tools from the book and just get started.

Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All Cover

Michael Shellenberger

Apocalypse Never

Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All

The book was briefly noted as one of the author's titles during the episode, but no details or analysis of its content were provided. The hosts simply listed it among his works, indicating a casual mention rather than an endorsement.

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Confessions of a D.C. Madam: The Politics of Sex, Lies, and Blackmail Cover

Henry W. Vinson

Confessions of a D.C. Madam

The Politics of Sex, Lies, and Blackmail

The title was highlighted by co‑author Nick Bryant, who explained that it explores the Washington D.C. facet of the Franklin scandal, focusing on blackmail and exploitation. The discussion emphasized the book’s detailed account of the political and sexual intrigue surrounding the case.

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No Easy Day: The Autobiography of a Navy Seal: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden Cover

Mark Owen

No Easy Day

The Autobiography of a Navy Seal

The book was highlighted as a former Navy SEAL's firsthand account of the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden, but the host criticized the author for publishing without the required pre‑publication review, noting that the government pursued him despite the content containing no classified material. The discussion framed the publication as a breach of protocol rather than a recommendation of its merits.

Critiqued
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Episode: #49 Tim Parlatore - The Fight for Free Speech Agai...

It was mentioned as a book that had been written by a former Navy SEAL about the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden and was criticized for not going through a pre-publication review.

"

He did not go through the proper pre-publication review. The publisher asked him not to, the publisher gave him a lawyer who advised him, he didn't have to.

They went after him, they destroyed his life because they were angry at him for questioning their narrative, for putting out a counter narrative, for not asking permission first.

And there was nothing classified in the book, had he submitted it for pre-publication review, it would have been the same book that came out.

They said you've revealed this classified piece of gear that we have these panoramic four tube nods.

Unacknowledged: An Expose of the World's Greatest Secret Cover

Steven M.

Unacknowledged

An Expose of the World's Greatest Secret

The book was referenced as the companion volume to the documentary that had reached hundreds of millions of viewers. Dr. Steven Greer noted that listeners could obtain the title alongside the film. The mention highlighted its role in supporting the documentary’s themes rather than providing a detailed endorsement.

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Episode: #48 Dr. Steven Greer - Mystery Behind UFO / UAPs,...

It was said to be a book that accompanied the documentary of the same name, with the documentary having been seen by 760 million people in its first six months.

"

You can get Disclosure book. You can get Unacknowledged, the book. It goes with the documentary. It's there.

When we released about five years ago, five and a half years ago, Unacknowledged. So people have Amazon Prime or Hulu or whatever. That documentary got about in the first six months, 760 million people see it.

Another Man's War: The True Story of One Man's Battle to Save Children in the Sudan Cover

Sam Childers

Another Man's War

The True Story of One Man's Battle to Save Children in the Sudan

The book was introduced as Sam Childers' first publication and was discussed in relation to the accuracy of the film and documentary about his work, with the author noting that the story in the book did not include the dramatic burning scenes shown on screen. The hosts used the title to highlight factual differences between the media portrayals and the actual events described by Childers.

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Episode: #37 Machine Gun Preacher - Sam Childers

It was mentioned as Sam's first book and discussed in relation to the accuracy of the movie and documentary, in comparison to the events within the book.

"

If you read my book, Another Man's War, they never burn it to the ground.

The Most Likely Club Cover

Elyssa Friedland

The Most Likely Club

In episode 37, guest Sam Childers noted that the title would be his third book and was scheduled to be released the following year. No specific praise or critique was offered, and the mention served mainly as an announcement of the upcoming publication. The discussion was brief and informational.

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Episode: #37 Machine Gun Preacher - Sam Childers

It was mentioned as Sam's third book, and due to be released in the new year.

"

And then my third book is The Most Likely. So The Most Likely will be out this coming new year.

Jawbreaker Cover

Christina Wyman

Jawbreaker

In the episode, Lt. Col. Scott Mann referenced the book to illustrate how the initial pilot team set the stage for the Special Forces that later operated in Afghanistan, urging listeners to read it for more insight. He highlighted the book's relevance to the historical context of the mission.

Highly Recommended
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Episode: #36 Lt. Col. Scott Mann - Operation Pineapple Expr...

The book 'Jawbreaker' was referenced by Scott Mann and discussed the pilot team that paved the way for the Special Forces team that went into Afghanistan.

"

So in the initial invasion of Afghanistan, you had a pilot team where the agency and if you ever read the book Jawbreaker, like for folks who listen to this, like that was the pilot team that paved the way for the special forces team that came in behind.

Fossil Future: Why Global Human Flourishing Requires More Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas--Not Less Cover

Alex Epstein

Fossil Future

Why Global Human Flourishing Requires More Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas--Not Less

During his interview, Alex Epstein highlighted the book as a warning about the dangers of poor energy policies, noting that the current European energy crisis confirms its predictions. He presented it as a timely and urgent call for continued use of fossil fuels, positioning it as an important read for anyone concerned with energy policy.

Highly Recommended
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Episode: #26 Alex Epstein - The Global Energy War

It was discussed as a book that warns about the negative impacts of bad energy policies, which are now coming true in the form of an energy crisis, particularly in Europe.

"

You got it. Fossil Future.

I happen to have a book coming out, but I think it's really that this is just a pivotal moment in terms of our country's history as it relates to energy.

So it ended up, it was supposed to take two months at the beginning and then it took three years.

So the book has a lot of warnings about, look, if you follow these bad policies, you're going to have an energy crisis.

But now it's coming out during the energy crisis that it talks about, so it makes it even more clearly true to the reader because there's no speculation.

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