Stuff You Should Know
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Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Episodes 4,641
Books 1,074

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Latest Recommendations

Project Hail Mary: A Novel cover

Project Hail Mary

Andy Weir

Mentioned 1 week ago

Selects: The First Road Trip

The episode highlighted the audiobook of Andy Weir's sciencefiction novel, noting that Ray Porter was the narrator and describing it as a massive scifi adventure about survival and science.

I'm sitting down with Ray Porter, the narrator of Andy Weir's audiobook Project Hail Mary. Massive scifi adventure about survival and science and what happens when you wake up alone very far from earth.

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The Body cover

The Body

Stephen King

Mentioned 1 week ago

Selects: The First Road Trip

The hosts introduced the novella as the source material for the film Stand By Me and noted that Will Wheaton narrated its audiobook version.

I'm sitting down with Will Wheaton, who played Gordie Lachance in Stand By Me 40 years ago, and now narrates Stephen King's The Body, the novella that inspired it all.

Buy on Amazon
Of Mice and Men cover

Of Mice and Men

John Steinbeck

Mentioned 2 weeks ago

Kola: The World’s Deepest Hole

The hosts said John Steinbeck visited the early Project Mohole drilling and that experience gave him the idea for the ending of Of Mice and Men.

That's where he got the idea for the end of, of Mice and Men.

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The Pearl cover

The Pearl

STEINBECK JOHN

Mentioned 2 weeks ago

Kola: The World’s Deepest Hole

They wondered whether Steinbeck had written The Pearl, mentioning it in the context of his involvement with the drilling project.

Did he write the Pearl? Because that was about pearl diving. So I'm pretty sure that was Steinbeck.

Buy on Amazon
Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron cover

Smartest Guys in the Room

Bethany McLean

Mentioned 3 weeks ago

Selects: How Enron Fooled the World

The hosts highlighted the book as the source material for the Enron documentary, noting its thorough investigation of the scandal and its authors' backgrounds. They recommended watching the film and reading the book for deeper insight into Enron's rise and fall.

I finally watched The Smartest Guys in the Room today. Yeah, the documentary based on the book, and we'll get to the authors and stuff. It was Peter Elkind, and who was the co-author? Bethany McClain. I knew she wrote the original articles in Forbes, so she co-authored the book.

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Crime and Punishment (Vintage Classics) cover

Crime and Punishment (Vintage Classics)

Fyodor Dostoevsky

Mentioned 4 weeks ago

Short Stuff: Why does it feel good to be scared?

One host mentioned having read the novel the day before while discussing the idiom "sixes and sevens".

I was reading a book last yesterday. It was Crime and Punishment. And I'm not just saying this just to show everybody I'm reading Crime and Punishment. But somebody mentioned something being like sixes and sevens.

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Scream with Me: Horror Films and the Rise of American Feminism (1968-1980) cover

Scream with Me

Eleanor Johnson

Mentioned 4 weeks ago

Short Stuff: Why does it feel good to be scared?

The hosts highlighted the book as discussing why people pay to experience haunted houses or scary movies, describing it as voluntary engagement with negative higharousal stimuli.

There's a book that we want to shout out called Scream, Scream with an exclamation point from Margie Key and her colleague, Dr. Greg Siegel, who is director for the Cognitive Neuroscience Program at University of Pittsburgh. But their description of what we're talking about, like paying to go to a haunted house or something or a really scary movie as voluntary engagement with negative high arousal stimuli.

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A Confederacy of Dunces: A Novel cover

A Confederacy of Dunces

John Kennedy Toole

Mentioned 4 weeks ago

Some Interesting Curses

They mentioned the wellknown novel as a great book that, despite many attempts, has never been turned into a movie.

the very famously, the great, great book, A Confederacy of Dunces, has never been made.

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The Incomparable Atuk cover

The Incomparable Atuk

Mordecai RICHLER

Mentioned 4 weeks ago

Some Interesting Curses

The hosts said it was a 1963 satirical Canadian novel that the cursed Hollywood script was based on, and they discussed its plot about an Inuit poet in Toronto.

There was a script based on a book. It was a 1963 satirical Canadian novel called The Incomparable Atuk by Mordecai Rickler.

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Jurassic Park: A Novel cover

Jurassic Park

Michael Crichton

Mentioned 1 month ago

The Stuff You Should Know Doin’ Science Playlist: How Chaos Theory Changed the Universe

They noted that the novel was published in 1990 and introduced the character Ian Malcolm, a chaotician, which later influenced the film's depiction of chaos theory.

The book came out in 1990. And in the book, uh, Ian Malcolm, who's a chaotician-

Buy on Amazon
Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming cover

Merchants of Doubt

Naomi Oreskes

Mentioned 1 month ago

How Global Warming Works

The hosts referenced the book while discussing how think tanks spread doubt about climate science, noting they had mentioned it earlier in the episode.

Well, plus also that it's been proven, I've mentioned that book before, The Merchants of Doubt, that think tanks have been set up to basically influence public thought and point out like scientists aren't 100% certain, scientists aren't 100% certain.

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Mash cover

Mash

Richard Hooker

Mentioned 1 month ago

M*A*S*H: The Story of the 4077th

The hosts explained that the 1970 film was based on a 1968 paperback novel about three army doctors, written by veteran surgeon Richard H. Hornberger under the pen name Richard Hooker. They noted the book was a loose collection of anecdotes that was later expanded with a cowriter.

the movie was optioned from a book written in 1968 called MASH colon, a novel about three army doctors by a MASH veteran doctor named Dr. Richard H. Hornberger under a pseudonym Richard Hooker.

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Most Recommended

New English Canaan: Text & Notes Cover

Thomas Morton

New English Canaan

Text & Notes

It offered a satirical view of Plymouth Colony and described John Billington as a beloved figure, contrasting with Bradford's negative depiction.

"

Yeah, Thomas Morton in the New English Canaan said that he was a beloved dude.

— Episode: Selects: Who was America's first murdere...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Selects: Who was America's first murderer?

It offered a satirical view of Plymouth Colony and described John Billington as a beloved figure, contrasting with Bradford's negative depiction.

"

Yeah, Thomas Morton in the New English Canaan said that he was a beloved dude.

He was beloved by many.

Basically, if you were a stranger, you'd probably like Billington.

He sounded like kind of a fun guy to be honest.

I know he's the first murderer, but he was a rabble rouser.

Episode: Selects: Who was America's first murderer?

It was written by Thomas Morton, and contained a satirical view of Plymouth Colony, including a positive depiction of John Billington, who is generally considered the first murderer in America.

"

Basically, if you were a stranger, you'd probably like Billington.

He sounded like kind of a fun guy to be honest.

Episode: Selects: Who was America's first murderer?

It was discussed as another source for the history of Plymouth Colony, with a more satirical take, and mentioned that Billington was well-liked by many.

"

Yeah, Thomas Morton in the New English Canaan said that he was a beloved dude.

He was beloved by many.

Basically, if you were a stranger, you'd probably like Billington.

RESEARCHES, CHEMICAL and PHILOSOPHICAL; CHIEFLY CONCERNING NITROUS OXIDE: OR DEPHLOGISTICATED NITROUS AIR, AND ITS RESPIRATION Cover

HUMPHRY DAVY

RESEARCHES, CHEMICAL and PHILOSOPHICAL; CHIEFLY CONCERNING NITROUS OXIDE

OR DEPHLOGISTICATED NITROUS AIR, AND ITS RESPIRATION

Humphrey Davy wrote a 580-page book about nitrous oxide after conducting experiments with himself and others, outlining the gas's effects on humans and animals.

"

Humphrey Davy wrote a 580 page scientific treatise on nitrous oxide and its effects on humans and animals.

— Episode: Selects: How Nitrous Oxide Works

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Selects: How Nitrous Oxide Works

Humphrey Davy wrote a 580-page book about nitrous oxide after conducting experiments with himself and others, outlining the gas's effects on humans and animals.

"

Humphrey Davy wrote a 580 page scientific treatise on nitrous oxide and its effects on humans and animals.

Researches chemical and philosophical chiefly concerning nitrous oxide or deflogisticated nitrous air and its respiration was the name of it.

He says that as nitrous oxide appears capable of destroying physical pain, it may probably be used with advantage during surgical operations in which no great effusion of blood takes place.

Episode: Selects: How Nitrous Oxide Works

Humphrey Davy's 580-page book on nitrous oxide was published in 1800, and it was mentioned that he suggested it could be used for surgical operations in situations where there was not a large amount of bleeding.

"

as nitrous oxide appears capable of destroying physical pain, it may probably be used with advantage during surgical operations in which no great effusion of blood takes place.

Oh, excellent airbag!

Davey has actually invented a new pleasure for which language has no name.

Episode: Selects: How Nitrous Oxide Works

Humphrey Davy wrote a 580 page book about nitrous oxide in 1800 after his own experiments with the substance, primarily focusing on its effects on humans and animals.

"

Humphrey Davy wrote a 580 page scientific treatise on nitrous oxide and its effects on humans and animals.

Researches chemical and philosophical chiefly concerning nitrous oxide or deflogisticated nitrous air and its respiration was the name of it.

He says that as nitrous oxide appears capable of destroying physical pain, it may probably be used with advantage during surgical operations in which no great effusion of blood takes place.

Those Who Face Death Cover

Vince Guerra

Those Who Face Death

A listener sent the hosts a copy of her child's book, 'Copperlight,' along with some real copper lights, which is fossilized poop.

"

Lori Gesch for the copy of her kid's book, Copperlight, a really crappy story.

— Episode: Selects: How Nitrous Oxide Works

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Selects: How Nitrous Oxide Works

A listener sent the hosts a copy of her child's book, 'Copperlight,' along with some real copper lights, which is fossilized poop.

"

Lori Gesch for the copy of her kid's book, Copperlight, a really crappy story.

Episode: Selects: How Nitrous Oxide Works

A listener sent a copy of a children's book titled 'Copperlight', which was described as having a 'crappy story' during the thank you portion of the podcast.

"

Lori Gesch for the copy of her kid's book, Copperlight, a really crappy story.

Scan Artist: How Evelyn Wood Convinced the World That Speed-Reading Worked Cover

Marcia Biederman

Scan Artist

How Evelyn Wood Convinced the World That Speed-Reading Worked

It was mentioned as a book that discussed the criticisms and techniques of Evelyn Wood's speed reading method, including the finger pacing technique and the flawed comprehension tests.

"

There were some other there's a woman named Marcia Biederman who wrote Scan Artist colon how Evelyn would convince the world that speed reading worked.

— Episode: Short Stuff: Speed Reading

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Short Stuff: Speed Reading

It was mentioned as a book that discussed the criticisms and techniques of Evelyn Wood's speed reading method, including the finger pacing technique and the flawed comprehension tests.

"

There were some other there's a woman named Marcia Biederman who wrote Scan Artist colon how Evelyn would convince the world that speed reading worked.

Episode: Short Stuff: Speed Reading

It was a book that was critical of Evelyn Wood's speed reading program, particularly regarding finger pacing and the effectiveness of her techniques.

"

There were some other there's a woman named Marcia Biederman who wrote Scan Artist colon how Evelyn would convince the world that speed reading worked.

Episode: Short Stuff: Speed Reading

It was mentioned as a book that criticized Evelyn Wood's speed reading technique, specifically the finger pacing method, and how she marketed it.

"

There were some other there's a woman named Marcia Biederman who wrote Scan Artist colon how Evelyn would convince the world that speed reading worked.

Torso Cover

Brian Michael Bendis

Torso

It was mentioned as a graphic novel or possibly a series that was about the Cleveland Torso Murders and could potentially be a good basis for a movie.

"

I didn't see, I haven't read it, but there's a graphic novel and maybe it's a series called Torso that is about all this. And I'm guessing that would probably be a pretty good basis f...

— Episode: The Cleveland Torso Murders

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: The Cleveland Torso Murders

It was mentioned as a graphic novel or possibly a series that was about the Cleveland Torso Murders and could potentially be a good basis for a movie.

"

I didn't see, I haven't read it, but there's a graphic novel and maybe it's a series called Torso that is about all this. And I'm guessing that would probably be a pretty good basis for the movie.

Episode: The Cleveland Torso Murders

It was mentioned as a graphic novel or series about the Cleveland Torso Murders, which the hosts felt was a strong foundation for a movie.

"

I didn't see, I haven't read it, but there's a graphic novel and maybe it's a series called Torso that is about all this. And I'm guessing that would probably be a pretty good basis for the movie.

Episode: The Cleveland Torso Murders

It was mentioned as a graphic novel or series possibly about the Cleveland Torso Murders, which the hosts felt would be a good basis for a movie adaptation.

"

I didn't see, I haven't read it, but there's a graphic novel and maybe it's a series called Torso that is about all this. And I'm guessing that would probably be a pretty good basis for the movie.

First Impressions (Language of Love) Cover

Nora Roberts

First Impressions (Language of Love)

It was recommended as an article in the New Yorker from 2008, which inspired Werner Herzog's documentary on cave art.

"

There's an article that I can recommend that actually is what inspired Werner Herzog to make his documentary called First Impressions.

— Episode: Selects: How Cave Dwellers Work

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Selects: How Cave Dwellers Work

It was recommended as an article in the New Yorker from 2008, which inspired Werner Herzog's documentary on cave art.

"

There's an article that I can recommend that actually is what inspired Werner Herzog to make his documentary called First Impressions.

Episode: Selects: How Cave Dwellers Work

It was mentioned as an article in the New Yorker, which was the inspiration for Werner Herzog's documentary 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams', and discussed two differing camps of cave art experts.

"

There's an article that I can recommend that actually is what inspired Werner Herzog to make his documentary called First Impressions.

It was in the New Yorker in 2008 by Judith Thurman, and it's super awesome. And she basically says there's a couple of camps when it comes to cave art experts.

Episode: Selects: How Cave Dwellers Work

It was recommended as an article that inspired Werner Herzog's documentary, and it discussed the theories and evidence surrounding cave art.

"

There's an article that I can recommend that actually is what inspired Werner Herzog to make his documentary called First Impressions.

The Truffle Underground: A Tale of Mystery, Mayhem, and Manipulation in the Shadowy Market of the World's Most Expensive Fungus Cover

Ryan Jacobs

The Truffle Underground

A Tale of Mystery, Mayhem, and Manipulation in the Shadowy Market of the World's Most Expensive Fungus

It was mentioned as a book based on an Atlantic article about the illegal truffle market, detailing the dangers and criminal activity surrounding it.

"

The Truffle Underground, colon, A Tale of Mystery, Mayhem and Manipulation in the shadowy market of the world's most expensive fungus.

— Episode: Truffles: Underground Treasures

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Truffles: Underground Treasures

It was mentioned as a book based on an Atlantic article about the illegal truffle market, detailing the dangers and criminal activity surrounding it.

"

The Truffle Underground, colon, A Tale of Mystery, Mayhem and Manipulation in the shadowy market of the world's most expensive fungus.

whether it's poisoning truffle dogs or blowing up someone's car or heisting and robbing people of their truffle take.

Or selling fraudulent fake stuff.

That's how one thing they would do is try and cram dirt into crevices to make them heavier.

Trying to sell diseased, like wormed out truffles and stuff like that.

Episode: Truffles: Underground Treasures

It was mentioned as a book about the illegal and shady side of the truffle market, covering everything from truffle dog poisonings to car bombings.

"

The Truffle Underground, colon, A Tale of Mystery, Mayhem and Manipulation in the shadowy market of the world's most expensive fungus.

Episode: Truffles: Underground Treasures

It was discussed in the context of the illegal truffle market and its criminal elements, like poisoning truffle dogs, car bombings, and truffle theft.

"

He called his friend in the UK, he was like, hey, is there a story here? And he was like, not really. He said, but if you really want a crime story, look at truffles.

So this guy looked at the truffle, underground truffle market and wrote this article that turned into a book called The Truffle Underground, colon, A Tale of Mystery, Mayhem and Manipulation in the shadowy market of the world's most expensive fungus.

The Wreck of the Titan Cover

Morgan Robertson

The Wreck of the Titan

It was discussed as a book written 14 years prior to the Titanic sinking, with striking similarities in its plot, including a large ship called the Titan that hits an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sinks.

"

We could not talk about the Titanic without talking about Futility, the 1898 book that was written by a guy named Morgan Robertson.

— Episode: How the Titanic Worked: Part Two

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: How the Titanic Worked: Part Two

It was discussed as a book written 14 years prior to the Titanic sinking, with striking similarities in its plot, including a large ship called the Titan that hits an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sinks.

"

We could not talk about the Titanic without talking about Futility, the 1898 book that was written by a guy named Morgan Robertson.

And it's about the biggest ship ever built, the Titan, that is headed from Liverpool to New York to Liverpool when it encounters an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sinks.

And like the description of the Titan almost matches the Titanic, even though it was built 14 or it was written 14 years before.

Episode: How the Titanic Worked: Part Two

The book, published in 1898, was discussed in relation to the Titanic due to the striking similarities between the fictional ship, the Titan, and the real-life Titanic, including the ship's size, route, and fate.

"

We could not talk about the Titanic without talking about Futility, the 1898 book that was written by a guy named Morgan Robertson.

And it's about the biggest ship ever built, the Titan, that is headed from Liverpool to New York to Liverpool when it encounters an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sinks.

And like the description of the Titan almost matches the Titanic, even though it was built 14 or it was written 14 years before.

Episode: How the Titanic Worked: Part Two

It was mentioned as a book published in 1898, about a large ship called the Titan, sinking in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg, which eerily foreshadowed the Titanic disaster.

"

We could not talk about the Titanic without talking about Futility, the 1898 book that was written by a guy named Morgan Robertson.

And it's about the biggest ship ever built, the Titan, that is headed from Liverpool to New York to Liverpool when it encounters an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sinks.

And like the description of the Titan almost matches the Titanic, even though it was built 14 or it was written 14 years before.

The Philadelphia Experiment: Project Invisibility Cover

Charles Moore, William L.; Berlitz

The Philadelphia Experiment

Project Invisibility

It was a book mentioned as contributing to the Philadelphia Experiment's lasting fame as it was printed in newspapers as a factual account in 1979, further proliferating the false narrative.

"

You know what else helped it get legs? There was a book in 1979 and it was called The Philadelphia Experiment, colon, Project Invisibility.

— Episode: Selects: What was the Philadelphia Exper...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Selects: What was the Philadelphia Experiment?

It was a book mentioned as contributing to the Philadelphia Experiment's lasting fame as it was printed in newspapers as a factual account in 1979, further proliferating the false narrative.

"

You know what else helped it get legs? There was a book in 1979 and it was called The Philadelphia Experiment, colon, Project Invisibility.

And it was reprinted in excerpts in papers around the country as fact or nonfiction in 1979.

Episode: Selects: What was the Philadelphia Experiment?

It was mentioned as a book published in 1979 and reprinted in excerpts as fact. It was said to not help the case as the Philadelphia Experiment was likely a hoax.

"

You know what else helped it get legs? There was a book in 1979 and it was called 'The Philadelphia Experiment: Project Invisibility'.

And it was reprinted in excerpts in papers around the country as fact or nonfiction in 1979.

Does not help.

Doesn't help things, you know?

Episode: Selects: What was the Philadelphia Experiment?

It was mentioned as a book published in 1979, which was reprinted in newspapers and contributed to the spread of the Philadelphia Experiment story.

"

You know what else helped it get legs? There was a book in 1979 and it was called The Philadelphia Experiment, colon, Project Invisibility.

And it was reprinted in excerpts in papers around the country as fact or nonfiction in 1979.

Don't Stop Believin': The Man, the Band, and the Song that Inspired Generations Cover

Jonathan Cain

Don't Stop Believin'

The Man, the Band, and the Song that Inspired Generations

It was described as one of the seminal books on karaoke, providing much of the information shared in the podcast from a certain point.

"

Dave, one of our great writers, helped us put this together, and he got a lot of this stuff from this point forward from a book by a man named Brian Raftery called Don't Stop Believin'

— Episode: Karaoke: Tuesday Night Fever

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Karaoke: Tuesday Night Fever

It was described as one of the seminal books on karaoke, providing much of the information shared in the podcast from a certain point.

"

Dave, one of our great writers, helped us put this together, and he got a lot of this stuff from this point forward from a book by a man named Brian Raftery called Don't Stop Believin' How Karaoke Conquered the World and Changed My Life. And I think this is kind of one of the seminal books on karaoke.

Episode: Karaoke: Tuesday Night Fever

It was described as a seminal book on the topic of karaoke, and was the source of much of the information presented in the later parts of the podcast.

"

Dave, one of our great writers, helped us put this together, and he got a lot of this stuff from this point forward from a book by a man named Brian Raftery called Don't Stop Believin' How Karaoke Conquered the World and Changed My Life.

And I think this is kind of one of the seminal books on karaoke.

Episode: Karaoke: Tuesday Night Fever

It was considered a seminal book on the history and impact of karaoke, and was referenced in a section of the podcast discussing the spread of karaoke to the West.

"

Dave, one of our great writers, helped us put this together, and he got a lot of this stuff from this point forward from a book by a man named Brian Raftery called Don't Stop Believin' How Karaoke Conquered the World and Changed My Life. And I think this is kind of one of the seminal books on karaoke.

That's the impression I have as well.

An Instinct for Dragons Cover

David E. Jones

An Instinct for Dragons

It was discussed as a book about dragons across cultures, suggesting a theory that humans' fear of snakes, cats, and eagles evolved into the dragon myth.

"

And there's a book called An Instinct for Dragons written by an anthropologist named David E. Jones about dragons and dragons throughout cultures and across cultures.

— Episode: Dragons: As Real as Mermaids

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Dragons: As Real as Mermaids

It was discussed as a book about dragons across cultures, suggesting a theory that humans' fear of snakes, cats, and eagles evolved into the dragon myth.

"

And there's a book called An Instinct for Dragons written by an anthropologist named David E. Jones about dragons and dragons throughout cultures and across cultures.

Episode: Dragons: As Real as Mermaids

It was discussed as a book that explores the theory that humans evolved with a fear of three predators, which became the basis of dragon mythology across cultures.

"

And there's a book called An Instinct for Dragons written by an anthropologist named David E. Jones about dragons and dragons throughout cultures and across cultures.

The Green Serpent and the Tree Cover

James N. Judd

The Green Serpent and the Tree

It was noted that this book featured a dragon shortly after its appearance in 'The Fairy Queen', suggesting the increasing popularity of the dragon in literature.

"

And then it shows up after that a little while later in Marie Catherine Dole Noyes' The Green Serpent.

— Episode: Dragons: As Real as Mermaids

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Dragons: As Real as Mermaids

It was noted that this book featured a dragon shortly after its appearance in 'The Fairy Queen', suggesting the increasing popularity of the dragon in literature.

"

And then it shows up after that a little while later in Marie Catherine Dole Noyes' The Green Serpent.

Episode: Dragons: As Real as Mermaids

It was mentioned as a book that featured a dragon, appearing shortly after The Fairy Queen.

"

And then it shows up after that a little while later in Marie Catherine Dole Noyes' The Green Serpent.

Episode: Dragons: As Real as Mermaids

It was mentioned as a book that featured dragons, coming after the first mention of a dragon in Spenser's The Fairy Queen.

"

And then it shows up after that a little while later in Marie Catherine Dole Noyes' The Green Serpent.

Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture Cover

Douglas Coupland

Generation X

Tales for an Accelerated Culture

It was mentioned as a significant book that defined a generation and its culture, with the author appearing at the Mall of America's opening in 1992, observing the enthusiasm and 'country fair face' of visitors.

"

Douglas Copeland... Wow, this really would work so much better if you guys knew what Generation X was. Yeah, we wrote it.

— Episode: Selects: Live From San Francisco: How Ma...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Selects: Live From San Francisco: How Malls Work

It was mentioned as a significant book that defined a generation and its culture, with the author appearing at the Mall of America's opening in 1992, observing the enthusiasm and 'country fair face' of visitors.

"

Douglas Copeland... Wow, this really would work so much better if you guys knew what Generation X was. Yeah, we wrote it.

And he said that everybody was walking by with what he called country fair face, where they were like Google-eyed and eating ice cream. Couldn't believe this mall. It was the most amazing thing they'd ever seen.

Episode: Selects: Live From San Francisco: How Malls Work

It was said to have set the tone for the whole 'Generation X' era, and the author was present at the Mall of America opening in 1992.

"

Douglas Copeland, I don't know if any of you have read Generation X. It's a really great book, but he basically coined the name.

And he was actually at the opening of Mall of America on August 11th, 1992. And he was up there on stage with the local radio affiliate.

I Can See the Rainbow Bridge Cover

Tootsie Barron

I Can See the Rainbow Bridge

It was described as having a strange and slightly insane cover and was about the Rainbow Bridge and suicide, which the hosts disagreed with.

"

And there's, in that supernatural camp, there's an author named Paul Owens who wrote The Baron of Rainbow Bridge.

— Episode: Short Stuff: Dog Suicide Bridge

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Short Stuff: Dog Suicide Bridge

It was described as having a strange and slightly insane cover and was about the Rainbow Bridge and suicide, which the hosts disagreed with.

"

And there's, in that supernatural camp, there's an author named Paul Owens who wrote The Baron of Rainbow Bridge.

And from what I can tell, Owens' book basically says, and also you have to see the cover of this thing, it's adorable, but also like insane. Like he photoshopped dogs jumping like in midair and made it look like they're jumping off the bridge.

And for some reason, Vladimir Putin is dressed like a stage musician in the background. It's a very odd cover of a book.

But from what I can surmise, Paul Owens' thing is he's kind of mashed up the Rainbow Bridge thing with, which is I guess what pets follow into the afterlife, with like real life and somehow suicide.

Like I guess he thinks like the dogs are actually purposely taking their lives. And like you said at the outset, that's just not, that's a human thing. That's exclusively human.

Episode: Short Stuff: Dog Suicide Bridge

It was described as having a strange cover with a photoshopped image of dogs jumping and Vladimir Putin in the background. The book's content seems to combine the Rainbow Bridge concept with the idea of dog suicide.

"

And then there's, in that supernatural camp, there's an author named Paul Owens who wrote The Baron of Rainbow Bridge.

And from what I can tell, Owens' book basically says, and also you have to see the cover of this thing, it's adorable, but also like insane. Like he photoshopped dogs jumping like in midair and made it look like they're jumping off the bridge.

And for some reason, Vladimir Putin is dressed like a stage musician in the background.

So doesn't that guy look like Putin?

But from what I can surmise, Paul Owens' thing is he's kind of mashed up the Rainbow Bridge thing with, which is I guess what pets follow into the afterlife, with like real life and somehow suicide.

Episode: Short Stuff: Dog Suicide Bridge

It was described as having a bizarre cover with a photoshopped image of dogs jumping and Vladimir Putin dressed as a musician. It suggested that the dogs were purposely taking their own lives, which is a human trait.

"

And there's, in that supernatural camp, there's an author named Paul Owens who wrote The Baron of Rainbow Bridge.

And from what I can tell, Owens' book basically says, and also you have to see the cover of this thing, it's adorable, but also like insane. Like he photoshopped dogs jumping like in midair and made it look like they're jumping off the bridge.

And for some reason, Vladimir Putin is dressed like a stage musician in the background. It's a very odd cover of a book.

But from what I can surmise, Paul Owens' thing is he's kind of mashed up the Rainbow Bridge thing with, which is I guess what pets follow into the afterlife, with like real life and somehow suicide.

Like I guess he thinks like the dogs are actually purposely taking their lives. And like you said at the outset, that's just not, that's a human thing. That's exclusively human.

Striking Distance: Bruce Lee and the Dawn of Martial Arts in America Cover

Charles Russo

Striking Distance

Bruce Lee and the Dawn of Martial Arts in America

It was mentioned as a book that focused on a specific fight in Bruce Lee's life, a fight that was thoroughly researched and discussed by its author.

"

There was another guy named Charles Russo who wrote a book called Striking Distance. He spent a decade on that book and he interviewed 100 people just for that fight alone.

— Episode: How Bruce Lee Worked

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Episode: How Bruce Lee Worked

It was mentioned as a book that focused on a specific fight in Bruce Lee's life, a fight that was thoroughly researched and discussed by its author.

"

There was another guy named Charles Russo who wrote a book called Striking Distance. He spent a decade on that book and he interviewed 100 people just for that fight alone.

Episode: How Bruce Lee Worked

It was mentioned as a book that took a decade to write and included 100 interviews about a legendary Bruce Lee fight.

"

There was another guy named Charles Russo who wrote a book called Striking Distance.

Episode: How Bruce Lee Worked

It was said that Charles Russo spent a decade writing this book, interviewing 100 people, specifically about one legendary Bruce Lee fight.

"

There was another guy named Charles Russo who wrote a book called Striking Distance.

The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story Cover

Douglas Preston

The Lost City of the Monkey God

A True Story

It was discussed in relation to LIDAR technology, which was mentioned as being used to map jungle ruins, and the book's connection to the Forrest Fenn treasure was also noted.

"

It might have been, it's used most famously for mapping dense jungle ruins. Like, I was reading about it in this book called The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston, which...

— Episode: What Will Farming 4.0 Look Like?

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Episode: What Will Farming 4.0 Look Like?

It was discussed in relation to LIDAR technology, which was mentioned as being used to map jungle ruins, and the book's connection to the Forrest Fenn treasure was also noted.

"

It might have been, it's used most famously for mapping dense jungle ruins. Like, I was reading about it in this book called The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston, which I actually heard about in researching our episode on the Fen treasure because Douglas Preston was the friend of Forrest Fen who vouched for having seen the treasure in person before.

Episode: What Will Farming 4.0 Look Like?

It was discussed in relation to LIDAR technology for mapping dense jungle ruins, which was relevant to the topic of using technology in farming.

"

It might have been, it's used most famously for mapping dense jungle ruins. Like, I was reading about it in this book called The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston, which I actually heard about in researching our episode on the Fen treasure because Douglas Preston was the friend of Forrest Fen who vouched for having seen the treasure in person before.

Episode: What Will Farming 4.0 Look Like?

It was discussed in relation to LIDAR technology, which is used to map dense jungle ruins, specifically being used to map the lost city mentioned in the book's title.

"

I was reading about it in this book called The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston, which I actually heard about in researching our episode on the Fen treasure because Douglas Preston was the friend of Forrest Fen who vouched for having seen the treasure in person before.

But he talks a lot about LIDAR being used to map these ruins that have been overgrown by jungle that you normally would never be able to see overhead.

Scar Tissue Cover

Anthony Kiedis

Scar Tissue

Chuck mentioned reading Anthony Kiedis's autobiography, focusing on the rock star's experiences with drugs and personal troubles.

"

I actually read his biography.

— Episode: Selects: How Chili Peppers Work

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Episode: Selects: How Chili Peppers Work

Chuck mentioned reading Anthony Kiedis's autobiography, focusing on the rock star's experiences with drugs and personal troubles.

"

I actually read his biography.

I guess it was an autobiography. Anthony Kiedis.

And the Kiedis one is good, man. That guy, he had troubles.

Just bad drug troubles and woman troubles over and over and over. But he's good now.

Episode: Selects: How Chili Peppers Work

Anthony Kiedis's autobiography was mentioned as being read by one of the hosts, who was going through a phase of reading music autobiographies, primarily from rock stars.

"

I actually read his biography. I guess it was an autobiography. Anthony Kiedis.

And the Kiedis one is good, man. That guy, he had troubles.

Episode: Selects: How Chili Peppers Work

One of the podcast hosts mentioned reading Anthony Kiedis's autobiography, specifically for rock star stories, and it was deemed a good read.

"

I actually read his biography.

I guess it was an autobiography. Anthony Kiedis.

And the Kiedis one is good, man.

That guy, he had troubles.

Days of Darkness: The Feuds of Eastern Kentucky Cover

John Ed Pearce

Days of Darkness

The Feuds of Eastern Kentucky

It was referenced during the discussion of the feud's escalating violence, describing the incident where Bill Staten Jr. was killed and the McCoys' sons escaped.

"

So I got, I think, the description of that incident from a really great book by a guy named John Ed Pierce. It's Days of Darkness, colon, so you know it's legitimate, The Feuds of Eas...

— Episode: Selects: What Was the Deal With the Hatf...

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Episode: Selects: What Was the Deal With the Hatfields and...

It was referenced during the discussion of the feud's escalating violence, describing the incident where Bill Staten Jr. was killed and the McCoys' sons escaped.

"

So I got, I think, the description of that incident from a really great book by a guy named John Ed Pierce. It's Days of Darkness, colon, so you know it's legitimate, The Feuds of Eastern Kentucky.

Episode: Selects: What Was the Deal With the Hatfields and...

The book was referenced when discussing the incident where Bill Staten Jr. was killed, adding context and detail to the event, particularly the brutality of the aftermath.

"

So I got, I think, the description of that incident from a really great book by a guy named John Ed Pierce. It's Days of Darkness, colon, so you know it's legitimate, The Feuds of Eastern Kentucky.

Episode: Selects: What Was the Deal With the Hatfields and...

It was cited as a source for information about the feud, specifically an event where Paris and Sam McCoy shot and killed Bill Staten Jr. after he shot Paris in the hip, as well as other events in the feud.

"

So I got, I think, the description of that incident from a really great book by a guy named John Ed Pierce.

The American Spelling Book - The Original 1824 Edition Cover

Noah Webster

The American Spelling Book - The Original 1824 Edition

It was a highly successful book, also known as the blue-backed speller, that contributed to standardizing American English for educators and sold millions of copies by 1883.

"

And pre-dictionary, which we'll get to after the break, he wrote something called The American Spelling Book, which was also referred to as the blue-backed speller.

— Episode: Short Stuff: Is It Theater or Theatre?

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Short Stuff: Is It Theater or Theatre?

It was a highly successful book, also known as the blue-backed speller, that contributed to standardizing American English for educators and sold millions of copies by 1883.

"

And pre-dictionary, which we'll get to after the break, he wrote something called The American Spelling Book, which was also referred to as the blue-backed speller.

I guess it had a blue cover on the back is the only thing I can think of. Or it was referring to a character who had a blue back in the book.

But it helped standardize American English for teachers.

Episode: Short Stuff: Is It Theater or Theatre?

It was a very successful book also known as the 'blue-backed speller', which helped standardize American English for teachers before his dictionary.

"

And pre-dictionary, which we'll get to after the break, he wrote something called The American Spelling Book, which was also referred to as the blue-backed speller.

It sold about 100 million copies by 1883, which is just astounding.

Episode: Short Stuff: Is It Theater or Theatre?

It was a very successful book, selling 100 million copies in 100 years, and was also known as the blue-backed speller.

"

And pre-dictionary, which we'll get to after the break, he wrote something called The American Spelling Book, which was also referred to as the blue-backed speller.

I guess it had a blue cover on the back is the only thing I can think of. Or it was referring to a character who had a blue back in the book.

But it helped standardize American English for teachers.

Yes I Can: The Story of Sammy Davis, Jr. Cover

Sammy Davis Jr.

Yes I Can

The Story of Sammy Davis, Jr.

Sammy Davis Jr.'s book, 'Yes I Can', was briefly mentioned in the context of Frank Sinatra's influence on other artists, relating it to the concept of needing approval from higher-ups for creative control.

"

Sammy Davis's Book yes, I can uh-huh and he says what they should have called it is Yes I Can as long as Frank says it's okay because Frank called the shots for all those guys

— Episode: Selects: How Auto-Tune Works

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Selects: How Auto-Tune Works

Sammy Davis Jr.'s book, 'Yes I Can', was briefly mentioned in the context of Frank Sinatra's influence on other artists, relating it to the concept of needing approval from higher-ups for creative control.

"

Sammy Davis's Book yes, I can uh-huh and he says what they should have called it is Yes I Can as long as Frank says it's okay because Frank called the shots for all those guys

Episode: Selects: How Auto-Tune Works

It was mentioned as a book that Sammy Davis Jr. should have titled his book instead of "Yes I Can." The book title was discussed as a conversation about Frank Sinatra calling the shots for other singers.

"

Yes I Can uh-huh and he says what they should have called it is Yes I Can as long as Frank says it's okay because Frank called the shots for all those guys

Episode: Sammy Davis Jr: National Treasure

It was mentioned as Sammy Davis Jr.'s first memoir or autobiography, with a humorous reference to a scene in 'Spinal Tap' about the book's title.

"

So Sammy Davis Jr. wrote a bunch of memoirs and autobiographies over the years, and one of them is a very great spinal tap joke. I know you still haven't seen it, right?

I think his first one was called Yes I Can.

And there's a great scene in Spinal Tap when Bruno Kirby as a limo driver is talking about it and he said something about Yes I Can. He said, although the real title should have been Yes I Can if Frank says it's okay because Frank called the shots for all those guys.

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