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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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.

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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.

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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-

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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

Elvis: My Best Man: Radio Days, Rock 'n' Roll Nights, and My Lifelong Friendship with Elvis Presley Cover

George Klein

Elvis

My Best Man

It was mentioned that in her book, Priscilla Presley talked about Elvis's obsession with the narcotics badge and his belief that it would allow him to travel with guns and drugs without being questioned.

"

Yeah and Priscilla says this in her book he was obsessed with the narcotics badge the narc badge and she said he felt that if you had that narc badge then you could fly to any country with your guns a...

— Episode: Short Stuff: When Elvis Met Nixon

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Short Stuff: When Elvis Met Nixon

It was mentioned that in her book, Priscilla Presley talked about Elvis's obsession with the narcotics badge and his belief that it would allow him to travel with guns and drugs without being questioned.

"

Yeah and Priscilla says this in her book he was obsessed with the narcotics badge the narc badge and she said he felt that if you had that narc badge then you could fly to any country with your guns and your drugs and get away with it.

Der Sandmann / The Sandman – Bilingual German-English Edition / zweisprachig Deutsch-Englisch (German Edition) Cover

E. T. A. Hoffmann

Der Sandmann / The Sandman – Bilingual German-English Edition / zweisprachig Deutsch-Englisch (German Edition)

It was discussed as a horrifying children's story about a creature that throws sand in children's eyes, causing their eyes to fall out, before eventually being collected and used to feed his children on the dark side of the moon.

"

In 1818 there was a writer named E.T.A. Hoffmann that wrote Der Sandmann with two N's and it's just like the Grimm's brother stuff.

— Episode: Short Stuff: The Sandman

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Short Stuff: The Sandman

It was discussed as a horrifying children's story about a creature that throws sand in children's eyes, causing their eyes to fall out, before eventually being collected and used to feed his children on the dark side of the moon.

"

In 1818 there was a writer named E.T.A. Hoffmann that wrote Der Sandmann with two N's and it's just like the Grimm's brother stuff.

It's this horrifying nursery rhyme or not nursery rhyme but sort of a story, a kid's story about a nurse telling a story about this creature who throws sand in your eyes of little kids who don't go to sleep and your eyes fall out of your sockets.

Then the Sandman collects those eyeballs, puts them in a bag and lives on the dark side of the moon, goes home and carries them there and then feeds those eyeballs to his children.

Der Sandmann kommt means Sand Man is coming and the whole idea was that the Sand Man would come along and parents would tell the story in Germany.

Ulla Johnson Women's Aviana Top Cover

Ulla Johnson Women's Aviana Top

It was mentioned as a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen where the main character, Ulla Luka E, carries a colorful umbrella and squirts milk into children's eyes instead of sand, introducing themes of death and sexuality.

"

Flash forward a bit to 1841 when none other than Hans Christian Andersen put out a fairy tale. Do you want to pronounce this?

— Episode: Short Stuff: The Sandman

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Short Stuff: The Sandman

It was mentioned as a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen where the main character, Ulla Luka E, carries a colorful umbrella and squirts milk into children's eyes instead of sand, introducing themes of death and sexuality.

"

Flash forward a bit to 1841 when none other than Hans Christian Andersen put out a fairy tale. Do you want to pronounce this?

I can. Are you ready for this? I was practicing. I looked it up. Really? Ulla Luke E. It's not dead on but it's okay.

Yeah, anytime I see one of those letters that looks like the null set, I have no idea what to do with it.

With dress and silk jammies, very nice, stylish and would carry an umbrella, colorful umbrella.

And I guess, I mean it doesn't really say would he do the same thing basically? He would not. He would squirt milk in your eye rather than sand.

Atlantis, The Antediluvian World: Illustrated Edition Cover

Ignatius Donnelly

Atlantis, The Antediluvian World

Illustrated Edition

It was mentioned as the book where Ignatius Donnelly proposed the Azores as the highest mountain tops of Atlantis, with colonies in Egypt and Peru that survived the sinking.

"

Because in 1882 he published a book called Atlantis the Anti-Diluvian World and in it he's saying okay the Azores the Azores man I wish I'd looked that one up. I think that's right. The islands in the...

— Episode: SYSK Selects: Was Atlantis A Real Place?

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: SYSK Selects: Was Atlantis A Real Place?

It was mentioned as the book where Ignatius Donnelly proposed the Azores as the highest mountain tops of Atlantis, with colonies in Egypt and Peru that survived the sinking.

"

Because in 1882 he published a book called Atlantis the Anti-Diluvian World and in it he's saying okay the Azores the Azores man I wish I'd looked that one up. I think that's right. The islands in the middle of the Atlantic that's actually the highest peaks of the highest mountain tops of Atlantis.

And wait there's more the incredibly advanced civilizations in Egypt and high up in the Andes of Peru, Pre-Inca those were colonies set forth by Atlantis that survived because they weren't there for the sinking of Atlantis.

More Than Legend: A YA Historical Fantasy (More Than Life Book 2) Cover

Bethanie Finger

More Than Legend

A YA Historical Fantasy (More Than Life Book 2)

It was published in 1957 and compiled various eyewitness accounts and sketches of the Loch Ness Monster, helping to shift the narrative from mere frivolity to potential scientific study.

"

and she started collecting all these different reports and and published the reports along with sketches from the people who'd had who's made these reports into a book called More Than A Legend in 195...

— Episode: Could There Be A Loch Ness Monster?

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Could There Be A Loch Ness Monster?

It was published in 1957 and compiled various eyewitness accounts and sketches of the Loch Ness Monster, helping to shift the narrative from mere frivolity to potential scientific study.

"

and she started collecting all these different reports and and published the reports along with sketches from the people who'd had who's made these reports into a book called More Than A Legend in 1957

Kevin Keller Celebration Omnibus Cover

Archie Superstars

Kevin Keller Celebration Omnibus

It was mentioned as the first comic book featuring a gay character, and was sent by Susanna.

"

She sent us a bunch of stuff... a Kevin Keller book that's the first gay character.

— Episode: SYSK Selects: Bioluminescence: A Bright...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: SYSK Selects: Bioluminescence: A Bright and Shiny...

It was mentioned as the first comic book featuring a gay character, and was sent by Susanna.

"

She sent us a bunch of stuff... a Kevin Keller book that's the first gay character.

Do You Know What I'm Going to Do Next Saturday? Cover

Helen Palmer

Do You Know What I'm Going to Do Next Saturday?

It was mentioned as one of the books written by Helen Palmer Geisel, Theodore Geisel's first wife.

"

She was an author herself. She wrote quite a few books one called Do You Know What I'm Going to Do Next Saturday.

— Episode: Dr. Seuss: The Good, the Bad and the Ugl...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Dr. Seuss: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

It was mentioned as one of the books written by Helen Palmer Geisel, Theodore Geisel's first wife.

"

She was an author herself. She wrote quite a few books one called Do You Know What I'm Going to Do Next Saturday.

I Know What You Did Last Summer Cover

Lois Duncan-Arquette

I Know What You Did Last Summer

It was mentioned as one of the books written by Helen Palmer Geisel, Theodore Geisel's first wife.

"

One called I Know What You Did Last Summer.

— Episode: Dr. Seuss: The Good, the Bad and the Ugl...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Dr. Seuss: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

It was mentioned as one of the books written by Helen Palmer Geisel, Theodore Geisel's first wife.

"

One called I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Why I Built The Boogle House Cover

Helen Palmer

Why I Built The Boogle House

It was mentioned as one of the books written by Helen Palmer Geisel, Theodore Geisel's first wife.

"

One called Why I Built The Boogle House

— Episode: Dr. Seuss: The Good, the Bad and the Ugl...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Dr. Seuss: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

It was mentioned as one of the books written by Helen Palmer Geisel, Theodore Geisel's first wife.

"

One called Why I Built The Boogle House

I Was Kissed By a Seal at the Zoo (Beginner Books) Cover

Helen Palmer

I Was Kissed By a Seal at the Zoo (Beginner Books)

It was mentioned as one of the books written by Helen Palmer Geisel, Theodore Geisel's first wife.

"

and one called I Was Kissed by a Seal at the Zoo.

— Episode: Dr. Seuss: The Good, the Bad and the Ugl...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Dr. Seuss: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

It was mentioned as one of the books written by Helen Palmer Geisel, Theodore Geisel's first wife.

"

and one called I Was Kissed by a Seal at the Zoo.

The Origin Of Species: 150th Anniversary Edition Cover

Charles Darwin

The Origin Of Species

150th Anniversary Edition

It was discussed as a groundbreaking book that posited that humans are driven by their genes, which they inherit from their parents, and that this genetic code determines many of their traits.

"

He wrote on the origin of the species. And it was a pretty groundbreaking book.

— Episode: SYSK Selects: Can Your Grandfather's Die...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: SYSK Selects: Can Your Grandfather's Diet Shorten...

It was discussed as a groundbreaking book that posited that humans are driven by their genes, which they inherit from their parents, and that this genetic code determines many of their traits.

"

He wrote on the origin of the species. And it was a pretty groundbreaking book.

It's basically what he came up with was we are driven by our genes. Right? We have genetic code and our DNA and that makes us redheaded. It makes us timid.

Human Epigenetics: How Science Works Cover

Carsten Carlberg

Human Epigenetics

How Science Works

It was recommended as a source to learn more about epigenetics that uses flight simulator references, which was described as beautiful prose.

"

if you want to read some very beautiful pros on epigenetics uh shock full of flight simulator references read uh how epigenetics works by typing epigenetics in the handy search bar at house.work.com

— Episode: SYSK Selects: Can Your Grandfather's Die...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: SYSK Selects: Can Your Grandfather's Diet Shorten...

It was recommended as a source to learn more about epigenetics that uses flight simulator references, which was described as beautiful prose.

"

if you want to read some very beautiful pros on epigenetics uh shock full of flight simulator references read uh how epigenetics works by typing epigenetics in the handy search bar at house.work.com

Sneaker Wars: The Enemy Brothers Who Founded Adidas and Puma and the Family Feud That Forever Changed the Business of Sport Cover

Barbara Smit

Sneaker Wars

The Enemy Brothers Who Founded Adidas and Puma and the Family Feud That Forever Changed the Business of Sport

It was mentioned as a good place to learn more about the rivalry between Adidas and Puma, which was the main subject of the podcast.

"

If you want to know anything else about Adidas and Puma, we'll just go start reading up more. There's actually a book by a woman named Barbara Schmidt called Sneaker Wars appropriatel...

— Episode: Adidas v. Puma: A Sibling Rivalry

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Adidas v. Puma: A Sibling Rivalry

It was mentioned as a good place to learn more about the rivalry between Adidas and Puma, which was the main subject of the podcast.

"

If you want to know anything else about Adidas and Puma, we'll just go start reading up more. There's actually a book by a woman named Barbara Schmidt called Sneaker Wars appropriately, all about the rift between Adidas and Puma. So if you want to know more about it, that's a pretty good place to start.

Classroom Management for Art, Music, and PE Teachers Cover

Michael Linsin

Classroom Management for Art, Music, and PE Teachers

It was a book sent to the hosts as a gift, and is about using the ukulele in music therapy; Josh also owns a ukulele and plans to check it out.

"

William Dawson sent... Ukulele for Music Teachers and Music Therapists... it's a book that he put together about how the ukulele can be used as music therapy.

— Episode: Olive Oil: Mother Nature's Gift

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Olive Oil: Mother Nature's Gift

It was a book sent to the hosts as a gift, and is about using the ukulele in music therapy; Josh also owns a ukulele and plans to check it out.

"

William Dawson sent... Ukulele for Music Teachers and Music Therapists... it's a book that he put together about how the ukulele can be used as music therapy.

Coffee Mugs Colin Cups Robinson Ceramic What Travel We Birthday Do Tea In The Shadows 11 Oz Or 15 Oz Coffee Mug Gifts For Friend Family Coworker Xmas Christmas Cover

Coffee Mugs Colin Cups Robinson Ceramic What Travel We Birthday Do Tea In The Shadows 11 Oz Or 15 Oz Coffee Mug Gifts For Friend Family Coworker Xmas Christmas

It was sent as a gift to the podcast, and it was mentioned in a segment called Administrative Details where the hosts thank listeners for gifts they have sent.

"

We got Howl, Colin Why Howl We Do Anything Means Everything by Dove Seidman

— Episode: SYSK Selects: How Grief Works

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: SYSK Selects: How Grief Works

It was sent as a gift to the podcast, and it was mentioned in a segment called Administrative Details where the hosts thank listeners for gifts they have sent.

"

We got Howl, Colin Why Howl We Do Anything Means Everything by Dove Seidman

Song for Selma Cover

Dorothy Parhams

Song for Selma

It was briefly mentioned as a book of poems that William King reportedly admired, and the name of which influenced the naming of the city of Selma, Alabama.

"

So there is a Poem a book of poems about called like songs of Selma That he was that he loved and when they were naming the county seat of the county where his Plantation was he was basically instrume...

— Episode: Short Stuff: William King

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Short Stuff: William King

It was briefly mentioned as a book of poems that William King reportedly admired, and the name of which influenced the naming of the city of Selma, Alabama.

"

So there is a Poem a book of poems about called like songs of Selma That he was that he loved and when they were naming the county seat of the county where his Plantation was he was basically instrumental in getting it named Selma the city of Selma, Alabama

REESE'S PINWORM Medicine Liquid for Entire Family, Full Prescription Strength, 2 Oz - Pack of 2 Cover

REESE'S PINWORM Medicine Liquid for Entire Family, Full Prescription Strength, 2 Oz - Pack of 2

The hosts discussed a book about earworms, past tense, and the phonological loop, a process related to how they work.

"

And they think that this phonological loop is basically an earworm hitching a ride on this neurological process that we have naturally and basically exploiting it for commercial purposes.

— Episode: SYSK Selects: How Commercial Jingles Wor...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: SYSK Selects: How Commercial Jingles Work

The hosts discussed a book about earworms, past tense, and the phonological loop, a process related to how they work.

"

And they think that this phonological loop is basically an earworm hitching a ride on this neurological process that we have naturally and basically exploiting it for commercial purposes.

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