The Avoidable War
Kevin Rudd
Mentioned 1 week ago
What Xi Jinping Wants
Book Recommendations
The Ezra Klein Show
Ezra Klein invites you into a conversation on something that matters. How do we address climate change if the political system fails to act? Has the logic of markets infiltrated too many aspects of our lives? What is the future of the Republican Party? What do psychedelics teach us about consciousne...
Episodes
560
Books
1,807
Recently mentioned
Latest Recommendations
The Party's Interests Come First
Joseph Torigian
Mentioned 1 week ago
What Xi Jinping Wants
The Souls of China
Ian Johnson
Mentioned 1 week ago
What Xi Jinping Wants
The Beginning Comes After the End
Rebecca Solnit
Mentioned 1 week ago
The Very Good and Very Bad News on Climate
Here Comes the Sun
Bill McKibben
Mentioned 1 week ago
The Very Good and Very Bad News on Climate
The Glorians
Terry Tempest Williams
Mentioned 1 week ago
The Very Good and Very Bad News on Climate
The Carbon Wave
Leah C. Stokes
Mentioned 1 week ago
The Very Good and Very Bad News on Climate
Brought to You By
Amy Westervelt
Mentioned 1 week ago
The Very Good and Very Bad News on Climate
The Holocaust and the Nakba
Bashir Bashir
Mentioned 2 weeks ago
A Radical Vision for Israelis and Palestinians
States of Denial
Stanley Cohen
Mentioned 2 weeks ago
A Radical Vision for Israelis and Palestinians
Tomorrow Is Yesterday
Hussein Agha
Mentioned 2 weeks ago
A Radical Vision for Israelis and Palestinians
A Psalm for the Wild-Built
Becky Chambers
Mentioned 2 weeks ago
A Radical Vision for Israelis and Palestinians
Most Recommended
The Human Condition
Second Edition
The guest said Arendt's book explores political structures and work that contribute to human flourishing.
"
Hannah Arendt has been very important to me as well. The Human Condition explores a lot of that terrain in terms of what political structures are conducive to human flourishing.
— Episode: 41 Questions For The Technologies We Use...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: 41 Questions For The Technologies We Use, and That...
The guest said Arendt's book explores political structures and work that contribute to human flourishing.
"
Hannah Arendt has been very important to me as well. The Human Condition explores a lot of that terrain in terms of what political structures are conducive to human flourishing.
The Carrying
Poems
Ezra asked Limn to read a poem from her book The Carrying, specifically the poem "The Raincoat."
"
And I was hoping we could start with a poem from your book The Carrying called The Raincoat.
— Episode: A Conversation With Ada Limón, in Six Po...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: A Conversation With Ada Limón, in Six Poems
Ezra asked Limn to read a poem from her book The Carrying, specifically the poem "The Raincoat."
"
And I was hoping we could start with a poem from your book The Carrying called The Raincoat.
Eichmann in Jerusalem
Klein said he had recently reread Eichmann in Jerusalem, finding it revealing for comparing Nazi-era bureaucratic evil to contemporary authoritarian regimes.
"
I think another book, which I just started rereading, is Hannah Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem, not because it sort of answers these big picture questions ... but because it's a chara...
— Episode: Is Trump Losing? A Debate
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Is Trump Losing? A Debate
Klein said he had recently reread Eichmann in Jerusalem, finding it revealing for comparing Nazi-era bureaucratic evil to contemporary authoritarian regimes.
"
I think another book, which I just started rereading, is Hannah Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem, not because it sort of answers these big picture questions ... but because it's a character portrait of one man's role in a vast machinery of horrifying political outcomes.
Where the Deer and the Antelope Play
The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside
Offerman's new book explored the American outdoors, its history and how it should shape our lives.
"
I got this email that Offerman had a new book coming out called Where the Deer and the Antelope Play.
— Episode: Lessons on Living Well, From Nick Offerm...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Lessons on Living Well, From Nick Offerman
Offerman's new book explored the American outdoors, its history and how it should shape our lives.
"
I got this email that Offerman had a new book coming out called Where the Deer and the Antelope Play.
and in the book, too, I mean, there's a lot of, you know, moving firewood around and rebuilding a farm and it's all there.
the first part of the book is a long hike you take with Jeff Tweedy of Wilco and George Saunders, the author.
FIDELITY, FIVE STORIES
Berry's collection of short stories was recommended as a starting point for readers new to his work.
"
the book I started with is called Fidelity. It's a collection of short stories.
— Episode: Lessons on Living Well, From Nick Offerm...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Lessons on Living Well, From Nick Offerman
Berry's collection of short stories was recommended as a starting point for readers new to his work.
"
the book I started with is called Fidelity. It's a collection of short stories.
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need
Megan recommended it as a practical, technologyfocused guide that empowers readers to contribute to a successful energy transition.
"
The other book, since I won't count the prize, I think many of your listeners might enjoy reading Bill Gates' How to Avoid a Climate Disaster. ... it's a lot about technology, but it'...
— Episode: When Great Power Conflict and Climate Ac...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: When Great Power Conflict and Climate Action Colli...
Megan recommended it as a practical, technologyfocused guide that empowers readers to contribute to a successful energy transition.
"
The other book, since I won't count the prize, I think many of your listeners might enjoy reading Bill Gates' How to Avoid a Climate Disaster. ... it's a lot about technology, but it's also practical in the way, it's sort of empowering ... describing ways everybody can contribute.
The Victory Lab
The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns
Ezra Klein cited the book as the only work that details the history of the Democratic Party's internal analytics and research structure.
"
Victory Lab by Sasha Eisenberg. You know, it kind of talks a lot about, you know, the history of the democratic analytics industry. A lot of the stuff that these numbers that I've shared here kind of...
— Episode: Democrats Need to Face Why Trump Won
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Democrats Need to Face Why Trump Won
Ezra Klein cited the book as the only work that details the history of the Democratic Party's internal analytics and research structure.
"
Victory Lab by Sasha Eisenberg. You know, it kind of talks a lot about, you know, the history of the democratic analytics industry. A lot of the stuff that these numbers that I've shared here kind of come out of that machine.
Homegoing
A novel
Brous praised Homegoing as one of the best novels she has read, an epic story of generational trauma and hope from Ghanaian ancestors.
"
And the third I would say is a novel written by Yaa Gyasi, Homegoing, which I really think is one of the best novels I've ever read. It is this epic story of generations of the descen...
— Episode: The Sermons I Needed to Hear Right Now
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: The Sermons I Needed to Hear Right Now
Brous praised Homegoing as one of the best novels she has read, an epic story of generational trauma and hope from Ghanaian ancestors.
"
And the third I would say is a novel written by Yaa Gyasi, Homegoing, which I really think is one of the best novels I've ever read. It is this epic story of generations of the descendants of two sisters from Ghana, the impact of violence and enslavement and multigenerational trauma. And it's really also a story of hope and survival.
The WEIRDest People in the World
How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous
Henrich claimed that the rise of a distinct WEIRD psychology was essential for the development of market economies, representative government, and human rights.
"
His 2020 book, The WEIRDest People in the World, takes that argument and extends it, arguing that beginning sometime in the middle ages, certain cultural and really religious shifts r...
— Episode: If You’re Reading This, You’re Probably...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: If You’re Reading This, You’re Probably ‘WEIRD’
Henrich claimed that the rise of a distinct WEIRD psychology was essential for the development of market economies, representative government, and human rights.
"
His 2020 book, The WEIRDest People in the World, takes that argument and extends it, arguing that beginning sometime in the middle ages, certain cultural and really religious shifts radically transformed the psychologies of individuals living in Europe.
Autocracy, Inc.
The Dictators Who Want to Run the World
The host introduced Anne Applebaum's new book as a study of dictators who aim to run the world, noting her expertise on authoritarianism past and present.
"
She is an expert on authoritarianism, both in its past and present forms, and the author of a new book, Autocracy, Inc., The Dictators Who Want to Run the World.
— Episode: Trump Kicks Down the Guardrails
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Trump Kicks Down the Guardrails
The host introduced Anne Applebaum's new book as a study of dictators who aim to run the world, noting her expertise on authoritarianism past and present.
"
She is an expert on authoritarianism, both in its past and present forms, and the author of a new book, Autocracy, Inc., The Dictators Who Want to Run the World.
Tired of Winning
Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party
Alberta recommended Tired of Winning, describing it as a terrific psychological window into Donald Trump during his exile after January6.
"
The first book I'd recommend is from my friend Jonathan Karl ... it's called Tired of Winning and it's just a terrific psychological window into Donald Trump in exile after January 6t...
— Episode: The Trump Campaign’s Theory of Victory
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: The Trump Campaign’s Theory of Victory
Alberta recommended Tired of Winning, describing it as a terrific psychological window into Donald Trump during his exile after January6.
"
The first book I'd recommend is from my friend Jonathan Karl ... it's called Tired of Winning and it's just a terrific psychological window into Donald Trump in exile after January 6th, after leaving office when he'd become a pariah.
Why We Did It
A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell
Miller's book was praised as a compelling account of his journey and disenchantment during the Trump years.
"
I love Tim Miller's book, Why We Did It. Tim Miller is a longtime Republican operative who basically wrote about his journey to disenchantment in the Trump years.
— Episode: A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a Trump...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a Trump Enabler
Miller's book was praised as a compelling account of his journey and disenchantment during the Trump years.
"
I love Tim Miller's book, Why We Did It. Tim Miller is a longtime Republican operative who basically wrote about his journey to disenchantment in the Trump years.
All The King's Men
It was recommended as an old novel that contains many details about party conventions and dealmaking.
"
Well, I'd start with All The King's Men. This is an old one by Robert Penn Warren, and there's lots in it about party conventions and all the dealmaking that goes on.
— Episode: How an Open Democratic Convention Would...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: How an Open Democratic Convention Would Work
It was recommended as an old novel that contains many details about party conventions and dealmaking.
"
Well, I'd start with All The King's Men. This is an old one by Robert Penn Warren, and there's lots in it about party conventions and all the dealmaking that goes on.
The Pursuit of Happiness
How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America
Cox described The Pursuit of Happiness as a book about the Declaration of Independence's phrase, tracing its philosophical roots to the Stoics.
"
It's called The Pursuit of Happiness. As we're celebrating 250 years, that phrase in the Declaration, we all understand what life is. Liberty, that's freedom. But The Pursuit...
— Episode: Spencer Cox Wants to Pull Our Politics B...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Spencer Cox Wants to Pull Our Politics Back From t...
Cox described The Pursuit of Happiness as a book about the Declaration of Independence's phrase, tracing its philosophical roots to the Stoics.
"
It's called The Pursuit of Happiness. As we're celebrating 250 years, that phrase in the Declaration, we all understand what life is. Liberty, that's freedom. But The Pursuit of Happiness, we misunderstand. It dates back to the Stoics, back to Aristotle and Marcus Aurelius.
Ascent to Power
How Truman Emerged from Roosevelt's Shadow and Remade the World
He described the book as dear to his heart, admiring Truman as an unlikely hero who remained connected to the people he served.
"
And my third one is Truman. Truman is so dear to my heart because first of all, he was like the unlikely hero, the surprising hero. The fact that you come from the people and you serve the people and...
— Episode: Watching the Protests From Israel
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Watching the Protests From Israel
He described the book as dear to his heart, admiring Truman as an unlikely hero who remained connected to the people he served.
"
And my third one is Truman. Truman is so dear to my heart because first of all, he was like the unlikely hero, the surprising hero. The fact that you come from the people and you serve the people and you don't forget that you're one of them, I find endearing.
The Guns Of August
It was presented as a history of the onset of World WarI, showing how fast crises can erupt and how miscalculations arise when humans are at the center of events.
"
my third recommendation would be actually The Guns Of August which is basically a history of how world war one started the basic idea that crises happen very fast almost no one knows...
— Episode: What if Dario Amodei Is Right About A.I....
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: What if Dario Amodei Is Right About A.I.?
It was presented as a history of the onset of World WarI, showing how fast crises can erupt and how miscalculations arise when humans are at the center of events.
"
my third recommendation would be actually The Guns Of August which is basically a history of how world war one started the basic idea that crises happen very fast almost no one knows what's going on there are lots of miscalculations because they're humans at the center of it and we somehow have to learn to step back and make wiser decisions in these key moments
The Spy and the Traitor
The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War
The guest called it an astonishing true story about a Soviet double agent that reads like fiction.
"
And my last recommendation would be The Spy and the Traitor by Ben McIntyre from several years back about a Soviet double agent who was working for the KGB but became a double agent f...
— Episode: What Trump Wants in Venezuela
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: What Trump Wants in Venezuela
The guest called it an astonishing true story about a Soviet double agent that reads like fiction.
"
And my last recommendation would be The Spy and the Traitor by Ben McIntyre from several years back about a Soviet double agent who was working for the KGB but became a double agent for British intelligence during the Cold War. Absolutely astonishing true story that reads like fiction.
What It Took to Win
A History of the Democratic Party
He noted the book is a new history of the Democratic Party from its early 19thcentury origins to the present, and he recommended it alongside the other titles.
"
And I'm also reading kind of the last book on my plate here is What It Took to Win, which is a new book by the historian Michael Kazin. It's a history of the Democratic Party from its...
— Episode: The Case for Prosecuting Trump
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: The Case for Prosecuting Trump
He noted the book is a new history of the Democratic Party from its early 19thcentury origins to the present, and he recommended it alongside the other titles.
"
And I'm also reading kind of the last book on my plate here is What It Took to Win, which is a new book by the historian Michael Kazin. It's a history of the Democratic Party from its beginnings in the early 19th century to the present.
Dispatches
George praised the Vietnamwar book for its beautiful prose and shifting tone.
"
I really love Dispatches by Michael Hare, which is the great Vietnam work. He was a friend of ours and the book is so beautifully open to different mind states. You know, he's in Viet...
— Episode: Best of: George Saunders on Kindness in...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Best of: George Saunders on Kindness in a Cruel Wo...
George praised the Vietnamwar book for its beautiful prose and shifting tone.
"
I really love Dispatches by Michael Hare, which is the great Vietnam work. He was a friend of ours and the book is so beautifully open to different mind states. You know, he's in Vietnam and sometimes he's sort of celebrating it and sometimes he's horrified.
The Fight
A Secret Service Agent's Inside Account of Security Failings and the Political Machine
The hosts briefly referred to the book while discussing the historical role of patronage and party machines.
"
The Political Machine, which is typically alluded to more than it's actually understood.
— Episode: The Republican Party’s Decay Began Long...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: The Republican Party’s Decay Began Long Before Tru...
The hosts briefly referred to the book while discussing the historical role of patronage and party machines.
"
The Political Machine, which is typically alluded to more than it's actually understood.
Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.