The Ezra Klein Show
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 550
Books 1,781
The Unspoken Alliance: Israel's Secret Relationship with Apartheid South Africa Cover

Sasha Polakow-Suransky

The Unspoken Alliance

Israel's Secret Relationship with Apartheid South Africa

The book was mentioned as detailing Israel's secret relationship with South Africa.

"

The Unspoken Alliance, Israel's Secret Relationship with South Africa by Sasha PolakowSuransky.

— Episode: Ta-Nehisi Coates on Israel: ‘I Felt Lied...

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Episode: Ta-Nehisi Coates on Israel: ‘I Felt Lied To.’

The book was mentioned as detailing Israel's secret relationship with South Africa.

"

The Unspoken Alliance, Israel's Secret Relationship with South Africa by Sasha PolakowSuransky.

It is an outlining of Israel's relationship with South Africa, which was a really singular relationship.

The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle for America's Future Cover

Franklin Foer

The Last Politician

Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle for America's Future

Frank Foer was described as the author of a book on Joe Biden's presidency called The Last Politician.

"

He's the author of a book on Joe Biden's presidency called The Last Politician.

— Episode: How Biden’s Middle East Policy Fell Apar...

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Episode: How Biden’s Middle East Policy Fell Apart

Frank Foer was described as the author of a book on Joe Biden's presidency called The Last Politician.

"

He's the author of a book on Joe Biden's presidency called The Last Politician.

Love From Under The Sea Cover

Sarah Courtney Vickers

Love From Under The Sea

David Grossman's novel Sea Under Love was recommended as a sprawling work that explores postHolocaust art questions.

"

David Grossman's novel, Sea Under Love, which is a sprawling novel that responds to Theodore Adorno's question about whether art is possible after the Holocaust.

— Episode: How Biden’s Middle East Policy Fell Apar...

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Episode: How Biden’s Middle East Policy Fell Apart

David Grossman's novel Sea Under Love was recommended as a sprawling work that explores postHolocaust art questions.

"

David Grossman's novel, Sea Under Love, which is a sprawling novel that responds to Theodore Adorno's question about whether art is possible after the Holocaust.

God's Politics - A New Vision for Faith and Politics in America Cover

Jim Wallis

God's Politics - A New Vision for Faith and Politics in America

The book examined the decline of political trust and offered ideas for rebuilding confidence in government.

"

And they begin with a concept that he wrote a book about in 2020, which is trust.

— Episode: What Pete Buttigieg Learned Playing JD V...

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Episode: What Pete Buttigieg Learned Playing JD Vance

The book examined the decline of political trust and offered ideas for rebuilding confidence in government.

"

And they begin with a concept that he wrote a book about in 2020, which is trust.

So back in 2020, you wrote a book on political trust, and there are a million ways to show that it has declined.

Morning and Evening: A New Edition of the Classic Devotional Based on The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Cover

Charles H. Spurgeon

Morning and Evening

A New Edition of the Classic Devotional Based on The Holy Bible, English Standard Version

The slim novella was praised for its powerful, moving prose that resonated deeply with the listener.

"

I read Jan Fossa the Norwegian novelist ... I picked up this very slim almost a novella called Morning Evening and I'm sadly choosing a lot of books based on their size because I need books that can b...

— Episode: What Pete Buttigieg Learned Playing JD V...

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Episode: What Pete Buttigieg Learned Playing JD Vance

The slim novella was praised for its powerful, moving prose that resonated deeply with the listener.

"

I read Jan Fossa the Norwegian novelist ... I picked up this very slim almost a novella called Morning Evening and I'm sadly choosing a lot of books based on their size because I need books that can be read in one sitting sometimes ... it was a powerful piece of fiction that really moved me.

Hope Against Hope: Introduction by Maria Stepanova (Everyman's Library Contemporary Classics Series) Cover

Nadezhda Mandelstam

Hope Against Hope

Introduction by Maria Stepanova (Everyman's Library Contemporary Classics Series)

Ezra Klein highlighted the memoir as a heroic account of spirit and survival during the Stalin era, saying he loved the book.

"

The first is a book called Hope Against Hope which is a memoir by Nadezhda Mandelstam ... I love that book, Hope Against Hope.

— Episode: Israel vs. Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran — and...

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Episode: Israel vs. Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran — and Itself

Ezra Klein highlighted the memoir as a heroic account of spirit and survival during the Stalin era, saying he loved the book.

"

The first is a book called Hope Against Hope which is a memoir by Nadezhda Mandelstam ... I love that book, Hope Against Hope.

On Beauty Cover

Zadie Smith

On Beauty

The novel was cited alongside White Teeth and Swing Time as part of Zadie Smith's celebrated back catalog.

"

If you've not read her back catalog like White Teeth and On Beauty and Swing Time, I almost envy you.

— Episode: Zadie Smith on Populists, Frauds and Fli...

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Episode: Zadie Smith on Populists, Frauds and Flip Phones

The novel was cited alongside White Teeth and Swing Time as part of Zadie Smith's celebrated back catalog.

"

If you've not read her back catalog like White Teeth and On Beauty and Swing Time, I almost envy you.

Swing Time Cover

Zadie Smith

Swing Time

Mentioned as another of Zadie Smith's notable novels that listeners might have read.

"

If you've not read her back catalog like White Teeth and On Beauty and Swing Time, I almost envy you.

— Episode: Zadie Smith on Populists, Frauds and Fli...

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Episode: Zadie Smith on Populists, Frauds and Flip Phones

Mentioned as another of Zadie Smith's notable novels that listeners might have read.

"

If you've not read her back catalog like White Teeth and On Beauty and Swing Time, I almost envy you.

The Diary Of Virginia Woolf, Volume 1: 1915-1919 Cover

Virginia Woolf

The Diary Of Virginia Woolf, Volume 1

1915-1919

The guest praised Woolf's fivevolume diaries, calling the author a pleasure to be around and expressing personal enjoyment reading them.

"

And the other thing I've read recently, which is all of Virginia Woolf's diaries. There's five volumes.

— Episode: Zadie Smith on Populists, Frauds and Fli...

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Episode: Zadie Smith on Populists, Frauds and Flip Phones

The guest praised Woolf's fivevolume diaries, calling the author a pleasure to be around and expressing personal enjoyment reading them.

"

And the other thing I've read recently, which is all of Virginia Woolf's diaries. There's five volumes.

I know that sounds like a lot of work, but honestly, that woman is just a pleasure to be around.

Prep: A Novel Cover

Curtis Sittenfeld

Prep

A Novel

The novel was referenced as one of Curtis Sittenfeld's earlier works, mentioned alongside her newer book.

"

She's the author of the book Prep and more recently Romantic Comedy.

— Episode: The Opinions: A Pro-Life Case for Harris...

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Episode: The Opinions: A Pro-Life Case for Harris and a Wri...

The novel was referenced as one of Curtis Sittenfeld's earlier works, mentioned alongside her newer book.

"

She's the author of the book Prep and more recently Romantic Comedy.

Romantic Comedy: Reese's Book Club: A Novel Cover

Curtis Sittenfeld

Romantic Comedy

Reese's Book Club

The novel was noted as Curtis Sittenfeld's most recent book, cited together with her earlier novel Prep.

"

She's the author of the book Prep and more recently Romantic Comedy.

— Episode: The Opinions: A Pro-Life Case for Harris...

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Episode: The Opinions: A Pro-Life Case for Harris and a Wri...

The novel was noted as Curtis Sittenfeld's most recent book, cited together with her earlier novel Prep.

"

She's the author of the book Prep and more recently Romantic Comedy.

Life Of Dad Cover

Anna Machin

Life Of Dad

Ezra recommended Machin's book as a terrific read that explores the evolution of modern fatherhood and makes a strong case for the importance of fathers today.

"

The third book I got a huge amount out of was the book by Anna Machin. It's called The Life Of Dad. It's just a terrific book and it looks at the way fatherhood came into being as a r...

— Episode: Best Of: The Men — and Boys — Are Not Al...

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Episode: Best Of: The Men — and Boys — Are Not Alright

Ezra recommended Machin's book as a terrific read that explores the evolution of modern fatherhood and makes a strong case for the importance of fathers today.

"

The third book I got a huge amount out of was the book by Anna Machin. It's called The Life Of Dad. It's just a terrific book and it looks at the way fatherhood came into being as a result of some of the changes in our evolutionary history and makes a very strong progressive case for the importance of fathers in the modern world.

How Democracies Die Cover

Steven Levitsky

How Democracies Die

The book was cited as an influence on Biden's decision to run for president, noting that he read it after the Charlottesville events.

"

He's always said that he decided to run after Charlottesville. He read how democracy is die by Levitsky and Zibla.

— Episode: Can the Democratic Party Reclaim Freedom...

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Episode: Can the Democratic Party Reclaim Freedom?

The book was cited as an influence on Biden's decision to run for president, noting that he read it after the Charlottesville events.

"

He's always said that he decided to run after Charlottesville. He read how democracy is die by Levitsky and Zibla.

Justice Gender And F Cover

Susan M. Okin

Justice Gender And F

Zack recommended the classic work as an underappreciated discussion of liberal feminism and gender inequality in the home.

"

All right, so I've got three quite different ones. The first one is Justice, Gender, and the Family by Susan Moller Okin, a classic underappreciated discourse on liberal feminism and gender inequality...

— Episode: Manliness, Cat Ladies, Fertility Panic a...

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Episode: Manliness, Cat Ladies, Fertility Panic and the 202...

Zack recommended the classic work as an underappreciated discussion of liberal feminism and gender inequality in the home.

"

All right, so I've got three quite different ones. The first one is Justice, Gender, and the Family by Susan Moller Okin, a classic underappreciated discourse on liberal feminism and gender inequality in the home.

Cultural Backlash: Trump, Brexit, and Authoritarian Populism Cover

Pippa Norris

Cultural Backlash

Trump, Brexit, and Authoritarian Populism

Zack described it as a datadriven analysis of authoritarian populism and cultural change worldwide.

"

The second book is Cultural Backlash by Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart. They use data from around the world to show how authoritarian populism depends heavily on cultural themes an...

— Episode: Manliness, Cat Ladies, Fertility Panic a...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Manliness, Cat Ladies, Fertility Panic and the 202...

Zack described it as a datadriven analysis of authoritarian populism and cultural change worldwide.

"

The second book is Cultural Backlash by Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart. They use data from around the world to show how authoritarian populism depends heavily on cultural themes and social change.

Why Liberalism Failed (Politics and Culture) Cover

Patrick J. Deneen

Why Liberalism Failed (Politics and Culture)

The discussion referenced Deneen's book as a major deal that even Barack Obama recommended.

"

His first book that came out was called While Liberalism Failed, which was a huge deal and even Barack Obama recommended it.

— Episode: Manliness, Cat Ladies, Fertility Panic a...

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Episode: Manliness, Cat Ladies, Fertility Panic and the 202...

The discussion referenced Deneen's book as a major deal that even Barack Obama recommended.

"

His first book that came out was called While Liberalism Failed, which was a huge deal and even Barack Obama recommended it.

Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas Cover

Natasha Dow Schüll

Addiction by Design

Machine Gambling in Las Vegas

The book was listed as a recommendation, described as an anthropologist's study of Las Vegas slot machines and the gambling industry, drawing metaphors between casino addiction and broader societal behaviors.

"

The third is called Addiction by Design by Natasha Scholl. And Natasha is an MIU anthropologist who studied Las Vegas as like her thesis, basically. She did a lot of reporting just ab...

— Episode: Nate Silver on Kamala Harris’s Chances a...

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Episode: Nate Silver on Kamala Harris’s Chances and the Mis...

The book was listed as a recommendation, described as an anthropologist's study of Las Vegas slot machines and the gambling industry, drawing metaphors between casino addiction and broader societal behaviors.

"

The third is called Addiction by Design by Natasha Scholl. And Natasha is an MIU anthropologist who studied Las Vegas as like her thesis, basically. She did a lot of reporting just about the properties of slot machines and how addictive they are and about the casino gambling industry in general, and she draws metaphors between that and the rest of society.

The Island of the Day Before Cover

Umberto Eco

The Island of the Day Before

Pelosi mentioned reading Eco's novel, describing it as a story about the Age of Wonder and scientific discovery during the era of exploration.

"

I could read ... The Island of the Day Before. The Island of the Day Before is about the age of wonder which I love, the age of wonder when all these countries were c...

— Episode: Nancy Pelosi: ‘It Didn’t Sound Like Joe...

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Episode: Nancy Pelosi: ‘It Didn’t Sound Like Joe Biden to M...

Pelosi mentioned reading Eco's novel, describing it as a story about the Age of Wonder and scientific discovery during the era of exploration.

"

I could read ... The Island of the Day Before. The Island of the Day Before is about the age of wonder which I love, the age of wonder when all these countries were competing in the world.

The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science Cover

Richard Holmes

The Age of Wonder

How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science

Pelosi described it as her best book, noting it explains the early use of the word "scientist" and the historical context of Darwin's discoveries.

"

It's the best book. I used to give it to everybody. It talks about when Darwin went south, he really couldn't come home and publish for a long time because religious community couldn't accept that.

— Episode: Nancy Pelosi: ‘It Didn’t Sound Like Joe...

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Episode: Nancy Pelosi: ‘It Didn’t Sound Like Joe Biden to M...

Pelosi described it as her best book, noting it explains the early use of the word "scientist" and the historical context of Darwin's discoveries.

"

It's the best book. I used to give it to everybody. It talks about when Darwin went south, he really couldn't come home and publish for a long time because religious community couldn't accept that.

Trump: The Art of the Deal Cover

Donald J. Trump

Trump

The Art of the Deal

Pelosi referenced Trump's famous business book while discussing his approach to deals and negotiations.

"

You read a book years ago, one of the foundations of his public reputation, The Art of the Deal.

— Episode: Nancy Pelosi: ‘It Didn’t Sound Like Joe...

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Episode: Nancy Pelosi: ‘It Didn’t Sound Like Joe Biden to M...

Pelosi referenced Trump's famous business book while discussing his approach to deals and negotiations.

"

You read a book years ago, one of the foundations of his public reputation, The Art of the Deal.

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