Life and Fate
Vasily Grossman
Mentioned 1 day ago
Platner’s Top Campaign Strategist on What Went Wrong
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...
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561
Books
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Recently mentioned
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The Shame
Makenna Goodman
Mentioned 1 day ago
Platner’s Top Campaign Strategist on What Went Wrong
The Fourth Branch
Daniel Squadron
Mentioned 1 day ago
Platner’s Top Campaign Strategist on What Went Wrong
The Avoidable War
Kevin Rudd
Mentioned 1 week ago
What Xi Jinping Wants
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 2 weeks ago
The Very Good and Very Bad News on Climate
Here Comes the Sun
Bill McKibben
Mentioned 2 weeks ago
The Very Good and Very Bad News on Climate
The Glorians
Terry Tempest Williams
Mentioned 2 weeks ago
The Very Good and Very Bad News on Climate
The Carbon Wave
Leah C. Stokes
Mentioned 2 weeks ago
The Very Good and Very Bad News on Climate
Brought to You By
Amy Westervelt
Mentioned 2 weeks 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
Most Recommended
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.
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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
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.
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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
Pelosi referenced Trump's famous business book while discussing his approach to deals and negotiations.
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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.
Trump
The Art of the Deal
He referenced this bestseller while comparing it to Pelosi's own memoir.
"
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...
He referenced this bestseller while comparing it to Pelosi's own memoir.
"
The Art of the Deal.
Walk Ride Paddle
A Life Outside
It was described as a fun travelogue where Kaine walked the Appalachian Trail, paddled the James River and biked across Virginia while interspersing political events such as two impeachments.
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Walk, Ride, Paddle is Tim Kaine's book about when he walked the Appalachian Trail, paddled the James River, and then did some other bike ride across Virginia. Tim Kaine, your Senate colleague, did all...
— Episode: ‘We Have Created the Scarcity on Purpose...
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Episode: ‘We Have Created the Scarcity on Purpose’
It was described as a fun travelogue where Kaine walked the Appalachian Trail, paddled the James River and biked across Virginia while interspersing political events such as two impeachments.
"
Walk, Ride, Paddle is Tim Kaine's book about when he walked the Appalachian Trail, paddled the James River, and then did some other bike ride across Virginia. Tim Kaine, your Senate colleague, did all that? It's a very fun book. And he's just such a lovely man.
It's like a travel book, but it's, you know, it sort of intersperses what was happening at the time, politically, including, you know, two impeachments and the rest of it.
The Most Secret Memory of Men
Tim Walz said he was currently reading the book and described it as very interesting.
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I'm reading The Very Secret Memory of Men by Mohamed Sar. Very interesting book.
— Episode: Is Tim Walz the Midwestern Dad Democrats...
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Episode: Is Tim Walz the Midwestern Dad Democrats Need?
Tim Walz said he was currently reading the book and described it as very interesting.
"
I'm reading The Very Secret Memory of Men by Mohamed Sar. Very interesting book.
The Razor's Edge (Vintage International)
Walz expressed nostalgic affection for the novel, saying he still returns to it and that it resonates with him as a younger reader.
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And then maybe it's just me nostalgic, whatever as a young guy, Razor's Edge. I still go back to Mom's Razor's Edge.
— Episode: Is Tim Walz the Midwestern Dad Democrats...
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Episode: Is Tim Walz the Midwestern Dad Democrats Need?
Walz expressed nostalgic affection for the novel, saying he still returns to it and that it resonates with him as a younger reader.
"
And then maybe it's just me nostalgic, whatever as a young guy, Razor's Edge. I still go back to Mom's Razor's Edge.
The Reasoning Voter
Communication and Persuasion in Presidential Campaigns
The host highlighted it as a datadriven study of lowinformation voters, saying it showed how even disengaged citizens make political judgments. He urged listeners to read it to better understand voter rationality.
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So it starts, there's a book which I preview, will recommend later by a political scientist named Samuel Popkin, and it's called The Reasoning Voter.
— Episode: This Is How Democrats Win in Wisconsin
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Episode: This Is How Democrats Win in Wisconsin
The host highlighted it as a datadriven study of lowinformation voters, saying it showed how even disengaged citizens make political judgments. He urged listeners to read it to better understand voter rationality.
"
So it starts, there's a book which I preview, will recommend later by a political scientist named Samuel Popkin, and it's called The Reasoning Voter.
The Reasoning Voter goes through a huge amount of evidence and data and kind of a theoretical way to think about people who don't think about politics much, which no listener to this podcast are members of that club.
Finding Freedom
A Cook's Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch
The guest described it as a vivid Wisconsinfocused narrative about Joshua Glover's escape from slavery and the legal battle that declared the Fugitive Slave Act unconstitutional. He praised its energetic storytelling and its relevance to state history.
"
It's a book called Finding Freedom, The Untold Story of Joshua Glover, Freedom Seeker, by Ruby West Jackson and Walter McDonald.
— Episode: This Is How Democrats Win in Wisconsin
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Episode: This Is How Democrats Win in Wisconsin
The guest described it as a vivid Wisconsinfocused narrative about Joshua Glover's escape from slavery and the legal battle that declared the Fugitive Slave Act unconstitutional. He praised its energetic storytelling and its relevance to state history.
"
It's a book called Finding Freedom, The Untold Story of Joshua Glover, Freedom Seeker, by Ruby West Jackson and Walter McDonald.
It tells the story of a man who escaped slavery in Missouri, came to Wisconsin on the Underground Railroad, was detained in Milwaukee, then rescued in a riot, escaped to Canada, and led to a state Supreme Court decision that the Fugitive Slave Act was unconstitutional.
Kingdom of Rage
The Rise of Christian Extremism and the Path Back to Peace
Alberta highlighted Kingdom of Rage as a beautifully written account of rightwing Christian nationalism and domestic terrorism.
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The second book ... is a book by Elizabeth Newman called Kingdom of Rage and Elizabeth, who's a former counterterrorism official, she writes really beautifully and eloquently about th...
— Episode: The Trump Campaign’s Theory of Victory
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Episode: The Trump Campaign’s Theory of Victory
Alberta highlighted Kingdom of Rage as a beautifully written account of rightwing Christian nationalism and domestic terrorism.
"
The second book ... is a book by Elizabeth Newman called Kingdom of Rage and Elizabeth, who's a former counterterrorism official, she writes really beautifully and eloquently about the threat of domestic terrorism and specifically looking at rightwing Christian nationalism.
The Years of Lyndon Johnson
The Path to Power
The guest praised the multivolume biography as phenomenal and recommended it as a nonfiction pick.
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I've been reading Robert Caro's Lyndon Johnson biography... it's phenomenal. So The Path to Power by Robert Caro would be one.
— Episode: The Economic Theory Behind J.D. Vance’s...
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Episode: The Economic Theory Behind J.D. Vance’s Populism
The guest praised the multivolume biography as phenomenal and recommended it as a nonfiction pick.
"
I've been reading Robert Caro's Lyndon Johnson biography... it's phenomenal. So The Path to Power by Robert Caro would be one.
The Green Ember
The guest recommended it as a wonderful bedtime readaloud for kids about rabbits with swords.
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And finally, for those with kids, a wonderful bedtime read aloud called The Green Ember... it is about rabbits fighting with swords.
— Episode: The Economic Theory Behind J.D. Vance’s...
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Episode: The Economic Theory Behind J.D. Vance’s Populism
The guest recommended it as a wonderful bedtime readaloud for kids about rabbits with swords.
"
And finally, for those with kids, a wonderful bedtime read aloud called The Green Ember... it is about rabbits fighting with swords.
Chip War
The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology
The guest cited it as the best book on semiconductor supplychain complexities during a discussion of reshoring.
"
if you read Chip Wars, which is I think the best book on this, the semiconductor supply chain is just extraordinarily complicated and fragile.
— Episode: The Economic Theory Behind J.D. Vance’s...
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Episode: The Economic Theory Behind J.D. Vance’s Populism
The guest cited it as the best book on semiconductor supplychain complexities during a discussion of reshoring.
"
if you read Chip Wars, which is I think the best book on this, the semiconductor supply chain is just extraordinarily complicated and fragile.
Into the Bright Sunshine
Young Hubert Humphrey and the Fight for Civil Rights (PIVOTAL MOMENTS IN AMERICAN HISTORY)
Ezra Klein described it as a biography of Hubert Humphrey that follows him up to the 1948 Democratic Convention, emphasizing his work to embed a strong civilrights plank in the party platform.
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Since I just sort of alluded to Hubert Humphrey, I'm going to recommend first a great book, Into the Bright Sunshine, Young Hubert Humphrey and the Fight for Civil Rights. It's by Sam...
— Episode: The Real Danger Within the Democratic Pa...
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Episode: The Real Danger Within the Democratic Party of a F...
Ezra Klein described it as a biography of Hubert Humphrey that follows him up to the 1948 Democratic Convention, emphasizing his work to embed a strong civilrights plank in the party platform.
"
Since I just sort of alluded to Hubert Humphrey, I'm going to recommend first a great book, Into the Bright Sunshine, Young Hubert Humphrey and the Fight for Civil Rights. It's by Samuel G. Friedman. And it is basically a biography of Hubert Humphrey up until the 1948 Democratic Convention, when he maneuvers with the Americans for Democratic Action to put a civilrights plank into the Democratic Party platform.
Wide Awake
The Forgotten Force That Elected Lincoln and Spurred the Civil War
Ezra Klein called it a lively account of the "wide awakes," a quasimilitary group of young Lincoln supporters, and noted that it offers an entertaining look at mid19thcentury Republican politics.
"
A second book is Wide Awake, The Forgotten Force That Elected Lincoln and Spurred the Civil War. This is about the Wide Awakes, a kind of quasimilitary force of young...
— Episode: The Real Danger Within the Democratic Pa...
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Episode: The Real Danger Within the Democratic Party of a F...
Ezra Klein called it a lively account of the "wide awakes," a quasimilitary group of young Lincoln supporters, and noted that it offers an entertaining look at mid19thcentury Republican politics.
"
A second book is Wide Awake, The Forgotten Force That Elected Lincoln and Spurred the Civil War. This is about the Wide Awakes, a kind of quasimilitary force of young men who were ardent Lincoln partisans in the 1860 election. And it's a book very much about the Republican Party of that era, by John Grinspan, and it's a lot of fun to read.
Illiberal America
A History
Ezra Klein highlighted it as a sweeping historical study that traces an illiberal political tradition from colonial America to the present, describing it as wideranging and worth reading.
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And then for a third book, this is a little, I'd say like left field of these two books, which are very much about party politics. I read Stephen Hahn, a historian, his new book, Illiberal Ame...
— Episode: The Real Danger Within the Democratic Pa...
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Episode: The Real Danger Within the Democratic Party of a F...
Ezra Klein highlighted it as a sweeping historical study that traces an illiberal political tradition from colonial America to the present, describing it as wideranging and worth reading.
"
And then for a third book, this is a little, I'd say like left field of these two books, which are very much about party politics. I read Stephen Hahn, a historian, his new book, Illiberal America, which stretches back to America's colonial origins to the present to think through the illiberal political tradition in American life. It's wide ranging and very interesting and worth reading.
Smart on Crime by Kamala Harris (2009-10-07)
The guest noted that Harris authored the book while serving as California's attorney general and that it read like a toughoncrime manifesto, though its relevance faded as she moved toward a presidential campaign.
"
She wrote a book when she was in California called Smart on Crime, which really, you know, you read it, it sounds more like a tough on crime book. But that was no longer relevant, as her advisors told...
— Episode: Is Kamala Harris Underrated?
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Episode: Is Kamala Harris Underrated?
The guest noted that Harris authored the book while serving as California's attorney general and that it read like a toughoncrime manifesto, though its relevance faded as she moved toward a presidential campaign.
"
She wrote a book when she was in California called Smart on Crime, which really, you know, you read it, it sounds more like a tough on crime book. But that was no longer relevant, as her advisors told her to her interest in the presidential campaign.
The Southerner's Handbook
A Guide to Living the Good Life (Garden & Gun Books, 1)
Ezra recommended the anthology, praising Frady's vivid midcentury reporting on civilrights era figures and noting the prose's compelling, almost angry rhythm.
"
So the first book I recommend is called Southerners by Marshall Frady. It's an anthology, actually, of a lot of the profiles and general essays that Marshall Frady, who was a reporter for Newsweek and...
— Episode: Is Kamala Harris Underrated?
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Episode: Is Kamala Harris Underrated?
Ezra recommended the anthology, praising Frady's vivid midcentury reporting on civilrights era figures and noting the prose's compelling, almost angry rhythm.
"
So the first book I recommend is called Southerners by Marshall Frady. It's an anthology, actually, of a lot of the profiles and general essays that Marshall Frady, who was a reporter for Newsweek and Harper's, New York Review of Books, several places in the mid-century during the civil rights era. He is the kind of writer who you read him and you almost become angry because you know you will never be that good at a Senate's level. His sentences, they almost dance off the page.
The Sheltering Sky, 50th Anniversary Edition
Ezra described the novel as an existential tale of three New Yorkers whose NorthAfrican journey devolves into cultural disillusionment and despair.
"
My second is The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles, which I would describe as a novel about existential despair, if that entices any listeners. But it's about three Americans, three New Yorkers who go to...
— Episode: Is Kamala Harris Underrated?
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Episode: Is Kamala Harris Underrated?
Ezra described the novel as an existential tale of three New Yorkers whose NorthAfrican journey devolves into cultural disillusionment and despair.
"
My second is The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles, which I would describe as a novel about existential despair, if that entices any listeners. But it's about three Americans, three New Yorkers who go to North Africa and are thinking of it as sort of just a tourist jaunt. The couple in there is hoping that it will rekindle their romance and sort of come in and Paul Bowles writes about these themes often, the romantic notions of travelers to quote unquote exotic places.
Primary Politics
Everything You Need to Know about How America Nominates Its Presidential Candidates
The book was described as the definitive guide to how America nominates its presidential candidates.
"
She's the author of the book on this, Primary Politics, and she's a senior fellow at Brookings.
— Episode: How an Open Democratic Convention Would...
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Episode: How an Open Democratic Convention Would Work
The book was described as the definitive guide to how America nominates its presidential candidates.
"
She's the author of the book on this, Primary Politics, and she's a senior fellow at Brookings.
Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.