Life and Fate
Vasily Grossman
Mentioned 2 days 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...
Episodes
561
Books
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Recently mentioned
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The Shame
Makenna Goodman
Mentioned 2 days ago
Platner’s Top Campaign Strategist on What Went Wrong
The Fourth Branch
Daniel Squadron
Mentioned 2 days 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
Reader, Come Home
The Reading Brain in a Digital World
Ezra highlighted this title as another of Wolf's books on the reading brain in a digital world, and later the host thanked Wolf for authoring it.
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and of Reader Come Home, the reading brain in a digital world
— Episode: Best Of: This Is Your Brain on Deep Read...
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Episode: Best Of: This Is Your Brain on Deep Reading. It’s...
Ezra highlighted this title as another of Wolf's books on the reading brain in a digital world, and later the host thanked Wolf for authoring it.
"
and of Reader Come Home, the reading brain in a digital world
I love it. MaryAnne Wolfe, your book is Reader Come Home.
The Mystic Jesus
The Mind of Love―A Transformative Exploration of the Spiritual Teachings of Jesus Offering Insightful Reflections and Practical ... Modern Life (The Marianne Williamson Series)
Dunne's work was listed among the guest's suggested titles for its exploration of spiritual contemplation.
"
The third will be very difficult for me because it's something between Wendell Berry's Standing By Words and John Donne, the theologian's Loves Mine, which is essays on contemplation.
— Episode: Best Of: This Is Your Brain on Deep Read...
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Episode: Best Of: This Is Your Brain on Deep Reading. It’s...
Dunne's work was listed among the guest's suggested titles for its exploration of spiritual contemplation.
"
The third will be very difficult for me because it's something between Wendell Berry's Standing By Words and John Donne, the theologian's Loves Mine, which is essays on contemplation.
The Peace Puzzle
America's Quest for Arab-Israeli Peace, 1989–2011
Ezra Klein listed The Peace Puzzle as one of three books he would recommend to the audience.
"
What are three books you'd recommend to the audience? The Peace Puzzle by Daniel Kertzer et al.
— Episode: The Best Primer I’ve Heard on Israeli-Pa...
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Episode: The Best Primer I’ve Heard on Israeli-Palestinian...
Ezra Klein listed The Peace Puzzle as one of three books he would recommend to the audience.
"
What are three books you'd recommend to the audience? The Peace Puzzle by Daniel Kertzer et al.
Arabs and Israelis
Conflict and Peacemaking in the Middle East
Ezra Klein mentioned Arabs and Israelis as another of the three recommended books.
"
What are three books you'd recommend to the audience? ... Arabs and Israelis by Abdel Monem Said Aly, Shai Feldman and Khalil Shikaki.
— Episode: The Best Primer I’ve Heard on Israeli-Pa...
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Episode: The Best Primer I’ve Heard on Israeli-Palestinian...
Ezra Klein mentioned Arabs and Israelis as another of the three recommended books.
"
What are three books you'd recommend to the audience? ... Arabs and Israelis by Abdel Monem Said Aly, Shai Feldman and Khalil Shikaki.
Prophets (Perennial Classics)
Brous described Heschel's The Prophets as a transformative work that shapes her understanding of prophetic tradition and moral crisis.
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The first is Abraham Joshua Heschel's seminal work, The Prophets, which for me in the course of my rabbinate was an absolutely transformative book to help me understand not only our prophetic traditio...
— Episode: The Sermons I Needed to Hear Right Now
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Episode: The Sermons I Needed to Hear Right Now
Brous described Heschel's The Prophets as a transformative work that shapes her understanding of prophetic tradition and moral crisis.
"
The first is Abraham Joshua Heschel's seminal work, The Prophets, which for me in the course of my rabbinate was an absolutely transformative book to help me understand not only our prophetic tradition but really what's demanded of us in a time of moral crisis.
Politics and the English Language
The guest highlighted Orwell's essay as a useful read for improving honest conversation about politics.
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My first recommendation is an essay that you can get online. It's by George Orwell and it's called Politics in the English Language.
— Episode: Are Democrats Whistling Past the Graveya...
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Episode: Are Democrats Whistling Past the Graveyard?
The guest highlighted Orwell's essay as a useful read for improving honest conversation about politics.
"
My first recommendation is an essay that you can get online. It's by George Orwell and it's called Politics in the English Language.
A Tale Of Love And Darkness
It was described as the best book ever written about Israel, an autobiographical work that also serves as a biography of the state.
"
The first is I think the best book ever written about Israel, which is A Tale Of Love And Darkness by Amos Oz, which is autobiographical, but it's really the biography of the state as...
— Episode: What Israelis Fear the World Does Not Un...
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Episode: What Israelis Fear the World Does Not Understand
It was described as the best book ever written about Israel, an autobiographical work that also serves as a biography of the state.
"
The first is I think the best book ever written about Israel, which is A Tale Of Love And Darkness by Amos Oz, which is autobiographical, but it's really the biography of the state as he experienced it growing up.
The War of Return
How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructed the Path to Peace
It was presented as a strong case for confining the Palestinian right of return to a Palestinian state, outlining its history and legal aspects.
"
And finally a book called The War of Return by Enad Wilf and Adi Schwartz, which makes a very strong case for why the key to peace is confining the Palestinian demand for refugee retu...
— Episode: What Israelis Fear the World Does Not Un...
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Episode: What Israelis Fear the World Does Not Understand
It was presented as a strong case for confining the Palestinian right of return to a Palestinian state, outlining its history and legal aspects.
"
And finally a book called The War of Return by Enad Wilf and Adi Schwartz, which makes a very strong case for why the key to peace is confining the Palestinian demand for refugee return to a Palestinian state and it lays out the history of the demand for the right of return, the legal aspects.
The Only Language They Understand
Forcing Compromise in Israel and Palestine
Ezra Klein noted that Thrall's book argues both Israelis and Palestinians make concessions under the threat of force. He referenced it while discussing negotiation dynamics.
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Nathan Thrall ... wrote a book ... called The Only Language You Understand, arguing that both Israelis and Palestinians tend to make their concessions under the threat of force.
— Episode: An Intense, Searching Conversation With...
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Episode: An Intense, Searching Conversation With Amjad Iraq...
Ezra Klein noted that Thrall's book argues both Israelis and Palestinians make concessions under the threat of force. He referenced it while discussing negotiation dynamics.
"
Nathan Thrall ... wrote a book ... called The Only Language You Understand, arguing that both Israelis and Palestinians tend to make their concessions under the threat of force.
Orientalism
Amjad Iraqi recommended Orientalism as a formative work that helps understand Western perceptions of Palestinians and colonial legacies. He highlighted its importance for grasping power structures.
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I would always recommend Orientalism by Edward Said, which is so formative for me but really helps you to also understand even some of the premises of why Palestinians in the Arab wor...
— Episode: An Intense, Searching Conversation With...
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Episode: An Intense, Searching Conversation With Amjad Iraq...
Amjad Iraqi recommended Orientalism as a formative work that helps understand Western perceptions of Palestinians and colonial legacies. He highlighted its importance for grasping power structures.
"
I would always recommend Orientalism by Edward Said, which is so formative for me but really helps you to also understand even some of the premises of why Palestinians in the Arab world understand the way the West has looked at them.
The One State Reality
What Is Israel/Palestine?
Ezra Klein asked Amani Jamal to recommend a new volume edited by Michael Barnett and colleagues, noting it examined a onestate framework for the conflict.
"
I recommend a new book by Shibli Talhami, Michael Barnett, Mark Lynch, and Nathan Brown on The One State Reality.
— Episode: She Polled Gazans on Oct. 6. Here’s What...
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Episode: She Polled Gazans on Oct. 6. Here’s What She Found...
Ezra Klein asked Amani Jamal to recommend a new volume edited by Michael Barnett and colleagues, noting it examined a onestate framework for the conflict.
"
I recommend a new book by Shibli Talhami, Michael Barnett, Mark Lynch, and Nathan Brown on The One State Reality.
Arabs and Israelis
Conflict and Peacemaking in the Middle East
Jamal suggested this work by Khalil Shikaki and Shai Feldman as a source that captures shifting public opinion toward a twostate solution.
"
I also recommend a book by my colleague, I mentioned it, Khalil Shakaki and Shai Feldman that captures what I was trying to get at Ezra in terms of the public opinion, where we see public opinion bein...
— Episode: She Polled Gazans on Oct. 6. Here’s What...
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Episode: She Polled Gazans on Oct. 6. Here’s What She Found...
Jamal suggested this work by Khalil Shikaki and Shai Feldman as a source that captures shifting public opinion toward a twostate solution.
"
I also recommend a book by my colleague, I mentioned it, Khalil Shakaki and Shai Feldman that captures what I was trying to get at Ezra in terms of the public opinion, where we see public opinion being softened towards each other and a two state solution. It's called Arabs and Israelis, Conflict and Peacemaking in the Middle East.
A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Jamal cited Mark Tessler's comprehensive history as a good primer for listeners wanting background on the conflict.
"
For a good primer and a good history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, I recommend my colleague, Mark Tesler's book, A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.
— Episode: She Polled Gazans on Oct. 6. Here’s What...
Listen on Audible
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Episode: She Polled Gazans on Oct. 6. Here’s What She Found...
Jamal cited Mark Tessler's comprehensive history as a good primer for listeners wanting background on the conflict.
"
For a good primer and a good history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, I recommend my colleague, Mark Tesler's book, A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.
The Outrageous Barriers to Democracy in America
Or, Why A Progressive Presidency Is Impossible
During the discussion, Jamal referenced her own book "Barriers to Democracy" while describing the evolution of the Palestinian Authority.
"
I've written on this in my book, Barriers to Democracy.
— Episode: She Polled Gazans on Oct. 6. Here’s What...
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Episode: She Polled Gazans on Oct. 6. Here’s What She Found...
During the discussion, Jamal referenced her own book "Barriers to Democracy" while describing the evolution of the Palestinian Authority.
"
I've written on this in my book, Barriers to Democracy.
A High Price
The Triumphs and Failures of Israeli Counterterrorism
Ezra described it as Dan Byman's history of Israeli counterterrorism policy, a bit dated but one of the best serious examinations of Israel's playbook for dealing with terrorist groups.
"
And I want to start with A High Price, which is Dan Biman's history of Israeli counterterrorism policy. It's a little bit dated now and it was published about 10 years ago or so. But...
— Episode: If Not This, Then What Should Israel Do?
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Episode: If Not This, Then What Should Israel Do?
Ezra described it as Dan Byman's history of Israeli counterterrorism policy, a bit dated but one of the best serious examinations of Israel's playbook for dealing with terrorist groups.
"
And I want to start with A High Price, which is Dan Biman's history of Israeli counterterrorism policy. It's a little bit dated now and it was published about 10 years ago or so. But to my mind, it's one of the best serious interrogations of what Israel does or what its playbook is for dealing with terrorist groups, where it works and where it doesn't.
The Selected Works of Edward W. Said, 1966 - 2006
Ezra recommended the collection as essential for understanding the Palestinian perspective, noting it is hard to find a better source on the cause.
"
A second book I'd recommend is the Selected Works of Edward Said, a famous Palestinian-American intellectual. There's a lot in there that's not related to the conflict, but Said is one of the most art...
— Episode: If Not This, Then What Should Israel Do?
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Episode: If Not This, Then What Should Israel Do?
Ezra recommended the collection as essential for understanding the Palestinian perspective, noting it is hard to find a better source on the cause.
"
A second book I'd recommend is the Selected Works of Edward Said, a famous Palestinian-American intellectual. There's a lot in there that's not related to the conflict, but Said is one of the most articulate exponents ever to live of the Palestinian cause. And if you want to understand where Palestinians are coming from and how they feel about Israeli occupation, it's hard to do better than going to Said's work.
The Eternal Empire
The 13th Paladin (Volume VII)
Ezra praised the book for tracing the history of Israeli settlements and how they reshaped the conflict, calling it an essential insight into current conditions.
"
And the third book I'd recommend, since we spent so much time talking about the West Bank, is a book by an Israeli journalist named Gershon Gorenberg called The External Empire. I love Gorenberg's boo...
— Episode: If Not This, Then What Should Israel Do?
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Episode: If Not This, Then What Should Israel Do?
Ezra praised the book for tracing the history of Israeli settlements and how they reshaped the conflict, calling it an essential insight into current conditions.
"
And the third book I'd recommend, since we spent so much time talking about the West Bank, is a book by an Israeli journalist named Gershon Gorenberg called The External Empire. I love Gorenberg's book because he really traces the history of how settlements emerged, the ways in which Israeli policy facilitated their development, and the ways settlers themselves pioneered this fundamental transformation to the conflict that was not necessarily - although at times it seemed like it was - part of Israeli strategic design. It's a really, I think, an essential insight into how things got to the point where they're at right now.
How Terrorism Ends
Understanding the Decline and Demise of Terrorist Campaigns
Ezra noted the book as probably the best study of how terrorism ends, based on the author's research.
"
You talked to Audrey Kroth-Cronin, who's a military strategy expert and the author of the book How Terrorism Ends, which is probably the best study of How Terrorism Ends
— Episode: If Not This, Then What Should Israel Do?
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Episode: If Not This, Then What Should Israel Do?
Ezra noted the book as probably the best study of how terrorism ends, based on the author's research.
"
You talked to Audrey Kroth-Cronin, who's a military strategy expert and the author of the book How Terrorism Ends, which is probably the best study of How Terrorism Ends.
The Logic of Violence in Civil War (Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics)
Ezra highlighted it as a great book that explains why civilians cooperate with insurgents and the dynamics of violence in civil wars.
"
There's a great book on this by Stathis Kallides, who's a Greek political scientist. It's called The Logic of Violence in Civil Wars.
— Episode: If Not This, Then What Should Israel Do?
Listen on Audible
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Episode: If Not This, Then What Should Israel Do?
Ezra highlighted it as a great book that explains why civilians cooperate with insurgents and the dynamics of violence in civil wars.
"
There's a great book on this by Stathis Kallides, who's a Greek political scientist. It's called The Logic of Violence in Civil Wars.
The Last Politician
Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle for America's Future
He recommended it as a fresh Atlantic account of the first two years of the Biden presidency, praising its insidetheWhite House perspective.
"
The Last Politician by Franklin Fowler... about the first two years of the Biden presidency. I think uncommonly well written for an inside the White House story and revealed things ab...
— Episode: The Conflicted Legacy of Mitt Romney
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Episode: The Conflicted Legacy of Mitt Romney
He recommended it as a fresh Atlantic account of the first two years of the Biden presidency, praising its insidetheWhite House perspective.
"
The Last Politician by Franklin Fowler... about the first two years of the Biden presidency. I think uncommonly well written for an inside the White House story and revealed things about the president that I didn't know and kind of his character that have stuck with me.
Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.