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
A Royal Affair: A Sparks & Bainbridge Mystery Cover

Allison Montclair

A Royal Affair

A Sparks & Bainbridge Mystery

Dan described it as an engaging royal biography focusing on George III's siblings, especially Caroline Matilda, calling the book amazing and a great read for fans of royal histories.

"

the royal affair by stella tilliard ... i love royal histories ... stella tilliard's book is amazing ... it's such a tremendous read

— Episode: Dan Savage on Polyamory, Chosen Family a...

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Episode: Dan Savage on Polyamory, Chosen Family and Better...

Dan described it as an engaging royal biography focusing on George III's siblings, especially Caroline Matilda, calling the book amazing and a great read for fans of royal histories.

"

the royal affair by stella tilliard ... i love royal histories ... stella tilliard's book is amazing ... it's such a tremendous read

Rebooting AI: Building Artificial Intelligence We Can Trust Cover

Gary Marcus

Rebooting AI

Building Artificial Intelligence We Can Trust

The book outlined a path to AI development based on a different understanding of intelligence and the kinds of systems required. It was highlighted as a source for a better way forward in AI research.

"

I think, you mentioned my book a couple of times at Rebooting AI.

— Episode: A Skeptical Take on the A.I. Revolution

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Episode: A Skeptical Take on the A.I. Revolution

The book outlined a path to AI development based on a different understanding of intelligence and the kinds of systems required. It was highlighted as a source for a better way forward in AI research.

"

I think, you mentioned my book a couple of times at Rebooting AI.

we gave, and Ernie Davis, my coauthor, I think we gave a good diagnosis of where the field is falling short.

How the World Really Works: The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going Cover

Vaclav Smil

How the World Really Works

The Science Behind How We Got Here and Where We're Going

It was suggested as a sober look at the dynamics behind everyday life, offering a perspective useful for understanding AI's impact. The host noted it as a work he had just started reading.

"

The second book I'll recommend is Vaclav Smilj's How Things Really Work, which I haven't quite finished, but I've just started it.

— Episode: A Skeptical Take on the A.I. Revolution

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Episode: A Skeptical Take on the A.I. Revolution

It was suggested as a sober look at the dynamics behind everyday life, offering a perspective useful for understanding AI's impact. The host noted it as a work he had just started reading.

"

The second book I'll recommend is Vaclav Smilj's How Things Really Work, which I haven't quite finished, but I've just started it.

Adam Bede Cover

George 1819-1880 Eliot

Adam Bede

Ezra recommended Eliot's novel for its vivid depiction of a preindustrial English village and its relevance to Sabbath practices.

"

The first book I recommend is by George Eliot. So that's the Gnome Diploma of Marianne Evans and her most famous novel. You've probably heard of it as Middlemarch, but her first novel was called Adam...

— Episode: Sabbath and the Art of Rest

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Episode: Sabbath and the Art of Rest

Ezra recommended Eliot's novel for its vivid depiction of a preindustrial English village and its relevance to Sabbath practices.

"

The first book I recommend is by George Eliot. So that's the Gnome Diploma of Marianne Evans and her most famous novel. You've probably heard of it as Middlemarch, but her first novel was called Adam B. It's from 1859 and it's an incredible novel with what we would now call a feminist plot, but it's also set in an English village in the turn of the 19th century, which is important because it's preindustrial.

The SEVEN DAY CIRCLE Cover

Zerubavel

The SEVEN DAY CIRCLE

Ezra highlighted this sociologist's book as the definitive history of the week, filling out the architecture of time that Heschel described poetically.

"

The second book I would recommend is called The SEVEN DAY CIRCLE and it's by a sociologist who actually invented something I draw on heavily in my book called the sociology of time. H...

— Episode: Sabbath and the Art of Rest

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Sabbath and the Art of Rest

Ezra highlighted this sociologist's book as the definitive history of the week, filling out the architecture of time that Heschel described poetically.

"

The second book I would recommend is called The SEVEN DAY CIRCLE and it's by a sociologist who actually invented something I draw on heavily in my book called the sociology of time. His name is Aviator Zerubabel.

On the Clock Cover

Claire Baglin

On the Clock

Ezra described this journalist's investigation into lowage, ondemand work and its impact on American life, noting its focus on the human cost of the justintime economy.

"

The third book I would recommend is by a young journalist named Emily Gwendolzberger and it's called On the Clock, What LowAge Work Did To Me and How It Drives America Insane. So what...

— Episode: Sabbath and the Art of Rest

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Sabbath and the Art of Rest

Ezra described this journalist's investigation into lowage, ondemand work and its impact on American life, noting its focus on the human cost of the justintime economy.

"

The third book I would recommend is by a young journalist named Emily Gwendolzberger and it's called On the Clock, What LowAge Work Did To Me and How It Drives America Insane. So what she did is she took jobs at an Amazon warehouse, a call center, and a McDonald's and she discovered what these jobs take out of you.

Caring: A Children’s Book about the Difference We Can Make in the World Cover

Kobi Yamada

Caring

A Children’s Book about the Difference We Can Make in the World

Ezra mentioned that Limn's earlier book The Caring dealt with infertility at its core, contrasting it with her other collections.

"

The Caring which dealt with infertility at its core.

— Episode: Best Of: How America's Poet Laureate See...

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Episode: Best Of: How America's Poet Laureate Sees Our Worl...

Ezra mentioned that Limn's earlier book The Caring dealt with infertility at its core, contrasting it with her other collections.

"

The Caring which dealt with infertility at its core.

Stone: Ancient Craft to Modern Mastery Cover

Richard Rhodes

Stone

Ancient Craft to Modern Mastery

Ezra recommended Kevin Young's book, calling it a beautiful book.

"

I love Stones by Kevin Young. It's a beautiful book.

— Episode: Best Of: How America's Poet Laureate See...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Best Of: How America's Poet Laureate Sees Our Worl...

Ezra recommended Kevin Young's book, calling it a beautiful book.

"

I love Stones by Kevin Young. It's a beautiful book.

The Heart Principle Cover

Helen Hoang

The Heart Principle

Ezra recommended the novel as a soothing, intimate read about grief, burnout, and romance, noting it was a great choice for the moment.

"

I would highly recommend people read The Heart Principle by Helen Wong. If you read her first novel, it's really good. It is sadder and intimate. It's about grief and burnout and also...

— Episode: Best Of: Want to Save Democracy? Run For...

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Episode: Best Of: Want to Save Democracy? Run For Office.

Ezra recommended the novel as a soothing, intimate read about grief, burnout, and romance, noting it was a great choice for the moment.

"

I would highly recommend people read The Heart Principle by Helen Wong. If you read her first novel, it's really good. It is sadder and intimate. It's about grief and burnout and also really hot.

Let's Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World Cover

Danielle Friedman

Let's Get Physical

How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World

Ezra described it as a fun, anecdoterich history of women in fitness and American culture, showing how society polices and women reclaim their bodies.

"

I loved Let's Get Physical by Daniel Friedman. It's a history of women in fitness and women in America and the sort of overlapping cultural ways in which society polices women bodies...

— Episode: Best Of: Want to Save Democracy? Run For...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Best Of: Want to Save Democracy? Run For Office.

Ezra described it as a fun, anecdoterich history of women in fitness and American culture, showing how society polices and women reclaim their bodies.

"

I loved Let's Get Physical by Daniel Friedman. It's a history of women in fitness and women in America and the sort of overlapping cultural ways in which society polices women bodies and women try to take ownership of their bodies. And it's so fun and some really interesting anecdotes.

The Last Question Cover

BH McKechnie

The Last Question

The short story was recommended as part of a trio of AIfocused fiction.

"

Crystal Nights by Greg Egan. The Last Question by Isaac Asimov. And The Gentle Seduction by Mark Stiegler. They're all about the development of like a super powerful AI in very differ...

— Episode: Best Of: Who Wins — and Who Loses — in t...

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Episode: Best Of: Who Wins — and Who Loses — in the A.I. Re...

The short story was recommended as part of a trio of AIfocused fiction.

"

Crystal Nights by Greg Egan. The Last Question by Isaac Asimov. And The Gentle Seduction by Mark Stiegler. They're all about the development of like a super powerful AI in very different ways.

The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series Cover

Jessica Radloff

The Big Bang Theory

The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series

The title was referenced as a book containing a Jeff Hinton quote about robot intelligence.

"

He had this quote in the book, The Big Bang Theory. He had this quote in the book Genius Makers that I recently read where he just says, why do you want the robot digging your ditches...

— Episode: Best Of: Who Wins — and Who Loses — in t...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Best Of: Who Wins — and Who Loses — in the A.I. Re...

The title was referenced as a book containing a Jeff Hinton quote about robot intelligence.

"

He had this quote in the book, The Big Bang Theory. He had this quote in the book Genius Makers that I recently read where he just says, why do you want the robot digging your ditches to know about baseball?

What To Expect When You're Expecting Robots: The Future of Human-Robot Collaboration Cover

Laura Major

What To Expect When You're Expecting Robots

The Future of Human-Robot Collaboration

The book was highlighted as a persuasive look at the next decade of humanrobot interaction and described as interesting and compelling.

"

Their book is called What To Expect When You're Expecting Robots.

— Episode: Best Of: Is A.I. the Problem? Or Are We?

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Episode: Best Of: Is A.I. the Problem? Or Are We?

The book was highlighted as a persuasive look at the next decade of humanrobot interaction and described as interesting and compelling.

"

Their book is called What To Expect When You're Expecting Robots.

Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility Cover

James P. Carse

Finite and Infinite Games

A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility

Ezra introduced it as a very weird, unique book that blends religion, game theory, and philosophy, offering a fresh way to think about human purpose.

"

I'm also thinking about a book by James Kars ... called Finite and Infinite Games.

— Episode: Best Of: Is A.I. the Problem? Or Are We?

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Best Of: Is A.I. the Problem? Or Are We?

Ezra introduced it as a very weird, unique book that blends religion, game theory, and philosophy, offering a fresh way to think about human purpose.

"

I'm also thinking about a book by James Kars ... called Finite and Infinite Games.

The Pout-Pout Fish Cover

Deborah Diesen

The Pout-Pout Fish

Ezra Klein noted the book's delightful language and said it helped him see things more clearly when he read it.

"

The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Deason. It's a pretty interesting book about... Upon reading it, it helped me see that a little bit more clearly.

— Episode: What I'm Thinking About at the End of 20...

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Episode: What I'm Thinking About at the End of 2022

Ezra Klein noted the book's delightful language and said it helped him see things more clearly when he read it.

"

The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Deason. It's a pretty interesting book about... Upon reading it, it helped me see that a little bit more clearly.

Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle Cover

Daniel L. Everett

Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes

Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle

The guest mentioned the book as a great work that describes his research with a tribe in the Amazon and their presentoriented mindset. It was used to illustrate how some cultures focus less on longterm planning.

"

He has a great book by the way called Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes. And his report ... he argues that in this tribe the Badajah that they're very present oriented, that they don't th...

— Episode: Time Is Way Weirder Than You Think

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Episode: Time Is Way Weirder Than You Think

The guest mentioned the book as a great work that describes his research with a tribe in the Amazon and their presentoriented mindset. It was used to illustrate how some cultures focus less on longterm planning.

"

He has a great book by the way called Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes. And his report ... he argues that in this tribe the Badajah that they're very present oriented, that they don't think that much about the longterm future.

The Age of AI: And Our Human Future Cover

Henry A Kissinger

The Age of AI

And Our Human Future

The host presented this book as a nontechnical overview of AI's promises and dangers, written by a notable trio of authors. It was suggested as a useful review of AI's societal impact.

"

The third is The Age of AI and Our Human Future. It's written by a sort of surprising trio of authors, Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, the exCEO of Google, and an academic, Klatenlache...

— Episode: Time Is Way Weirder Than You Think

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Time Is Way Weirder Than You Think

The host presented this book as a nontechnical overview of AI's promises and dangers, written by a notable trio of authors. It was suggested as a useful review of AI's societal impact.

"

The third is The Age of AI and Our Human Future. It's written by a sort of surprising trio of authors, Henry Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, the exCEO of Google, and an academic, Klatenlacher. It's not technical, but I think it's a good review and does a good job at conveying the promise, the societal promise and dangers of AI.

Laboratories against Democracy: How National Parties Transformed State Politics (Princeton Studies in American Politics) Cover

Jacob M. Grumbach

Laboratories against Democracy

How National Parties Transformed State Politics (Princeton Studies in American Politics)

Grumbach argued that the shift of policy making to the states was complex and not wholly positive, showing how national parties have transformed state politics. He highlighted the muddied reality of state governments as laboratories of democracy.

"

Jake Grumbach is a political scientist at the University of Washington and author of the book Laboratories against Democracy.

— Episode: There’s Been a Massive Change in Where A...

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Episode: There’s Been a Massive Change in Where American Po...

Grumbach argued that the shift of policy making to the states was complex and not wholly positive, showing how national parties have transformed state politics. He highlighted the muddied reality of state governments as laboratories of democracy.

"

Jake Grumbach is a political scientist at the University of Washington and author of the book Laboratories against Democracy.

Jake Rumbach, your book is Laboratories against Democracy.

Dynamic Democracy: Public Opinion, Elections, and Policymaking in the American States (Chicago Studies in American Politics) Cover

Devin Caughey

Dynamic Democracy

Public Opinion, Elections, and Policymaking in the American States (Chicago Studies in American Politics)

Caughey and Warshaw's book examined how state-level public opinion and policy align, showing that public opinion has remained stable while state policies diverge dramatically. It highlighted the growing gap between voter preferences and state legislative actions.

"

Two scholars that have, I think, really innovated and revolutionized the study of public opinion and policy responsiveness in the states are Devin Caughey and Chris Warshaw in their new book D...

— Episode: There’s Been a Massive Change in Where A...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: There’s Been a Massive Change in Where American Po...

Caughey and Warshaw's book examined how state-level public opinion and policy align, showing that public opinion has remained stable while state policies diverge dramatically. It highlighted the growing gap between voter preferences and state legislative actions.

"

Two scholars that have, I think, really innovated and revolutionized the study of public opinion and policy responsiveness in the states are Devin Caughey and Chris Warshaw in their new book Dynamic Democracy.

State Capture: How Conservative Activists, Big Businesses, and Wealthy Donors Reshaped the American States -- and the Nation Cover

Alex Hertel-Fernandez

State Capture

How Conservative Activists, Big Businesses, and Wealthy Donors Reshaped the American States -- and the Nation

HertelFernandez's work showed how interestgroup networks invest in state politics to influence policy, especially through model bills and righttowork legislation. It illustrated the powerful role of organized groups in shaping state-level outcomes.

"

Alex HertelFernandez in his book State Capture really shows this is about a really brilliant strategy to invest in state level politics by networks of interest groups, especially the...

— Episode: There’s Been a Massive Change in Where A...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: There’s Been a Massive Change in Where American Po...

HertelFernandez's work showed how interestgroup networks invest in state politics to influence policy, especially through model bills and righttowork legislation. It illustrated the powerful role of organized groups in shaping state-level outcomes.

"

Alex HertelFernandez in his book State Capture really shows this is about a really brilliant strategy to invest in state level politics by networks of interest groups, especially the Koch Network and Americans for Prosperity.

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