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...
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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
Exit West
A Novel
Hamid explained that he wrote Exit West while contemplating migration, using magical realism to explore how borders shape human movement.
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When I was writing the novel Exit West I was thinking about migration and how it's a fundamental human feature.
— Episode: How Do We Face Loss With Dignity?
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Episode: How Do We Face Loss With Dignity?
Hamid explained that he wrote Exit West while contemplating migration, using magical realism to explore how borders shape human movement.
"
When I was writing the novel Exit West I was thinking about migration and how it's a fundamental human feature.
Moral Capital
Foundations of British Abolitionism (Published by the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture and the University of North Carolina Press)
Ezra called it the single best book he knows of on the abolitionist campaign and highlighted its influence on his thinking about moral progress.
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The first is Moral Capital by Christopher Leslie Brown, which I mentioned earlier. It's just the single best book that I know of on interpretation of the abolitionist campaign for the...
— Episode: Three Sentences That Could Change the Wo...
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Episode: Three Sentences That Could Change the World — and...
Ezra called it the single best book he knows of on the abolitionist campaign and highlighted its influence on his thinking about moral progress.
"
The first is Moral Capital by Christopher Leslie Brown, which I mentioned earlier. It's just the single best book that I know of on interpretation of the abolitionist campaign for the end of slavery.
He argues that the, in particular, American War of Independence, created this moment of plasticity for how Britain ... using abolition of slavery as a way of ... Moral Capital
Gender(s) (The MIT Press Essential Knowledge series)
Kathryn introduced her own book Genders as the central text of the conversation and later referred to its thesis while discussing her project.
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She's a distinguished professor of English focusing on Gender studies at the University of Utah and the author of the book Genders.
— Episode: Gender Is Complicated for All of Us. Let...
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Episode: Gender Is Complicated for All of Us. Let’s Talk Ab...
Kathryn introduced her own book Genders as the central text of the conversation and later referred to its thesis while discussing her project.
"
She's a distinguished professor of English focusing on Gender studies at the University of Utah and the author of the book Genders.
It is the thesis of my book.
Detransition, Baby
A Novel
Ezra noted that he had read Detransition Baby, mentioning it as a recent book that many had read over the past year.
"
I read, as a lot of people did over the last year, Detransition Baby.
— Episode: Gender Is Complicated for All of Us. Let...
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Episode: Gender Is Complicated for All of Us. Let’s Talk Ab...
Ezra noted that he had read Detransition Baby, mentioning it as a recent book that many had read over the past year.
"
I read, as a lot of people did over the last year, Detransition Baby.
Butch Queens Up in Pumps
Gender, Performance, and Ballroom Culture in Detroit (Triangulations
Ezra praised Marlon Bailey's book Butch Queens Up in Pumps, calling it a great book about black, gay and trans ballroom culture.
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Part of what I love about Marlon Bailey's great book, Butch Queens Up in Pumps, where he talks about black, gay and trans ballroom culture.
— Episode: Gender Is Complicated for All of Us. Let...
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Episode: Gender Is Complicated for All of Us. Let’s Talk Ab...
Ezra praised Marlon Bailey's book Butch Queens Up in Pumps, calling it a great book about black, gay and trans ballroom culture.
"
Part of what I love about Marlon Bailey's great book, Butch Queens Up in Pumps, where he talks about black, gay and trans ballroom culture.
Histories of the Transgender Child
Kathryn said that Jules Gill-Peterson's Histories of the Transgender Child was an important source for understanding the origins of gender concepts in her work.
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She has written a book called Histories of the Transgender Child. Really important book because from that book I was able to glean where does the concept of gender come from?
— Episode: Gender Is Complicated for All of Us. Let...
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Episode: Gender Is Complicated for All of Us. Let’s Talk Ab...
Kathryn said that Jules Gill-Peterson's Histories of the Transgender Child was an important source for understanding the origins of gender concepts in her work.
"
She has written a book called Histories of the Transgender Child. Really important book because from that book I was able to glean where does the concept of gender come from?
Brilliant Imperfection
Grappling with Cure
She mentioned Eli Clare's Brilliant Imperfection as a memoiressay melding disability insights that informed her thinking.
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Eli Clare who writes on disability and this book is partly memoir, partly conception. The book is called Brilliant Imperfection. It's really helping me in thoughts about disability.
— Episode: Gender Is Complicated for All of Us. Let...
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Episode: Gender Is Complicated for All of Us. Let’s Talk Ab...
She mentioned Eli Clare's Brilliant Imperfection as a memoiressay melding disability insights that informed her thinking.
"
Eli Clare who writes on disability and this book is partly memoir, partly conception. The book is called Brilliant Imperfection. It's really helping me in thoughts about disability.
Lee Child's Jack Reacher Books 1-6
The host expressed a personal fondness for the Jack Reacher novels, noting the author's lack of firsthand U.S. experience but still enjoying the actionpacked stories.
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I have a weakness for the Jack Reacher series of novels. I love them. One of the random things about Jack Reacher novels is that they are written by someone who had never really been to the United Sta...
— Episode: The Argument: Who Can Write About What?
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Episode: The Argument: Who Can Write About What?
The host expressed a personal fondness for the Jack Reacher novels, noting the author's lack of firsthand U.S. experience but still enjoying the actionpacked stories.
"
I have a weakness for the Jack Reacher series of novels. I love them. One of the random things about Jack Reacher novels is that they are written by someone who had never really been to the United States before he wrote them.
The Great Shift
Your Roadmap to Thriving in the Age of AI
The host recalled reading it, noting its focus on biblical voices and the shift toward a Western, individual self.
"
That reminds me of a book I read some years ago now, but it's called The Great Shift, Encountering God in the Biblical Era. It's by a guy named James Kugel.
— Episode: Best Of: Ruth Ozeki’s Enchanted Relation...
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Episode: Best Of: Ruth Ozeki’s Enchanted Relationship to Mi...
The host recalled reading it, noting its focus on biblical voices and the shift toward a Western, individual self.
"
That reminds me of a book I read some years ago now, but it's called The Great Shift, Encountering God in the Biblical Era. It's by a guy named James Kugel.
He does something throughout the book that I found somewhat funny reading it, which is he focuses in on the reactions of the people around the prophets.
When You Greet Me I Bow
Notes and Reflections from a Life in Zen
Ezra listed it as a Zenteacher's collection of essays that had a profound effect on his thinking about language and writing.
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the first is Norman Fisher's book called When You Greet Me, I Bow, Notes and Reflections from a Life in Zen.
— Episode: Best Of: Ruth Ozeki’s Enchanted Relation...
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Episode: Best Of: Ruth Ozeki’s Enchanted Relationship to Mi...
Ezra listed it as a Zenteacher's collection of essays that had a profound effect on his thinking about language and writing.
"
the first is Norman Fisher's book called When You Greet Me, I Bow, Notes and Reflections from a Life in Zen.
When You Greet Me, I Bow, it's a collection of his essays on language, on relationship, the philosophy of emptiness, culture, social engagement, all of that good stuff.
The Paradox of Democracy
Free Speech, Open Media, and Perilous Persuasion
The hosts highlighted the book as a new work that argued democracy should be seen as an open communicative culture rather than a fixed government type.
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In their new book, The Paradox of Democracy, Zach Gershberg and Sean Illing make a simple but radical argument. They write, quote, it's better to think of democracy less as a governme...
— Episode: The Mid-Century Media Theorists Who Saw...
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Episode: The Mid-Century Media Theorists Who Saw What Was C...
The hosts highlighted the book as a new work that argued democracy should be seen as an open communicative culture rather than a fixed government type.
"
In their new book, The Paradox of Democracy, Zach Gershberg and Sean Illing make a simple but radical argument. They write, quote, it's better to think of democracy less as a government type and more as an open communicative culture.
Nobody's Normal
How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness
The book examined stigma and the cultural boundaries of mental illness from an anthropological perspective.
"
Roy Richard Grinker's book called Nobody's Normal.
— Episode: A Top Mental Health Expert on Where Amer...
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Episode: A Top Mental Health Expert on Where America Went W...
The book examined stigma and the cultural boundaries of mental illness from an anthropological perspective.
"
Roy Richard Grinker's book called Nobody's Normal.
American Psychosis
A Historical Investigation of How the Republican Party Went Crazy
The book traced the failures of the Community Mental Health Act and related policies from the 1960s onward.
"
E. Fuller Torrey's book called American Psychosis.
— Episode: A Top Mental Health Expert on Where Amer...
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Episode: A Top Mental Health Expert on Where America Went W...
The book traced the failures of the Community Mental Health Act and related policies from the 1960s onward.
"
E. Fuller Torrey's book called American Psychosis.
The Crazies
The Cattleman, the Wind Prospector, and a War Out West
The memoir described the author's struggle to obtain care for his son and the lengths he went to secure services.
"
Pete Earley's book called Crazy to describe what he went through with his own son and trying to get care.
— Episode: A Top Mental Health Expert on Where Amer...
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Episode: A Top Mental Health Expert on Where America Went W...
The memoir described the author's struggle to obtain care for his son and the lengths he went to secure services.
"
Pete Earley's book called Crazy to describe what he went through with his own son and trying to get care.
Fixer-Upper
How to Repair America’s Broken Housing Systems
Jenny Schuetz's new book was presented as a clear overview of America's housing policy failures and a discussion of how democracy works and fails in the housing sector.
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She is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, and she's the author of the new book, Fixer Upper, How to Repair America's Broken Housing Systems, which is one of the clearest overviews of America'...
— Episode: Why Housing Is So Expensive — Particular...
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Episode: Why Housing Is So Expensive — Particularly in Blue...
Jenny Schuetz's new book was presented as a clear overview of America's housing policy failures and a discussion of how democracy works and fails in the housing sector.
"
She is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, and she's the author of the new book, Fixer Upper, How to Repair America's Broken Housing Systems, which is one of the clearest overviews of America's housing policy failures.
The Paradox of Democracy
Free Speech, Open Media, and Perilous Persuasion
The book was cited as an exploration of democracy as a communicative culture rather than a specific government type, highlighting its relevance to housing politics.
"
I've been reading this book called The Paradox of Democracy by Zack Gershberg and Sean Illing. It's better to think of democracy less as a government type and more as an open communic...
— Episode: Why Housing Is So Expensive — Particular...
Listen on Audible
7-day free trial
Episode: Why Housing Is So Expensive — Particularly in Blue...
The book was cited as an exploration of democracy as a communicative culture rather than a specific government type, highlighting its relevance to housing politics.
"
I've been reading this book called The Paradox of Democracy by Zack Gershberg and Sean Illing. It's better to think of democracy less as a government type and more as an open communicative culture.
The Homevoter Hypothesis
How Home Values Influence Local Government Taxation, School Finance, and Land-Use Policies
Bill Fischel's book was described as influential, arguing that homeowners tend to vote based on protecting their property values, shaping political resistance to housing reforms.
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There is an economist called Bill Fischel who wrote a very influential book called The Home Voter Hypothesis, which essentially says that homeowners become single issue voters based on protecting the...
— Episode: Why Housing Is So Expensive — Particular...
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Episode: Why Housing Is So Expensive — Particularly in Blue...
Bill Fischel's book was described as influential, arguing that homeowners tend to vote based on protecting their property values, shaping political resistance to housing reforms.
"
There is an economist called Bill Fischel who wrote a very influential book called The Home Voter Hypothesis, which essentially says that homeowners become single issue voters based on protecting the value of their property.
Neighborhood Defenders
Participatory Politics and America's Housing Crisis
The book was highlighted as a deep dive into the politics of local housing decisions, showing who participates and how smallD democracy often fails.
"
There are three political scientists, Katie Einstein, David Glick, and Maxwell Palmer, who've written a book called Neighborhood Defenders, which gives fantastic insight into the nitt...
— Episode: Why Housing Is So Expensive — Particular...
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Episode: Why Housing Is So Expensive — Particularly in Blue...
The book was highlighted as a deep dive into the politics of local housing decisions, showing who participates and how smallD democracy often fails.
"
There are three political scientists, Katie Einstein, David Glick, and Maxwell Palmer, who've written a book called Neighborhood Defenders, which gives fantastic insight into the nittygritty politics, who shows up and participates, and how it looks like smallD democracy but isn't.
The Dawn of Everything
A New History of Humanity
Kim highlighted The Dawn of Everything as a thoughtprovoking work that challenges deterministic narratives of the past.
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I think it's interesting to read this last book by David Graeber with David Wengrow called The Dawn of Everything it's a thoughtprovoking and it's also a form of archaeological scienc...
— Episode: A Weird, Wonderful Conversation With Kim...
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Episode: A Weird, Wonderful Conversation With Kim Stanley R...
Kim highlighted The Dawn of Everything as a thoughtprovoking work that challenges deterministic narratives of the past.
"
I think it's interesting to read this last book by David Graeber with David Wengrow called The Dawn of Everything it's a thoughtprovoking and it's also a form of archaeological science fiction.
Bad Sex
Truth, Pleasure, and an Unfinished Revolution
Ezra listed Bad Sex by Nona Willis Aronowitz among other recent titles addressing sexual politics.
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Christine Emba, a young Washington Post columnist has a new book called Rethinking Sex. There's a new British book that's going to be released in the United States relatively soon called The Case Agai...
— Episode: Michelle Goldberg Grapples With Feminism...
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Episode: Michelle Goldberg Grapples With Feminism After Roe
Ezra listed Bad Sex by Nona Willis Aronowitz among other recent titles addressing sexual politics.
"
Christine Emba, a young Washington Post columnist has a new book called Rethinking Sex. There's a new British book that's going to be released in the United States relatively soon called The Case Against the Sexual Revolution. There's Nona Willis Aronowitz's book called Bad Sex.
Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.