The airport bestsellers that captured our hearts and ruined our minds
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Peter and Michael dissect Jen Sincero's "You are a Badass," a book that answers the question: What if "The Secret" was written in the painful, try-hard style of "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck"? Featuring a surprise digression about Sincero's other, even worse books. Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenanc…
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In 2004, historian Thomas Frank proposed a theory about the rightward drift of the white working class. Was he a prescient king whose work presaged the rise of Trump — or a bumbling fool with a broken thesis? Unfortunately it turns out he is a secret third thing that takes one hour and six minutes to explain. Special thanks to Julia Valdés for her …
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Peter and Michael discuss the book that launched the phenomenon of New Atheism and asked the question: What if we hated Muslims, but in a secular way? Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Views of Violence Carnival Booth: An Algorithm for Defeating the Computer-Assisted Passenger Screening Sy…
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What should workers do when they get laid off? In 1998 a bleak, asinine bestseller told them to find another whey. Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America Downsizing in America Temp: How American Work, American Business, and the American…
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New York’s favorite criminal is in the news, so here is our episode about his ridiculous life. To hear all of our bonus episodes, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodBy Michael Hobbes & Peter Shamshiri
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Is fact-checking a legitimate enterprise? Is America's most famous fact-checker nothing more than a dweeb? Michael and Peter discuss. To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodBy Michael Hobbes & Peter Shamshiri
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A memoir about parenting very badly and then getting weirdly defensive when anyone asks you about it. Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Effects of Authoritative Parental Control on Child Behavior, Child Development Types of Parenting Styles and Effects On Children Does “Tiger Parenting” Ex…
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Is social media to blame for the teen mental health crisis? It's complicated! Thanks to Emily Weinstein, Amy Orben, Andrew Przybylski, Dean Burnett, Michael Mullarkey and Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz for help researching and fact-checking this episode! Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Emily Wei…
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Breaking News Re-Release: "Hillbilly Elegy"
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51:12To celebrate ("celebrate") Donald Trump choosing JD Vance as his running mate we are re-releasing our "Hillbilly Elegy" episode. Enjoy!
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Richard Hanania's "The Origins of Woke"
1:01:54
1:01:54
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1:01:54Peter and Michael discuss "The Origins of Woke," a glimpse into the dark aspirations of the Republican Party and the mind of a very unusual man. Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: What Speech Does "Hostile Work Environment" Harassment Law Restrict? Tunis v. Corning Glass Works, 698 F. Supp.…
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Peter and Michael discuss the media coverage of the protests at Columbia — from the crazed, bloodthirsty ravings of right-wing media to the more muted, respectful bloodthirst of centrist media. To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
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"Going Infinite": Michael Lewis Takes On Sam Bankman-Fried
1:15:44
1:15:44
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1:15:44Peter and Michael discuss Michael Lewis’s bestselling book about the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, a young prodigy whose only flaw was that he dreamed too big. Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Michael Lewis Is Buying What Sam Bankman-Fried Is Selling Michael Lewis Likens Critics of …
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"The Better Angels of Our Nature" Part 2: Campus Lies, I.Q. Rise & Epstein Ties
1:24:12
1:24:12
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1:24:122 Better 2 Angels Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Jeffrey Epstein’s Science of Sleaze Pinker’s response to Epstein allegations How Jeffrey Epstein Captivated Harvard Jeffrey Epstein Hoped to Seed Human Race With His DNA It’s Offic…
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We're finally discussing a good book! Naomi Klein's "Doppelgänger" chronicles the long, steady descent of another Naomi — Wolf (buddy oof) — from feminist icon to crank conspiracist. To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodBy Michael Hobbes & Peter Shamshiri
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In 2013, Sheryl Sandberg became an icon for women who wanted to move from middle management at a tech company into upper management at a tech company. Today, Peter and Michael examine the contents of her bestselling book, survey the wreckage of corporate feminism and ask whether women will finally find liberation in the Metaverse. Where to find us:…
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"The Better Angels of Our Nature" Part 1: You're Not Wrong, Pinker. You're Just An *sshole
1:37:45
1:37:45
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1:37:45This week we're tackling Steven Pinker's 900 page dissection of the reasons why violence, torture and war have declined over the last 10,000 years. Was it an indeterminate mixture of politics, economics, technology and serendipity? Or did some European guys write some books that said murder was bad? Special thanks to Philip Dwyer, Eleanor Janega, D…
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Before Donald Trump became America's most prominent politician and birth certificate inspector, he spent his days making everyone in New York City slightly uncomfortable. Michael and Peter discuss "The Art of the Deal," Trump’s 1987 bestseller chronicling his exploits as a celebrity slumlord. Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mik…
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To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
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"There are two kinds of political scientists: The types who deal with noisy data and post on Twitter with a bunch of caveats. And then there are the types who write books about identity politics." Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Sam Huneke's "Yascha Mounk’s Woke Straw Man" Jacob …
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Pundit Portraits: Kathleen Parker and Chris Cillizza [TEASER]
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29:42To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
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You stare, mouth agape, at the bookstore display. It’s a self-help book, but with curse words in the title?! This must be a revolutionary new framework, not simply the same dull, reactionary ideas repackaged as hip and new. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other po…
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In 1996, a frustrated screenwriter got a fellowship in Italy. Twenty years later, Beyoncé released "Lemonade." Content warning: This episode includes a mention of suicide. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Rebecca Solnit’s “…
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The "Organized Retail Crime" Panic [TEASER]
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31:12Retailers have been sounding the alarm about a shoplifting epidemic driven by organized criminal syndicates. In a shocking twist, it turns out that their story is mostly made up. Join us as Peter tries to figure out where this panic originated and as Mike finally comes clean about his criminal past. To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patre…
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This week we're tackling "San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities," a book that dares to ask: What if everything that experts think about homelessness is wrong, and everything that one crank on Twitter thinks about homelessness is right? Thanks to Ned Resnikoff for helping us with the research for this episode! Support us on Patreon: https://ww…
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Have you ever wanted to escape the grind and follow your dreams? This week we're discussing "The 4-Hour Workweek," which reveals that all you need is a plan, a willingness to take risks and a modestly sized fraud operation built on Third World labor. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other p…
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But her e-mails! Michael explains the non-scandal that captivated the mainstream media in 2016 while Peter attempts to sow the podcast with anti-Hillary sentiment. To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
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Oops all grievance. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: No Ivory Tower : Mccarthyism And The Universities The Fire Is Upon Us The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America Since 1945 The Passion of William F. Buckley: Acad…
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'On Bullsh*t' and the Pundit Industrial Complex [TEASER]
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16:17For this month's bonus episode we dissected Harry Frankfurt's gloriously brief bestseller and applied the concept to our favorite op-ed page. To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
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Who poses the greatest threat to democracy? Is it the movement that openly identifies with the symbols, goals and policies of fascist governments? Or is it the median bureaucrat at the Department of Health and Human Services? In 2008, a National Review nepo-baby attempted to answer this vexing question. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.co…
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In our "Rules" and "Game" episodes we didn't get a chance to dissect the phenomenon of online dating (i.e. describe our worst dates and read cringe profiles out loud to each other), so that is what we are doing on today's bonus episode. To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod…
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BONUS: Conservatives vs. Pride Month
1:05:16
1:05:16
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1:05:16Lots of subscribers asked us to release last month's bonus episode in full so here it is! Share it with the conservatives, the boomers and the Satanists in your life. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Thanks to Mindseye for our theme…
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In 1995 a bestselling book proposed a simple dating strategy for women: Lose weight, wear bright colors and become a completely different person for the rest of your life. Thanks to Moira Donegan for helping us with this episode! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's ot…
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This week we're discussing "Atomic Habits," a book about how to use science (and also some stuff that’s definitely not science) to train yourself to be a more functional person. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: How 1% Perfo…
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Much has been said about globalization, but perhaps no one has said it worse than Thomas Friedman. Content Note: Discussions of xenophobic and racist content, especially toward the end of the episode. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phas…
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"Nudge" Part 2: Mr. Nudge Goes to Washington
1:01:04
1:01:04
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1:01:04The Nudgening. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: David Gal's "Behavioral Winter" The i-frame and the s-frame: How focusing on individual-level solutions has led behavioral public policy astray Why Is Behavioral Economics So …
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In 2021, scrappy young investors from across the world joined forces to buy GameStop stock, aiming to take down greedy hedge funds. What came next was tragedy, injustice, and a conspiratorial internet cult so stupid we had to do an episode about it. To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod…
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"Nudge" Part 1: A Simple Solution For Littering, Organ Donations and Climate Change
1:10:51
1:10:51
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1:10:51In 2008, an economist and a law professor proposed a radical new approach to politics: Telling people not to do bad stuff. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Mike's Maintenance Phase episode on the godfather of the "cafeteria…
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What’s your love language? Is it gifts? Words of affirmation? Or is it podcasts about books with extremely weird, reactionary gender dynamics? Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Can Gary Chapman Save Your Marriage? The Sixth …
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Ben Shapiro's Plan To End Poverty [TEASER]
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12:13Is it bootstraps? It's bootstraps. To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
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In 1997, Robert Kiyosaki revealed the secret to lifelong success: Deliver grifty seminars and hire child slaves. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Pound Foolish: Exposing the Dark Side of the Personal Finance Industry ‘Rich …
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The Dumbest Campus Controversies Of The Last Decade [TEASER]
20:23
20:23
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20:23Get in loser, we're going to Oberlin. To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
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In 2016, J.D. Vance informally launched his political career with "Hillbilly Elegy," a memoir that blames the relative poverty of Appalachian and Rust Belt populations on their own culture. Despite its reactionary premise, mainstream and liberal press outlets were so enamored by the book that they accidentally made Vance a senator. Support us on Pa…
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TRIGGER WARNING: if you're a SNOWFLAKE college professor afraid of how your students are expressing themselves, you might need a SAFE SPACE, because Michael and Peter are discussing "The Coddling of The American Mind," a book about campus culture that's light on facts and heavy on cherry-picked anecdotes. CORRECTION: The Socrates quote mentioned at…
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The New York Times's War On Trans Kids [TEASER]
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27:38The nation's most prestigious newspaper insists on asking a very stupid question. So for this month's bonus episode, we decided to answer it. To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod As we mentioned at the top of the episode, we're donating this month's support to three of our trans journo-friends! The…
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"If your thesis doesn't hold up to obvious criticisms, there's a chance that your thesis sucks." Thanks to Paul Musgrave and Alex Cruikshanks for helping us fact-check this episode! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Links! Huntington…
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Francis Fukuyama's "The End of History and the Last Man" changed political discourse forever. Peter and Michael peel back his muddled history and fluffy rhetoric, revealing several more layers of muddled history and fluffy rhetoric. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's…
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In December 2019, the coronavirus pandemic began in Wuhan, China. In May 2021, America experienced one of the most cursed weeks of punditry we've ever seen. This is a condensed version of the full episode. To hear the rest go to patreon.com/IfBooksPod. See you next week!
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Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus
1:09:21
1:09:21
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1:09:21In 1992 a yoga instructor with a distance-learning PhD had the courage to ask: "Are women not getting help around the house because they're using the wrong modal verb?" Support us on Patreon Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: The Myth of Mars and Venus: Do Men and Women Really Speak…
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Rhonda Byrne's "The Secret" sold millions of copies based on a simple premise: All of science is fake and the only reason anything ever happens is because people manifest it by communicating with the universe. Support us on Patreon Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Power Lines Opra…
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How a Stanford lepidopterist convinced the world to fear the breeding habits of the poor. Again. Support us on Patreon Where to find us: Twitter Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Sonia Shah’s “The Next Great Migration” Barbarian Hordes: The overpopulation scapegoat in international development discourse Opt…
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