In 2004, historian Thomas Frank proposed a theory about the rightward drift of the white working class. Was he a... more

Peter and Michael discuss the book that launched the phenomenon of New Atheism and asked the question: What if we... more

What should workers do when they get laid off? In 1998 a bleak, asinine bestseller told them to find another... more

New York’s favorite criminal is in the news, so here is our episode about his ridiculous life.To hear all of... more

Is fact-checking a legitimate enterprise? Is America's most famous fact-checker nothing more than a dweeb? Michael and Peter discuss.To hear... more

A memoir about parenting very badly and then getting weirdly defensive when anyone asks you about it.Where to find us:... more

Is social media to blame for the teen mental health crisis? It's complicated!Thanks to Emily Weinstein, Amy Orben, Andrew Przybylski,... more

To celebrate ("celebrate") Donald Trump choosing JD Vance as his running mate we are re-releasing our "Hillbilly Elegy" episode. Enjoy!

Peter and Michael discuss "The Origins of Woke," a glimpse into the dark aspirations of the Republican Party and the... more

Peter and Michael discuss the media coverage of the protests at Columbia — from the crazed, bloodthirsty ravings of right-wing... more

Peter and Michael discuss Michael Lewis’s bestselling book about the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, a young prodigy whose... more

2 Better 2 AngelsSupport us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Jeffrey Epstein’s Science... more

We're finally discussing a good book! Naomi Klein's "Doppelgänger" chronicles the long, steady descent of another Naomi — Wolf (buddy... more

In 2013, Sheryl Sandberg became an icon for women who wanted to move from middle management at a tech company... more

This week we're tackling Steven Pinker's 900 page dissection of the reasons why violence, torture and war have declined over... more

Before Donald Trump became America's most prominent politician and birth certificate inspector, he spent his days making everyone in New... more

To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

"There are two kinds of political scientists: The types who deal with noisy data and post on Twitter with a... more

To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

You stare, mouth agape, at the bookstore display. It’s a self-help book, but with curse words in the title?! This... more

In 1996, a frustrated screenwriter got a fellowship in Italy. Twenty years later, Beyoncé released "Lemonade." Content warning: This episode... more

Retailers have been sounding the alarm about a shoplifting epidemic driven by organized criminal syndicates. In a shocking twist, it... more

This week we're tackling "San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities," a book that dares to ask: What if everything that... more

Have you ever wanted to escape the grind and follow your dreams? This week we're discussing "The 4-Hour Workweek," which... more

But her e-mails! Michael explains the non-scandal that captivated the mainstream media in 2016 while Peter attempts to sow the... more

Oops all grievance.Support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:No Ivory Tower :... more

For this month's bonus episode we dissected Harry Frankfurt's gloriously brief bestseller and applied the concept to our favorite op-ed... more

Who poses the greatest threat to democracy? Is it the movement that openly identifies with the symbols, goals and policies... more

In our "Rules" and "Game" episodes we didn't get a chance to dissect the phenomenon of online dating (i.e. describe... more

Lots of subscribers asked us to release last month's bonus episode in full so here it is! Share it with... more

In 1995 a bestselling book proposed a simple dating strategy for women: Lose weight, wear bright colors and become a... more

This week we're discussing "Atomic Habits," a book about how to use science (and also some stuff that’s definitely not... more

Much has been said about globalization, but perhaps no one has said it worse than Thomas Friedman.Content Note: Discussions of... more

The Nudgening.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:David Gal's "Behavioral Winter"The... more

In 2021, scrappy young investors from across the world joined forces to buy GameStop stock, aiming to take down greedy... more

In 2008, an economist and a law professor proposed a radical new approach to politics: Telling people not to do... more

What’s your love language? Is it gifts? Words of affirmation? Or is it podcasts about books with extremely weird, reactionary... more

Is it bootstraps? It's bootstraps.To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

In 1997, Robert Kiyosaki revealed the secret to lifelong success: Deliver grifty seminars and hire child slaves.Support us on Patreon:... more

Get in loser, we're going to Oberlin.To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

In 2016, J.D. Vance informally launched his political career with "Hillbilly Elegy," a memoir that blames the relative poverty of... more

TRIGGER WARNING: if you're a SNOWFLAKE college professor afraid of how your students are expressing themselves, you might need a... more

The nation's most prestigious newspaper insists on asking a very stupid question. So for this month's bonus episode, we decided... more

"If your thesis doesn't hold up to obvious criticisms, there's a chance that your thesis sucks." Thanks to Paul Musgrave... more

Francis Fukuyama's "The End of History and the Last Man" changed political discourse forever. Peter and Michael peel back his... more

In December 2019, the coronavirus pandemic began in Wuhan, China. In May 2021, America experienced one of the most cursed... more

In 1992 a yoga instructor with a distance-learning PhD had the courage to ask: "Are women not getting help around... more

Rhonda Byrne's "The Secret" sold millions of copies based on a simple premise: All of science is fake and the... more

How a Stanford lepidopterist convinced the world to fear the breeding habits of the poor. Again. Support us on PatreonWhere... more

Our first premium episode is a deep dive into the blog of the infamously (and dubiously) "canceled" Bari Weiss.... more

Neil Strauss's "The Game" aimed to teach any man how to hook up with beautiful women. All he needed was... more

David Brooks became liberals' famous conservative by telling them what they wanted to hear. But ... why did they want... more

In "Outliers," Malcolm Gladwell posited that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert in something. Mike and... more

In 2005, two men named Steven and Stephen published the quintessential airport book. In 2022, two men named Mike and... more