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Explore every episode of the podcast If Books Could Kill

Dive into the complete episode list for If Books Could Kill. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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1–50 of 78

TitlePub. DateDuration
Sapiens20 Nov 202501:38:17

How do you tell the entire history of humanity in a single book? Whatever you do, do not open a browser window. 

Thanks to Dorsa Amir, Duncan Stibbard Hawkes and David Perry for help researching and fact-checking this episode!

Where to find us: 

Sources:

Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

How To Win Friends And Influence People02 Oct 202501:10:00

Live like Dale Carnegie, neg like Calvin Coolidge.

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Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

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Josh Hawley's "Manhood" [TEASER]31 Mar 202500:53:11

To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon:
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Steve Harvey's "Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man"28 Mar 202500:58:53

Are you a single lady struggling to find love with a man? Don't fret! A twice-divorced game show host who thinks conversation is for women is here to help.

Where to find us: 

Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

Of Boys And Men06 Mar 202501:22:42

Who's to blame for the crisis of American masculinity? On the right, politicians tell men that they being oppressed by feminists and must reassert their manhood by supporting an authoritarian regime. And on the left, users of social media are often very irritating to people who write airport books.  

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Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

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You Are A Badass23 Jan 202500:58:58

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.

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Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

What's The Matter With Kansas?06 Dec 202401:05:33

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 help with this episode!

Where to find us: 

Sources:

Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

Sam Harris's "The End of Faith"04 Nov 202401:09:58

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: 

Sources:

 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

Who Moved My Cheese?10 Oct 202401:09:12

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

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 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

UNLOCKED: Eric Adams26 Sep 202400:59:28

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:
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Glenn Kessler Retire B*tch [TEASER]26 Sep 202400:36:08

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:
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Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother24 Sep 202400:55:37

A memoir about parenting very badly and then getting weirdly defensive when anyone asks you about it.

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 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

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Thomas Chatterton Williams' "Summer of Our Discontent"11 Sep 202501:31:42

Peter and Michael discuss a book that's light on facts and long on sentences.

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Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

The Anxious Generation08 Aug 202402:00:18

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: 

Sources:

 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

Breaking News Re-Release: "Hillbilly Elegy"16 Jul 202400:51:12

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

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

Richard Hanania's "The Origins of Woke"11 Jul 202401:01:54

Peter 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: 

Sources:

 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

The Columbia Protests [TEASER]16 May 202400:27:17

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:
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"Going Infinite": Michael Lewis Takes On Sam Bankman-Fried02 May 202401:15:44

Peter 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: 

Sources:

 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

"The Better Angels of Our Nature" Part 2: Campus Lies, I.Q. Rise & Epstein Ties11 Apr 202401:24:12

2 Better 2 Angels

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Where to find us: 

Sources:

 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

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Who's Afraid of Naomi Wolf? [TEASER]28 Mar 202400:30:17

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:
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Lean In14 Mar 202400:57:00

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: 

Sources:

 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

"The Better Angels of Our Nature" Part 1: You're Not Wrong, Pinker. You're Just An *sshole22 Feb 202401:37:45

This 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, David M. Perry and Doug Thompson for help researching and fact-checking this episode!

Where to find us: 

Sources:

 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

The Art of the Deal11 Jan 202400:52:22

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: 

Sources:

 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

He's Just Not That Into You31 Jul 202501:00:09

How one comedian's offhand advice launched a decent TV episode, a mediocre book and a terrible movie.

Where to find us: 

Sources:

Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

The Worst Takes of 2023 [TEASER]21 Dec 202300:28:15

To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon:
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The Identity Trap14 Dec 202301:47:03

"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: 

Sources:

 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

Pundit Portraits: Kathleen Parker and Chris Cillizza [TEASER]28 Nov 202300:29:42

To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon:
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The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck21 Nov 202300:45:44

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: 

Sources:

 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!



Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

The 48 Laws of Power02 Nov 202301:05:56

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:
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Where to find us: 

Sources:

 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

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The "Organized Retail Crime" Panic [TEASER]26 Oct 202300:31:12

Retailers 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 Patreon:
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Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

San Fransicko19 Oct 202301:00:43

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:
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Where to find us: 

Sources:

 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

The 4-Hour Workweek21 Sep 202300:56:25

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: 

Sources:

 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

The Clinton E-Mail Scandal [TEASER]14 Sep 202300:28:02

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:
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God And Man At Yale07 Sep 202301:11:17

Oops all grievance.

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 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

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Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink"17 Jul 202500:57:44

Did you know that in the split-second it took you to read the title of this episode, your subconscious already figured out that it was going to be extremely good?

Peter and Michael talk about Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink," a book that is mostly cute scientific anecdotes but also indirectly resulted in millions of taxpayer dollars being wasted on fraudulent science.

Where to find us: 

Sources:

Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

'On Bullsh*t' and the Pundit Industrial Complex [TEASER]10 Aug 202300:16:17

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

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Liberal Fascism27 Jul 202301:04:33

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:
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Where to find us: 

Sources:

 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

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Are The Straights OK [TEASER]13 Jul 202300:24:10

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:
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Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

BONUS: Conservatives vs. Pride Month06 Jul 202301:05:16

Lots 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: 

Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

The Rules29 Jun 202301:09:07

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:
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Where to find us: 

Sources:

 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

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Atomic Habits15 Jun 202301:01:09

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:
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 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

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The World is Flat01 Jun 202301:07:41

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.

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 Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

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"Nudge" Part 2: Mr. Nudge Goes to Washington19 May 202301:01:04

The Nudgening.

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The Meme Stock Cult [TEASER]15 May 202300:19:38

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.

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"Nudge" Part 1: A Simple Solution For Littering, Organ Donations and Climate Change04 May 202301:10:51

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

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Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

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The Supreme Court Goes Full TERF [TEASER]01 Jul 202501:01:53

This is most of the episode but if you want to hear the last 20 minutes, support us on Patreon!

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The 5 Love Languages20 Apr 202300:54:46

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

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Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

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Ben Shapiro's Plan To End Poverty [TEASER]13 Apr 202300:12:13

Is it bootstraps? It's bootstraps.

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Rich Dad Poor Dad06 Apr 202301:13:57

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

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The Dumbest Campus Controversies Of The Last Decade [TEASER]30 Mar 202300:20:23

Get in loser, we're going to Oberlin.

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