If Books Could Kill Public

Created and curated by Phil in SF

Books featured on the podcast "If Books Could Kill" hosted by Michael Hobbes and Peter Shamshiri. "The airport books that captured our hearts and ruined our minds."

  1. Atomic Habits by 

    4 stars

    No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving—every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading …

    Phil in SF says:

    Ep. 23. 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.

    www.buzzsprout.com/2040953/episodes/13042014-atomic-habits

  2. The Rules by ,

    No rating

    You are a creature unlike any other (Rule #1)--that's why you need . . . The Rules. A simple set …

    Phil in SF says:

    Ep. 24. 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.

    www.buzzsprout.com/2040953/episodes/13118682-the-rules

  3. Liberal Fascism by 

    No rating

    Since the rise and fall of the Nazis in the midtwentieth century, fascism has been seen as an extreme right-wing …

    Phil in SF says:

    Ep. 27. Who poses the greatest threat to democracy? Is it the movement that openly identifies with the symbols, goals & policies of fascist governments? Or is it the median bureaucrat at the Department of Health & Human Services?

    In 2008, a National Review nepo-baby attempted to answer this vex

  4. God And Man At Yale by 

    No rating

    Details how a once conservative college headed left theologically and politically.

  5. The 4-hour work week by 

    3 stars

    The New York Times bestselling how-to and why-to guide to throwing out the old tools and methods for success and …

    Phil in SF says:

    Ep. 31. 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.

  6. San Fransicko by 

    No rating

    Progressives claimed they knew how to solve homelessness, inequality, and crime. But in cities they control, progressives made those problems …

    Phil in SF says:

    Ep. 32. 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?

  7. The 48 Laws of Power by 

    No rating

    In the book that People magazine proclaimed “beguiling” and “fascinating,” Robert Greene and Joost Elffers have distilled three thousand years …

    Phil in SF says:

    Ep. 34. In 1996, a frustrated screenwriter got a fellowship in Italy. Twenty years later, Beyoncé released "Lemonade."

    www.buzzsprout.com/2040953/episodes/13887364-the-48-laws-of-power

  8. The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by 

    No rating

    For decades, we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. "Fk positivity," Mark …

    Phil in SF says:

    Ep. 35. 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.

  9. The Identity Trap by 

    No rating

    One of our leading public intellectuals traces the origin of a set of ideas about identity and social justice that …

    Phil in SF says:

    Ep. 37. 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.

    www.buzzsprout.com/2040953/episodes/14143351-the-identity-trap

  10. Trump: The Art of the Deal by ,

    No rating

    Here is America's most glamorous young tycoon: the face on the covers of Fortune, Business Week, and the New York …

    Phil in SF says:

    Ep 39. 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.

  11. The Better Angels of Our Nature by 

    No rating

    Faced with the ceaseless stream of news about war, crime, and terrorism, one could easily think we live in the …

    Phil in SF says:

    Ep 40. We're tackling Steven Pinker's 900 page dissection of the reasons why violence, torture & war have declined over the last 10,000 years. Was it an indeterminate mixture of politics, economics, technology & serendipity? Or did some European guys write some books that said murder was bad.

  12. Lean In by ,

    2 stars

    In "Lean In", Sheryl Sandberg -- Facebook COO and one of "Fortune" magazine's most powerful women in business -- looks …

    Phil in SF says:

    Ep. 41. 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. Peter and Michael examine the contents of her bestselling book, survey the wreckage of corporate feminism and ask whether women will finally find libe

  13. Going Infinite by 

    No rating

    When Michael Lewis first met him, Sam Bankman-Fried was the world’s youngest billionaire and crypto’s Gatsby. CEOs, celebrities, and leaders …

    Phil in SF says:

    Ep. 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.

    www.buzzsprout.com/2040953/episodes/14994036-going-infinite-michael-lewis-takes-on-sam-bankman-fried

  14. The Origins of Woke by 

    No rating

    Richard Hanania has emerged as one of the most talked-about writers in the nation, and in this book, he puts …

    Phil in SF says:

    Ep. 46. 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.

    www.buzzsprout.com/2040953/episodes/15396653-richard-hanania-s-the-origins-of-woke

  15. The Anxious Generation by 

    No rating

    After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates …

    Phil in SF says:

    Ep. 48. Is social media to blame for the teen mental health crisis? It's complicated!

    www.buzzsprout.com/2040953/episodes/15546366-the-anxious-generation

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