If Books Could Kill
The airport bestsellers that captured our hearts and ruined our minds
Episodes
Peter and Michael discuss "Surrounded by Idiots," a book that dares to ask: Can the mystery of human relationships be unraveled by a workplace personality assessment?
Where to find us:
- Our Patreon
- Our merch!
- Peter's newsletter
- Peter's other podcast, 5-4
- Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Sources:
In 1993, a desperate man stumbled into a remote village in the foothills of the Karakoram mountains. After the residents nursed him back to health, he placed his hands on the village elder's shoulders and made a sacred promise. "Somehow," he said, "I am going to get some private jet reimbursements out of this."
Warning: Contains spoilers for the 2016 film "Arrival."
Thanks to Ted Callahan for helping us fact-check this ep...
You know that book your friend recommended? The one that rigorously describes the science of trauma, de-stigmatizes abuse and promotes effective treatments? Well here’s the thing: It doesn't actually do that.
Thanks to Emi Nietfield, Keith Cox, Lisa Starr, Richard McNally, Kevin McGuire and everyone else who helped us research and fact-check this episode!
Where to find us:
Peter and Michael discuss "Think And Grow Rich," the 1937 classic written by a lifelong fraudster who finds his final mark: You.
Where to find us:
- Our Patreon
- Our merch!
- Peter's newsletter
- Peter's other podcast, 5-4
- Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Sources:
In 2013, education reformers tried to help poor students the using the best tool at their disposal: The 16th most popular Ted Talk.
Special thanks to Marcus Credé!
Where to find us:
- Our Patreon
- Our merch!
- Peter's newsletter
- Peter's other podcast, 5-4
- Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Sources:
Peter went on Mike's other show, Maintenance Phase, to revisit a biohacking diet book for the boys.
Where to find us:
- Our Patreon
- Our merch!
- Peter's newsletter
- Peter's other podcast, 5-4
- Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Sources:
Peter and Michael discuss "Bullshit Jobs" by anarchist anthropologist David Graeber. The result: two professional podcasters debating which jobs are real and which jobs are fake.
Where to find us:
- Our Patreon
- Our merch!
- Peter's newsletter
- Peter's other podcast, 5-4
- Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Sources:
It turns out that the key to wealth is buying the right kind of watch, marrying the right kind of wife and being the right kind of white.
Where to find us:
- Our Patreon
- Our merch!
- Peter's newsletter
- Peter's other podcast, 5-4
- Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Sources:
The boys catalog the definitive worst takes of the year, from the pundits who misunderstood our political moment to a guy who wants to have sex with a computer.
To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
The boys continue their discussion of Walter Isaacson's "Elon Musk." This is the part where Elon loses his mind.
Where to find us:
- Our Patreon
- Our merch!
- Peter's newsletter
- Peter's other podcast, 5-4
- Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Sources:
A biography that dares to ask: Is a lifetime of worker abuse and narcissism worth it to experience robot butlers?
Where to find us:
- Our Patreon
- Our merch!
- Peter's newsletter
- Peter's other podcast, 5-4
- Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Sources:
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:
- Our Patreon
- Our merch!
- Peter's newsletter
- Peter's other podcast, 5-4
- Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Sources:
Live like Dale Carnegie, neg like Calvin Coolidge.
Where to find us:
- Our Patreon
- Our merch!
- Peter's newsletter
- Peter's other podcast, 5-4
- Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Sources:
Peter and Michael discuss a book that's light on facts and long on sentences.
Where to find us:
- Our Patreon
- Our merch!
- Peter's newsletter
- Peter's other podcast, 5-4
- Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Sources:
How one comedian's offhand advice launched a decent TV episode, a mediocre book and a terrible movie.
Where to find us:
- Our Patreon
- Our merch!
- Peter's newsletter
- Peter's other podcast, 5-4
- Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Sources:
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:
This is most of the episode but if you want to hear the last 20 minutes, support us on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
Last episode we met two Princeton political scientists who are bad at virology. Today we learn that they are also bad at political science.
Where to find us:
Sources:
Two political scientists look back at a deadly pandemic and ask, "could we have done even less?"
Where to find us:
Sources:
By popular demand we are releasing last month's Patreon bonus episode on the main feed! We chart the transformation of the lab leak from an unfounded theory promoted by right-wing cranks to an unfounded theory promoted by liberal journalists.
Where to find us:
Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patre...
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