The Armchair Expert Book Guide
Dax reads. His guests write. Monica fact-checks the page numbers. Here's every book that came up in the conversations — the guest's own work, Dax's recommendations, and the ones that got name-dropped along the way.
1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How It Shattered a Nation
Sorkin's new book, the primary subject of the interview — a character-driven narrative reconstruction of the 1929 stock market crash drawing on never-before-published archives.
1984
Discussed extensively as a framework for AI surveillance fears — Dax asks about Orwell's original concerns and whether they materialized; also triggers a fact-check about the publication year.
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Listed by Dax in his intro rundown of Harari's bibliography
A Brief History of Intelligence
Dax references it while discussing how AI had to be taught to do what human brains already do naturally — thin-slicing high-probability patterns rather than modeling every possible move.
A Brief History of Intelligence: Evolution, AI, and the Five Breakthroughs That Made Our Brains
The guest's own book and the subject of the entire interview — Dax says he read it twice and plans to listen a third and fourth time.
A Primate's Memoir
Listed in the intro credits as one of Sapolsky's books.
A Visit from the Goon Squad
Monica recommends it as a potential Barnes and Noble date book — interconnected dark stories, about 15 years old.
A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness
Pollan's new book, the primary subject of the interview — his exploration of consciousness through science, philosophy, plants, AI, and a three-day stay in a cave.
Accidental Brothers
Nancy's book documenting the Colombian switched-at-birth twins study, came out in 2018.
Adaptable: How Your Unique Body Really Works and Why Our Biology Unites Us
The primary reason for Pontzer's appearance — Dax introduces it in the cold open and they discuss its themes throughout the entire interview.
After Escobar: Taking Down the Notorious Cali Godfathers and the Biggest Drug Cartel in History
The guests' own book, which the episode is largely promoting — Dax references it multiple times as the source for detailed accounts of the raids, the journal Dave kept, and the Salcedo recruitment.
All Fours
Monica references having recently read it as a source of gratitude for time spent on herself as a single person, connecting it to their discussion about life milestones.
All in Your Head: True Stories of Imaginary Illnesses
O'Sullivan's earlier book about psychosomatic illness, referenced by Dax as the foundation for her later work, including the story of Matthew who couldn't walk despite a healthy nervous system.
All the Worst Humans: How I Made News for Dictators, Tycoons, and Politicians
Phil's own memoir about his career in DC public relations, the book that prompted the interview.
Amusing Ourselves to Death
Hoffman references it as a more accurate dystopian prediction than 1984 — Huxley's vision of distraction rather than Orwell's vision of surveillance — though he argues neither fully came true.
An Immense World
Dax asks if Goldberg has read it when the conversation turns to the limits of touch sensing — specifically the star-nosed mole that can detect moisture movement through sand at 12 inches — and Goldberg lights up with immediate recognition.
Anointed: The Extraordinary Effects of Social Status in a Winner-Take-Most World
The guest's own book and the central subject of the entire main interview.
Attached
The guest's first book, the one that became a viral phenomenon through COVID and TikTok, applying attachment theory to adult romantic relationships — the foundation for the current conversation.
Autobiography of a Yogi
Riz referenced it when discussing Swami Yogananda's vision about life being like a film — and noted it was Steve Jobs' favorite book, given out at his funeral.
Behave
Dax mentions having read it when Ranganath brings up the nature/nurture false dichotomy; both agree it makes the best case that the division is erroneous.
Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst
Dax brings it up to make the point that nature/nurture is a false dichotomy, citing it as doing 'a really great job' of showing how interwoven the two are.
Behold a Pale Horse
Dax references reading this book during the fact check discussion about the Rothschilds and Illuminati conspiracy theories — he mentions it as foundational conspiracy literature featuring the Rothschilds as key players.
Being Mortal
Dax references it when Ariely discusses the startup helping people optimize their last chapter of life; Dax says 'You've read Atul Gawande's book' and Ariely confirms it's an amazing book covering similar territory.
Between Two Kingdoms
Suleika's memoir about her leukemia diagnosis, treatment, and road trip across America to meet people who wrote to her New York Times column 'Life Interrupted' — referenced by Dax and discussed at length.
Black Magic
Referenced in the pre-interview announcements as the book by their friend Chad Sanders, who previously appeared on the podcast and is now collaborating with them on the new show Yearbook.
Blink
Referenced by Gladwell as the book that Talking to Strangers was written to complicate — Blink trusted first impressions, Talking to Strangers showed they're almost always wrong.
Blitzed
Dax recommends it in the fact-check in connection with the conversation about Germans inventing methamphetamine — notes he also recommended it to Peter Attia who loved it.
Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich
Dax recommends it to Larson, describing Hitler's physician's meticulous injection logs and Hitler's full-blown speedball addiction correlating with his wartime decisions.
Blitzscaling
Listed by Dax in his introduction of Hoffman as one of his previous books.
Born Together, Reared Apart
Nancy references it directly when discussing the history of twin studies and how developments led to the Minnesota study.
Bowling Alone
Haidt cites Putnam's work on social capital to explain why American trust in neighbors collapsed in the 1990s, enabling the moral panic about child abduction.
Broken Bay
Listed by Dax in his intro as one of Andrea's published novels.
Burn: New Research Blows the Lid Off How We Really Burn Calories
Pontzer's previous book; Dax notes they discussed it in a prior episode and Pontzer confirms the Hadza energy expenditure research ended up in it.
Chaos
Lemov references it as a book that investigates the theory that Charles Manson intersected with MKUltra and Louis Jolyon West.
Charlotte's Web
Referenced as an AI example — Sanjay uses it to illustrate how AI can summarize a book but would fabricate if asked to recite the first chapter verbatim; also the origin story of the Charlotte's Web CBD brand named after Charlotte Figi
Chasing My Cure
David's memoir about his diagnosis with Castleman disease, his near-death experiences, and his journey to finding his own treatment; Dax recommends it at the close of the interview.
Choosing the Right Pond
Toby references it when discussing how people can strategically choose which status hierarchy to enter — using the example of picking a social group where your particular skill (e.g., smoking weed) ranks highly.
Code Name Pale Horse: How I Went Undercover to Expose America's Nazis
Scott's own book, which is the primary reason for his appearance on the show; Dax references it throughout and urges listeners to buy it.
Confessions
Harden cites Augustine's Confessions as the model for her memoir-plus-ideas structure — if he could write a memoir as a serious book of ideas, so could she.
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
Dax compares Phil to this book in the cold open, saying Phil's story 'reminds me of that book' and calling Phil 'something of an economic hit man.'
Critique of Pure Reason
Sanjay paraphrases Kant's argument about false confidence bred from ignorance of the probabilistic nature of the world, during the conversation about medical humility
David and Goliath
Described by Gladwell as the antidote to Outliers — sometimes advantages don't look like advantages.
DBT for Dummies
Aguirre mentions it hit number one on Amazon for three days during COVID — not just in psychology, but number one overall.
Deep Medicine
Referenced in the introduction as one of Topol's previous books alongside The Patient Will See You Now.
Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes
The guest's own book, the direct subject of the interview; Dax praises it as 'very, very, very good' in the intro and Monica calls the topic enormously important.
Deliberately Divided
Nancy's book about the unethical 1960s twin separation study featured in the documentary Three Identical Strangers, came out in 2021.
Demon Copperhead
The primary subject of the episode — the book both Dax and Monica read independently and loved; Dax discovered it via Kevin Bacon's recommendation and listened to it on Audible without knowing who wrote it.
Descartes' Error
Pollan references Damasio's 1990s book demonstrating that people without feelings make worse decisions — feelings are not irrational noise but integral to good decision-making.
Destroy This House
Amanda's memoir about growing up with a hoarder mother and charismatic, financially chaotic father — the central subject of the entire interview.
Determined (referenced as Robert Sapolsky's book)
Dax references Sapolsky's book in the context of epigenetics and Lamarckian evolution — the idea that genes can be turned on and off by environment, cutting both ways more than previously thought.
Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will
Dax references it directly by name when the conversation turns to determinism, saying 'This is very Sapolsky Determined, that book' and then accurately summarizing its argument before pushing back.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
Kimmel's psychologist friend sent him a copy, and he crossed out 'substance' and inserted 'justice' to self-diagnose his addiction. Monica reads the 11 criteria aloud in the fact-check section.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Alison's son Kevin was reading it with her when Greg Heffley apologized to Rowley, which prompted Kevin to spontaneously apologize for breaking Alison's nose as a toddler.
Dollars and Cents
Listed in the episode introduction as one of Ariely's books.
Dopamine Nation
Dax mentions having read it when trying to pronounce 'dopaminergic' — notes it contains that word and he finds it the hardest word to say.
Elon Musk
Dax mentions listening to the audiobook at 2am during his sleepless night — set a one-hour sleep timer, it went off, and the book was 'too interesting' to sleep through.
Emergence: A Memoir of Boyhood, Computation, and the Mystery of Mind
David's memoir about growing up in group homes and becoming a neuroscientist — the primary reason for the interview, read and praised by both Dax and Monica.
Emily's new poetry book (title not specified)
Emily brings advance copies of her new book as a gift to Dax and Monica at the top of the episode; the full title is not named in the transcript.
Emily: The Cookbook
Emily mentions the cookbook copy was due the same summer the marriage fell apart, meaning she had to write their love story while the love story was ending.
Empire of Orgasm: Sex, Power, and the Downfall of a Wellness Cult
The guest's own book, the primary subject of the entire interview; Dax praises the pace of journalist-written books at the end of the episode.
Empire of Pain
Dax says he loved this book about the Sackler family and the opioid crisis — describes it as one of Patrick's 'several incredible books.'
Enlightenment Now
Mentioned by Dax in his introduction as 'a great one' and referenced throughout as the source of Pinker's long-arc progress arguments.
Entwined Lives
Listed by Monica in the intro as one of Nancy's books on twins.
Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution
The guest's own book; the entire interview is structured around its chapters, from the first mammal to menopause to perception differences to mating patterns
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
Desmond's Pulitzer Prize-winning previous book about eviction in Milwaukee, referenced multiple times as the work that preceded his question of why poverty exists.
Fever in the Heartland
Sharon names Timothy Egan as another favorite history writer and cites this book; she notes he also wrote a blurb for her book.
Fierce Attachment
Lemov explains that Facebook's 2014 emotional contagion experiment drew its definition of emotional contagion from this memoir about a traumatic mother-daughter relationship — it is built into the operational logic of the app.
Finding My Way
The guest's new memoir — the primary subject of the interview — covering her Oxford years, first love, PTSD diagnosis, and coming-of-age after becoming a global icon.
Fireproof: Memoir of a Chef
Curtis's new memoir, the primary reason for the interview — covers his entire life story from Ohio to Michelin stars.
First Day to Final Grade: A Graduate Student's Guide to Teaching
Lisa's first book, co-authored with her linguist friend Anne Curzan after a dinner party dare — came out in 1999 and is now in its third edition.
Freakonomics (20th Anniversary Edition)
Dubner's own book, being re-released November 11th with a new foreword and jacket; the conversation covers what he would or wouldn't change, including the Stetson Kennedy error
Free Range Kids
Haidt mentions that he and his wife used Skenazy's book to guide how they raised their children after meeting her socially in New York.
Friendship
Cas mentioned Lydia Denworth as her co-writer on Playful and noted that Denworth had previously been a guest on Armchair Expert, where she wrote Friendship.
From Habit to Ritual: Harness the Surprising Power of Everyday Actions
The guest's own book and the primary subject of the interview — Norton is promoting it and Dax references specific passages including Tabitha and her rabbit and the four lessons of relationship rituals.
Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee
Monica fact-checks the book Lewis mentioned during the interview — Lewis had referenced a New Yorker writer named Casey Cep who wrote about a minister in the South who bought life insurance policies on people and murdered them, using it as an analogy for credit default swaps.
Girl, Interrupted
Harden mentions it when describing McLean Hospital — the Angelina Jolie film adaptation was shot there, including in the real tunnels where her intern office was located.
God's Perfect Child: Living and Dying in the Christian Science Church
Fraser's earlier book on Christian Science, discussed at the opening of the interview in relation to her upbringing.
Going Infinite
Monica mentions she started reading it after this episode piqued her interest in Sam Bankman-Fried; she refers to Michael Lewis as 'the man who wrote the Big Short' and calls the subject 'Sam Beekman Friedman' before being corrected.
Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be
The guest's own book, the primary subject of the interview; Dax mentions the audio version is on Spotify Audiobooks and that Kristen posted about it on Instagram.
Good, Reasonable People: The Psychology Behind America's Dangerous Divide
The guest's new book and the primary subject of the interview — Dax says he hopes everyone reads it and calls it fantastic.
Grant
Dax mentions it as the other major book he's read from this historical period; briefly confused Chernow with another author mid-sentence.
Greenlights
Dax cites it as evidence that books still sell — calling it 'the most successful memoir in the last 20 years' at 3 million copies — to answer Charles's question about whether people still want to read books.
Guns, Germs, and Steel
Morris recommends it during a discussion of pre-Columbian civilizations and the history of Western anthropology's blind spots about non-Western societies.
Gödel, Escher, Bach
Morris mentions it as a formative book during his undergraduate years that drew him toward cognitive science and the intersection of physics, music, and mind.
Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis
Nowinski's 2006 book on concussions and the NFL cover-up, for which he paid $21,000 in libel insurance on a $4,000 advance because of what the NFL was doing — he hands a copy to Dax during the episode
Hidden Figures
Sharon uses it as an example of popular history — written for a broad general audience, accessible enough to make into a movie or read with a middle schooler.
Hillbilly Elegy
Referenced as the book Dax hated and railed against for months — calling it fraudulent and bootstrap mythology — which indirectly inspired Barbara's hunger to write 'the great Appalachian novel.'
Holland's Surprise
Charles mentions that Jim Lawler, the CIA recruiter whose story anchors the book's final chapter, now writes spy novels — and that readers can figure out where he was posted in Europe by reading this book.
Homelessness Is a Housing Problem
Desmond recommends this book to Dax after Dax shares his conclusion from his Skid Row ethnography that homelessness is primarily an addiction problem; the book's analysis shows housing cost is the key variable.
Homo Deus
Hoffman references it in passing while discussing whether we serve our experiential self or our narrative self — framing it as 'wonderful philosophical' content.
How to Be Single and Happy
Referenced by Dax in the introduction as one of Taitz's previous books.
How to Change Your Mind
Pollan's previous book on psychedelics, referenced repeatedly as the book that legitimized the conversation about psilocybin and influenced Monica to try mushrooms.
Humblebrag: The Art of False Modesty
Came up when discussing humble bragging research — Norton referenced it as a book collecting humble brags from Twitter, then Dax remembered the author's name (Harris Wittels) and noted he wrote on Parks and Recreation and passed away.
I Am Malala
Dax mentions he read it and loved it, cried reading it, calling it 'very important' — distinguishing it from the newer, lighter book they're there to discuss.
I Am the Cage
Monica recommends this debut novel by the wife of friend-of-the-pod Adam Grant; it's about a woman snowed into a house who has flashbacks to a traumatic leg-lengthening surgery, out February 18th.
I Contain Multitudes
Dax mentions he is listening to it in the fact check, describing it as mind-blowing — specifically the sections on microbiomes, cesarean births, and rats raised microbe-free.
I Hate Myself: Overcome Self-Loathing and Realize Why You're Wrong About You
The guest's own book, the primary subject of the episode — Dax mentions he already gave away his first copy and ordered two more for people he loves.
I'm Glad My Mom Died
Monica and Dax compare Amanda's story to McCurdy's memoir during the fact check, with Dax blanking on the title and Monica correcting him.
In Defense of Food
Referenced in Dax's introduction of Pollan as one of his major food books.
In the Garden of Beasts
Larson's book about Ambassador Dodd and his daughter Martha in Hitler's Berlin; discussed at length in the episode.
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts
Maté's previous addiction-focused book, referenced by Dax as something he'd heard about often; Maté describes it as beginning in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
Inside Mercedes F1: Life in the Fast Lane
Toto allowed journalist Matt Wyman to embed with the team and write about the operation — Dax recommends it as a great starter for anyone interested in how the team works, and Toto endorses it as an operational portrait rather than an ego story.
Intermezzo
Monica admits she still hasn't finished it despite it being a recurring commitment on the show; she and Dax were supposed to discuss a riddle from the book on this episode but pushed it to next week.
Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart
Doty's first book, a memoir incorporating neuroscience, meditation, and his own life story — became a New York Times bestseller in eight countries and inspired a BTS album.
It's Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People
The guest's most recent book, the primary subject of the interview — Dax references specific chapter titles including 'Death by a Thousand Cuts' and credits doing homework on it.
Jadut
A book about Indian fakirs that Blaine's friend opened one day in his magic library, showing a buried alive stunt — the direct inspiration for Blaine's first major endurance event.
Killers of the Flower Moon
Sharon mentions this as Grann's other major work; she also notes he wrote a blurb for the front cover of her book.
King of the Cold Readers
Blaine describes it as the fundamental book on cold reading and psychological suggestion, which he read and used to understand how to build mentalism effects — he notes it's now outdated given internet-enabled techniques.
Kitchen Confidential
Dax brings it up when discussing how Curtis's book reads — 'very Kitchen Confidential' — and both agree Bourdain was the first to not sugarcoat the drug/alcohol/promiscuous reality of professional kitchens.
Laid
Shan's first book, which she sent to Sue Johansson; it collected real sex stories told in full including 'the good parts' — the butterflies, the first nakedness, not just the clinical outcomes.
Let Them
Dax recommends Mel Robbins' book as the exact thing Malala's mother needs to read — tools for letting go of what other people think — and physically offers to send Malala home with a copy.
Letters to a Young Poet
Blaine references reading this when younger, citing Rilke's point that even in solitary confinement your mind can travel — used to explain how he managed boredom during the 44-day Above the Below stunt.
Liar's Poker
Came up because Calvey was working at Salomon Brothers when the book was published — he attended the all-staff meeting where management told everyone not to buy it, then everyone immediately went out and bought it.
Little Bosses Everywhere: How the Pyramid Scheme Shaped America
The guest's own book, the central reason for the interview; Dax recommends it to listeners at the end of the episode.
Lolita
Suleika read it at age 12, drawn in by the heart-shaped sunglasses on the vintage cover; it inspired her to write the 50-page novella about a 12-year-old Arab-American prostitute in Tangiers that got her sent to the school psychologist.
London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth
Patrick's newest book at the time of the interview — the central subject of the conversation, expanding his New Yorker article about Zach Brettler.
Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live
The guest's own book — the entire episode is essentially a deep dive into its contents and the decade of research behind it.
Losing the Light
Listed by Dax in his intro as one of Andrea's published novels.
Malala's Magic Pencil
Dax mentions his daughters have this children's book and that he has read it aloud to them — it was his primary knowledge of Malala's story before reading Finding My Way.
Malleus Maleficarum (Hammer of the Witches)
Harari uses this 15th century witch-hunting manual as the key example of how the printing press first spread conspiracy theories rather than science — it was the bestseller of early modern Europe
Man's Search for Meaning
Dax referenced it when connecting play-as-resistance to Holocaust survival literature, citing Esther Perel's point about eroticism allowing survivors to carry on.
Masters of Scale
Listed by Dax in his introduction of Hoffman as one of his previous books.
Mating in Captivity
Dax asked Orna if she was aware of the book by Esther Perel, whom they've interviewed multiple times, as a point of connection to the couples therapy world.
Mein Kampf
Referenced when Scott describes the skull of the goat Gar, which had Mein Kampf on one side and Siege on the other — physical props of the base members' ideology.
Mind Magic: The Neuroscience of Manifestation and How It Changes Everything
Doty's new book at the time of recording, which is the primary subject of the interview — Dax reads from and quotes it throughout.
Mindhunter
Matt Murphy references it as the book that introduced him to the FBI's work on serial killers — Douglas was the FBI agent who inspired Silence of the Lambs.
Miracle Mongers
Blaine cites this as the impetus for his entire Do Not Attempt series — Houdini's documentation of incredible performers around the world, including Mack Norton the human aquarium, inspired Blaine's search for similar people.
Misbelief: What Makes Rational People Believe Irrational Things
Ariely's new book at the time of the episode; the primary subject of the interview, covering conspiracy theories, the funnel of misbelief, and trust.
Missoula
Dax brings it up when arguing that sexual assault prosecution is nearly impossible and that degrees of the crime might help juries convict.
Modularity of Mind
Maureen mentions the book when explaining how thinking about brain function has shifted away from fixed modular models toward a better understanding of neuroplasticity.
Moral Economics: From Prostitution to Organ Sales, What Controversial Transactions Reveal About How Markets Work
The new book Roth is promoting, which serves as the entire intellectual framework for the episode's discussion of repugnant transactions.
Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can't Look Away
The guest's own book, the subject of the press tour that brought him to the studio, referenced throughout the episode as the source of multiple specific examples including Dahmer's self-description and the Plato passage.
Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers
The guest's new book, the primary subject of the interview — Fraser's investigation of serial killers in the Pacific Northwest and the lead poisoning hypothesis.
Nate Silver's new book on risk-taking
Dax mentions he's currently listening to it on Audible; it includes an argument that lotteries function as a tax on low-income people.
Never Enough
Harden's undergraduate mentor and lab boss wrote this memoir about her own cocaine addiction and recovery; Harden mentions it when explaining she didn't know about her mentor's history until after she'd left as a student.
Never Let Me Go
Dax reveals he bought this book at Barnes and Noble, went home, and discovered he had already bought it — and had read neither copy; he calls it his addict moment
Nexus
Dax notices Harari's book on the shelf during the conversation and references Harari's line that 'democracy is a conversation' and what happens when that conversation moves to Twitter.
Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI
The guest's new book and the primary subject of the interview; Dax introduces it as having 'a totally different angle on AI' he hadn't yet heard
No Bad Parts
Referenced as the foundational text of Internal Family Systems, which Becky describes as the biggest influence on her thinking; Dax does not name it as a book but Becky references it in the context of IFS theory.
Odyssey Moscow: One American's Journey from Russia to Prisoner of the State
Calvey's own memoir about his thirty years in Russia, his arrest, imprisonment, house arrest, cancer diagnosis, and eventual departure — promoted throughout the episode and recommended by Dax at the close.
Of Boys and Men
Haidt mentions Reeves told him that when sports betting is legalized in a state, bankruptcies among young men spike immediately.
Oh, the Places You'll Go
Dax mentioned reading it to his ten-year-old the night before and noticing how Seuss's drawings show someone playing with the line — not knowing where it's going.
On Killing
Dax references it as 'a great book on killing' when discussing how the military trained soldiers to overcome their resistance to firing weapons, connecting it to Coltan's threat simulation theory of dreaming.
On the Edge
Dax mentions Nate Silver's new book about gambling, risk-taking, and venture capitalists — then immediately blanks on the name of Sam Bankman-Fried, calling him 'Thomas Friedman' then 'Sam Altman Friedman' before the room corrects him.
Open
Andy calls it his favorite sports book of all time and Dax enthusiastically agrees he has to read it; they discuss Agassi's famous opening line about hating tennis.
Original Sin: On the Genetics of Vice, the Problem of Blame, and the Future of Forgiveness
The guest's new book, the primary subject of the interview; Dax brought the UK edition as a gift because it has a cooler cover.
Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century
Isaacson cites it as a parallel to his own Elon book — Packer's portrait of a difficult genius diplomat who was a pain in the ass but got the Dayton Accords done
Outliers
Referenced by Gladwell as one of the paired books — David and Goliath was written as its antidote, examining how advantages sometimes aren't advantages.
Outlive
Dax said he loved it because it cooperated his existing beliefs; Topol had also interviewed Attia on his own podcast and had specific criticisms — rapamycin, full-body MRI recommendations, and excessive protein targets.
Overcoming Love Addiction
Dr. Drew recommends it directly to both Monica and Jess, describing it as being about enmeshed or rejecting primary caretakers and the love avoidance/love addiction cycles that result.
Payoff
Listed in the episode introduction as one of Ariely's books.
Playful: How Play Shifts Our Thinking, Inspires Connection, and Sparks Creativity
The guest's own book, the primary reason for the appearance; Dax reads the full title aloud twice and says he sincerely hopes people check it out.
Poverty by America
The guest's newest book, the primary subject of the interview — argues that American poverty persists because of how the non-poor benefit from systems that extract wealth from the poor.
Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder
Fraser's Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, discussed as context for her body of work before pivoting to Murderland.
Predictably Irrational
Listed in the episode introduction as one of Ariely's bestselling books.
Raising Lazarus
Barbara mentions it as Beth Macy's follow-up to Dopesick, focused on treatment gaps and the lack of help for people in her region; Barbara calls Macy a friend.
Rational Ritual: Culture, Coordination, and Common Knowledge
Pinker credits UCLA political scientist Michael Chwe as writing a 'kind of predecessor' to his own book, citing Chwe's work on the Super Bowl and network-effect advertising.
Rationality
Mentioned by Dax in his introduction and referenced by Pinker when discussing his time in Berkeley and the Bayesian reasoning chapter relevant to COVID policy failures.
Recoding America
Desmond recommends this book to explain why government welfare programs are embroiled in red tape — not from nefarious intent but because bureaucratic reward structures incentivize butt-covering over delivery.
Reveal
Alison mentioned it as an upcoming book by her Harvard colleague Leslie John, about the spectrum from full opacity to full transparency in self-disclosure.
Revenge of the Tipping Point
Gladwell's new book and the reason for the appearance — a 25th anniversary companion to The Tipping Point covering super spreaders, social engineering, and how bad actors weaponize epidemic mechanics.
Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well
Amy's own book, the primary reason for the interview — Dax recommends it warmly at the close and notes its September 12th release date.
Rogues
Mentioned by Dax in his intro listing of Patrick's books — a collection of New Yorker essays about con artists and criminals.
Sapiens
Dax cites it to explain how shared religious belief allowed early humans to congregate in groups of thousands, enabling them to displace smaller but physically superior groups.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Referenced as a comparison point — Max's book is described as a mix between Sapiens and Behave.
Saved by the Light
Riz cited it as the source of his knowledge about the life review phenomenon in near-death experiences, where Brinkley experienced being shot by his own bullets from Vietnam from the victim's perspective.
Say Nothing
Patrick's National Book Critics Circle Award-winning book about the IRA and the Troubles, mentioned as the work that won a Peabody and was adapted into an FX series.
Says Who
Mentioned by Lisa as an upcoming book by her close friend and co-author Anne Curzan, a linguist — described as 'a fabulous book' coming out in March.
Scar Tissue
Dax recommends it to Matt after learning Matt's father appears in the book — his dad was one of the pioneers of rehab centers that Anthony Kiedis wrote about.
Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures
The foundational text of Christian Science, described by Fraser as 'possibly the most boring book ever written' and discussed as the text read aloud in Christian Science services.
Secure: The Revolutionary Guide to Creating a Secure Life
The guest's new book, the primary reason for the visit — addresses the follow-up question everyone asked after Attached: can I change my attachment style?
Self-Care for People with ADHD
Sasha's first book, mentioned in the intro and discussed during the episode — Dax notes it has over 100 tips formatted for an ADHD brain to read, with short page-long blips, and calls out the headstand tip as his favorite weird one.
Sex, God and the Brain: How Sexual Pleasure Gave Birth to Religion and a Whole Lot More
The guest's new book, which is the primary subject of the entire conversation.
Shards
Dax brings it up when discussing Joan Didion — he's currently reading it, describes it as juicy with 80s Hollywood rich-kid private school drama, and says Ellis was obsessed with Didion as a young writer.
She Regrets Nothing
Listed by Dax in his intro as one of Andrea's published novels.
Shiloh and Other Stories
Barbara's road-to-Damascus moment — someone gave her this collection of stories about working-class Kentucky people, and she finally understood that her own background was worthy of literature.
Siege
Scott describes it as the foundational text of accelerationist siege culture, warns listeners explicitly not to go buy it, and notes it has been largely outlawed.
Sociopath: A Memoir
Patric's own book, the reason for the interview — a memoir about living with diagnosed sociopathy, written both for sociopathic individuals seeking tools and for neurotypical readers seeking understanding.
Something from Nothing
Monica attended an Alison Roman book event the night before the episode, moderated by Kate Berlant, and recommends the book as a gift for Max.
Song of the Cell
Referenced as Mukherjee's newer book at the time; Dax notes Armchair Expert had already interviewed Mukherjee about it.
Source Code
Dax references learning the term Kaizen from Bill Gates' new book while discussing the NFL's annual competition committee tweaks.
Splendid and the Vile
Larson's Churchill book; mentioned because the pandemic cut his book tour in half and the downtime prompted him to start The Demon of Unrest.
Still Bobby
Bobbi Brown's new memoir, the primary reason for her appearance on the show; Dax references specific chapters and scenes from it throughout the interview.
Strange Angel
Dax mentions this book about Jack Parsons — JPL co-founder, occultist, Alistair Crowley associate — in the Pasadena tangent at the top of the episode.
Stress Resets: How to Soothe Your Body and Mind in Minutes
The guest's new book, the primary subject of the interview — Dax calls it 'a lot of bang for the buck' with something actionable on almost every page.
Suing for Peace
Kimmel's first book, mentioned as his initial spiritual approach to understanding his revenge addiction before he moved into neuroscience research.
Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives
Recommended by Cody's bibliotherapist in Brighton as part of his reading prescription; contains the story of waiting in purgatory until no one says your name on earth.
Super Agency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future
The guest's new book, the central subject of the interview — Dax promotes it explicitly at the episode's close.
Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity
The guest's new book, the primary subject of the interview — Dax had read it before the conversation and references specific passages, patients, and chapters throughout.
Super Communicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection
The guest's new book and the primary subject of the interview — Dax and Monica read it in preparation and reference specific examples including the Netflix case study, the Leroy Reed jury story, and Jim Lawler's CIA recruitment story.
Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies
Max references Bostrom's famous paperclip maximizer allegory to illustrate how a benign but misaligned AI could cause catastrophe without malicious intent.
Taking Back the Game
Dax plugs this book about what's wrong with youth sports, citing Flanagan's argument that athletic scholarships should be abolished because they distort sports all the way down to eleven-year-olds.
Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves
The guest's own book, the central subject of the entire interview — Dax read it in preparation and quotes from it multiple times throughout.
Talking to Strangers
Mentioned by Gladwell as the book that argues against Blink's trust in first impressions when it comes to strangers.
Team of Rivals
Sharon spots it on the shelf above Dax's head during the conversation about leaders who bring in ideological opponents rather than yes-men — his older daughter and Washington both cited as examples.
Teenage Beauty
Monica mentions it as an iconic book she received from her aunt in eighth grade, describing it as 'the pre-makeup video in book form.'
Tell Me Where It Hurts: The New Science of Pain and How to Heal
The guest's own book, the reason for her appearance; Dax says he has already sent it to two people with chronic pain and calls it one of the best episodes of the year.
Thank You for Smoking
Dax references it when asking if PR operatives have steakhouse dinners where they trade dark stories — 'like Thank You for Smoking, a book I know you read and loved.'
The Age of Diagnosis: How Our Obsession with Medical Labels is Making Us Sicker
O'Sullivan's new book, the primary subject of the interview, about overdiagnosis across physical and mental health conditions.
The Alienist
Larson cites it as the book that made him want to write historical nonfiction with a similar sense of immersion in the past — it's what led him toward Devil in the White City.
The Alliance
Listed by Dax in his introduction of Hoffman as one of his previous books.
The American Troops and the British Community
Dax resurfaces his long-running obsession with this pamphlet — the gas pedal/brake pedal theory about American GIs and English women during WWII — announcing armcherries found the actual book for him.
The Anxious Generation
Haidt's current book and the primary subject of the interview — Dax references it throughout, quotes statistics from it, and raises it as the book his mother-in-law has been sending him.
The Bean Trees
Barbara describes how the short story that became The Bean Trees was her breakthrough — writing in a Kentucky first-person voice for the first time, about a girl who just wants to not get pregnant and get out.
The Better Angels of Our Nature
Pinker references it when discussing declining war deaths and his earlier graphs on life expectancy and violence trends, noting his COVID-era data updates to those graphs.
The Big Short
Dax references the book — specifically the Vanity Fair article it was based on — to tell the story of the investor who attributed his social awkwardness to his glass eye until his son's autism diagnosis revealed the real explanation.
The Blank Slate
Listed in Pinker's introduction as one of his books.
The Body Keeps the Score
Dax cites statistics from it about the prevalence of child abuse and domestic violence; Monica fact-checks his numbers in the fact check section and reads the actual figures.
The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life
The guest's book being promoted — a journaling guide structured as a 100-day project with essays and prompts from 100 contributors including Gloria Steinem, George Saunders, Salman Rushdie, Elizabeth Gilbert, Lena Dunham, Ann Patchett, and John Green.
The Book of Murder: A Prosecutor's Journey Through Love and Death
Matt Murphy's own book, promoted throughout the episode, which profiles cases from his career and his personal journey — Dax calls it a great education on a DA's job.
The Broken Ladder
Dax recommends it when Ariely mentions income inequality and resilience; Dax describes it as being about how the mere perception of being poor has disastrous outcomes on health and educational achievement.
The Catcher in the Rye
Lewis cited Salinger to argue authors cannot take responsibility for what readers do with their books — Mark David Chapman had the book when he murdered John Lennon. Monica fact-checked and confirmed multiple assassins were connected to the book.
The Coddling of the American Mind
Haidt's previous book, referenced as the foundation for the anxious generation research — the subject of his first Armchair Expert appearance in 2018.
The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the 21st Century's Greatest Dilemma
Mustafa's own book, the primary reason for his appearance; Dax references its 10-step plan for containing AI risks and calls reading it an act of altruism
The Covenant of Water
Vivek recommended it as a recent bestselling fiction novel by Indian-American doctor-writer Abraham Verghese, noting that Oprah called it one of the best fiction books she had ever read.
The Crestwood Heights Report
Susan describes discovering this 600-page Canadian government study of Lorne's Forest Hill neighborhood — renamed Crestwood Heights — which she used as a key piece of research into his childhood world.
The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War
The guest's current book, the primary subject of the interview — covers the period leading up to the firing on Fort Sumter.
The Devil in the White City
Larson's breakthrough book about H.H. Holmes and the 1893 Chicago World's Fair; Dax says it sent him on an architecture boat tour and he still retells facts from it to his children.
The Double Helix
Markovits references it as a book he read as a kid about how DNA's structure was discovered — noting it partly involves credit being stolen from a woman.
The Emotional Lives of Teenagers
Lisa's most recent book and the primary subject of the episode. Dax encouraged listeners to read it, especially if they have or are about to have a teenager.
The Emperor of All Maladies
Dax brings it up as a comparison point for beautiful prose about a difficult subject; both Dax and Maté express admiration for Mukherjee, and Maté mentions meeting him at a dinner in New York.
The Fault in Our Stars
Suleika wrote the 'On Love' chapter of The Book of Alchemy around her relationship to this novel, which led her to cold-DM John Green on Instagram three days before the book was due — and he sent an essay back within hours.
The Fierce Urgency of Now
Desmond references this history of 1960s legislation to argue that major reform happened despite Congressional dysfunction because of massive social pressure from labor and civil rights movements.
The Fifth Risk
Lewis's book about the federal government — referenced as the predecessor to his new book Who is Government, born from Lewis getting the nuclear weapons briefings that Trump's transition team refused.
The Five Second Rule
Mel's earlier bestseller, discussed as the origin story of the 5-4-3-2-1 countdown technique discovered during her 2008 rock bottom.
The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces
The guest's own book, the subject of the entire episode — Dax describes it as a page-turning, well-written account and says it's a bestseller that deserves to be.
The Galveston Diet
Mentioned in Dax's intro as Mary Claire's other major book, though not discussed in depth during the conversation.
The Genain Quadruplets
Nancy references a book that came out in 1963 documenting the four identical quadruplets all born with schizophrenia in Michigan, studied at NIMH.
The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality
Harden's previous book, mentioned by Dax in the introduction and referenced during the discussion of the NBA player and polygenic height.
The Golden Notebook
Barbara cited Doris Lessing as a formative influence in her late teens and early 20s; The Golden Notebook is the fifth and most well-known novel in Lessing's Children of Violence series; Monica fact-checked that it was written in 1962.
The Good Life After the Age of Growth
Markovits mentions he is currently writing this book about how to live well after economic growth stops — Dax says 'We'll have you back when you're done.'
The Great Bridge
Referenced as one of McCullough's books Dax loved, alongside The Path Between the Seas, while sorting out which historian wrote which biography
The Great Crash 1929
Sorkin mentions having read this book in college and multiple times since, describing it as a well-done economics-focused account that inspired his desire to write a more character-driven version of the same period.
The Greatest Sentence Ever Written
The guest's current book, the subject of the interview — a close reading of 'We hold these truths to be self-evident' from the Declaration of Independence, timed to America's 250th anniversary
The Grief Cure: Looking for the End of Loss
Cody's debut book, the entire subject of the interview — his memoir-research hybrid exploring grief through personal loss and experimental treatments.
The Gutenberg Parenthesis
Haidt cites this book when describing the end of the 500-year print era around 2014 and the arrival of the first global cancellation.
The Hemings of Monticello
Isaacson recommends it when Dax says he needs to read something 'pro-Jefferson' — Gordon-Reed is described as an African-American historian at Harvard with a complex view of Jefferson
The High Five Habit
Listed in Dax and Monica's intro of Mel's bibliography.
The History of Money: A Story of Humanity
The guest's own book, the primary subject of the interview — a history of money as a technology from fire through Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, the Renaissance, and into crypto.
The Honest Truth About Dishonesty
Listed in the episode introduction as one of Ariely's books; particularly relevant given the data falsification controversy discussed later.
The Inner Level
Mentioned alongside The Spirit Level by Markovits as companion books on the effects of inequality on consciousness and social organization.
The Instability of Truth: Brainwashing, Mind Control, and Hyper Persuasion
The guest's new book and the primary subject of the entire interview; Dax calls it 'very tasty' and says he was blasting through it despite being a slow reader.
The Intimate Animal: The Science of Sex, Fidelity, and Why We Live and Die for Love
The guest's own book, the primary subject of the episode; Dax reads from it and uses its chapter structure to organize the conversation.
The Let Them Theory
Mel's most recent book and the primary subject of the interview; discussed at length including its origins, the daughter who co-authored it, and its record-breaking sales.
The Maltese Falcon
Larson calls it one of his all-time favorites, has read it ten times, and recommends reading it before watching the film.
The Man Who Couldn't Stop
Dax mentions reading this book about OCD — specifically a person afraid of getting HIV/AIDS — and how reading it caused him to develop the exact mental compulsion he was reading about, leading to a meltdown in a Target parking lot.
The Maniac
Dax recommends it to Fei-Fei as a John Von Neumann book told through perspectives of people in his life; Fei-Fei is also reading a different Von Neumann biography
The Meritocracy Trap
The primary subject of the episode — Dax read it after being inspired by a David Brooks article sent by his father-in-law, and Markovits is here to discuss it.
The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture
The guest's own book, the primary subject of the interview; Dax calls it beautifully written and compares it to The Emperor of All Maladies.
The Neurodiversity Edge: The Essential Guide to Embracing Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Other Neurological Differences for Any Organization
Maureen's own book, which she is promoting; Dax quotes from it directly and references its chapters on divergent bees, the three C's framework, and case studies of companies that embraced neurodiversity.
The New Menopause
Mary Claire's bestselling book that grew directly from her social media education project — followers kept asking her to put everything in one place rather than chase videos across Instagram.
The Omnivore's Dilemma
Referenced in Dax's introduction of Pollan as one of his major food books alongside In Defense of Food.
The Other America
Desmond references this landmark 1962 book as a historical precedent for shocking the middle class into awareness of poverty — and quotes Harrington's line that it's easier to be decently clothed in America than decently housed or fed or doctored.
The Path Between the Seas
Dubner mentions it as McCullough's Panama Canal book — 'the most boring and interesting books of all time'
The Patient Will See You Now
The book Topol was promoting when he appeared on Armchair Expert six years prior — mentioned in the intro as the reason for his first appearance.
The Poisonwood Bible
Mentioned by Dax when listing Barbara's bibliography; notable as the book that cemented her reputation and got her shortlisted for the Pulitzer before Demon Copperhead won it.
The Power of Habit
Duhigg's breakthrough 2012 bestseller is referenced by both Charles and Dax — Charles mentions the chapter on AA, which Dax immediately connects to his own experience.
The Power of Positive Thinking
Bridget cites it as a hugely popular 1950s bestseller that MLM culture absorbed; Peale later became Donald Trump's pastor in Manhattan.
The Principles of Scientific Management
Goldberg mentions it when discussing time and motion studies in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania — the book was influential even on Stalin, and it underpins the industrial engineering department Goldberg works in at Berkeley.
The Righteous Mind
Haidt references his own earlier book when discussing Emile Durkheim's view of religion as community-binding and the tribal roots of moral psychology.
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
Larson picked it up in a bookstore while looking for his next project and realized 50 pages in that Shirer was actually present in Berlin in 1933-34; this sparked In the Garden of Beasts.
The Science of Revenge: Understanding the World's Deadliest Addiction and How to Overcome It
The guest's new book, the primary subject of the entire episode — Dax says in the intro he has not been able to stop thinking about it and it is ruining his enjoyment of revenge movies.
The Second Coming: Sex and the Next Generation's Fight Over Its Future
Carter's own book, the primary subject of the interview — her reporting on Gen Z and the sex recession.
The Self-Compassion Workbook for OCD
Kimberly's own published book, described as a clinical workbook written for people who don't have access to treatment; she notes it reads more like a textbook and she's working on a sassier everyday version.
The Selfish Gene
Pinker references it as 'now 50 years old, almost, classic book' when explaining the evolutionary puzzle of altruism and the biological basis for cooperation.
The Sense of Style
Listed in Pinker's introduction as one of his books.
The Signal and the Noise
Nate's 2012 book, mentioned by Dax who admitted he hadn't read it; Dax said finding On the Edge was 'a fluke' and he went to Audible knowing what he wanted but stumbled onto Nate's newer book instead.
The Simulation Hypothesis
Riz's primary book, the subject of the entire conversation; a new updated edition incorporating AI developments was released this summer.
The Sleeping Beauties and Other Stories of Mystery Illness
O'Sullivan's third book, referenced by Dax, which contains the story of mass psychogenic illness in a Colombian school and the sleeping sickness in Kazakhstan.
The Small and the Mighty
Sharon's own book, the primary subject of her appearance — profiles of 12 unsung Americans who changed history without access to traditional levers of power.
The Snakehead
Listed by Dax in the intro alongside Patrick's other books — about a Chinese human smuggling operation.
The Spectrum of Ritual
Andrew describes this as the work of his late mentor Gene d'Aquili, who studied how animal and human rituals engage all the senses and how mating rituals underlie all ritual behavior.
The Spider and the Fly
Claudia's previous book — a true crime memoir about her five-year correspondence with a serial killer in Poughkeepsie who murdered eight women, intertwined with her own story of obsession.
The Spirit Level
Markovits references it as one of two books (along with The Inner Level) about how inequality itself harms individual lives and social organizations.
The Startup of You
Listed by Dax in his introduction of Hoffman as one of his previous books.
The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature
Pinker describes it as the earlier book that spawned the current one — it contained a chapter called 'Games People Play' on why we don't say what we mean, which eventually led to the common knowledge book.
The Tipping Point
Gladwell's first book, discussed extensively as the foundation that Revenge of the Tipping Point both revisits and complicates.
The Tipping Point (Revenge of the Tipping Point)
Dax references Gladwell's self-critical revisitation of his own book as a model Dubner might have followed — noting the Broken Windows chapter as a specific correction
The Top Five Regrets of the Dying
Maté references an Australian nurse who wrote about the regrets of dying people — the biggest being that they weren't themselves — which he also witnessed in his palliative care work. The book is not named directly but the Guardian article and its contents are described in detail.
The Trial of Fallen Angels
Listed as one of Kimmel's previous two books in Dax's introduction of the guest.
The Trouble with Testosterone
Listed in the intro credits as one of Sapolsky's books.
The Tyranny of Merit
Isaacson credits Sandel with the concept of 'skyboxification' and recommends the book to Dax for its critique of credentialed elitism
The Upside of Irrationality
Listed in the episode introduction as one of Ariely's books.
The Wager
Sharon names David Grann as one of her favorite history writers and cites this book as an example of his work in the popular history genre.
The Weirdest People in the World
Dax describes it as one of his favorite books and says Behave reminded him of it — specifically its point that 99% of research supposedly about humans is actually about college graduates.
The White Album
Dax mentions he is currently reading this after the fact-check discussion of whether Joan Didion ever wrote a sonnet.
The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI
The guest's own book, which Dax read after Ashton Kutcher recommended it at dinner; the entire interview is prompted by it
The Wright Brothers
Dax recommended it during the fact check when Monica mentioned the Wright Brothers' 1903 flight at Kitty Hawk.
The Year of Magical Thinking
Monica mentions it as Didion's most well-known or popular work when looking up her bibliography during the fact-check.
There, There
Desmond quotes a line from this novel — about kids jumping from burning buildings being blamed for jumping when we should focus on the fire — as the metaphor that crystallized his entire approach to Poverty by America.
They Called Us Exceptional and Other Lies That Raised Us
The guest's own book, the central subject of the interview — a memoir about the model minority myth, her family's immigration story, her brother Yush's death, and her estrangement from her mother.
Think Again
Dax and Becky riff on the idea of changing your mind and challenging previous positions; Dax says 'it's very Adam Grant of you' and Becky confirms Grant is a mutual friend, prompting Dax to name the book.
Think and Grow Rich
Bridget references it as the foundational self-help text that MLM founders latched onto — a book about literally meditating on money, described as 'the secret of its era.'
Thirst: Twelve Drinks That Changed My Life
Mentioned in the pre-roll ad for John Robins's How Do You Cope podcast on Wndri; not discussed in the main episode.
Thunderstruck
Larson's book about Marconi and murderer Hawley Harvey Crippen; came up when discussing Italian research trips with his eldest daughter.
Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern (Issue 74)
Amanda brings a physical copy of the McSweeney's quarterly — packaged as a lunchbox — as a gift for Dax, along with author trading cards.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
Monica calls it the best book she's read in the last ten years, read over Christmas, could not stop — she ranks it above all four Outliers-era Gladwell books.
Too Big to Fail
Sorkin's 2009 book about the 2008 financial crisis, which became an HBO film — referenced repeatedly as the predecessor to 1929 and as something Monica and Dax were both obsessed with.
Too Sensitive: Rejection, Resilience, and the Science of Feeling Deeply
Sasha's forthcoming book discussed at length — she explains it grew out of her father's death and her experience with rejection-sensitive dysphoria, structured with science, a self-assessment, 12 tools, and real-world trigger scenarios.
Tribal: How the Cultural Instincts That Divide Us Can Help Bring Us Together
The guest's own book, the primary subject of the episode — Dax describes it as reading like Gladwell pop fiction and praises it as 'very fun.'
Unattachment
Dr. Drew urges reading it in the context of his explanation of attachment theory and neurobiology, saying 'the trick of it has anchored in neurobiology because then you know it's real.'
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Discussed as a major plot point in The Demon of Unrest — its serialization and 300,000 copies in three months enraged the South and prompted terrible counter-novels including one by Edmund Ruffin.
Under Pressure
Lisa's second book, which Kristen Bell read and 'went bananas for' before reaching out to Lisa personally. Dax brought it up unprompted.
Under the Banner of Heaven
Dax lists it as the book he would buy for someone he was courting at Barnes and Noble — alongside Catcher in the Rye.
Unstoppable Us
Dax recommends it specifically for parents as a children's version of Sapiens, controversially calling it 'almost better than Sapiens' because it makes hard concepts easy
Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions of Adulthood
Lisa's first commercial book, which became a bestseller and still sells hundreds of copies a week — she described drafting it independently before being swept into publishing via a New York Times blog essay.
Venus and Mars in the Bedroom
Mary Claire confesses this was her only resource for female sexual dysfunction early in her career — she called it her Bible because medical school had given her zero lectures on sexual desire or female sexual dysfunction.
Vital Lies, Simple Truths
Amy cites it as one of the reasons she went to graduate school — an early Goleman book about how we cognitively close ourselves off from unwelcome truths, before he was famous for emotional intelligence.
War and Peace
Larson has read it three times and says each reading feels like living another life; recommends the Maude translation.
Wards of the State: The Long Shadow of American Foster Care
The primary reason for the interview — Claudia's new book about the foster care to prison pipeline, told through six main characters including Maryanne.
We Are Displaced
Listed by Monica in the intro as one of Malala's published books alongside I Am Malala and Malala's Magic Pencil.
We Came Here to Forget
Andrea's novel that first drew public attention to her sister Megan's Munchausen story; she started writing it while pregnant with her daughter Fiona and received a cease and desist from her sister's lawyer on its publication day.
What Is the What
Dax mentions he heard Amanda is a fan of the book, which leads to the introduction of McSweeney's and Amanda's relationship with Dave Eggers.
What the Buddha Taught
Dax mentions it in the fact check when people in the comments have been asking what book he's currently reading; he's reading it on his therapist's implicit recommendation to explore present-awareness and meditation.
When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows: Common Knowledge and the Missing Histories of Money, Power, and Everyday Life
The guest's new book and the primary subject of the entire interview — Dax says it 'reshaped a little bit of the way I think about some things.'
When the Going Was Good: An Editor's Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines
Monica brings it up in the fact-check, noting Carter — co-founder of Spy Magazine with Susan — has a memoir out and was recently interviewed by Monica Lewinsky at an event.
When We Cease to Understand the World
Dax recommends it to Fei-Fei with urgency — it covers historical physicists who became brilliant and then unhinged, including breakthrough math derived during a nine-day fever
White Noise
Referenced as a book Lorne optioned during his Hollywood hiatus — Noah Baumbach eventually made it into a film 40 years later.
Who Gets What and Why?
Roth's previous book on market design and matching markets, mentioned by both Dax in the intro and Roth himself as a more optimistic precursor to Moral Economics.
Who is Government: The Untold Story of Public Service
Lewis's new book — an anthology of pieces by six writers parachuting into the federal government to profile civil servants, timed to the election and described as very timely given DOGE.
Why We Remember: Unlocking Memory's Power to Hold On to What Matters
The guest's own book, the primary reason for the interview; Dax references specific examples and prescriptions from it throughout the conversation.
Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers
Referenced in the intro and immediately riffed on — Dax jokes he gave himself an ulcer prepping for the interview, Monica says 'because zebras have them?' and Dax confirms he is a zebra.
Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?
Monica gives Dax a signed first edition as a birthday present, wrapped in tissue paper from Niki Kehoe. They marvel at the $8.95 cover price and ask Rob to convert it to modern dollars.
Women Are the Fiercest Creatures
Listed by Dax in his intro as one of Andrea's published novels.
Zen Entrepreneurship
Riz mentioned it as his earlier book about leading a double life as a software entrepreneur by day and consciousness explorer by night during the dot-com era.
325 books from 103 episodes. Updated automatically as new episodes are synthesized.