Worker and Parasite

Jerry Brito, Stan Tsirulnikov
  • 3.9 (10)
  • BOOKS
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY

Jerry and Stably engage in a fortnightly conversation about a book they have recently read.

  1. On the Suffering of the World by Arthur Schopenhauer

    JAN 27

    On the Suffering of the World by Arthur Schopenhauer

    In this episode, Jerry and Stably discussed Arthur Schopenhauer's On the Suffering of the World. Jerry praised the book as a great introduction to Schopenhauer's philosophy and its insights, particularly the concept of life as a balance between suffering and boredom, while Stan  found the text repetitive and at times impenetrable, disagreeing with the author’s premise. They also explored Schopenhauer’s core ideas, including the "Will" as an eternal, irrational force and the philosopher’s suggested solution of denying the Will through asceticism or art, and they further debated the ethics of procreation and the necessity of preserving consciousness. Stan  then selected "On Photography" by Susan Sontag as the next reading material for discussion.

    1h 26m
  2. The Return of the Common Good by Stefan Borg

    12/30/2025

    The Return of the Common Good by Stefan Borg

    In this episode, Jerry and Stably discussed Stefan Borg's book, The Return of the Common Good: The Post-Liberal Project Left and Right, with Stably finding it enjoyable but wanting more and Jerry viewing it as a concise outline confirming prior beliefs, while both criticized its dense, academic style. A major talking point was the assertion that post-liberals offer a "fantastic critique" of liberalism's self-undermining nature but are "incredibly light on prescription," with participants exploring alternative post-liberal approaches like Michael Lind’s and the intellectual genealogy rooted in "radical orthodoxy." The conversation covered various facets of the post-liberal critique, including its US and UK contexts, its distinction from National Conservatism (NatCon), its theoretical core identifying liberalism as an ideology rooted in fear and violence, and its analysis of liberalism's internal contradictions, which erode social trust and necessitate state enforcement of radical individual freedom, alongside a critique of post-liberal feminism.

    1h 15m
  3. The Human Stain by Philip Roth

    12/08/2025

    The Human Stain by Philip Roth

    In this episode, Jerry and Stably discuss Philip Roth's The Human Stain, focusing on the character Coleman Silk, a disgraced college professor whose downfall began after a misconstrued comment with a big secret. They analyzed the book's themes of radical individualism, societal judgment, and the complexities of Silk's relationships.

    1h 4m
  4. Days of Rage by Bryan Burrough

    11/06/2025

    Days of Rage by Bryan Burrough

    In this episode, Jerry and Stably discuss Bryan Burrough's book, Days of Rage: America's Radical Underground, the FBI, and the Forgotten Age of Revolutionary Violence, focusing on the complexity, motivations, and incompetence of 1970s radical groups like the Weather Underground, BLA, SLA, and FALN.

    1h 37m
  5. The Invention of Good and Evil by Hanno Sauer

    10/15/2025

    The Invention of Good and Evil by Hanno Sauer

    In this episode, Jerry and Stably discuss Hanno Sauer's book, "The Invention of Good and Evil: A World History of Morality." The discussion highlighted the book's exploration of cooperation in early hominid evolution, the emergence of punishment, the impact of agriculture and "big gods," and the influence of the Catholic Church on Western individualism.

    1h 38m
  6. Total Defense by Andrew Preston

    09/18/2025

    Total Defense by Andrew Preston

    In this episode, Jerry and Stably discuss Andrew Preston's book, "Total Defense, the New Deal, and the Invention of National Security," which explored the evolution of "national security" from territorial defense to an ideological concept linked with the New Deal and global interventionism.

    1h 18m
  7. The Dorito Effect by Mark Schatzker

    08/14/2025

    The Dorito Effect by Mark Schatzker

    In this episode, Jerry and Stably discuss two books by Mark Schatzker, "The Dorito Effect" and "The End of Craving," exploring how artificial flavors and government mandates have altered food, affecting satiety and nutritional wisdom. They also talked about the challenges of engineering natural flavors, the critiques of lab-grown meats, and the accessibility and cost of quality food.

    1h 21m
  8. Why Nothing Works by Marc J. Dunkelman

    07/17/2025

    Why Nothing Works by Marc J. Dunkelman

    In this episode, Jerry and Stably discuss Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress and How to Bring It Back by Mark J. Dunkelman. The conversation centers on Dunkelman’s core thesis that modern progressivism has become paralyzed by internal contradictions between its Jeffersonian impulse to decentralize power and its Hamiltonian desire to empower experts and centralized institutions. This unresolved tension has led to procedural gridlock and institutional ineffectiveness, which in turn fuels public distrust and reactionary populism. The hosts compare Dunkelman’s analysis to Mancur Olson’s and public choice theory, noting that while Dunkelman emphasizes process over interest groups, he largely overlooks incentive structures. Both Jerry and Stably appreciate the book’s historical scope and clear narrative but critique its lack of engagement with deeper structural limits and its vague, ultimately inadequate prescriptions for reform. They agree that Dunkelman’s call to “restore balance” is insufficient without grappling with constraints inherent in democratic governance.

    45 min
See All (102)

3.9
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Jerry and Stably engage in a fortnightly conversation about a book they have recently read.

Information

  • Creator
    Jerry Brito, Stan Tsirulnikov
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    102
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2021
  • Show Website
    Worker and Parasite

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