48 episodes

The airport bestsellers that captured our hearts and ruined our minds

If Books Could Kill IBCK Premium

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.6 • 6.5K Ratings

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The airport bestsellers that captured our hearts and ruined our minds

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    Pundit Portraits: Kathleen Parker and Chris Cillizza [TEASER]

    Pundit Portraits: Kathleen Parker and Chris Cillizza [TEASER]

    To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon:
    https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

    • 29 min
    Pundit Portraits: Kathleen Parker and Chris Cillizza

    Pundit Portraits: Kathleen Parker and Chris Cillizza

    This episode is the first in an ongoing series wherein Peter and Michael explore the brains of America's pundits. We start with Kathleen Parker, the platonic ideal of a rich white lady, and Chris Cillizza, a pioneer in talking about politics without saying anything.

    The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

    The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

    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: 
    TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:
    The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck (Blog Post)Where A is Ordinary: The Evolution of American College and University Grading, 1940-2009We’ve Been Handing Out Participation Trophies for 100 Years
    Positive Disintegration‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a #@%!’ Review: A Blunt Philosophy Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

    • 45 min
    The 48 Laws of Power

    The 48 Laws of Power

    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:
    https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

    Where to find us: 
    TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:
    Rebecca Solnit’s “A Paradise Built in Hell”Kelly Link's "White Cat, Black Dog"The Half-Century in B******t: On Peter Bogdanovich’s “Paper Moon” and Robert Greene’s “The 48 Laws of Power”A Book of Anecdotes, 1957
    The Little Brown Book Of AnecdotesFear Nothing: Self-Fashioning and Social Mobility in 50 Cent’s The 50th LawThe fear of conflict leads people to systematically avoid potentially valuable zero-sum situationsThe Immigration DilemmaYou Can Win But I Can't LoseIf you rise, I fall: Equality is prevented by the misperception that it harms advantaged groupsZero-Sum Thinking and the Roots of U.S. Political DividesA Genesis of Conflict: The Zero-Sum MindsetForbes Winslow’s Physic and PhysiciansThe role of masculinity in men's help-seeking for depression: A systematic review The Strange, Sad Story of Joe Orton, His Lover, and 72 Stolen Library Books A Failure Of InitiativeNew Orleans reaches settlements for police shootings after Hurricane KatrinaPost-Katrina, White Vigilantes Shot African-Americans With Impunity Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

    • 1 hr 5 min
    The "Organized Retail Crime" Panic [TEASER]

    The "Organized Retail Crime" Panic [TEASER]

    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:
    https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod

    • 31 min
    The "Organized Retail Crime" Panic

    The "Organized Retail Crime" Panic

    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.

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
6.5K Ratings

6.5K Ratings

ucpete ,

Think Again

Really loving the podcast, which has helped me realize I hate Malcolm Gladwell - thanks for that! One recent read that I found just so pompous and trivial in its conclusions was “Think Again” by Adam Grant. Peak pseudo-intellectualism - would love to hear you tear it to shreds some day.

NPFish ,

Great podcast

Can you include an episode that instructs us how to read more critically? I would love some insight on how to develop a more critical reading process.

praxis78 ,

Love it

So witty and unself-conscious. Id love to hear you guys break down Guns Germs and Steel.

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