If Books Could Kill
By Michael Hobbes & Peter Shamshiri
The airport bestsellers that captured our hearts and ruined our minds
Latest episode
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Of Boys And Men
Who's to blame for the crisis of American masculinity? On the right, politicians tell men that they being oppressed by feminists and must reassert their manhood by supporting an authoritarian regime. And on the left, users of social media are often v… -
You Are A Badass
Peter and Michael dissect Jen Sincero's "You are a Badass," a book that answers the question: What if "The Secret" was written in the painful, try-hard style of "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck"? Featuring a surprise digression about Sincero's ot… -
What's The Matter With Kansas?
In 2004, historian Thomas Frank proposed a theory about the rightward drift of the white working class. Was he a prescient king whose work presaged the rise of Trump — or a bumbling fool with a broken thesis? Unfortunately it turns out he is a secre… -
Sam Harris's "The End of Faith"
Peter and Michael discuss the book that launched the phenomenon of New Atheism and asked the question: What if we hated Muslims, but in a secular way?Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Views of … -
Who Moved My Cheese?
What should workers do when they get laid off? In 1998 a bleak, asinine bestseller told them to find another whey. Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking Is Unde… -
UNLOCKED: Eric Adams
New York’s favorite criminal is in the news, so here is our episode about his ridiculous life.To hear all of our bonus episodes, support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod -
Glenn Kessler Retire B*tch [TEASER]
Is fact-checking a legitimate enterprise? Is America's most famous fact-checker nothing more than a dweeb? Michael and Peter discuss.To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod -
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
A memoir about parenting very badly and then getting weirdly defensive when anyone asks you about it.Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Effects of Authoritative Parental Control on Child Behavio… -
The Anxious Generation
Is social media to blame for the teen mental health crisis? It's complicated!Thanks to Emily Weinstein, Amy Orben, Andrew Przybylski, Dean Burnett, Michael Mullarkey and Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz for help researching and fact-checking this episode! Wher… -
Breaking News Re-Release: "Hillbilly Elegy"
To celebrate ("celebrate") Donald Trump choosing JD Vance as his running mate we are re-releasing our "Hillbilly Elegy" episode. Enjoy!
