If Books Could Kill

By Michael Hobbes & Peter Shamshiri

Society & Culture Arts

What's If Books Could Kill about?

The airport bestsellers that captured our hearts and ruined our minds

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If Books Could Kill episodes:

05.02.2024
"Going Infinite": Michael Lewis Takes On Sam Bankman-Fried
Peter and Michael discuss Michael Lewis’s bestselling book about the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, a young prodigy whose only flaw was that he dreamed too big. Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Michael Lewis Is...
04.11.2024
"The Better Angels of Our Nature" Part 2: Campus Lies, I.Q. Rise & Epstein Ties
2 Better 2 Angels Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Jeffrey Epstein’s Science of SleazePinker’s response to Epstein allegationsHow Jeffrey Epstein Captivated HarvardJeffrey Epstein Hoped to Seed Human Race With His DNAIt’s Official —...
03.28.2024
Who's Afraid of Naomi Wolf? [TEASER]
We're finally discussing a good book! Naomi Klein's "Doppelgänger" chronicles the long, steady descent of another Naomi — Wolf (buddy oof) — from feminist icon to crank conspiracist. To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
03.14.2024
Lean In
In 2013, Sheryl Sandberg became an icon for women who wanted to move from middle management at a tech company into upper management at a tech company. Today, Peter and Michael examine the contents of her bestselling book, survey the...
02.22.2024
"The Better Angels of Our Nature" Part 1: You're Not Wrong Pinker, You're Just An *sshole
This week we're tackling Steven Pinker's 900 page dissection of the reasons why violence, torture and war have declined over the last 10,000 years. Was it an indeterminate mixture of politics, economics, technology and serendipity? Or did some European guys...
01.11.2024
The Art of the Deal
Before Donald Trump became America's most prominent politician and birth certificate inspector, he spent his days making everyone in New York City slightly uncomfortable. Michael and Peter discuss "The Art of the Deal," Trump’s 1987 bestseller chronicling his exploits as...
12.21.2023
The Worst Takes of 2023 [TEASER]
To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
12.14.2023
The Identity Trap
"There are two kinds of political scientists: The types who deal with noisy data and post on Twitter with a bunch of caveats. And then there are the types who write books about identity politics." Where to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast,...
11.28.2023
Pundit Portraits: Kathleen Parker and Chris Cillizza [TEASER]
To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
11.21.2023
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...
11.02.2023
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...
10.26.2023
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...
10.19.2023
San Fransicko
This week we're tackling "San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities," a book that dares to ask: What if everything that experts think about homelessness is wrong, and everything that one crank on Twitter thinks about homelessness is right? Thanks to Ned...
09.21.2023
The 4-Hour Workweek
Have you ever wanted to escape the grind and follow your dreams? This week we're discussing "The 4-Hour Workweek," which reveals that all you need is a plan, a willingness to take risks and a modestly sized fraud operation built...
09.14.2023
The Clinton E-Mail Scandal [TEASER]
But her e-mails! Michael explains the non-scandal that captivated the mainstream media in 2016 while Peter attempts to sow the podcast with anti-Hillary sentiment. To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
09.07.2023
God And Man At Yale
Oops all grievance. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:No Ivory Tower : Mccarthyism And The UniversitiesThe Fire Is Upon UsThe Conservative Intellectual Movement in America Since 1945The Passion of William F. Buckley:...
08.10.2023
'On Bullsh*t' and the Pundit Industrial Complex [TEASER]
For this month's bonus episode we dissected Harry Frankfurt's gloriously brief bestseller and applied the concept to our favorite op-ed page. To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
07.27.2023
Liberal Fascism
Who poses the greatest threat to democracy? Is it the movement that openly identifies with the symbols, goals and policies of fascist governments? Or is it the median bureaucrat at the Department of Health and Human Services? In 2008, a...
07.13.2023
Are The Straights OK [TEASER]
In our "Rules" and "Game" episodes we didn't get a chance to dissect the phenomenon of online dating (i.e. describe our worst dates and read cringe profiles out loud to each other), so that is what we are doing on...
07.06.2023
BONUS: Conservatives vs. Pride Month
Lots of subscribers asked us to release last month's bonus episode in full so here it is! Share it with the conservatives, the boomers and the Satanists in your life. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast,...
06.29.2023
The Rules
In 1995 a bestselling book proposed a simple dating strategy for women: Lose weight, wear bright colors and become a completely different person for the rest of your life. Thanks to Moira Donegan for helping us with this episode! Support us...
06.15.2023
Atomic Habits
This week we're discussing "Atomic Habits," a book about how to use science (and also some stuff that’s definitely not science) to train yourself to be a more functional person. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast,...
06.12.2023
Conservatives vs. Pride Month [TEASER]
To celebrate Pride Month we recorded the most depressing bonus episode we've ever done. To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
06.01.2023
The World is Flat
Much has been said about globalization, but perhaps no one has said it worse than Thomas Friedman. Content Note: Discussions of xenophobic and racist content, especially toward the end of the episode. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast,...
05.19.2023
"Nudge" Part 2: Mr. Nudge Goes to Washington
The Nudgening. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:David Gal's "Behavioral Winter"The i-frame and the s-frame: How focusing on individual-level solutions has led behavioral public policy astrayWhy Is Behavioral Economics So Popular?Applying Behavioral...
05.15.2023
The Meme Stock Cult [TEASER]
In 2021, scrappy young investors from across the world joined forces to buy GameStop stock, aiming to take down greedy hedge funds. What came next was tragedy, injustice, and a conspiratorial internet cult so stupid we had to do an...
05.04.2023
"Nudge" Part 1: A Simple Solution For Littering, Organ Donations and Climate Change
In 2008, an economist and a law professor proposed a radical new approach to politics: Telling people not to do bad stuff. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Mike's Maintenance Phase episode on...
04.20.2023
The 5 Love Languages
What’s your love language? Is it gifts? Words of affirmation? Or is it podcasts about books with extremely weird, reactionary gender dynamics? Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Can Gary Chapman Save Your...
04.13.2023
Ben Shapiro's Plan To End Poverty [TEASER]
Is it bootstraps? It's bootstraps. To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
04.06.2023
Rich Dad Poor Dad
In 1997, Robert Kiyosaki revealed the secret to lifelong success: Deliver grifty seminars and hire child slaves. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Pound Foolish: Exposing the Dark Side of the Personal Finance...
03.30.2023
The Dumbest Campus Controversies Of The Last Decade [TEASER]
Get in loser, we're going to Oberlin. To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
03.23.2023
Hillbilly Elegy
In 2016, J.D. Vance informally launched his political career with "Hillbilly Elegy," a memoir that blames the relative poverty of Appalachian and Rust Belt populations on their own culture. Despite its reactionary premise, mainstream and liberal press outlets were so...
03.09.2023
The Coddling Of The American Mind
TRIGGER WARNING: if you're a SNOWFLAKE college professor afraid of how your students are expressing themselves, you might need a SAFE SPACE, because Michael and Peter are discussing "The Coddling of The American Mind," a book about campus culture that's...
02.28.2023
The New York Times's War On Trans Kids [TEASER]
The nation's most prestigious newspaper insists on asking a very stupid question. So for this month's bonus episode, we decided to answer it. To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod As we mentioned at the...
02.23.2023
The Clash of Civilizations
"If your thesis doesn't hold up to obvious criticisms, there's a chance that your thesis sucks." Thanks to Paul Musgrave and Alex Cruikshanks for helping us fact-check this episode! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other...
02.09.2023
The End of History
Francis Fukuyama's "The End of History and the Last Man" changed political discourse forever. Peter and Michael peel back his muddled history and fluffy rhetoric, revealing several more layers of muddled history and fluffy rhetoric. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where...
01.31.2023
The Lab Leak [TEASER]
In December 2019, the coronavirus pandemic began in Wuhan, China. In May 2021, America experienced one of the most cursed weeks of punditry we've ever seen. This is a condensed version of the full episode. To hear the rest go...
01.26.2023
Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus
In 1992 a yoga instructor with a distance-learning PhD had the courage to ask: "Are women not getting help around the house because they're using the wrong modal verb?" Support us on Patreon Where to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's...
01.12.2023
The Secret
Rhonda Byrne's "The Secret" sold millions of copies based on a simple premise: All of science is fake and the only reason anything ever happens is because people manifest it by communicating with the universe. Support us on Patreon Where...
12.15.2022
The Population Bomb
How a Stanford lepidopterist convinced the world to fear the breeding habits of the poor. Again. Support us on Patreon Where to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Sonia Shah’s “The Next Great Migration” Barbarian Hordes: The overpopulation...
12.08.2022
A Bari Special Bonus Episode [TEASER]
Our first premium episode is a deep dive into the blog of the infamously (and dubiously) "canceled" Bari Weiss. To hear the full episode, subscribe on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod More free episodes are on their way!
12.01.2022
The Game
Neil Strauss's "The Game" aimed to teach any man how to hook up with beautiful women. All he needed was a little bit of sociopathy, a lot of misogyny and a fanny pack full of props. Support us on Patreon Where...
11.17.2022
David Brooks's "Bobos in Paradise"
David Brooks became liberals' famous conservative by telling them what they wanted to hear. But ... why did they want to hear something that was lazy and wrong? Support us on Patreon Where to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance...
11.10.2022
Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers"
In "Outliers," Malcolm Gladwell posited that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert in something. Mike and Peter prove him wrong by mastering his dumb book over the span of about 50 minutes. Support us on Patreon Links:Malcolm...
11.02.2022
Freakonomics
In 2005, two men named Steven and Stephen published the quintessential airport book. In 2022, two men named Mike and Peter started a whole podcast just to make fun of it. Thanks to Ted Joyce and Ames Grawert for helping...

What's If Books Could Kill about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

If Books Could Kill episodes:

"Going Infinite": Michael Lewis Takes On Sam Bankman-Fried

"The Better Angels of Our Nature" Part 2: Campus Lies, I.Q. Rise & Epstein Ties

Who's Afraid of Naomi Wolf? [TEASER]

Lean In

"The Better Angels of Our Nature" Part 1: You're Not Wrong Pinker, You're Just An *sshole

The Art of the Deal

The Worst Takes of 2023 [TEASER]

The Identity Trap

Pundit Portraits: Kathleen Parker and Chris Cillizza [TEASER]

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

The 48 Laws of Power

The "Organized Retail Crime" Panic [TEASER]

San Fransicko

The 4-Hour Workweek

The Clinton E-Mail Scandal [TEASER]

God And Man At Yale

'On Bullsh*t' and the Pundit Industrial Complex [TEASER]

Liberal Fascism

Are The Straights OK [TEASER]

BONUS: Conservatives vs. Pride Month

The Rules

Atomic Habits

Conservatives vs. Pride Month [TEASER]

The World is Flat

"Nudge" Part 2: Mr. Nudge Goes to Washington

The Meme Stock Cult [TEASER]

"Nudge" Part 1: A Simple Solution For Littering, Organ Donations and Climate Change

The 5 Love Languages

Ben Shapiro's Plan To End Poverty [TEASER]

Rich Dad Poor Dad

The Dumbest Campus Controversies Of The Last Decade [TEASER]

Hillbilly Elegy

The Coddling Of The American Mind

The New York Times's War On Trans Kids [TEASER]

The Clash of Civilizations

The End of History

The Lab Leak [TEASER]

Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus

The Secret

The Population Bomb

A Bari Special Bonus Episode [TEASER]

The Game

David Brooks's "Bobos in Paradise"

Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers"

Freakonomics

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