Book · 2008 · Social Science
Closing of the American Mind
- mentions
- 9
- people
- 7
- podcasts
- 5
- episodes
- 8
- recommendation
- 1
Well i'll tip my hand by telling you that i was i went back and picked up alan bloom's book the closing of the american mind and i couldn't put it i couldn't put it down uh because i felt that i mean people can look this up i felt that this is mid 1980s when he's writing yeah uh.
Glenn Loury · EconTalk · Jul 2020 Listen at 41:06 What they say about it
- Discussing the book“the closing of the American mind”6
The best things said about it
There was a famous book at the time which has been huge headline news all through the country when it came out called The Closing of the American Mind.
Marc Andreessen a16z Podcast · May 2026 Allan bloom I'm sure you've read the closing of the American mind you know he is claimed is that professors lost faith in the idea of the University as a sort of separate space where you you simply thought about things you didn't get involved.
Where and when it comes up
Most mentions, by podcast
7 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
Closing of the American Mind by Allan Bloom is a prominent and enduring critique of higher education, moral relativism, and cultural shifts within American universities. Glenn Loury discussed the book on EconTalk, explaining that he revisited the mid-1980s text and found it impossible to put down due to its striking relevance to modern academic culture. Marc Andreessen mentioned the book on the a16z Podcast to illustrate historical debates surrounding moral relativism in higher education. Similarly, David Mamet referenced the work on The Joe Rogan Experience when examining contemporary youth culture and a diminishing interest in wisdom. Sam Harris, Stephen Blackwood, Douglas Murray, and Janice Fiamengo also brought up Bloom's text across various interviews on shows like The Rubin Report and The Rich Roll Podcast. These commentators cited the work to highlight long-standing institutional trends, demonstrating how pre-existing diagnoses of societal confusion and the shifting purpose of the university have persisted for decades.
Every mention
Glenn Loury well i'll tip my hand by telling you that i was i went back and picked up alan bloom's book the closing of… 1
“well i'll tip my hand by telling you that i was i went back and picked up alan bloom's book the closing of the american mind and i couldn't put it i couldn't put it down uh because i felt that i mean people can look this up i felt that this is mid 1980s when he's writing yeah uh”
Janice Fiamengo Allan bloom I'm sure you've read the closing of the American mind you know he is claimed is that professors… 2
“Allan bloom I'm sure you've read the closing of the American mind you know he is claimed is that professors lost faith in the idea of the University as a sort of separate space where you you simply thought about things you didn't get involved”
“Allan bloom I'm sure you've read the closing of the American mind you know he is claimed is that professors lost faith in the idea of the University as a separate space”
Stephen Blackwood then you can look at the closing of American mind Alan bloom in 1985 2
“then you can look at the closing of American mind Alan bloom in 1985”
“You can look at the most famous book in this regard, is Allan Bloom's "Closing of the American Mind", written in 1985. I mean, that's a long time ago.”
David Mamet and alan bloom talked about this the great allen bloom in 1988 he wrote a book called the i think it's call… 1
“and alan bloom talked about this the great allen bloom in 1988 he wrote a book called the i think it's called the death of the american mind”
Douglas Murray by now i mean you know alan bloomberg the closing of the american mind 1
“by now i mean you know alan bloomberg the closing of the american mind”
Marc Andreessen and there were these furious de there's a classic book of that era Peter's book is great but actually befor… 1
“and there were these furious de there's a classic book of that era Peter's book is great but actually before that there was a famous book at the time which has been huge headline news all through the country when it came out called the the closing of the American mind”
Sam Harris I was just reading the closing of the American mind which came out in 8 7 I think and so much of what alss… 1
“I was just reading the closing of the American mind which came out in 8 7 I think and so much of what alss US was was winged about in that book by Alan Bloom”