Book · 1994 · Fiction
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey has been mentioned in 23 episodes across 12 podcasts (1 episode recommends it and 22 episodes discuss it), through . Most frequently brought up by Timothy Denevi (1 episode), Joe Rogan (2 episodes) and Lex Fridman (2 episodes) on The Joe Rogan Experience (6 episodes), Lex Fridman Podcast (5 episodes) and How I Write (2 episodes).
#97 of 17,131 books, ranked by how many different people bring it up on podcasts
- episodes
- 23
- podcasts
- 12
- people
- 22
- episode recommends it
- 1
Randle P. McMurphy, Jack Nicholson's character from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, is considered philosophically ironic by being a sane person in a mental hospital.
Questions about One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
Who recommends One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey on podcasts?
Timothy Denevi (1 episode) has recommended One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey on podcasts. In all, 22 people brought it up across 12 podcasts (1 person recommended it).
Which podcasts mention One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest the most?
The Joe Rogan Experience (6 episodes), Lex Fridman Podcast (5 episodes), How I Write (2 episodes), The Rubin Report (2 episodes) and All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg (1 episode), among 12 podcasts in all.
Is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest recommended, or only discussed?
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey was recommended in 1 episode, discussed without a recommendation in 21 episodes, and critiqued in 1 episode, as of 2026-10-15.
What do people say about One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?
Josh Clark on Stuff You Should Know (2026-08-18): "Randle P. McMurphy, Jack Nicholson's character from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, is considered philosophically ironic by being a sane person in a mental hospital."
When was One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest last mentioned on a podcast?
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey was last discussed on The Joe Rogan Experience by Cody Tucker on 2026-10-15.
What they say about it
- Written under LSD influence“under the influence of lsd”3
- Book versus movie differences“completely different from the movie”3
- Read in high school“read it when I was in high school”2
The best things said about it
And of course in the popular mind I think the, probably the most famous, instance of telling the public about some of these interventions was the film of Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest where you see Jack Nicholson giving I think the performance of a lifetime who is given ECT, electroconvulsive therapy.
So then it spilled out, obviously, because one of the guinea pigs was Ken Kesey. He received 75 US dollars for taking LSD for the CIA, and he was working in Menlo Park in a psychiatric ward. And on LSD, he basically had the idea to write One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
It was driven in part by the kinds of concerns that were brought to light by movies such as One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest which really was quite a genius movie and a great novel and written by a psychiatric orderly.
Jordan Peterson The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast · Mar 2024 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Girl, Interrupted, favorite films, love them.
I think I must have read it when I was in high school and just didn't pay attention it's completely different from the movie like 100 different.
Joe Rogan The Joe Rogan Experience · Jun 2023 Where and when it comes up
How it comes up
22 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
Ken Kesey's classic novel "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" portrays institutional life and psychiatric practices through the experiences of patients in a mental asylum. Cody Tucker and Michael Douglas discussed the book on The Joe Rogan Experience, detailing how Michael's father acquired the rights to adapt the novel into a play and film. Andrew Scull referenced the novel on the Lex Fridman Podcast to discuss public perceptions of electroconvulsive therapy and how the text realistically depicts the harsh conditions and staff behavior in mental hospitals. Josh Clark mentioned the book on Stuff You Should Know as a prime example of philosophical irony, highlighting the character of Randle P. McMurphy as a sane person trapped in a psychiatric facility. Steven Pressfield referenced the novel and its film adaptation on How I Write to exemplify a powerful turning point and character transformation. Additionally, Norman Ohler talked about the book on the Lex Fridman Podcast in connection to Ken Kesey's involvement as a participant in early government drug trials that ultimately inspired him to write the novel.
Every mention
Timothy Denevi he had moved up to la honda on the success of his first book um one flew over the cuckoo's nest and had jus… 1
Recommended
“he had moved up to la honda on the success of his first book um one flew over the cuckoo's nest and had just written another beautiful book”
Joe Rogan Okay, I I think I must have read it when I was in high school and just didn't pay attention it's completely… 2
Discussed
“Okay, I I think I must have read it when I was in high school and just didn't pay attention it's completely different from the movie like 100 different or maybe I never read it King keezy”
Discussed
“I I think I must have read it when I was in high school and just didn't pay attention it's completely different from the movie like 100 different or maybe I never read it King keezy he would he was like can you wrote it”
Discussed
“like who wrote One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest”
Lex Fridman what do you make of the idea of somebody like ken kizi who wrote one flew over the cuckoo's nest in part un… 2
Discussed
“what do you make of the idea of somebody like ken kizi who wrote one flew over the cuckoo's nest in part under the influence of lsd”
Discussed
“you've talked about that you first began to reconsider the negative health myths around psychedelics when you learned that the book one flew over the cuckoo's nest was written by ken gizzy when he was in part under the influence of lsd”
Andrew Huberman and he was actually at the va near stanford that's where he eventually in menlo park he wrote one flew over… 1
Discussed
“and he was actually at the va near stanford that's where he eventually in menlo park he wrote one flew over the cuckoo's nest”
Andrew Scull So One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the poverty of the environment, room that the patients were in, I think… 1
Discussed
“And of course in the popular mind I think the, probably the most famous, instance of telling the public about some of these interventions was the film of Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest where you see Jack Nicholson giving I think the performance of a lifetime who is given ECT, electroconvulsive therapy,”
Discussed
“So One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the poverty of the environment, room that the patients were in, I think fairly successfully recreates that way in which staff very often put patients down”
Ben Bowlin it makes me think of the kind of criteria that allows you know like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest or some… 1
Discussed
“it makes me think of the kind of criteria that allows you know like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest or something you know we're like a problematic societal individual who's more of a counterculture type cat gets you know pegged as a mental health risk and then gets lobotomized you know what I mean that's obviously you know very”
Ben Shapiro mental illness was basically one flu Over the Cuckoo's Nest nobody was seriously crazy 1
Discussed
“mental illness was basically one flu Over the Cuckoo's Nest nobody was seriously crazy”
Benny Johnson in the 1970s uh our Boomer parents went and saw One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and started crying tears fo… 1
Critiqued
“in the 1970s uh our Boomer parents went and saw One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and started crying tears for Jack Nicholson in that fake movie and sided with Jack Nicholson instead of nurse ratchet who's the hero of the movie”
Cody Tucker He he was trying to act and what was going on was that his father had acquired the rights to the book. Yeah… 1
Discussed
“He he was trying to act and what was going on was that his father had acquired the rights to the book. Yeah. From Ken Keezy. Yes.”
David Perell So, this is from uh One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and I know that you read that and it influenced you and… 1
Discussed
“So, this is from uh One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and I know that you read that and it influenced you and so I was, you know, looking through it and this really stood out.”
David Sacks there were a bunch of scandals in the 1970s and epitomized by the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nestle J… 1
Discussed
“there were a bunch of scandals in the 1970s and epitomized by the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nestle Jack Nicholson about the conditions in these mental health homes”
Dr. Drew Pinsky And we can do custodial care cuz people watch one flu over the cuckoo's nest and they first of all think th… 1
Discussed
“And we can do custodial care cuz people watch one flu over the cuckoo's nest and they first of all think they're seeing a documentary. Secondly, Ken Keyzy wrote that thing in 1959, 75 years ago.”
Jimmy Carr obviously the book existed Ken KY and then when he made the movie for him it was about the Communist system 1
Discussed
“obviously the book existed Ken KY and then when he made the movie for him it was about the Communist system”
Jordan Peterson it was driven in part by the kinds of concerns that were brought to light by movies such as One Flew Over T… 1
Discussed
“it was driven in part by the kinds of concerns that were brought to light by movies such as One Flew Over The cucko Nest which really was quite a genius movie and a great novel and written by a psychiatric orderly”
Josh Clark I think um Randle P. McMurphy, Jack Nicholson's character from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, is consider… 1
Discussed
“I think um Randle P. McMurphy, Jack Nicholson's character from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, is considered uh philosophically ironic by being a sane person in a mental hospital”
Mandy Teefey So then it's like navigating that and like you know, like I I mentioned like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nes… 1
Discussed
“So then it's like navigating that and like you know, like I I mentioned like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Girl, Interrupted, favorite films, love them but that's not the reality Selena or I live in every day, you know, I have been in a facility and but it was not like what's being portrayed.”
Michael Douglas in 1962 he acquired the galls of this book called When Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kissi and he had… 1
Discussed
“in 1962 he acquired the galls of this book called When Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kissi and he had it adapted into a play and his idea was he was going to go back to Broadway do the play”
Norman Ohler So then it spilled out, obviously, because one of the guinea pigs was Ken Kesey. He received 75 US dollars… 1
Discussed
“So then it spilled out, obviously, because one of the guinea pigs was Ken Kesey. He received 75 US dollars for taking LSD for the CIA, and he was working in Menlo Park in a psychiatric ward. And on LSD, he basically had the idea to write One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.”
Russ Roberts The Ken Kesey reference is a reference to the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. 1
Discussed
“The Ken Kesey reference is a reference to the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.”
Steven Pressfield Well, Jack Nicholson is this guy who is a kind of a livewire high energy guy and he gets sentenced to um an… 1
Discussed
“Well, Jack Nicholson is this guy who is a kind of a livewire high energy guy and he gets sentenced to um an insane asylum, right, where all the people are sort of really down and he kind of energizes everybody, you know, but he runs the foul of nurse Ratchet, uh the bad nurse that runs him and the”
Theo Von what's the what's the book what One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest the book 1
Discussed
“what's the what's the book what One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest the book”
Urijah Faber you ever what's the what's the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest the book 1
Discussed
“you ever what's the what's the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest the book”
Other mentions (21: passing, ad reads, own books)
Passing
“Never read or seen one flu of the cuckoo's nest. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Okay. Chaotic good is Jack Nicholson taking care of patients doing the opposite of the dominant nurse Ratchet”
Passing
“They used to be, you know, like one flew over the cuckoo's nest situation and uh some investigative reporter named Nelly Bllye back”
Passing
“Can you steel man the case that you are in fact experiencing in a state of delusion, like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and can you argue against it?”
Passing
“And it you know, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was one example, crazy, but the other example is that we there too many that would nobody goes to lock mental facilities.”
Passing
“Cuz then everything's going to be on the arm with the [ __ ] one flu of the cuckoo's nest.”
Passing
“Yeah, he's thinking about One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which uh I think actually becomes more relevant every day as a film. It's a very good movie actually.”
Passing
“The wind started blowing ahead on my [ __ ] Jack Nicholson one flew over the cuckoo's nests black knitted hat and I had shaved my head so it was extra smooth”
Passing
“I thought they called him Chief cuz I thought they called him Chief cuz he was the leader of the team and then I I didn't realize it was they reminded him of that that character and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest”
Passing
“It was much more One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.”
Passing
“she gave it to me and she was like accusing me of not drinking it pretending to drink it like I was in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and I was like I drank it”
Passing
“She came in with all this stuff and was like accusing me of not drinking it, pretending to drink it like I was in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.”
Passing
“I mentioned my love for 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' and how those portrayals aren't reflective of reality. Selena and I don't live in that world every day, although I have been in a facility; it wasn't as media portrays it.”
Passing
“and you know I'm I'm done with it like I I feel like One Flew Over the [__] Cuckoo's Nest”
Passing
“If any of you have seen One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the final scene or near final scene in that movie was Jack Nicholson with the sort of bite protector in his mouth and getting electric shock therapy, and it's as the name suggests, it's a kind of inducing a global seizure”
Passing
“the issue has been the manipulation of people's minds has been around one floor of the cuckoo's nest people don't want to be involuntarily hospitalized”
Passing
“and then he kept trying to eat my other dog's crap and i was like one flew over the cuckoo's nest”
Passing
“and this [ __ ] giant woman who was she was like the size of chief in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest screaming at everybody”
Passing
“cuz then everything's going to be on the arm with the [ __ ] one flu of the cucko nest all right much older man”
Passing
“Don't have all your eggs in one basket. We all know that, right? Cuz then everything's going to be on the arm with the [ __ ] one flu of the cucko nest. All right much older man”
Passing
“One flew over the cuckoo's nest. All right. Hey there, old Billy Bibbit. Um, that's funny. Who's Bibbit? There's a character and one flew over the Cuckoo's Nest.”
Passing
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest”