Book · 1920 · Fiction
This Side of Paradise
- mentions
- 6
- people
- 5
- podcasts
- 4
- episodes
- 6
- recommendations
- 3
Once you read this book and consider it, it permeates society in a way that I hadn't thought of before.
The best things said about it
He wrote a novel, this side of paradise, you know, which Princeton still sort of exalts over as its most romantic portrayal.
Walter Kirn The Tucker Carlson Show · Jul 2025 If you get this book, leave it open on your bedside table, leave it open on your kitchen table, leave it open on your dining table.
Where and when it comes up
Most mentions, by podcast
5 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a classic coming-of-age novel that explores the vanity and disillusionment of youth in post-World War I America. On The Jordan Harbinger Show, Jordan Harbinger discussed how reading the book left a lasting impression by subtly permeating societal structures in ways he had not previously considered. Walter Kirn referenced the novel on The Tucker Carlson Show to illustrate the romanticized myths that Princeton University and the American establishment continue to cultivate around themselves. Meanwhile, other podcast hosts and guests mentioned distinct personal reactions to the title. On On Purpose with Jay Shetty, Jay Shetty discussed his emotional reading experience and the challenges of processing intense personal encounters within a literary work. Dr. Ramani Durvasula appeared on The Jordan Harbinger Show to share her appreciation for the practical advice found in a book discussed during the episode. Additionally, Jordan Peterson referenced the novel on The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast in the context of authorship and a past gift from his father. Together, these discussions highlight the enduring cultural and psychological resonance of Fitzgerald's formative work across diverse intellectual and conversational contexts.
Every mention
Jordan Harbinger Once you think about it, once you read this book and consider it, it permeates society in a way that I hadn… 1
“Once you think about it, once you read this book and consider it, it permeates society in a way that I hadn't thought of before.”
Jordan Peterson But underneath it all, what he really wanted to do was sciences, and so when he finally kind of left the la… 1
“But underneath it all, what he really wanted to do was sciences, and so when he finally kind of left the law, that's when I gave you a copy of this—I wrote this book. Yeah, book; I forgot about it—very good book.”
Dr. Ramani Durvasula There's so much in this book that's practical, and I really—that's one of the other things that I really li… 1
“There's so much in this book that's practical, and I really—that's one of the other things that I really liked about it.”
Jay Shetty But then to hear someone who is seeing it from multiple perspectives—that there was also this, the most cha… 1
“But then to hear someone who is seeing it from multiple perspectives—that there was also this, the most challenging part of this book to read was when you talked about the encounters you were having while you were sleeping, and even in this, and I’ll let you explain it.”
Walter Kirn He wrote a novel, this side of paradise, you know, which Princeton still sort of exalts over as its most ro… 1
“He wrote a novel, this side of paradise, you know, which Princeton still sort of exalts over as its most romantic portrayal.”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker1
“If you get this book, leave it open on your bedside table, leave it open on your kitchen table, leave it open on your dining table.”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (13: passing, ad reads, own books)
“I read this book quite a while ago and reread it more recently.”
“my dad had recommended this side of paradise and so I remember reading that first and hating it and so I went in with like deeply prejudiced Against The Great Gatsby”
“I think I talked about one of them in this book.”
“More the latter, so I mean I talked to many DEA agents, former DEA agents for this book, as well as a lot of Wa figures and a lot of anti-narcotics folks, and so I got the story from them.”
“Essentially, that was the genesis moment of this book; it was an attempt to answer that question of how do you, in those situations, whether you're trying to influence your leadership team to change or influencing your team or just the people around you to see the world differently; what actually works?”
“Until talking about this through this book and all the talks I’ve done across the country, many people didn’t realize—wait a minute, these are two different ways of scratching the itch we all have to be well-regarded, and they both can lead to happiness!”
“This book, in many ways, is more pessimistic than I thought when I started because I thought I’d have solutions, and the deeper I got into it, the more I realized how difficult this process is.”
“It is one of the greatest gifts of these few years and writing this book. I am so much closer to my parents than I have ever been before because now there's nothing to hide from each other.”
“They are literally telling people now because they're like, 'Listen, this book is coming out, and I want you to hear this thing from me.'”
“I love that that's what's happening as a response to the book because how beautiful would it be if every friend who picks up this book shares it with their friend and opens up about something they’ve been holding on to?”
“So, Jordan, what I try to do in this book is use my own experience as a prosecutor.”
“If you understand these four fundamental steps—and this is what took me five years writing this book, namely because I kept getting distracted; I was very distracted with myself, and I wrote the book for me as I mentioned earlier—it was when I boiled down the hundreds of studies and research, and you can see there's thirty-five pages of citations”
“And that’s what eventually this book turned into.”