Book · 2016 · Philosophy, history
When Reason Goes on Holiday
- mentions
- 8
- people
- 3
- podcasts
- 4
- episodes
- 5
- recommendations
- 4
I'll give a plug for great book that you recommended when reason goes on holiday which is sort of the story of how the great physicists and inventors did on politics and policy and Game Theory you take super high IQ people and you put them in a research or university setting.
Ben Horowitz · The Ben & Marc Show · Oct 2023 Listen at 1:15:22 What they say about it
- Details historical statements and writings“goes through this in detail”3
The best things said about it
There is a new book out that goes through this called When Reason Goes on Holiday and it goes through in detail Einstein's statements in the 20s and 30s in particular.
Marc Andreessen The Ben & Marc Show · Aug 2023 There's a book that goes through this called When Reason Goes on Holiday that came out a few years ago that kind of goes through all of Einstein's writings and speeches and kind of reconstructs this history.
Marc Andreessen a16z Podcast · Oct 2025 There's a great book I recommend called 'When Reason Goes on Holiday'.
The book 'When Reason Goes on Holiday' goes through this in detail, but the information was available to anybody who wanted to see it.
Marc Andreessen The Ben & Marc Show · Aug 2023 Where and when it comes up
Mentions per year
How it comes up
Most mentions, by podcast
Why people recommend it
When Reason Goes on Holiday by Neven Sesardic is a nonfiction book exploring how brilliant scientists and high-IQ individuals can hold radical, misguided, or seemingly irrational political and social views. Ben Horowitz recommended the title on The Ben & Marc Show, using it to illustrate how top minds fare when stepping outside their research domains into policy and game theory. Jordan Harbinger and Marc Andreessen also recommended the book on The Jordan Harbinger Show, noting that it sheds light on how intellectuals develop extreme political stances. Additionally, Marc Andreessen brought up the work multiple times on The Ben & Marc Show, the a16z Podcast, and Huberman Lab. He detailed how the book reconstructs Albert Einstein's writings and speeches from the 1920s and 1930s to highlight his past pro-communist positions, arguing that such troubling historical information was largely accessible to anyone willing to look. Andreessen even shared the book with Andrew Huberman to demonstrate how people's stated positions often fail to reconcile. Throughout these podcast appearances, the speakers consistently highlighted the volume as an eye-opening study of how extraordinary intelligence does not immunize individuals against adopting flawed, extremist ideologies or totalitarian apologia.
Every mention
Marc Andreessen there's a great book I recommend my friends called it's called when reason goes on holiday 6
“there's a book that goes through this called when reason goes on holiday that came out a few years ago that kind of goes through all of Einstein's writings and speeches and kind of reconstructs this history”
“there's a great book I recommend my friends called it's called when reason goes on holiday”
“Andrew Huberman: Yeah, I'm unlikely to run that experiment. I was just curious. That was what we call a Gedanken experiment. Marc Andreessen: Andrew, you're a terrible human being. We were looking for evidence that you're a terrible human being, and now we know it. This is a great example of the, I gave Andrew a book on the way”
“there is a new book out that goes through this called when reason goes on holiday and uh it goes through in detail uh Einstein's statements in the 20s and 30s in particular”
“The when reason goes on holiday goes through this in detail but the information was available to anybody who wanted to see it”
“The book 'When Reason Goes on Holiday' goes through this in detail, but the information was available to anybody who wanted to see it.”
Ben Horowitz I'll give a plug for great book that you recommended when reason goes on holiday which is sort of the sto… 1
“I'll give a plug for great book that you recommended when reason goes on holiday which is sort of the story of how the great physicists and inventors did on politics and policy and Game Theory you take super high IQ people and you put them in a research or university setting”
Jordan Harbinger So like the stakes are super high, and to your point, it's very easy; there's a great book I recommend call… 1
“So like the stakes are super high, and to your point, it's very easy; there's a great book I recommend called 'When Reason Goes on Holiday.'”
