Why people recommend it
When Reason Goes on Holiday by Neven Sesardic is a thought-provoking book that investigates how highly intelligent individuals can develop and maintain seemingly irrational political beliefs, examining historical figures like Albert Einstein and their staunchly pro-communist statements from the 1920s and 1930s. The book has been recommended as a vital analytical resource on intellectual history podcasts. On an episode of The Jordan Harbinger Show in September 2023, a guest recommended When Reason Goes on Holiday, pointing out that the stakes are extremely high when smart people fall for flawed ideologies and suggesting the book offers deep insights into this phenomenon. Similarly, on an episode of The Ben & Marc Show in August 2023, the hosts discussed the new book in detail, noting that it carefully documents Einstein's political statements from the early twentieth century alongside broader events occurring in Russia, demonstrating that such information was readily available to anyone who chose to examine it. Across these podcast episodes, the publication was praised for its meticulous historical research, shedding light on the surprising susceptibility of brilliant minds to dogmatic political movements and ideological conformity throughout modern history.
Who recommended it
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker — 3
“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.'”
“There’s 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, that were sort of very kind of staunchly pro-communist.”
“The book 'When Reason Goes on Holiday' goes through this in detail, but the information was available to anybody who wanted to see it.”