Episode · The Book Review · 2024-04-12
Books mentioned on 100 Years of Simon & Schuster
Jonathan Karp recommended Did I Ever Tell You? by Genevieve Kingston, and discussed The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker, All the President's Men by Carl Bernstein and others, Chicka chicka boom boom by Bill Martin Jr. and others, Frederick Douglass by David W. Blight, Why We're Polarized by Ezra Klein, Rage by Bob Woodward, and Is This Anything? by Jerry Seinfeld. Gilbert Cruz discussed Crossword Puzzle Book.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Denial of Death
The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker is a Pulitzer Prize-winning philosophical and psychological study that argues human behavior is fundamentally driven by an unconscious terror of mortality and the subsequent cultural mechanisms created to deny it.
Discussed“the denial of death by Ernest Becker what a great way to start a Wednesday”
Where to get it
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All the President's Men
All the President's Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward is a classic work of investigative journalism detailing the reporting process behind the Watergate scandal that brought down Richard Nixon's presidency.
Discussed“I mean I could give you a more predictable one like All the President's Men by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein which I think defines the way the journalists cover politics and and certainly gave investigative journalism real voice in the culture”
Where to get it
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Crossword Puzzle Book
Discussed“RW inter aded about Simon and shuster's first bestseller which was a crossword puzzle book and maybe much like today with the New York Times games are very lucrative”
Where to get it
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Did I Ever Tell You?
Did I Ever Tell You? is a deeply personal memoir by Genevieve Kingston that chronicles her family's experiences and the emotional weight of memory and loss.
Recommended“it's called did I ever tell you the writer's name is Genevie Kingston and I think that that's an example of gut”
Where to get it
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Chicka chicka boom boom
Discussed“all right well I'll start with a children's book because it's fun how about Chicka Chicka Boom Boom I think I read that to my child”
Where to get it
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Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass by David W.
Discussed“I think that Frederick Douglas by David blight an award-winning historian this was a this was 10 years in the works”
Where to get it
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Why We're Polarized
Why We're Polarized by Ezra Klein is a deep dive into the structural forces driving American political division.
Discussed“Ezra Klein why we're polarized this is this is an older book but obviously we need to understand why we're polarized and I think that Ezra has actually written the the signal book on that topic”
Where to get it
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Rage
Rage by Bob Woodward is an investigative non-fiction book that examines the Trump administration's handling of crises, race relations, and foreign diplomacy through extensive interviews and secret recordings.
Discussed“I think last last time in 2020 I was so grateful and privileged to have been able um to publish Bob's book Rage which showed how the Trump Administration handled the covid crisis and showed how Donald Trump specifically lied about covid lied to the American people”
Where to get it
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Is This Anything?
Is This Anything? by Jerry Seinfeld is a humor collection that compiles decades of the comedian's scrap jokes, observations, and polished stand-up bits, offering a rare glimpse into the mechanics of comedy writing.
Discussed“and in fact during the pandemic one of the authors I chose to work with was Jerry Seinfeld and he had to record is this anything all by himself in the middle of the pandemic”
Where to get it
