Episode · EconTalk · 2026-10-05
Books mentioned on Addiction, Faith, and the Limits of Willpower (with Meghan O'Gieblyn)
Why do we keep doing things we know we shouldn't? And is that really a failure of will?
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Gravity and Grace
Discussed“And one of her most famous books is Gravity and Grace. And what that was, was basically her, her friend, who is a French Catholic farmer, Gustave Thibon”
Where to get it
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The Varieties of Religious Experience
The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James is a foundational psychology and philosophy text based on the author's lectures on human spirituality, mysticism, and consciousness.
Discussed“I was so fascinated by James' work, which I'd read the varieties of religious experience before, but I went back and read it again.”
Where to get it
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The Sovereignty of Good
The Sovereignty of Good by Iris Murdoch is a prominent philosophical work exploring ethics, morality, and how human consciousness interacts with the concept of the absolute good.
Discussed“the quote comes from her book, The Sovereignty of Good, which is just a long essay that she wrote in the late 60s.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Own book Will and Attention
“Today is September 14th, 2026, and my guest is author Megan O'Giblin. Her latest book, the subject of today's conversation, is Will and Attention, a Memoir. Megan, welcome to EconTalk.”