Episode · Lex Fridman Podcast · 2025-03-26
Books mentioned on #462 – Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson: Politics, Trump, AOC, Elon & DOGE
Ezra Klein is one of the most influential voices representing the left-wing of American politics. He is a columnist for the NY Times and host of The Ezra Klein Show.
Lex Fridman recommended Abundance by Ezra Klein and others. Ezra Klein recommended Confidence Man by Maggie Haberman, and discussed From Counterculture to Cyberculture by Fred Turner. Derek Thompson discussed Culture of Hope by Frederick Turner and The Rise and Decline of Nations by Mancur Olson.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Abundance
Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson is a widely debated political manifesto that challenges progressive orthodoxy by arguing that liberals must embrace economic growth, regulatory reform, and actual physical building to achieve their goals.
Recommended“Together they've written a new book, simply titled Abundance, that lays out a kind of manifesto for the left. It is already a controversial, widely debated book, but I think it puts forward a powerful vision”
Where to get it
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From Counterculture to Cyberculture
Discussed“You've read probably, is it Frederick Turner's From Counterculture to Cyber Culture? That was a story of cheap housing.”
Where to get it
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Culture of Hope
Discussed“You've read probably, is it Frederick Turner's "From Counterculture to Cyber Culture"?”
Where to get it
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The Rise and Decline of Nations
The Rise and Decline of Nations by Mancur Olson is a famous public interest economics book that explores how institutional bargaining structures and rigidities develop in stable societies over time.
Discussed“We talk a lot about a book, I dunno if you've run into this one, but it's by Mancur Olson, who's sort of a Founder of Public Interest Economics, and it's called "The Rise in Decline of Nations"”
Where to get it
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Confidence Man
Confidence Man by Maggie Haberman is a biography of Donald Trump that examines his career as a real estate developer in New York and his subsequent political trajectory.
Recommended“And so, you know, if you read, say, Maggie Haberman's great biography of Donald Trump, Confidence Man, which focuses a lot on his time as a real estate magnate in New York, you see like Donald Trump doesn't build a ton of stuff in other states.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (6) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“He is a columnist for The New York Times, author of Why We're Polarized, and host of The Ezra Klein Show.”
“He is a columnist for "The New York Times", author of "Why We're Polarized", and host of "The Ezra Klein Show."”
“Derek is a writer at The Atlantic, author of Hitmakers, and On work, and host of the Plain English Podcast.”
“Derek is a writer at The Atlantic, author of Hitmakers, and On work, and host of the Plain English Podcast.”
“First, she has a particular background from California, where she's a tough on crime, her book is called Smart on Crime Prosecutor, but she runs in the Democratic Party at time when it's turned on that kind of politics.”
“Republicans and democrats aren't gonna get along in Congress. That has to do with, I think the incentives of Congress, my first book is called Why We're Polarized, it's about those almost hydraulic incentives for partisanship.”