Episode · The Book Review · 2024-07-18
Books mentioned on Fareed Zakaria on Life After the Pandemic
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Iliad
The Iliad by Homer is an ancient epic poem that recounts the wrath of Achilles and the pivotal events during the final weeks of the Trojan War, remaining a foundational cornerstone of Western literature.
Discussed“if you read the opening pages of The Iliad it is the story of the plague that Apollo Reigns down on Greek soldiers”
Where to get it
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The Protestant ethic and the "spirit" of capitalism and other writings
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism is a seminal sociological study by Max Weber that investigates how ascetic Protestant religious values, particularly Calvinist beliefs regarding hard work and worldly success, inadvertently fostered the rise of modern Western capitalism.
Discussed“this was Max V's famous argument in in his book The Spirit of capitalism and protestantism”
Where to get it
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The Things They Carried
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien is a critically acclaimed collection of interrelated semi-autobiographical short stories about American soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War.
Discussed“I mean I felt I learned a lot about the Vietnam War for example when I read Tim O'Brien's extraordinary novel The Things They Carried which gave me a sense of what it was like”
Where to get it
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Other People's Houses
Other People's Houses by Lore Segal is a semi-autobiographical novel that chronicles the experiences of a young girl displaced by World War II who finds herself living with a succession of different foster families.
Recommended“a book called other people's houses by lur seagull”
Where to get it
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Caleb & Kate
Caleb & Kate by William Steig is an illustrated children's book that tells the whimsical story of a middle-aged married couple who get into a massive argument, after which the husband is magically transformed into a dog and must find his way back home.
Recommended“another of my favorite in that particular subgenre is William stigs Caleb and Kate which is about like a a middle-aged married couple that gets into a huge fight”
Where to get it
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Kings County
Kings County is a contemporary novel by David Goodwillie that delves into the lives of various characters navigating modern urban culture, ambition, and personal relationships.
Recommended“now I'm about halfway through a novel called King's County by David goodwillie it came out this summer”
Where to get it
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The Emperor's Children
The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud is a sharp social novel that chronicles the lives of three ambitious young cousins navigating career, romance, and intellectual pretension in pre-9/11 New York City.
Discussed“this is a a book that puts me in mind of clar muds The Emperor's Children”
Where to get it
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The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P.
Discussed“or the love affairs of Nathaniel P by Adele Waldman who reviewed this book for us”
Where to get it
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Apartment
Discussed“or Teddy Wayne's most recent novel apartment was also about the New York creative class in in the late '90s and early 2000s”
Where to get it
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The Vanishing Half
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is a compelling contemporary novel that examines family, racial identity, and the choices that shape our lives through the lives of twin sisters who choose to live in very different worlds.
Discussed“so I just read the vanishing half by Brit Bennett which is a book that's been discussed on the podcast before”
Where to get it
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Light in August
Discussed“my parents had a copy of light in August by William Falkner on their shelves and it was like this really old edition of light in August”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (3) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“I read other people's houses by lur seagull”
“I read Kings County by David good Willy”
“and I read the vanishing half by Brick Bennett”