Episode · How I Write · 2026-07-15
David Perell & David Baldacci: books mentioned on How I Write
David Baldacci: How to Write Books That Actually Sell | How I Write
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David Baldacci discussed Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, Bernice Bobs Her Hair by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. David Perell discussed The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe is an influential anti-slavery novel that historically shaped public attitudes toward slavery and the American Civil War.
Discussed“Look, words of, you know, I don't think Abraham Lincoln u ever said that, you know, Uncle Tom's Cabin um to the author that you're the little lady that started this great war.”
Where to get it
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Silent Spring
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson is a landmark 1962 environmental science book that exposed the devastating ecological consequences of synthetic pesticides like DDT, playing a pivotal role in launching the modern environmental movement.
Discussed“You know, Rachel Carson, Silence Frank, of course.”
Where to get it
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The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby by F.
Discussed“Yeah, I went down a big Gatsby rabbit hole and it struck me how much more Nick Carowway's characters developed in the book cuz he's the writer, but then there's a lot of parts about Gatsby that really come through in the DiCaprio Gatsby movie because they really made that visual and there's just this grander of Gatsby's house and”
Where to get it
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Bernice Bobs Her Hair
Discussed“Bernice bobs her hair. You know, it doesn't sound like much, but trust me, it's a lot in that nom in that short story.”
Where to get it
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To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a classic American novel depicting racial injustice, moral growth, and small-town life in the American South through the eyes of young Scout Finch.
Discussed“I read I read Mockingbird like most people read Mockingbird when I was a kid. And back then it was just an adventure story with kids roughly my age and I thought it was so cool.”
Where to get it
