Episode · The Ezra Klein Show · 2026-03-10
Books mentioned on I Asked a Former Trump Official to Justify This War | The Ezra Klein Show
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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America in the World
America in the World by Robert B.
Recommended“O.K, well, they’re not in any order of not in terms of publication, although I am reading right now a book, I think, published two years ago by Robert Zoellick called "America in the World" A great book about America’s diplomatic history.”
Where to get it
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The Mystery of Capital
The Mystery of Capital by Hernando De Soto is an influential economic study that investigates why capitalism triumphs in the West while failing elsewhere, focusing heavily on the critical importance of formal property rights and legal systems for economic development.
Recommended“A second book I just took back from my bookshelf because of Peru, but "The Mystery of Capital" by Hernando de Soto, and I think it’s also interesting to remind us of some perpetual problems in the Western hemisphere, the tension between socialism and capitalism, and Hernando de Soto specifically speaks about the importance of titles to land.”
Where to get it
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Leadership Lessons: Ronald Reagan
Leadership Lessons: Ronald Reagan by Will Peters is a biographical examination focusing on the leadership style, political strategies, and historical impact of the fortieth United States president.
Recommended“And then third, the Reagan biography by Will Inboden, because also just to understand, Trump invokes Reagan a lot. Peace through strength, although actually peace through strength was, I learned first a Nixon phrase which then Reagan used and now Trump is using.”
Where to get it
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Demon Copperhead
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver is a critically acclaimed contemporary novel that reimagines the classic David Copperfield tale within the context of the opioid crisis and rural poverty in southern Appalachia.
Recommended“And then a fourth fiction book that I loved this summer was is "Demon Copperhead" by Barbara Kingsolver. I loved that book.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“I wrote a book about that, about called "War and the Art of Governance," which looked at about 15 case studies of America’s military interventions and how we always had to deal with problems of political instability and stabilization or not.”
“I wrote a book about that, about called "War and the Art of Governance," which looked at about 15 case studies of America’s military interventions and how we always had to deal with problems of political instability and stabilization or not.”