Episode · The Ezra Klein Show · 2026-10-14
Books mentioned on Is It a Relationship if No One’s on the Other Side?
Roughly half of American adults are using chatbots. Nearly one in five U.
Sherry Turkle recommended Playing and Reality by D. W. Winnicott, The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt, and Computer Power and Human Reason by Joseph Weizenbaum.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Playing and Reality
Recommended“one of the books that I'm going to say is one of the, I know you asked for my favorite books, and one of the books I'm going to suggest is ZW Winnicott playing in reality, where he talks about the early internalization of objects, how we grow, how we develop in inner life, how we bring things inside.”
Where to get it
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The Origins of Totalitarianism
The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt is a landmark 1951 political science classic that examines the historical roots, psychological conditions, and social atomization that gave rise to Nazi and Stalinist regimes.
Recommended“And the second is, uh, Hannah Arendt, uh, the origins of totalitarianism because she says look, agency can be taken from you if you really lose a sense of community, a sense of neighbor, a sense of caring about the, the society in which you live, which I think is a real, I think she's having a moment because I”
Where to get it
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Computer Power and Human Reason
Recommended“And then the third is Joseph Weisenbaum, computer power and human reason, the book that talks about the Eliza program, yes, but he also talks about technology more in general, which is you can have, you know, if you don't just think that computers can be like people, but that people can be like machines, you, you give up your”
Where to get it
