Episode · Lex Fridman Podcast · 2022-07-09
Lex Fridman & Jack Barsky: books mentioned on Lex Fridman Podcast #301
#301 – Jack Barsky: KGB Spy
Jack Barsky is a former KGB spy and author of “Deep Undercover: My Secret Life and Tangled Allegiances as a KGB Spy in America”.
Lex Fridman discussed Deep Undercover by Jack Barsky and others. Jack Barsky discussed Perestroika by Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev, Pere Goriot by Honoré de Balzac, Stalin's Master Narrative by David Brandenberger, and Winnie the Pooh (Winnie-the-Pooh) by A. A. Milne.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Deep Undercover
Discussed“The following is a conversation with Jack Barsky, a former KGB spy, author of "Deep Undercover" and the subject of an excellent podcast series called "The Agent."”
Where to get it
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Perestroika
Discussed“When Gorbachev wrote his book about perestroika and glasnost the East German rulers did not like it. They were much more orthodox. So they had to print the books in translation. Guess where they wound up? They were piled up in the hallways of the Stasi. They bought the entire print run.”
Where to get it
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Pere Goriot
Discussed“You know, I wanted to see Paris because I had fallen in love with Honore Balzac, who wrote- Balzac, yeah. A phenomenal set of novels that I just ate up.”
Where to get it
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Stalin's Master Narrative
Discussed“Interestingly enough, the first book I was given to read was the history of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Oh, so understand, yeah, that's interesting.”
Where to get it
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Winnie the Pooh (Winnie-the-Pooh)
Discussed“And she gave me a book, "Winnie the Pooh," because we went to see the movie. And then she wrote the dedication, she says, "To the nicest German I've ever met."”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Passing Anne of Green Gables
“You've looked back at the predecessors and the history in writing your book; is there some way in which the KGB is grounded in the culture, the spirit, the soul of its predecessors? Oh, absolutely.”
“And she gave me a book, 'Winnie the Pooh,' because we went to see the movie. And then she wrote the dedication, she says, 'To the nicest German I've ever met.'”