Episode · Conversations with Tyler · 2016-02-02
Tyler Cowen & Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: books mentioned on Conversations with Tyler
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Fighting Bruce Lee, Growing Up in Harlem, and Basketball (Live at Mason)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar joins Tyler Cowen for a conversation on segregation, Islam, Harlem vs. LA, Earl Manigault, jazz, fighting Bruce Lee, Kareem's conservatism, dancing with Thelonious Monk, and why no one today can shoot a skyhook.
Tyler Cowen discussed Mycroft Holmes by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and others. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar discussed The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré. Also mentioned: On the Shoulders of Giants by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and others.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Mycroft Holmes
Mycroft Holmes by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse is a historical fiction novel that reimagines the early life and adventures of Sherlock Holmes's brilliant older brother.
Discussed“I would describe him as an offshoot of the Harlem Renaissance, and what he and I share in common is a fascination with the character of Mycroft Holmes, the subject of Kareem’s latest book—and that of course, is Sherlock Holmes’s brother.”
Where to get it
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The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carré is a renowned espionage novel that explores the gritty, bleak, and morally ambiguous realities of Cold War intelligence work.
Discussed“I’ve read most of these in the ’70s and ’80s, starting with—well, when I was in high school, we read The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, and then as an adult, I read everything that he’s written just about.”
Where to get it
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Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré is a classic espionage novel that follows veteran British intelligence agent George Smiley as he hunts for a Soviet mole high up in the Circus.
Discussed“He worked in Germany, and he was betrayed by Kim Philby, who was the mole in—if you read Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, you know that there was a mole in the British foreign service.”
Where to get it
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On the Shoulders of Giants
Discussed“In your book On the Shoulders of Giants, you say that if you were not a professional basketball player you wanted to be a history teacher.”
Where to get it
