Episode · Risky Business with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova · 2025-10-29
Books mentioned on Lessons From A Marathoner (with Nicholas Thompson)
Nate and Maria sit down with the elite amateur runner Nicholas Thompson (who also happens to be the CEO of The Atlantic) to talk about his new book The Running Ground. They discuss what running can teach about productivity and fulfillment, his favorite brand of gels, and…his late-father’s brothel in Bali.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The hawk and the dove
The Hawk and the Dove by Nicholas Thompson is a dual biography that examines the lives and diplomatic philosophies of political figures Paul Nitze and George Kennan during the Cold War era.
Recommended“He is also the editor-inchief uh former editor and chief of Wired um and wrote a book called The Hawk and the Dove about the Cold War era. It's absolutely phenomenal. You should check it out.”
Where to get it
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The Running Ground
Nicholas Thompson's The Running Ground is a deeply personal memoir and exploration of endurance, decision-making, and family dynamics centered around marathon running.
Recommended“Um, and now we have him on because he has a new book coming out. I think the most personal book he's ever written, The Running Ground. And the book is out now. You should all absolutely read it.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Own book The Running Ground
“I care about it a ton. I wrote a whole book about it, right? I clearly care a lot about running, but I care about my job much more.”