Episode · Conversations with Tyler · 2026-08-19
Books mentioned on Luke Burgis on Mimetic Desire, Catholicism, and the Age of Social Contagion
Luke Burgis left Wall Street after two years, founded a few successful companies in his twenties, then walked away to spend three years in a Roman seminary on the path to the priesthood. He now runs the Cluny Institute and teaches at Catholic University.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The One and the Ninety-Nine
Discussed“He’s author of the bestselling book Wanting, and his recent work is just coming out. It is called The One and the Ninety-Nine: Forging Identity in the Age of Social Contagion.”
Where to get it
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Demons
Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a profound novel exploring the societal and psychological chaos that erupts when ideological dogmas displace spiritual frameworks.
Discussed“I’m going to go with Dostoevsky, though, because I think his book Demons diagnoses what can happen at a psychic and spiritual level when social contagion runs rampant.”
Where to get it
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The Benedict Option
The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher is a controversial political and cultural book that examines how religious communities can navigate an increasingly secular society.
Discussed“You must know Rod Dreher. What do you think of The Benedict Option? Withdraw. I want to do Rod justice, and I think it’s easy to strawman Rod and say that he’s just recommending that everybody move to a small farm.”
Where to get it
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The Italians
The Italians by Luigi Barzini is a classic, insightful sociological exploration of Italian national character, culture, and regional complexities written during the 1960s.
Recommended“To the Northern Italian question, there’s a great book on Italy, if you haven’t read it. It’s called The Italians by Luigi Barzini in the ’60s. It’s just a fantastic book.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (5) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“He’s author of the bestselling book Wanting, and his recent work is just coming out. It is called The One and the Ninety-Nine”
“The new book or Wanting or both? ... Wanting is about mimetic desire, and this book is a continuation of that and how it plays out in social dynamics, the self versus the crowd.”
“The book is titled The One and the Ninety-Nine. The message, as you know from having read it, is not that everybody should become a rugged individualist and that the goal is to become the one.”
“The book is titled The One and the Ninety-Nine. The message, as you know from having read it, is not that everybody should become a rugged individualist and that the goal is to become the one.”
“Before the last two questions, just another plug for your book. The title is The One and the Ninety-Nine: Forging Identity in the Age of Social Contagion.”