Episode · Lex Fridman Podcast · 2020-10-02
Books mentioned on #128 – Michael Malice: Anarchy, Democracy, Libertarianism, Love, and Trolling
Michael Malice is a political thinker, podcaster, and author. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: – SEMrush: https://www.
Lex Fridman discussed Ostracism by Kipling D. Williams. Michael Malice recommended The Idea of Decline in Western History by Arthur Herman, Revolution 1989 by Victor Sebestyen, The Russian Revolution by Victor Sebestyen, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Wrapped in Rainbows by Valerie Boyd, The Machiavellians by James Burnham, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, A Renegade History of the United States by Thaddeus Russell, and The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt, and discussed The crowd by Gustave Le Bon, The Red Decade by Eugene Lyons, and Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler and others.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Ostracism
Discussed“i read a book called ostracism and this wasn't scientific but basically the author was a psychiatrist at college whatever”
Where to get it
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The crowd
Discussed“gustav labon wrote a book in the 1890s called the crowd and this was one of the most important books i've written because it influenced both mussolini and hitler and stalin”
Where to get it
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The Idea of Decline in Western History
The Idea of Decline in Western History by Arthur Herman is a historical examination of how various intellectual movements and generations have perpetually predicted the collapse of Western civilization.
Recommended“and there's an amazing book by arthur herman called the idea of decline western history i it's one of my top 10 books where he goes through every 20 years how there's a different population that say it's the end of the world”
Where to get it
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The Red Decade
The Red Decade by Eugene Lyons is a historical examination documenting the extent of communist enthusiasm and intellectual sympathy among American cultural and political elites during the 1920s and 1930s.
Discussed“there's a great book by eugene lyons called the red decade they all knew they every atrocity that was done under stalinism was excused in the west”
Where to get it
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Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler is a notorious autobiographical manifesto outlining the author's political ideology and anti-Semitic worldview.
Discussed“He's a joke that he they couldn't find a publisher from mineconf in english because this is a guy from some random minor party in germany spouting nonsense who's going to read this crap”
Where to get it
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Revolution 1989
Revolution 1989 by Victor Sebestyen is a comprehensive historical exploration of the fall of communism across Eastern Europe.
Recommended“there's an amazing book called revolution 1989 it's like the most beautiful book i've ever read by victor sebastian”
Where to get it
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The Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution by Victor Sebestyen is a historical account detailing the dramatic events and monumental upheaval of the Russian revolutionary period.
Recommended“it's like the most beautiful book i've ever read by victor sebastian he's a hungarian author”
Where to get it
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Their Eyes Were Watching God
Zora Neale Hurston's classic novel Their Eyes Were Watching God tells the impactful story of Janie Crawford and her journey toward self-realization and independence in the American South.
Recommended“she wrote their eyes were watching god a couple of other books she was just an amazing amazing figure”
Where to get it
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Wrapped in Rainbows
Wrapped in Rainbows by Valerie Boyd is a comprehensive biography of the influential writer, anthropologist, and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston, chronicling her life during the Harlem Renaissance and her groundbreaking ethnographic fieldwork in the American South and the Caribbean.
Recommended“her biography is called wrapped in rainbows it's just a masterpiece”
Where to get it
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The Machiavellians
The Machiavellians by James Burnham is a classic political science text that examines the realities of power, elite theory, and the mechanics of governance through the lens of thinkers like Machiavelli, Mosca, Sorel, Michels, and Pareto.
Recommended“the machiavellians by james burnham this is a book about how politics works in reality as opposed to how people imagine it working”
Where to get it
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Atlas Shrugged
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand is a sprawling philosophical novel that presents the author's theory of Objectivism through a dystopian narrative about a society collapsing under the weight of anti-capitalist regulations and government overreach.
Recommended“if and if you read atlas shrug before reading the fountain head you're doing yourself an enormous disservice”
Where to get it
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The Fountainhead
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand is a classic philosophical novel that explores individualism, artistic integrity, and the conflict between independent creators and collectivist societal pressures.
Recommended“if and if you read atlas shrug before reading the fountain head you're doing yourself an enormous disservice”
Where to get it
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A Renegade History of the United States
A Renegade History of the United States by Thaddeus Russell is a provocative historical work that argues that societal progress and personal liberties were forged not by the conventional founding figures, but by social outcasts, rebels, and degenerates.
Recommended“thaddeus russell's book a renegade history of the united states his thesis is that it's the degenerates that give us all freedom”
Where to get it
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The Righteous Mind
The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt is an insightful exploration of moral psychology that investigates why good people are divided by politics and religion.
Recommended“and no john jonathan height the righteous mind that's those are the four”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (3) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“he is the author of dear reader the unauthorized autobiography of kim jong-il and the new right a journey to the fringe of american politics”
“he is the author of dear reader the unauthorized autobiography of kim jong-il and the new right a journey to the fringe of american politics”
“and we can even wrap our heads around like reading lolita like okay she's 14 12. okay it's still a female an infant”