Episode · Risky Business with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova · 2025-05-21
Books mentioned on Motivated Reasoning in the Biden Campaign, Silicon Valley, and Beyond
We tend to use logic to reach conclusions that agree with our biases. Psychologists call this motivated reasoning.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Fight
Fight by Jonathan Allen and Amy Parnes is a behind-the-scenes political book that investigates the internal dynamics, strategic decisions, and high-stakes maneuvering within the Democratic Party and the Biden administration.
Discussed“um, one, we have talked on this program before about the book Fight by uh Jonathan Allen and Amy Parnes.”
Where to get it
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Original Sin
Original Sin by Tatha Wiley is a political book detailing reporting on the Biden administration, campaign dynamics, and the intense scrutiny surrounding the presidency.
Discussed“There's another book out called Original Sin, which takes a slightly longer exposure fights mostly about the period where Biden has this terrible debate and then is kind of forced to drop out.”
Where to get it
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Bad Blood
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou is a detailed work of investigative non-fiction documenting the rise and fraudulent collapse of Elizabeth Holmes's blood-testing company, Theranos.
Discussed“Look, I remember reading the uh reading the book bad blood by the Wall Street Journal journalist John Keru, I believe.”
Where to get it
