Episode · The Ezra Klein Show · 2026-10-27
Ezra Klein & Nate Silver: books mentioned on The Ezra Klein Show (Oct 2026)
Nate Silver Predicts a ‘Momentous’ Midterm
“If the election goes roughly as the polls say it will go, then in some ways it would mark the end of the Trump era,” Nate Silver told me. The midterms are a week away, and it looks entirely possible that Democrats will win not just the House, but also the Senate.
Nate Silver recommended The Rise and Fall of American Growth by Robert J. Gordon and The Biggest Game in Town by Al Alvarez.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Rise and Fall of American Growth
The Rise and Fall of American Growth by Robert J.
Recommended“The first one is The Rise and Fall of American Growth by the Economic Historian Robert Gordon. It was written in 2016. I remember kind of reading this book when I was in Paris at a poker tournament in Paris as one does, right?”
Where to get it
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The Biggest Game in Town
The Biggest Game in Town by Al Alvarez is a classic non-fiction book published in 1983 that chronicles the high-stakes world of professional poker players during the early eras of the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.
Recommended“Probably the best poker related book of all time is called The Biggest Game in Town. It was written by a guy named Al Alvarez in 1983. It's a short compact read.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Passing On the Edge
“He co-hosts a podcast still counting and he's the author of most recently "On the Edge," the art of risking everything.”