Episode · The Daily Stoic · 2026-07-25
Books mentioned on Navigating A Hostile Society With Ezra Klein
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
-
President Lincoln
President Lincoln by William Lee Miller is a political biography examining the life and career of Abraham Lincoln.
Recommended“And a companion book I would give you is President Lincoln by William Lee Miller, which is a political biography of Lincoln as a politician.”
Where to get it
-
Meditations
Marcus Aurelius's Meditations is a foundational work of Stoic philosophy that records the personal reflections and spiritual exercises of the Roman emperor.
Discussed“You famously at the end of the episodes you talk about some books the guest would recommend to the audience and he brings up Marcus Aurelius' Meditations.”
Where to get it
-
Buddha
Buddha by Karen Armstrong is a biographical exploration of the life, teachings, and spiritual journey of Siddhartha Gautama, tracing his transformation from a dissatisfied prince into the enlightened religious figure known as the Buddha.
Recommended“Have you read Karen Armstrong's biography of Buddha?”
Where to get it
-
Papyrus
Papyrus by Irene Vallejo is a captivating history book that explores the origins of books, the invention of paper, and the preservation of early writings in the ancient world.
Recommended“Well, so you the first one you already read. No, I'm not sure if I fully so I Uh, this book is great. Have you read this? Yeah. Okay. I thought this was incredible. So good. So good. All right, well then if you've read this one then the other one I would give you is papyrus by Irene Vallejo”
Where to get it
-
Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox (1882–1940)
Roosevelt: The Lion and the Fox (1882–1940) by James MacGregor Burns is a classic political biography that examines the leadership style, political maneuvering, and complex career of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Recommended“Have you read this? This is a very old one. No, I've not read this. This is The Lion and the Fox, the first political biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.”
Where to get it
-
The Bully Pulpit
Discussed“I think Doris Kearns Goodwin's The Bully Pulpit is another good example of this, the contrast between Taft and Roosevelt, their understanding of the media.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“and this is straight out of my first book, Why We're Polarized, over time we've developed highly ideologically unified parties that now compete across the branches.”