Episode · EconTalk · 2022-04-04
Books mentioned on Richard Gunderman on Greed, Adam Smith, and Leo Tolstoy
Physician and careful reader Richard Gunderman of Indiana University talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about how Adam Smith and Leo Tolstoy looked at greed.
Russ Roberts recommended A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders and The Hungry Soul by Leon Kass, and discussed How Much Land Does a Man Need? by Leo Tolstoy, Master and Man and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy, and To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. Richard Gunderman recommended The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy, and discussed Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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How Much Land Does a Man Need?
Leo Tolstoy's classic short story examines human greed, desire, and the ultimate measure of mortality through the journey of a peasant who pushes himself to acquire more and more land.
Discussed“i want to start with the tolstoy story that you focus on in your essay master and man”
Where to get it
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Master and Man and Other Stories
This collection of powerful short fiction by Leo Tolstoy explores morality, human nature, and the spiritual cost of greed.
Discussed“i want to start with the tolstoy story that you focus on in your essay master and man”
Where to get it
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A Swim in a Pond in the Rain
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders is a masterclass of literary criticism where the acclaimed author and professor analyzes classic Russian short stories by masters like Chekhov and Tolstoy to reveal how great fiction works on the human mind.
Recommended“i also want to recommend the remarkable book by george saunders a swim in a pond in the rain which is an analysis of a number of russian short stories and it's glorious”
Where to get it
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The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories
The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy is a profound novella exploring mortality, self-deception, and the existential reckoning of a dying man.
Recommended“it reminds me a little bit of the the death of ivan ellich which another story of tolstoy's i recommend”
Where to get it
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Leviathan
Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes is a foundational political treatise arguing that in the absence of a powerful central authority, human life would exist in a state of perpetual and violent conflict.
Discussed“well if you read leviathan i think hobbs thinks we're fundamentally egoists”
Where to get it
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The Hungry Soul
The Hungry Soul by Leon Kass is a philosophical exploration of the meaning of eating, shared meals, and human connection.
Recommended“i'm a big fan of the book by leon cass the hungry soul which deals with a lot of uh a lot of these issues”
Where to get it
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To the Lighthouse
To the Lighthouse is a landmark modernist novel by Virginia Woolf that explores themes of loss, subjectivity, and the passage of time through the experiences of the Ramsay family.
Discussed“that also reference uh i think it's in virginia woolf's novel to the lighthouse is that the name of the book is it to the light i think it's to the white house”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (3) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“i use it in my new book uh wild problems is my new book”
“i guess that has been richard gunderman story is master and man”
“i guess that has been richard gunderman story is master and man”