Episode · Lex Fridman Podcast · 2022-05-23

Lex Fridman & Sarma Melngailis: books mentioned on Lex Fridman Podcast #288

#288 – Sarma Melngailis: Bad Vegan

6 books · With Sarma Melngailis · Listen · Watch on YouTube

Sarma Melngailis is a chef and restauranteur who was the subject of the Netflix documentary Bad Vegan: Fame, Fraud, Fugitives.

Lex Fridman discussed Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson and Fear and Loathing at Rolling Stone by Hunter S. Thompson. Sarma Melngailis recommended Confessions of a Sociopath by M.E. Thomas and others, and discussed Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, Darkness Visible by William Styron, and On love by Alain De Botton.

Books mentioned, in the order they came up

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1. 

   Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

   Hunter S. Thompson · at 1:36

   Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson is a wildly eccentric journalistic novel that chronicles a drug-addled road trip across the American Southwest in search of the elusive American Dream.

   Discussed

   “and you mentioned fear and loathing in las vegas by hunter s thompson”

   Lex Fridman #288 – Sarma Melngailis: Bad Vegan 2022-05-23 Listen at 1:36

   Where to get it

   Listen free with an Audible trialAmazon
2. 

   Fear and Loathing at Rolling Stone

   Hunter S. Thompson · at 1:36

   Fear and Loathing at Rolling Stone by Hunter S. Thompson collects the famed gonzo journalist's subversive, drug-fueled reporting and political dispatches for the magazine, capturing the chaotic spirit of American culture and elections in the 1970s.

   Discussed

   “and you mentioned fear and loathing in las vegas by hunter s thompson”

   Lex Fridman #288 – Sarma Melngailis: Bad Vegan 2022-05-23 Listen at 1:36

   Where to get it

   Listen free with an Audible trialAmazon
3. 

   Beautiful Ruins

   Jess Walter · at 17:25

   Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter is a whimsical, sweeping novel that weaves together disparate characters and storylines across decades, moving from a sleepy Italian coastal village to the glitz of Hollywood.

   Discussed

   “beautiful ruins it's a book that made me laugh and cry and it's just a happy story”

   Sarma Melngailis #288 – Sarma Melngailis: Bad Vegan 2022-05-23 Listen at 17:25

   Where to get it

   Listen free with an Audible trialAmazon
4. 

   Darkness Visible

   William Styron · at 18:14

   Darkness Visible by William Sytron is a powerful and celebrated memoir detailing the author's harrowing experience with severe clinical depression and mental illness.

   Discussed

   “darkness visible these are more a memoir of madness compelling harrowing a vivid portrait of a debilitating disorder it offers the solace of shared experience”

   Sarma Melngailis #288 – Sarma Melngailis: Bad Vegan 2022-05-23 Listen at 18:14

   Where to get it

   Listen free with an Audible trialAmazon
5. 

   Confessions of a Sociopath

   M.E. Thomas; Bernadette Sullivan · at 24:19

   Confessions of a Sociopath by M.E. Thomas and Bernadette Sullivan is a provocative memoir offering an insider perspective on living with antisocial personality disorder.

   Recommended

   “the uh a confession of a sociopath by m.e thomas a life spent hiding in plain sight it's a book i recommend a lot”

   Sarma Melngailis #288 – Sarma Melngailis: Bad Vegan 2022-05-23 Listen at 24:19

   Where to get it

   Listen free with an Audible trialAmazon
6. 

   On love

   Alain De Botton · at 1:22:39

   On Love by Alain de Botton is a philosophical novel that explores the psychological mechanics, romantic ideals, and painful sensations of falling and being in love.

   Discussed

   “no it's called on love all right i can't wait but i'm gonna read the cliff notes bye it's short by this guy named alan de botton”

   Sarma Melngailis #288 – Sarma Melngailis: Bad Vegan 2022-05-23 Listen at 1:22:39

   Where to get it

   Listen free with an Audible trialAmazon