Episode · EconTalk · 2025-09-22
Russ Roberts & Steven Pinker: books mentioned on EconTalk
Steven Pinker on Common Knowledge
Why are Super Bowl ads so good for launching certain kinds of new products? Why do we all drive on the same side of the road?
Steven Pinker discussed The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins and Order Without Law by Robert C. Ellickson. Russ Roberts recommended When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows... by Steven Pinker, discussed The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry and Universal Economics by Armen Albert Alchian and others, and read Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman for a book club.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Selfish Gene
Discussed“It was made famous 50 years ago in Richard Dawkins's book the the selfish gene where it because it poses a puzzle for evolutionary biology...”
Where to get it
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The Gift of the Magi
Discussed“I was going to ask you about I was just thinking about the Oh Henry short story, which I can't believe I'm blanking on the name of, but you know the one I'm talking about, Gift of the Magi. That's it. The Gift of the Magi.”
Where to get it
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Order Without Law
Discussed“Um but in the in the case of say you know Austramm and others like I think it's Larry Ellson order without law where the the the theory was that nothing short of enforcement by a third party can get people to stop overg grazing the commons.”
Where to get it
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Life and Fate
Book club“You know, we we did a a book club here at Econ Talk on Life and Fate silly Grossman's Masterpiece.”
Where to get it
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Universal Economics
Discussed“I'm reminded of a wonderful analysis in Alchin and Allen's textbook which I now think has been called is called universal economics.”
Where to get it
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When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows...
Recommended“My guest today has been Steven Pinker. His book is When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (5) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“His latest book and the subject of today's conversation is when everyone knows that everyone knows common knowledge and the mysteries of money power and everyday life.”
Plugged The Stuff of Thought
“So here's the the what I what I proposed in a previous book, The Stuff of Thought, Language is a window into human nature.”
“And there's a whole chapter called weasel words in when everyone knows that everyone knows it's about indirect language.”
“In in the the book I have a chapter called the cancelling instinct where I try to as a psychologist to try to figure out just what's going on.”
Plugged Rationality
“And here I I reiterate an idea that I developed in my previous book rationality of why rational species can entertain.”