Episode · The Ezra Klein Show · 2026-04-24
Books mentioned on Stewart Brand on LSD, A.I. Black Boxes and the Beauty of Care | The Ezra Klein Show
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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How Buildings Learn
How Buildings Learn by Stewart Brand is an insightful study of architecture and the ways structures adapt, change, and evolve over time.
Discussed“It is very, very long, and along the way brand has been writing these very beautiful, unusual books, not just the whole Earth Catalog, but "How Buildings Learn" in 1994, which I love.”
Where to get it
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Maintenance of Everything
Discussed“Let me pick up on the AI question, something that you write about in "Maintenance of Everything"”
Where to get it
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Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M.
Discussed“And you quote quite a lot from "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance," which is a classic book.”
Where to get it
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The beginning of infinity
The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch is a sweeping philosophical and scientific work that champions a deeply optimistic worldview, arguing that all problems are soluble given the right knowledge.
Recommended“What are three books you’d recommend to the audience? I recommend David Deutsch’s "The Beginning of Infinity" It’s basically optimism at a cosmic level, and it’s full of the realization that there are always problems and there are solutions, and that goes on infinitely.”
Where to get it
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The Perfectionists
The Perfectionists by Simon Winchester is a historical non-fiction work that explores how precision engineers created the modern world through the relentless pursuit of exact measurements and manufacturing standards.
Recommended“I recommend a book by Simon Winchester called "The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World."”
Where to get it
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L'Encyclopédie
Discussed“But the one I was looking at was Diderot’s "Encyclopédie," which had diagrams, basically, of all the trades and crafts of the 18th century actually worked.”
Where to get it
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The Encyclopædia Britannica
Discussed“they came up with their own encyclopedia called the "Encyclopedia Britannica," which went from strength to strength for 100 years.”
Where to get it
