Episode · Modern Wisdom · 2026-03-30

Books mentioned on Studio Launch Party - Indian Fetishes, Betting on Wars & Tom Cruise - Rabbit Hole #1 - #1078

3 books · With Michael Smoak, Shaan Puri, George Mack · Listen · Watch on YouTube

Welcome to the new Studio! To celebrate, I put together a new episode style.

George Mack discussed Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling. Shaan Puri discussed Flash Boys by Michael Lewis. Chris Williamson discussed Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz.

Books mentioned, in the order they came up

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1. 

   Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

   J. K. Rowling · at 20:51 · mentioned 2 times

   Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling is the celebrated fantasy novel that introduces readers to a magical world of wizardry and the young hero Harry Potter.

   Discussed

   “J.K. Rowling used a spreadsheet for the whole of Harry Potter.”

   George Mack Studio Launch Party - Indian Fetishes, Betting on Wars & Tom Cruise - … 2026-03-30 Listen at 20:51

   Where to get it

   AmazonListen on Audible
2. 

   Flash Boys

   Michael Lewis · at 32:01

   Flash Boys by Michael Lewis is a narrative non-fiction book that exposes the rise of high-frequency trading and the covert ways electronic exchanges altered modern financial markets.

   Discussed

   “If you ever read Flash Boys, there was like a whole like quant trading thing where if they put your server close to the New York Stock Exchange server, you could get your trade in before the guy who was doing it through a sent like a normal uh server.”

   Shaan Puri Studio Launch Party - Indian Fetishes, Betting on Wars & Tom Cruise - … 2026-03-30 Listen at 32:01

   Where to get it

   AmazonListen on Audible
3. 

   Everybody Lies

   Seth Stephens-Davidowitz · at 43:02

   Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz is a data-driven exploration of human behavior that reveals what people actually think, feel, and desire by analyzing anonymous internet search queries and big data.

   Discussed

   “Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, ex data scientist at Google, wrote a very famous book called Everybody Lies.”

   Chris Williamson Studio Launch Party - Indian Fetishes, Betting on Wars & Tom Cruise - … 2026-03-30 Listen at 43:02

   Where to get it

   AmazonListen on Audible