Episode · The Daily Stoic · 2026-10-03
Books mentioned on The Art and Obsession of Writing with Rich Cohen
After more than a dozen books and decades writing for publications like Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone, Rich Cohen knows how a great story can change the way we see both the past and ourselves.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Adventures of Herbie Cohen
Discussed“His father is fascinating who we wrote a book about called The Adventures of Herbie Cohen who wrote that book about negotiation.”
Where to get it
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The Fish That Ate the Whale
The Fish That Ate the Whale by Rich Cohen is a biography about Sam Zemurray, the historic figure known as the banana king who rose from immigrant poverty to build a massive fruit empire.
Discussed“I just read The Fish Study at the Whale.”
Where to get it
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The Right Stuff
The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe is a compelling historical account of the early American space program, focusing on the test pilots who became the first astronauts.
Discussed“So it's another great thing for me in a book is in the Tom Wolf book, The Right Stuff, where he's got the astronauts sitting upside down in the capsule waiting for the blast off.”
Where to get it
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A Confederacy of Dunces
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole is an absurdist, darkly comedic masterpiece centered on the eccentric and pompous protagonist Ignatius J.
Discussed“You seem to ever make a good movie of Confederacy of Dunses.”
Where to get it
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The Moviegoer
The Moviegoer by Walker Percy is a classic philosophical novel about a young stockbroker in New Orleans grappling with alienation, routine, and a search for authenticity.
Discussed“So how could you ever make a good movie a good movie of the movie goer?”
Where to get it
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The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye by J.
Discussed“There's not a good movie of the catcher in the rye either for the same reason.”
Where to get it
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Solo Faces
Solo Faces is a novel by James Salter that explores the intense, solitary world of alpine mountaineering and the profound risks and personal sacrifices required of those who scale dangerous peaks.
Recommended“There's another really great book by James Salter called solo faces.”
Where to get it
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Burning the Days
Burning the Days by James Salter is an evocative memoir by the renowned novelist and aviator, detailing his early life, military service, and eventual transition into a literary career.
Discussed“I loved Burning the Days, which I think was an incredible memoir.”
Where to get it
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Light years
Light Years by James Salter is an acclaimed contemporary novel that chronicles the elegant, slow dissolution of an upper-middle-class marriage against a backdrop of passing time and fading beauty.
Discussed“And then I just read Light Ears, which is the one about like a marriage falling apart.”
Where to get it
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A Sport and a Pastime
Discussed“Well, his famous book, you know, is a sport in the past time, which is very dirty.”
Where to get it
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Dusk and Other Stories
Discussed“Somebody gave me his book of short stories, Dusk, which there's this thing that old European novels have like...”
Where to get it
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In Our Time
In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway is a celebrated early collection of short stories that established the author's signature minimalist style and explored themes of war, alienation, and disillusionment.
Discussed“And I read the Hemingway story in our time.”
Where to get it
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A Farewell to Arms
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway is a celebrated twentieth-century novel depicting the experiences of an American ambulance driver serving in Italy during the First World War and his tragic romance.
Discussed“Have you looked at the alternate endings for a farewell to arms?”
Where to get it
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Hell's Angels
Hell's Angels by Hunter S.
Recommended“For me, the book that I like, the first book is the best, which is the Hell's Angels.”
Where to get it
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The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe is a foundational work of New Journalism that chronicles Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters and their psychedelic journey across America in a psychedelic school bus.
Discussed“He gave Tom Wolf all the stuff, the reporting that became electrocolate acid test.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (2) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“So I wrote this book Murder in the Dollhouse about this guy, Fotas Dulos, who killed his wife.”
“And he picks it up and it's a page from Anna Karenina.”