Episode · EconTalk · 2025-12-01
Books mentioned on The Perfect Tuba: How Band, Grit, and Community Build a Better Life (with Sam Quinones)
Journalist and author Sam Quinones talks about his newest book, The Perfect Tuba: Forging Fulfillment from the Brass Horn, Band, and Hard Work with EconTalk's Russ Roberts. Known for his reporting on the opioid crisis, Quinones turns to a more uplifting subject--the world of tuba players and high school marching bands.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Perfect Tuba
Discussed“Our topic for today is his latest book, The Perfect Tuba: Forging Fulfillment from the Basshorn, Band and Hard Work.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (5) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Passing The Least of Us
“He was last here in October of 2021 talking about his book, The Least of Us.”
Passing Dreamland
“I mean, I was uh in the middle of these books right here, the Dreamland book, which is about the opioid epidemic. I was just getting going on that and I I just kept on interviewing tuba players”
Passing Dreamland
“And so I kept on doing it as I wrote Dreamland about the opioid epidemic and Oxycontton and and all that and then the least of us which was about the Mexican trafficking world and switching to fentanyl and methamphetamin and these were all very grim things.”
Passing The Least of Us
“And so I kept on doing it as I wrote Dreamland about the opioid epidemic and Oxycontton and and all that and then the least of us which was about the Mexican trafficking world and switching to fentanyl and methamphetamin and these were all very grim things.”
Own book The Perfect Tuba
“His book is The Perfect Tuba. Sam, thanks for being part of Econ Talk as always, Russ.”