Podcast
Pod Save America book list: the books mentioned on the show
Key facts
- 306 books have been mentioned on Pod Save America, as of November 6, 2026.
- 239 episodes of Pod Save America mention at least one book, as of November 6, 2026.
- 54 people brought up a book on the show, as of November 6, 2026.
- The 3 books mentioned in the most episodes of Pod Save America, as of November 6, 2026: A Promised Land, Hillbilly Elegy and Original Sin.
- The latest episode of Pod Save America with a book mention aired on November 6, 2026.
Updated
Pod Save America is a no-bullshit conversation about politics hosted by former Obama aides Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer, and Tommy Vietor. It cuts through the noise to break down the week’s news and helps people figure out what matters and how they can help. They’re regularly joined by journalists, activists, politicians, entertainers, and world leaders. You can watch on YouTube or listen…
Books from the latest episodes
Most mentioned on Pod Save America
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A Promised Land
On Pod Save America, hosts and guests frequently referenced Barack Obama's memoir A Promised Land. Dan Pfeiffer recommended the book for perspective on economic stimulus negotiations, while Tommy Vietor and John Favreau mentioned reading it during late 2020. Abdul El-Sayed also cited the book in November 2026 to discuss foreign policy details. The hosts used the memoir to reflect on political strategy, campaigning in rural areas, and the realities of governance.
Discussed“President Obama wrote about this in his most recent book promised land there is one person in the world that has been trying to get this war fought for nearly all of our lifetimes”
Where to get it
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Hillbilly Elegy
J.D. Vance's memoir Hillbilly Elegy came up on Pod Save America, where hosts Dan Pfeiffer, Tommy Vietor, and Jon Favreau discussed Vance's background, military service, and political trajectory. The hosts referenced the book while analyzing Vance's public persona, contrasting his past economic populist writings with his cultural views, and questioning his empathy regarding childhood trauma. They also noted the book's bestselling status and subsequent film adaptation.
Discussed“and the guy the hillbilly the hillbilly elegy guy who wrote a book and rose to prominence because of his experience as a child in a traumatized household and he has like not a shred of empathy about this”
Where to get it
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Original Sin
On Pod Save America, hosts Tommy Vietor, Dan Pfeiffer, and another host frequently discussed Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson. The book came up across several 2025 episodes in connection with Joe Biden's reelection decision, his age-related decline, and the media fallout surrounding the White House. The hosts mentioned excerpts of the book leading up to its release and later discussed public reactions to it. Additionally, the hosts recommended reading the book and analyzed its reporting on allegations regarding Biden's presidency.
Discussed“Your last book original sin which you wrote with Alex Thompson from Axios made a lot of waves.”
Where to get it
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Mobility
Lydia Kiesling's novel "Mobility" was frequently highlighted on Pod Save America as the inaugural publication from Crooked Media Reads. In episodes such as "Nikki Haley's Presidential Candidacy Is Embarrassing And Bad" and "Donald Trump Faces a Third Indictment for his Most Serious Crime Yet," the hosts announced the book's availability for pre-order and promoted an upcoming live launch event with author Lydia Kiesling at the Dynasty Typewriter. Tommy Vietor repeatedly urged listeners to purchase the novel across multiple July and August 2023 episodes, while a September episode celebrated its bestseller status and positive reviews.
Recommended“It's now been one month since Crooked Media Reads published our first book, 'Mobility' by Lydia Kiesling, and not only did it make the bestseller list, it also received amazing reviews from outlets like the LA Times, which called it an emotionally and geopolitically savvy coming-of-age story.”
Where to get it
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The Sum of Us
Heather McGhee's book The Sum of Us was discussed across several episodes of Pod Save America. In March 2021, Jon Favreau recommended the book to listeners, and Ben Wickler referenced McGhee's swimming pool economics concept to explain how political actors use racial division to undermine public goods. Tommy Vietor brought up the book in July 2022 when introducing McGhee as a guest and included it in the episode's outro. Additionally, Alex Wagner recommended the book in March 2026 to illustrate how zero-sum thinking impacts race relations and public resources.
Recommended“And all of this, I will just say, is explored so brilliantly by my friend Heather McGee in her book, The Sum of Us, which is like the idea of if someone else is doing better, that means you're doing worse.”
Where to get it
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Project 2025:
On Pod Save America, the hosts discussed 'Project 2025' across multiple episodes in 2024, referencing its connection to conservative policy proposals and Donald Trump's potential administration. The hosts and guests, including Congressman Ryan, analyzed specific components of the document, such as its outlined plans for targeting undocumented immigrants and compiling lists of political loyalists through the Heritage Foundation. They also touched on the political traction the project gained during the election cycle.
Discussed“But anyway, so that's what he says, and then, you know, in Project 2025, they specifically cite the first round that they—of undocumented immigrants they want to go after—are people who committed felonies, crimes of violence, DUIs, and previous removal.”
Where to get it
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Regime Change
On Pod Save America, Jon Favreau, Tommy Vietor, Alex Wagner, and Jon Favreau discussed "Regime Change" by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan across multiple episodes in 2026. Jon Favreau mentioned the book to illustrate Donald Trump's obsession with the idea that Iran wanted to assassinate him and also referenced a forthcoming excerpt about the Epstein saga. Tommy Vietor brought up the book to discuss his recent interview with the authors, while Alex Wagner mentioned it while talking about Donald Trump's decorations in the White House.
Discussed“If you read Regime Change, the Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan book, like one of the themes in there and she and Maggie talks about this in an interview with Ezra Klein a few weeks ago, is that Trump is singularly obsessed with the idea that Iran wants to kill him.”
Where to get it
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What is Project 2025?
What is Project 2025? was discussed on Pod Save America by Tommy Vietor, Darla Lind, and guest Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. The speakers referenced the document while analyzing pre-drafted memos, immigration priorities, proposed mass deportations, and plans to dismantle federal agencies, framing the platform as a playbook for authoritarianism.
Discussed“the now again head of om who was running project 2025 he said that you know there were a lot of things that they were working on that were very close hold that weren't put putting in Project 2025 a lot of memos and policy guidance that they were pre-drafted and so we just don't know what the volume of”
Where to get it
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The Trump Indictments
The book The Trump Indictments by Melissa Murray and Andrew Weissmann was repeatedly recommended and discussed on Pod Save America. Co-hosts and guests including Tommy Vietor, Jon Lovett, and other hosts highlighted the work across multiple episodes, such as 'Donald Trump At CPAC Gives Insane Speech In Front Of Nazi-Friendly Crowd' and 'Donald Trump Reportedly Snoozes Through Day 1 of Criminal Trial'. The hosts praised it as a vital collection of historic charging documents with expert commentary, welcoming Murray and Weissmann onto the show to discuss what stood out to them while analyzing the legal texts.
Recommended“Melissa, as you know by now, is a co-host of the fantastic Crooked Media podcast Strict Scrutiny, a professor at NYU Law School, and the author of the very excellent book 'The Trump Indictments.'”
Where to get it
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When We're in Charge
Amanda Litman's When We're in Charge was featured across several episodes of Pod Save America in the spring of 2025. Jon Lovett and Jon Favreau promoted the book as a practical, no-fluff leadership manual for young people, urging listeners to pre-order it from Crooked Media Reads. During an April 25 episode, Favreau interviewed Litman, congratulating her on the release and discussing the book's core themes as a guide for the next generation of leaders.
Recommended“Our friend Amanda Litman's great new book, When We're in Charge: The Next Generation's Guide to Leadership, is out now from Crooked Media Reads. Uh, the book is a manual for leadership on Your Own Terms. No fluff, no gatekeeping, no losing yourself in the process, just real tools, honest lessons, and the kind of clarity that younger leaders actually”
Where to get it
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Why We're Polarized
Tommy Vietor frequently mentioned Ezra Klein's book Why We're Polarized on Pod Save America. In January 2020 and January 2021, Vietor enthusiastically recommended the book to listeners, describing it as an incredibly smart read that helps explain American politics and the stakes of elections. Later in October 2021, Vietor referenced the book again during a discussion on identity-based appeals and political messaging.
Discussed“it is just like basically an escrow client podcast but in ezra client's book why we're polarized he talks about how the remember those buzzfeed quizzes”
Where to get it
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Win Every Argument
Mehdi Hasan's book Win Every Argument was featured and recommended across multiple episodes of Pod Save America in 2023 and 2024. Hosts Jon Favreau, Tommy Vietor, and other contributors introduced Hasan as an expert debater and author, recommending the book as a practical guide for persuasion, public speaking, and winning debates during holidays or elections.
Discussed“Uh, and who better to have with us to do this than Mehdi, one of the best debaters and author of How to Win Every Argument? Uh, love it!”
Where to get it
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A Case for the American People
On Pod Save America, the hosts discussed Norman Eisen and his book Trying Trump across multiple episodes. They recommended the work, introduced Eisen as its author to provide insights into courtroom dynamics surrounding Donald Trump, and referenced Eisen's conversations with sources regarding potential legal sentencings.
Discussed“Okay, to give us his perspective of what it was like inside the courtroom shortly before Donald Trump walked out and just spoke to the cameras, we have Norm Eisen, CNN legal analyst, author of 'Trying Trump,' and our old White House pal.”
Where to get it
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Confidence Man
Maggie Haberman's book, Confidence Man, was discussed on Pod Save America prior to its publication and during its release week. Hosts Tommy Vietor, Jon Lovett, and another host previewed the eagerly awaited book about Donald Trump, highlighting Haberman's reporting, her Atlantic excerpt, and subsequent interviews with the author on the podcast regarding her coverage.
Recommended“joining us now to talk about her new book confidence man the Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times journalist”
Where to get it
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The World as It Is
On Pod Save America, Tommy Vietor recommended Ben Rhodes's book, The World as It Is, while discussing how past experiences inform political strategy. In a later episode, Vietor brought up the memoir to question an anecdote involving Rahm Emanuel, and the host of a related series highlighted the book as the central theme for a month of conversations exploring the deep state.
Discussed“Ben Rhodess wrote in his book that you once jokingly referred to him as Hamas. Uh people on the left have taken this anecdote and interpreted as showing that you didn't care about Palestinian rights.”
Where to get it
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107 Days
Kamala Harris's book "107 Days" was discussed on multiple episodes of Pod Save America. Jon Favreau first brought it up on August 1, 2025, describing it as a journal of her presidential campaign. Tommy Vietor later mentioned the book on September 19, 2025, to discuss excerpts that had recently circulated, and again on January 20, 2026, during a segment covering Josh Shapiro's responses to her claims about the vice presidential vetting process.
Discussed“He also has an in-depth accounting of Kla Harris's VP vetting process. Which Shapiro apparently found to be quite contentious. He writes that the vetting team asked him at one point if he had ever quote communicated with an undercover agent of Israel or if he ever was himself an agent for Israel. Um, that news comes after Harris wrote”
Where to get it
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1984
On Pod Save America, hosts Tommy Vietor and Dan Pfeiffer, alongside guest Marc Maron, brought up George Orwell's '1984' during episodes in 2021 and 2025. Maron referenced the book while discussing authoritarianism and fighting political tides, while Vietor compared Mark Zuckerberg's comments on content moderation policies to the slippery slope themes found in the novel. Pfeiffer also invoked the title to emphasize that a publisher discontinuing certain Dr. Seuss books was not equivalent to government censorship.
Discussed“You know, we're doing Germany. We're doing 1984. Deal with it. But like you know in 1984 it's about letting go. You're fighting against this tide.”
Where to get it
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Peril
On Pod Save America, Tommy Vietor and the host mentioned the book Peril by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa across multiple episodes in 2021 and 2024. The speakers discussed leaked excerpts from the book detailing the final days of the Trump administration and the Trump coup attempt. They characterized Woodward's work as containing core elements such as juicy insider details and an omniscient voice, using a report from the book regarding COVID tests sent to Putin to illustrate Trump's behavior.
Discussed“Um, but I'm sure they'll do more, um on her Howard Stern interview. Um, he asked about a report that emerged yesterday from Bob Woodward's forthcoming book, as if we needed a Woodward book!”
Where to get it
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Rise and kill first
On Pod Save America, Jon Lovett mentioned reading Ronen Bergman's non-fiction book Rise and Kill First. Lovett discussed the book, which covers the Mossad and targeted assassinations during and after the founding of Israel, as part of his reading habits and New Year's resolutions to start more books without feeling pressured to finish them quickly.
Discussed“I was talking about how I was reading them book ryzen kill first about about the about the um uh the early days of Israel and the Massad days too”
Where to get it
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The art of John Bolton
John Bolton's book 'The Room Where It Happened' was discussed on Pod Save America by Mehdi Hasan and the show's hosts. The speakers referenced the memoir amid legal battles over its publication to support claims regarding Donald Trump's handling of intelligence reports and foreign policy decisions involving international leaders.
Discussed“We know from john bolton's book that donald trump encouraged president xi jinping to build camps to put muslims in donald trump the president united states encouraged genocide abroad”
Where to get it
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The Handmaid's Tale
Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale was brought up on Pod Save America by hosts Alyssa Mastromonaco and Jon Lovett. Mastromonaco referenced the book to illustrate the extreme and dystopian reality of abortion bans enacted after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, arguing that comparisons to Atwood's work are prescient rather than excessive. Lovett also mentioned the novel during a lighthearted quiz segment on the podcast.
Discussed“what the entire country has seen is that this is some actual handmaid's taale”
Where to get it
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After the Fall
Ben Rhodes's book After the Fall: Being American in the World We've Made was discussed and recommended on Pod Save America in June 2021. Jon Favreau interviewed the author about the rise of global autocratic governments and media control, praising the book as timely, compelling, and beautifully written. Dan Pfeiffer and Jon Favreau both urged listeners to purchase the book to help it climb the New York Times non-fiction bestseller list and surpass Bill O'Reilly's book.
Recommended“i'm halfway through a little more than halfway through uh rhodes's book after the fall which you should all go by ben is now number three on the new york times bestseller list he's just he's on bill o'reilly's heels nipping at the hill so go by after the fall”
Where to get it
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Grace
On Pod Save America, Dan Pfeiffer and Tommy Vietor discussed Cody Keenan's book Grace. Vietor strongly recommended the inspirational book to the listeners at the conclusion of the interview.
Recommended“Grace by Cody Keenan yeah that's important again”
Where to get it
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Nixonland
Rick Perlstein's book Nixonland was discussed on Pod Save America in relation to American political history. Jon Favreau brought up the book while discussing recommendations for historical reading, noting that other hosts had read it. Tommy Vietor also mentioned Nixonland when expressing his admiration for Rick Perlstein's writing and sharing his enthusiasm for the author's body of work.
Recommended“i think all of rick pearlstein's books are great i always harass you guys about these nixon land haven't read reagan land yet”
Where to get it
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On the Other Side of Freedom
On Pod Save America, host Tommy Vietor recommended DeRay Mckesson's new book, On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope, across episodes in September 2018. Vietor announced that the book had officially hit shelves and online marketplaces, urging listeners to purchase and read it while directing them to a website for details.
Recommended“a reminder that DeRay McKesson the host of POD save the people has a new book out that you can get right now at der a calm it's called the other side of freedom”
Where to get it
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Prequel
Rachel Maddow's book Prequel was discussed on Pod Save America. Tommy Vietor strongly recommended the book to listeners interested in the history of fascist movements and right-wing extremism in 1930s America. In a subsequent episode, Rachel Maddow appeared as a guest to discuss the book, tracking the historical fight against right-wing extremists and drawing parallels to modern legal trials, including the 1944 sedition trial.
Recommended“if you're listening you haven't already you should go listen to uh Rachel's podcast Ultra or read uh prequel both of which tell the story of a fascist movement in 1930s America”
Where to get it
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Say Nothing
On Pod Save America, Tommy Vietor expressed immense praise and excitement for Patrick Radden Keefe's book Say Nothing. In separate episodes, he called it one of the best books he had ever read and shared his excitement about watching its television adaptation on Hulu.
Recommended“I'm very excited to watch uh say nothing Patrick Ren Keefe's book that's been adapted I think it's on Hulu right now”
Where to get it
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The New Jim Crow
On Pod Save America, John Legend and Heather McGhee discussed The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. John Legend explained to John Favreau that reading the book motivated him to think deeply about systemic issues, inspiring a sense of urgency around education reform, justice reform, and decarceration. Heather McGhee also recommended the book to help listeners better understand systemic racism and government-enforced segregation.
Discussed“I think really was motivated just by me reading about things so I would read books that kind of um pushed me to think about some of these issues um like you know the new gem Crow by Michelle Alexander and and other books that you know made me feel a sense of urgency”
Where to get it
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The Warmth of Other Suns
On Pod Save America, Isabel Wilkerson's 'The Warmth of Other Suns' was recommended by guests across different episodes in mid-2020. In July 2020, Dan Pfeiffer recommended the book as an essential read for understanding the Great Migration and the historical forces that shaped the United States. A month earlier, in June 2018, Heather McGhee similarly recommended the book to listeners looking to educate themselves on systemic racism and segregation.
Recommended“one is the warmth of other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson which is about the great migration and the other one is Republic of suffering which is by drew Gilpin Faust”
Where to get it
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This Will Not Pass
This Will Not Pass by Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns was featured on Pod Save America in May 2022. Jon Favreau introduced co-author Jonathan Martin as a guest, promoting the New York Times bestseller and joking that listeners could read it, hate-read it, or trigger themselves with it. Tommy Vietor also previewed the book on an earlier episode while discussing upcoming interviews regarding political audio tapes.
Recommended“joining us now New York Times National political correspondent and co-author with Alex Burns of the Blockbuster New York Times bestseller this will not pass Jonathan Martin welcome to the Pod man”
Where to get it
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Harlem Shuffle
On Pod Save America, Dan Pfeiffer brought up Colson Whitehead's novel Harlem Shuffle. Pfeiffer recommended the book as a well-done crime novel and mentioned that he had just finished reading it.
Recommended“uh two books uh one Harlem Shuffle by Coulson Whitehead and oh razor blade tear by sa Cosby”
Where to get it
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How Democracies Die
How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt was discussed on Pod Save America. Mehdi Hasan referenced the political scientists' book to emphasize the threat posed by the modern Republican Party to American democracy. In a later episode, Dan Pfeiffer and the host brought up the book dismissively while debating the effectiveness of mailing copies of it to voters to inform them about risks to democracy.
Discussed“send mail out copies of uh how democracies End by those two professors I don't I don't think I don't think I don't think we can get people to reades die how democracies die”
Where to get it
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Klara and the Sun
Kazuo Ishiguro's novel Klara and the Sun was recommended on Pod Save America during a year-end episode in December 2021. Dan Pfeiffer and Jon Favreau brought up the book as a favored reading recommendation, with Favreau praising Ishiguro as his favorite author. Additionally, in an earlier April 2020 stream, a host reflected on reading Ishiguro's earlier novel The Buried Giant over Christmas, describing it as a strange and controversial work by the acclaimed writer.
Recommended“clar in the sun you go dan you go first”
Where to get it
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Termination Shock
On Pod Save America, Neal Stephenson's novel Termination Shock was discussed by the hosts. In December 2023, an unidentified speaker recommended the book as a favorite read dealing with climate change. Later in November 2024, Tommy Vietor mentioned the science fiction book while expressing excitement over Stephenson's upcoming writing projects.
Discussed“Neil Stevenson has a new book called polan which I'm very excited to read polan Neil Stevenson a great science fiction writer uh he wrote this book termination shock which which which was there were two books about climate change around the same time ministry of the future and uh termination shock termination shock was the the action version and”
Where to get it
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This Town
On Pod Save America, host Tommy Vietor and guest Mark Leibovich discussed Leibovich's book This Town. During an episode in April 2022, Vietor recommended a new book by comparing its tone favorably to This Town, while Leibovich reflected on his own work as a bipartisan critique of Washington D.C. culture and political swamp dynamics. Later episodes also featured conversations on how the themes of This Town might apply to more recent political landscapes.
Discussed“Last question for you. This town came out in 2013. If you were writing the 2026 edition, what's the opening scene? Who's the central character?”
Where to get it
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Twilight of Democracy
On Pod Save America, Tommy Vietor introduced guest Anne Applebaum by praising her book Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism. Dan Pfeiffer also mentioned reading the book on the podcast as a way to stay informed about political trends and keep up with colleagues.
Recommended“she's a staff writer at the atlantic and the author of a fantastic book twilight of democracy the seductive lure of authoritarianism”
Where to get it
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What It Takes
On Pod Save America, Dan Pfeiffer recommended Richard Ben Cramer's What It Takes as an essential political campaign book read by insiders and journalists. Pfeiffer later mentioned the book again while discussing how political campaigns changed following the 1984 election.
Discussed“It was in the 1988 election where richard bryn kramer wrote what it takes the all-time greatest political campaign book”
Where to get it
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White Fragility
On Pod Save America, Heather McGhee suggested reading White Fragility by Dr. Robin DiAngelo as part of an individual's educational journey regarding race. In a later episode, Jon Favreau brought up the book while discussing political controversies over school curricula and a Loudoun County school board member's op-ed concerning equity consultants and teacher training.
Discussed“you get a loudness county school board member writing op-eds about how loudoun county hired an equity consultant that recommended the teachers base their lessons on books like robin d'angelo's white fragility which says quote a positive white identity is an impossible goal”
Where to get it
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Fear: Trump in the White House
Bob Woodward's book Fear: Trump in the White House was discussed on Pod Save America around its release in September 2018. Tommy Vietor and other hosts introduced the book to examine its explosive revelations regarding the Trump administration, detailing excerpts reported by the Washington Post and discussing the political impact of the publication.
Discussed“this hotbed comes as Trump is losing his mind over Bob Woodward's new book it's called fear Dan you've dealt with Woodward on to books”
Where to get it
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Hard Choices
On Pod Save America, the host referenced Hillary Clinton's book Hard Choices while questioning whether political literature often relies on overly simplistic narratives about bipartisan reconciliation. In an earlier 2018 episode, Hillary Clinton herself briefly mentioned the book while discussing a past NPR interview.
Discussed“It's like that, like, you know, we started off, uh, we started off as people who couldn't see eye to eye, but over a local craft beer and two hours of good and difficult conversation, we came to see each other's point of view like that. Kind of, who's that for? Was that in Hard Choices?”
Where to get it
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Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler came up on multiple episodes of Pod Save America. Michael Tyler referenced the book in August 2024 to accuse Donald Trump of echoing its rhetoric regarding immigrants. Tommy Vietor referenced it in April 2021 as a historical analogy for how extremist ideas spread online, while Mehdi Hasan mentioned in July 2020 that Hitler paid tribute to Jim Crow laws within its pages.
Discussed“because this was the 1930s and you caught some american politician reading aloud from mineconf”
Where to get it
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The Buried Giant
On Pod Save America, Tommy Vietor discussed Kazuo Ishiguro's novel The Buried Giant in multiple episodes. In August 2022, Vietor brought up the book to metaphorically describe a political situation, explaining how it centers on a fog that causes people in England to lose their memories, comparing it to how the public quickly forgets political scandals. Earlier, in April 2020, Vietor mentioned that he had read the novel over Christmas, noting that Ishiguro is one of his favorite authors.
Discussed“there's this book by ishiguru uh called the berry giant and it's about a fog that falls over england that makes them all lose their memories”
Where to get it
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The Federalist papers
The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay was referenced on Pod Save America to discuss political theory and government accountability. In July 2021, Anat Shankar Osorio brought up the Federalist Papers to explain James Madison's historical warnings regarding factions. In January 2019, Tommy Vietor referenced Federalist Paper No. 11 to argue that the responsibilities of Congress include providing checks and balances on the president.
Discussed“this is what madison was writing about in the federalist papers that he feared”
Where to get it
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The Fifth Risk
On Pod Save America, Michael Lewis's book 'The Fifth Risk' was discussed in April 2025 by Lewis and host Jon Lovett. Lewis explained how he discovered a character at the end of the book, while Lovett referenced the text to ask about past presidential transitions, government negligence, and bureaucratic obstacles. Tommy Vietor also previously brought up the book in December 2020 to discuss how career professionals were gutted from government agencies.
Discussed“So I just thought I started got interested in the characters and then I found this character towards at the end of the fifth risk. I just picked him basically out of h out of a hat.”
Where to get it
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The Ministry for the Future
Kim Stanley Robinson's novel The Ministry for the Future was mentioned on Pod Save America. Jon Lovett brought up the book while discussing his science fiction reading list and his admiration for the author, while Tommy Vietor briefly compared it to another climate change book, characterizing Robinson's work as the slower counterpart to Neal Stephenson's action-oriented novel.
Critiqued“termination shock which which which was there were two books about climate change around the same time ministry of the future and uh termination shock termination shock was the the action version and the other one was boring”
Where to get it
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The Mueller Report
Robert S. Mueller's official publication, 'The Mueller Report', was discussed on Pod Save America by hosts Tommy Vietor and Jon Favreau. Vietor brought up the document to argue that the House should initiate Watergate-style investigative hearings to bring the contents of the report to the public rather than pursuing immediate impeachment. Favreau also touched upon the news and partisan reactions surrounding the initial release of the report's summary.
Discussed“I'm still very much of the belief that we should begin Watergate committee style hearings and not call them impeachment in an effort to bring to life and bring on TV all the things that were in that 448 page report that no one's read and and just continue to hammer this on Trump”
Where to get it
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The Outpost
On Pod Save America, Jake Tapper mentioned his previously published book about Afghanistan while discussing his background and writing career with host Tommy Vietor. Tapper reflected on writing the non-fiction work, noting how meaningful the project was to him.
Discussed“I wrote The Outpost about Afghanistan. It came out in 2012. I'm sure you remember.”
Where to get it
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The Room Where It Happened
On Pod Save America, host Tommy Vietor discussed John R. Bolton's memoir The Room Where It Happened. Vietor and John Lovett talked about a legal battle over the publication of the book by the former national security advisor, noting the judge's ruling regarding civil and criminal liability for classified information.
Discussed“I mean John Bolton in his books as Trump gets the PDB once maybe twice a week he doesn't read any intelligence reports”
Where to get it
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The Sympathizer
Viet Thanh Nguyen's The Sympathizer was mentioned on Pod Save America by Dan Pfeiffer and Jon Favreau. Pfeiffer discussed reading and enjoying the novel, while Favreau referenced the Pulitzer Prize-winning book while introducing its sequel.
Discussed“I was late on this but I read the sympathizer this year I believe uh it's as good as everyone said it was takes like 50 pages to get into cuz there's whatever”
Where to get it
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The Years of Rice and Salt
Kim Stanley Robinson's work was discussed on Pod Save America. In one episode, Lovett mentioned reading Robinson's science fiction book The Ministry for the Future, expressing his love for the author's work on climate change. Another episode featured a discussion about a book event and insights shared regarding Barack Obama.
Discussed“Our friend Terry Slat has a new book out, and I was doing a book event with him. In his book, he talks about how the only time in his life he'd ever been disappointed with Barack Obama was during that speech.”
Where to get it
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Trump: The Art of the Deal
Donald J. Trump and Tony Schwartz's book 'Trump: The Art of the Deal' came up in two episodes of Pod Save America. On November 18, 2021, Jon Favreau referenced the book to describe how Donald Trump framed the economy during his presidency. Later, on April 11, 2025, in the episode 'Trump Falls Deeper Into Self-Inflicted Tariff Trade War Disaster,' Tommy Vietor brought up the book jokingly to question whether financial markets failed to understand Trump's strategic abilities.
Discussed“Um Dan, do you think the problem is uh just that not enough people have have read The Art of the Deal?”
Where to get it
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We Still Hold These Truths
On Pod Save America, Matthew Spalding's book We Still Hold These Truths was referenced in relation to political policy. In the October 15, 2024 episode, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell discussed proposals tied to Project 2025, and in the July 24, 2024 episode, the hosts discussed JD Vance's involvement in writing the foreword for a forthcoming book that they described as acting as a policy blueprint equivalent to Project 2025.
Discussed“That's part of what Project 2025 has included in those points in that 900-page document! It's extremely dangerous!”
Where to get it
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1929
On Pod Save America, host John Lovett discussed Andrew Ross Sorkin's book 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in History and How It Shattered a Nation, strongly recommending the relevant and fascinating work to listeners as the interview concluded.
Discussed“So uh the book is 1929 inside the greatest crash in history and how it shattered a nation.”
Where to get it
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2020
On Pod Save America, Chris Hayes mentioned Eric Klinenberg's book '2020' while discussing the pandemic, public perception, and the intense disruption and hangover of the COVID-19 experience.
Recommended“I got two thesis on these one is the is the Eric kleinenberg who just got a great book out now about the pandemic called 2020”
Where to get it
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A Dream Deferred
On Pod Save America on November 2, 2025, during an episode titled Debating the Trump Era with Abby Phillip, Jon Favreau brought up A Dream Deferred by Abby Phillip at the beginning of the show to praise it and introduce the topic of Jesse Jackson's 1980s presidential campaigns. At the end of the interview, Favreau recommended the book again, enthusiastically urging listeners to pick up a copy.
Recommended“And on top of that, she's also out with a fascinating new book that I'm loving, A Dream Deferred, Jesse Jackson and the Fight for Black Political Power, about Reverend Jackson's groundbreaking presidential campaigns in the 19 80s and importantly, what those campaigns can teach us about where the Democratic Party is today and where it needs to go.”
Where to get it
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All the Demons Are Here
All the Demons Are Here by Jake Tapper was featured on Pod Save America. Tommy Vietor welcomed guest Jake Tapper to discuss his upcoming political thriller, providing details about its release and encouraging listeners to pre-order the book.
Recommended“here to talk about his new political thriller all the demons are here which is out in July CNN's Jake Tapper”
Where to get it
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All the Sinners Bleed
During an episode of Pod Save America, Dan Pfeiffer recommended the crime novel All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby. While discussing the author's work, Pfeiffer highlighted this specific book as a recent release and described it as excellent.
Recommended“he has three all the siners bleed is the one that came out this year excellent”
Where to get it
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An Artist of the Floating World
On the January 7, 2025, episode of Pod Save America titled Harris Certifies Trump’s Presidential Win on Jan. 6 Insurrection Anniversary, Tommy Vietor discussed An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro. Tommy Vietor mentioned that he read the book over the break and brought it up to explore how societies process events and heal after fascist fervor breaks.
Recommended“I read a book over the break called an artist of the floating World by Kazo isuru”
Where to get it
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An Ugly Truth
Shira Frenkel and Cecilia Kang's book An Ugly Truth was discussed on Pod Save America in August 2021. Host Tommy Vietor welcomed Frenkel to the program by introducing her as one of the authors of the book, referenced the title while analyzing Facebook's internal corporate mentality, and concluded by strongly recommending that listeners read the work to understand the powerful technology company.
Discussed“she's a new york times tech reporter and one of the authors of an ugly truth inside facebook's battle for domination shira franco thank you so much for being here”
Where to get it
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Aurora
On the October 18, 2022 episode of Pod Save America titled 'Answering Your Questions on Midterms, Tim Ryan, Kari Lake, Herschel Walkers and', host Lovett mentioned having previously read a book by Kim Stanley Robinson, identifying the title as Aurora.
Recommended“i just read a book called aurora by kim stanley robinson recommended by sarah wick who runs our company”
Where to get it
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Bag Man
In the December 8, 2020 episode of Pod Save America featuring guest Rachel Maddow, host Tommy Vietor recommended the book Bag Man, co-authored by Maddow and Michael Yarvitz. Vietor praised the work as a fascinating and incredibly relevant story, telling listeners to check it out.
Recommended“rachel maddow thank you so much the book is bagman the podcast was absolutely incredible i can't wait to read the book it's a fascinating incredibly relevant story everybody check it out”
Where to get it
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Battling the Big Lie
Dan Pfeiffer's book Battling the Big Lie was featured on Pod Save America on its publication day. Tommy Vietor mentioned an excerpt published in Vanity Fair, discussed the book with the author, and joined him in encouraging listeners to purchase it.
Discussed“you know in your new book battling the big lie which is on sale today right today today today you had an excerpt of vanity fairness”
Where to get it
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Beautiful Things
On Pod Save America in April 2021, author Hunter Biden discussed his memoir Beautiful Things, describing it as a love letter to the people who supported him through addiction. Co-host Tommy Vietor praised the book toward the end of the episode, calling it a rare and honest account of addiction that everyone should read.
Discussed“and that's what the you know i'm glad you started here because really you know the book is really a love story it's a love letter to those to the people that um that never gave up on uh on me”
Where to get it
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Becoming
On Pod Save America during the December 24, 2018 episode titled Christmas Mailbag!, John Favreau brought up Michelle Obama's memoir Becoming, briefly mentioning that he had read the book and describing it as excellent.
Recommended“Michelle Obama's book becoming excellent just read that”
Where to get it
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Catch and Kill
On the March 15, 2018, episode of Pod Save America titled Conor Lamb, Republican spin, and Rex Tillerson, one of the hosts brought up Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow. The host mentioned that Farrow had a book coming out focusing on the decline of the State Department. Having seen some of the reporting featured in the book regarding what Rex Tillerson was doing inside the department, the host recommended that listeners check it out.
Recommended“and and I'll just you know Ronan Farrow has a book coming out about the decline of the State Department And having seen some of the reporting he does in the book about what Tillerson was doing inside of the department I will only say it's worth checking out for now”
Where to get it
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Dead Wake
During an episode of Pod Save America titled World Reacts FURIOUSLY To Trump's Venezuela Invasion released on January 6, 2026, Tommy Vietor briefly mentioned Erik Larson's book Dead Wake. Vietor stated that he had finished reading the book and praised it as a really great work.
Recommended“Finished Dead Wake. Oh, great. Great book. Really great. Really great.”
Where to get it
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Democracy Or Else
During an episode of Pod Save America, the host discussed Democracy Or Else by Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor before heading to a commercial break. The host recommended the work to listeners, describing it as a humorous and practical guide designed to help people navigate the political landscape during an election cycle.
Recommended“Two quick things before we go to break: You guys all already know about Jon Lovett and Tommy's great book, 'Democracy or Else: How to Save America in 10 Easy Steps.' It's a funny, practical guide to help you navigate the rest of this election.”
Where to get it
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Dog Whistle Politics
On Pod Save America, Melissa Murray brought up Ian Haney-López's book Dog Whistle Politics to explain how racialized social grievance divides class solidarity.
Recommended“and you know my former Berkeley colleague Ian Haney Lopez has written this terrific book dog whistle politics where you know it's fantastic”
Where to get it
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Dopamine Nation
On the November 22, 2022 episode of Pod Save America titled "“Thanksgiving Mailbag!”", Dan Pfeiffer recommended Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke, MD. Pfeiffer described the book as being about phone addiction and exploring why it is similar to other types of addictions.
Recommended“dopamine Nation by Anna Lemke which is about phone addiction and why it's like other addictions”
Where to get it
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Enter Ghost
On Pod Save America during the episode on 2023-08-01, guest Lydia Kiesling recommended Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad. She described it as a wonderful novel she recently read about performing a production of Hamlet in Palestine and the West Bank.
Recommended“I just read a wonderful novel uh called enter ghost by Isabella Hamad and it's about doing uh performance of Hamlet”
Where to get it
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Fear and Loathing at Rolling Stone
During the July 2, 2020 episode of Pod Save America titled Pod Save America 4th of July Mailbag, Dan Pfeiffer recommended Hunter S. Thompson's classic work Fear and Loathing at Rolling Stone. Pfeiffer specifically referenced the section covering the 1972 presidential campaign, highlighting it as a notable and insightful read about the political landscape of that era.
Recommended“the fear and loathing on the campaign trail Hunter s Thompson spoke about the 1972 presidential campaign”
Where to get it
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Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72
On a Pod Save America mailbag episode, Dan Pfeiffer recommended Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72. Pfeiffer described the work as a classic read that covers the 1972 presidential campaign.
Recommended“the fear and loathing on the campaign trail Hunter s Thompson spoke about the 1972 presidential campaign”
Where to get it
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Forward
During an episode of Pod Save America, Jon Lovett plugged Andrew Yang's book Forward at the end of their interview. Lovett also referenced the book earlier in the discussion while questioning Yang about his political strategy and noting that Yang had written about the topic.
Discussed“and i talked about this in the book which which you clearly have read through”
Where to get it
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From Bacteria to Bach and Back
During the Thanksgiving Mailbag 2020 episode of Pod Save America on November 23, 2020, Jon Favreau recommended From Bacteria to Bach and Back by Daniel C. Dennett. He described it as a fascinating read that brings together evolution, artificial intelligence, and consciousness.
Recommended“one uh from bacteria to bakken back by daniel dennett about evolution ai and consciousness and bringing them all together”
Where to get it
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Ghost Wars 12-copy floor
Tommy Vietor discussed Steve Coll's book Ghost Wars on Pod Save America during the February 19, 2018, episode. While talking about Coll's writing on the war in Afghanistan, Vietor mentioned the book as one of the best written on the subject.
Recommended“he's written some of the best books about the war in Afghanistan ghost war ghosts wars Directorate asses his latest ones about the CIA's role”
Where to get it
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Ghost Wars
On the February 19, 2018, episode of Pod Save America titled Russian election meddling, Facebook, and Parkland, host Jon Lovett discussed Ghost Wars by Steve Coll. During the segment, Lovett mentioned that he had interviewed journalist Steve Coll, describing him as a very smart writer. Lovett listed the book among Coll's notable works about the war in Afghanistan, noting that it explores the CIA's role, the military's role, regional challenges, and the reasons behind the prolonged American presence in the region after seventeen years.
Recommended“I interviewed a a very very smart journalist named Steve Coll he's written some of the best books about the war in Afghanistan ghost war ghosts wars Directorate asses his latest ones about the CIA's role the military's role all the challenges in the region why we're still there after 17 years”
Where to get it
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Government Gangsters
On Pod Save America, during the episode covering Republican responses to pardons, Tommy Vietor discussed Kash Patel's book Government Gangsters. Vietor mentioned that Patel was the new FBI director and remarked that the book was not very long, suggesting to listeners that they should check it out as part of the broader discussion on government officials and investigations.
Recommended“he read cash Patel's book the New FBI director you should check it out it's not a long book seen”
Where to get it
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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
On Pod Save America, Tommy Vietor discussed his New Year's resolutions for reading more books. He shared that he had started reading the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, describing it as a nice world to escape into.
Recommended“so I I have started I have started the first Harry Potter book Sorcerer's Stone nice world to escape to”
Where to get it
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling was discussed on Pod Save America in December 2019. During the episode, one of the hosts mentioned that he had started reading the first installment of the Harry Potter series as part of a personal resolution to read more books, noting that it provided an enjoyable and engaging world to escape into.
Recommended“so I I have started I have started the first Harry Potter book Sorcerer's Stone nice world to escape to”
Where to get it
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Homeland Elegies
On Pod Save America, Tommy Vietor briefly mentioned Ayad Akhtar's Homeland Elegies during the Thanksgiving mailbag episode, telling listeners that it was a book he was currently reading and finding to be amazing.
Recommended“um i'm currently reading homeland elegies by ayad akhtar which is amazing”
Where to get it
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How to Be a (Young) Antiracist
On Pod Save America, Heather McGee recommended How to Be a (Young) Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi and Nic Stone. During the discussion on race in America, McGee included the book in a reading list alongside other titles like White Fragility and The New Jim Crow as a resource for listeners seeking to educate themselves on systemic racism.
Recommended“right like read the color of law by Richard Roth seem to really understand how much the government segregated Americans you know read the warmth of other Suns go ahead and read white fragility read the new Jim Crow read how to be an aunt racist”
Where to get it
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How to Be an Antiracist
On the June 18, 2020, episode of Pod Save America titled Is America A Racist Country? | Pod Save America, guest Heather McGhee recommended Ibram X. Kendi's book How to Be an Antiracist. McGhee included the title in a reading list alongside several other works intended to help listeners educate themselves about systemic racism and segregation in America.
Recommended“like read the color of law by Richard Roth seem to really understand how much the government segregated Americans you know read the warmth of other Suns go ahead and read white fragility read the new Jim Crow read how to be an aunt racist”
Where to get it
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How to Do Nothing
How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell was mentioned on Pod Save America in September 2021. Tommy Vietor brought up the book while joking about searching for books related to the history of Los Angeles during a podcast segment.
Recommended“it's called how to do nothing by jenny odell”
Where to get it
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How to Eat an Elephant
On Pod Save America, Jon Favreau recommended Sarah Longwell's book How to Eat an Elephant at the close of the episode. Favreau and Longwell discussed themes from the text, including declining political trust, voters tuning out political advertisements, working-class coalitions, and an anecdote from the book's introduction about Kevin McCarthy at a New York Times summit.
Discussed“I also think in, you write about this in the book that, um, I think you said like, sometimes you think that the most important thing about politics is the lack of trust right now. The trust is the biggest issue.”
Where to get it
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I Disagree: Winning Arguments Without Losing Friends
On Pod Save America, Tommy Vietor mentioned I Disagree: Winning Arguments Without Losing Friends by Jessica Tarlov during the episode. He reminded the listeners of the book title and author at the end of the program.
Recommended“Jessica Tarlo again, the book is I Disagree: Winning Arguments Without Losing Friends.”
Where to get it
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I Have Something to Tell You
On Pod Save America, Tommy Vietor mentioned Chasten Buttigieg's young adult memoir, I Have Something to Tell You, during the interview, noting that he is a bestselling author.
Recommended“You're also the bestselling author of a young adult memoir called I Have Something to Tell You, so folks can pick that one up, too.”
Where to get it
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King Leopold's ghost
On Pod Save America, Tommy Vietor brought up Adam Hochschild's King Leopold's Ghost, describing it as a depressing but good book he had read about colonialism in the Congo.
Recommended“i read a really good but super depressing book called king leopold's ghost which is about colonialism in the congo”
Where to get it
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Lawless
On Pod Save America, Jon Favreau brought up Leah Litman's book Lawless to introduce his upcoming interview with the author and strict scrutiny co-host. Favreau described the work as detailing how the Supreme Court majority disguises right-wing political views as constitutional legal doctrine. At the conclusion of the episode, Favreau enthusiastically recommended the book to listeners, encouraging them to pre-order it ahead of its release date.
Recommended“You'll also hear my interview with our pal Leah Litman, strict scrutiny co-host and new author of the book Lawless, which comes out next week.”
Where to get it
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Less
On the December 24, 2018 episode of Pod Save America titled Christmas Mailbag!, host John Favreau brought up the novel Less by Andrew Sean Greer during the discussion. Favreau mentioned that the book had won the Pulitzer Prize the previous year, stated that it was very well worth a read, and recommended it to the listeners of the podcast.
Recommended“and the novel less I think at one that Pulitzer Prize last year is very well worth a read”
Where to get it
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Long Island Compromise
On an episode of Pod Save America titled We Answer Your Questions about Joe Rogan, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris and Future, Tommy Vietor discussed Taffy Brodesser-Akner's novel Long Island Compromise. Vietor stated that he planned to read the book because it was long and appeared to be a good read.
Recommended“I'm also going to read Taffy broser amman's new book oh that looked good I'm GNA read that because it's long it's called like the Long Island Challenge Long Island problem the Long Island issue Long Island compromise apparently”
Where to get it
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Maid
On Pod Save America during a streaming recording on May 2, 2019, the host discussed the podcast With Friends Like These. The host highlighted a previous interview where Anna Marie Cox spoke with author Stephanie Land about her experiences working as a maid, exploring how societal myths affect policy and public perceptions of low-income people, as detailed in Land's book.
Recommended“or with friends like these last week where Anna Marie Cox talked with author Stephanie land about her experiences as a maid and how those myths affect policy and perceptions of low-income people”
Where to get it
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Mia Mayhem Is a Superhero!
Mia Mayhem Is a Superhero! by Kara West was recommended on Pod Save America in November 2022. Jon Favreau mentioned the children's book series during a mailbag episode, sharing that it follows a little girl who becomes a superhero and noting that his child Kylo loved reading it.
Recommended“it's this book series called Mia Mayhem about a little girl who becomes a superhero kylo loves it”
Where to get it
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MOBY-DICK; or, THE WHALE
On Pod Save America, David Sedaris recommended the audiobook version of Moby Dick narrated by Burt Reynolds, describing it as atrocious yet highly recommended for its eccentric sailor's accent. Sedaris and Jon Lovett also discussed reading classics like Moby Dick in college and the declining attention spans of modern students.
Discussed“college professors are assigning fewer books and more excerpts because their students have lower attention spans. Uh gosh. That makes me sad, you know. Um but that said, if I were in college and then I had to read Moby Dick by tomorrow, I'd be like, "Fuck, I got to read Moby Dick by tomorrow." You can skip the whaling”
Where to get it
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Naked Lunch
On Pod Save America, John Favreau mentioned William S. Burroughs's classic novel Naked Lunch during a segment where the hosts discussed what they were currently reading. Favreau noted that he was reading the 1959 book about a heroin addict in Tangier.
Recommended“speaking of addicts i'm reading um naked lunch by william s burroughs sort of like a that's a classic it's a classic when is that from it's like 59 yeah it's real uh about like a heroin addict running around like tangiers”
Where to get it
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Nothing is true and everything is possible
On an episode of Pod Save America released on April 26, 2022, host Tommy Vietor recommended Peter Pomerantsev's book Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible. Vietor mentioned that he was halfway through reading the book about Russia—where Pomerantsev spent ten years working as a reality TV producer in Moscow—around the time he interviewed the author for another podcast.
Recommended“oh i just i i am halfway through because i just interviewed um uh the journalist peter pomeranza for offline who wrote a book called nothing is true and everything is possible about russia like when he he was there for 10 years and moscow was a reality tv producer speaking of reality tv and it's sort of about putin's”
Where to get it
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Papa's Coming Home
On Pod Save America, host Tommy Vietor discussed and recommended Chasten Buttigieg's children's book Papa's Coming Home during the episode Donald Trump Has An Obvious Weakness. Vietor interviewed Buttigieg about the motivations behind writing the book, LGBT representation in literature, public attacks on his family, and book bans. At the conclusion of the interview, Vietor encouraged listeners to pre-order the book and purchase copies for their local libraries.
Recommended“We So Chaston's got a book coming out. It's called uh Papa's Coming Home. It's a children's book. We talked about uh why he wanted to write that, LGBT representation in books, what it's like to be the focus of uh disgusting constant right-wing attacks on his family, book bands, their adoption story, being a dad, Pete's Beard.”
Where to get it
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Persist
On the May 7, 2021 episode of Pod Save America, guest Elizabeth Warren and host Tommy Vietor discussed Warren's book, Persist. Warren explained how the book illustrates that personal policy is deeply intertwined with Washington politics and shared her experiences with childcare early in life. Vietor referenced the book while discussing the challenges female candidates face, specifically the 'impossible woman trap,' and strongly recommended the book to listeners at the conclusion of the interview.
Discussed“and so i think of this and this is what i talk about in persist i try to make the case about how personal policy is”
Where to get it
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Presidents, Populism, and the Crisis of Democracy
On Pod Save America, Ezra Klein discussed the book Presidents, Populism, and the Crisis of Democracy by William G. Howell and Terry M. Moe. Klein mentioned that the authors provided a great framework on presidents and populism which he utilized in his own writing.
Recommended“and one and terry uh moe and howell have a great book on this uh it's president's populism and something”
Where to get it
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Prisoner
Jason Rezaian's book Prisoner was featured on Pod Save America in February 2019. Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor discussed interviewing Rezaian, the former Tehran bureau chief for the Washington Post who was held captive by the Iranian regime for 544 days. Tommy Vietor recommended the resulting book to the audience, praising the account of Rezaian's experience.
Recommended“um great book read The Prisoner”
Where to get it
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Race Against Terror
Tommy Vietor hosted Jake Tapper on Pod Save America to discuss his new book, holding it up for YouTube viewers. At the end of the interview, Vietor recommended that everyone pick up a copy of the book to read.
Discussed“Joining me today is CNN's lead DC anchor and chief Washington correspondent and the author of the new book, which I'm holding up right here for our YouTube viewers, Race Against Terror: Chasing an Al-Qaeda Killer at the Dawn of the Forever War.”
Where to get it
The next 206 books mentioned on Pod Save America, ranked
- Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby
- Renegade by Adam Kinzinger, Michael D'Antonio
- Revolutionary Power by Shalanda Baker
- Say More by Jen Psaki
- Scarcity by Sendhil Mullainathan
- Scrum - A Pocket Guide by Gunther Verheyen
- Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
- Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
- Seveneves / Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
- Shameless by Brian Tyler Cohen
- She Proclaims by Jennifer Palmieri
- Small Acts of Courage by Ali Velshi
- So Here's the Thing . . . by Alyssa Mastromonaco
- Someone Like Me by Julissa Arce
- Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
- Summary of Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett & Tommy Vietor's Democracy or Else by Milkyway Media
- Thank You for Your Servitude by Mark Leibovich
- The Arrest by Jonathan Lethem
- The Art of Logic in an Illogical World by Eugenia Cheng
- The Art of Power by Nancy Pelosi
- The Big Break by Ben Terris
- The Boys on the Bus by Timothy Crouse
- The Candy House by Jennifer Egan
- The Chaos Machine by Max Fisher
- The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
- The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen
- The Conscience of a Liberal by Paul David Wellstone
- The crisis of democracy by William E. Rappard
- The Day After by Brian Tyler Cohen
- The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias
- The Education of an Idealist by Samantha Power
- The End of Faith by Sam Harris
- The Fighters by C. J. Chivers
- The Fort Bragg Cartel by Seth Harp
- The Gates of Gaza by Amir Tibon
- The Hellfire Club by Jake Tapper
- The Idealist.org Handbook to Building a Better World by Idealist.org, Stephanie Land
- The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
- The Land and Its Peoples by David Sedaris
- The Last Campaign by Thurston Clarke
- The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner
- The New Tsar by Steven Lee Myers
- The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman
- The Oil and the Glory by Steve LeVine
- The Parisian by Isabella Hammad
- The Perilous Fight by Colin Kaepernick
- The Run of His Life by Jeffrey Toobin
- The Situation Room by George Stephanopoulos
- The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre
- The U.S. Constitution by Melissa Murray
- The Wilderness by Liam OʼFlaherty
- The Witch Elm by Tana French
- There There by Tommy Orange
- These Truths by Jill Lepore
- This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein
- This Republic of Suffering by Drew Gilpin Faust
- Time's Mouth by Edan Lepucki
- Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino, Juan Trejo
- True Gretch by Gretchen Whitmer
- We Are the World (Cup) by Roger Bennett
- We Fed an Island by Jose Andres
- Weather by Jenny Offill
- Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn
- White Working Class by Joan C. Williams
- Why Nothing Works by Marc J. Dunkelman
- Why We Did It by Tim Miller
- Woodworking by Emily St. James
- Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
- Yes We (Still) Can by Dan Pfeiffer
- A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
- A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss
- A Mindful Nation by Tim Ryan
- A Taste for Poison by Neil Bradbury, Ph.D.
- Abundance by Ezra Klein
- Adios, America by Ann Coulter
- Adventures in the screen trade by William Goldman
- Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China by Evan Osnos
- All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
- All the President's Men by Carl Bernstein, Bob Woodward
- America's Deadliest Election by Dana Bash
- American Carnage by Tim Alberta
- American Values by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
- AmGov by Christine Barbour
- Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman
- Antiracist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi
- BABE by Dorothy Chan
- Beating Obamacare 2014 by Betsy McCaughey
- Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- Betrayal by Jonathan Karl
- Big Game by Mark Leibovich
- Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda by Sheree Renée Thomas
- Bowling Alone by Robert D. Putnam
- Boy Mom by Monica Swanson
- Breaking History by Jared Kushner
- Casablanca by Richard J. Anobile
- Clinton Cash by Peter Schweizer
- Commander in Cheat by Rick Reilly
- Crazy from the Heat by David Lee Roth
- Cribsheet by Emily Oster
- Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh
- Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville
- Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs and Ham with 12 Silly Sounds! by Dr. Seuss
- Drawdown by Paul Hawken
- Earth in the Balance by Al Gore
- Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
- Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson
- Ethics in government by Paul H. Douglas
- Every Day Is Extra by John Kerry
- Finding My Voice by Valerie Jarrett
- Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin
- Flash Boys by Michael Lewis
- Food, Inc by Karl Weber
- Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
- Going Infinite by Michael Lewis
- Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
- Hatemonger by Jean Guerrero
- Hidden Sins by Stacey Abrams
- Hidden Sins by Selena Montgomery
- History of Little Nine Partners by Isaac Huntting
- I'll Take Your Questions Now by Stephanie Grisham
- Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty
- Impeachment by Cass R. Sunstein
- In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
- Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
- Johnson At 10 by Anthony Seldon
- Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis
- Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg
- LIFE Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory by LIFE Magazine
- Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
- Mass Incarceration Nation by Jeffrey Bellin
- Melania and Me by Stephanie Winston Wolkoff
- Mick McCabe's Story 1959-1965 by Mick McCabe
- Midnight in Washington by Adam Schiff
- My (Underground) American Dream by Julissa Arce
- My First Book of Sign by Pamela J. Baker
- Nation of Victims by Vivek Ramaswamy
- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
- No Going Back by Kristi Noem
- Not My First Rodeo by Kristi Noem
- Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon, Shana Knizhnik
- Oath and Honor by Liz Cheney
- Oil! by Upton Sinclair
- Our Kids by Robert D. Putnam
- Ours Was the Shining Future by David Leonhardt
- Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant by Ulysses S. Grant
- Profiles in Cowardice by Jacob Weisberg
- Prototype by Jonathan Martin
- Pulp Fiction by Dana Polan
- Rage by Bob Woodward
- Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
- Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
- Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
- Smart on Crime by Kamala Harris
- Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Team of Vipers by Cliff Sims
- The agenda by Bob Woodward
- The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
- The artbook of John Bolton. Ediz. inglese e italiana by John Bolton
- The Atlantic by Editors of The Atlantic
- The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
- The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X
- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
- The Courage to Be Free by Ron DeSantis
- The Emergency by George Packer
- The Godfather by Mario Puzo
- The Great Successor by Anna Fifield
- The Hadj by Michael Wolfe
- The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
- The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
- The Nuff by Veronica Waldrop
- The Odyssey by Homer
- The People Vs. Barack Obama by Ben Shapiro
- The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro
- The Premonition by Michael Lewis
- The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale
- The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
- The Sopranos by Dana Polan
- The Turner Diaries by WILLIAM LUTHER. PIERCE
- The Unraveling by Bob Bauer
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
- The Way of the World by Ron Suskind
- The Way to Win by Mark Halperin
- The Way to Win by Virginia Frances Townsend
- The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides
- The World of Ice & Fire by George R. R. Martin
- They Called Us "Lucky" by Ruben Gallego, Jim DeFelice
- Think Again by Adam Grant
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Undaunted by John O. Brennan
- Walking with the wind by John Lewis
- War on Peace by Ronan Farrow
- Warren Buffett's Ground Rules by Jeremy C. Miller
- We Are Indivisible by Leah Greenberg
- We've Got to Try by Beto O'Rourke
- What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton
- What Would Reagan Do? by Chris Christie
- While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams
- Who Is Barack Obama? by Roberta Edwards, Who HQ
- Who Is Government? by Michael Lewis
- Why Civil Resistance Works by Erica Chenoweth
- Why Nothing Works by Marvin Harris
- Why we can't wait by Martin Luther King
- You Can't Be Serious by Kal Penn
Guests who recommended books
- Lydia kiesling (8)
- Katie Porter (5)
- Heather McGhee (5)
- Mark Leibovich (3)
- Ezra Klein (3)
- Mehdi Hasan (3)
- Isaac Chotiner (3)
- David Sedaris (2)
- Wagner Moura (2)
- Jake Tapper (2)
- Michael Lewis (2)
- John Legend (2)
- Colin Allred (2)
- Elizabeth Warren (2)
- Katie Andrews (2)
- Abdul El-Sayed (1)
- Colin Kaepernick (1)
- Marc J. Dunkelman (1)
- Rahm Emanuel (1)
- Marc Maron (1)
- Erica Chenoweth (1)
- Jamie Raskin (1)
- Darla Lind (1)
- Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (1)
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Latest mentions
“President Obama wrote about this in his most recent book promised land there is one person in the world that has been trying to get this war fought for nearly all of our lifetimes”
“and the guy the hillbilly the hillbilly elegy guy who wrote a book and rose to prominence because of his experience as a child in a traumatized household and he has like not a shred of empathy about this”
“that kicked that off was the autobiography of Malcolm X that my wife Nessa gave me and that then took me down a path of reading Fanon reading Huey Newton and Angela Davis and Steve Biko and Garvey”
“I think you pulled your book from Target right yes book is not in Target children's books aren't in Target we have pulled everything out yeah well look everyone should buy the perilous fight it's a great read”
“Jessica Tarlo again, the book is I Disagree: Winning Arguments Without Losing Friends.”
“I also think in, you write about this in the book that, um, I think you said like, sometimes you think that the most important thing about politics is the lack of trust right now. The trust is the biggest issue.”
“I think you wrote a book called Liberal Fascist that tells you where his head was at, but I just always found Jonah Goldberg to be a really entertaining writer.”
“If you read Regime Change, the Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan book, like one of the themes in there and she and Maggie talks about this in an interview with Ezra Klein a few weeks ago, is that Trump is singularly obsessed with the idea that Iran wants to kill him.”
“Uh then Lovett talks to our pal Brian Tyler Cohen about his brand new book The Day After: How to Wield Power in a post-Trump world.”
“college professors are assigning fewer books and more excerpts because their students have lower attention spans. Uh gosh. That makes me sad, you know. Um but that said, if I were in college and then I had to read Moby Dick by tomorrow, I'd be like, "Fuck, I got to read Moby Dick by tomorrow." You can skip the whaling”
“David Sedaris, thank you so much for being here. Everybody, latest collection of essays, David Sedaris, The Land and Its People.”
“Really, he's a New York Times bestselling author whose most recent book is called We Are the World Cup. Buy it now.”
“called The US Constitution, a Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader.”
“Woodworking by James. Did you guys publish this book? Yes, we did. Okay. So I didn't know that until yesterday that you guys had a publishing house. everybody who is interested in understanding what it's like to be a trans person and where different trans people can be in their journey and how people can help them and hurt them.”
“Last question for you. This town came out in 2013. If you were writing the 2026 edition, what's the opening scene? Who's the central character?”
“Jacob Weisberg has a book coming out called Profiles in Cowardice, which I read like a part of it, and it's it's similar way There's a lot of that.”
“Um, but it is when you look at the the real verse versus Samuel L. Jackson's monologue in pulp fiction written by Quentyn Tarantino.”
“And all of this, I will just say, is explored so brilliantly by my friend Heather McGee in her book, The Sum of Us, which is like the idea of if someone else is doing better, that means you're doing worse.”
“I wanted to be like all the president's man kind of thing and do something that and it the kind of thing that I was doing when I started as a journalist was very like what were you doing do you remember”
“I spoke to Mark Dunkelman. He wrote a book called Why Nothing Works.”
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