Podcast
Pod Save America book list: the books mentioned on the show
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 recommended on Pod Save America
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A Promised Land
Barack Obama's memoir A Promised Land was discussed and recommended across multiple episodes of Pod Save America. Dan Pfeiffer recommended the book for its perspective on economic stimulus negotiations, while Tommy Vietor and John Favreau mentioned reading or starting the memoir. The hosts also discussed Obama's accounts of connecting with rural voters and focused on the foreign policy aspects of the book during interviews.
Discussed“i am still finishing promise a promised land which is barack obama's memoir like look i know how it ends so i don't you know it's not but it's a fantastic book”
Where to get it
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Hillbilly Elegy
J.D. Vance's memoir 'Hillbilly Elegy' was analyzed across multiple episodes of Pod Save America following his entry into national politics. Hosts like Tommy Vietor and Jon Favreau discussed the book to evaluate Vance's background in the Marines, his community critiques, and the themes of grievance and economic populism present in the text. While noting that the memoir received significant attention and a film adaptation, the hosts questioned the true extent of its readership and how its populist elements interacted with his cultural views.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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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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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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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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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 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 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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The Situation Room
George Stephanopoulos's book The Situation Room was featured on Pod Save America in April 2024. Dan Pfeiffer and podcast hosts introduced the author and discussed how the book provides an inside look at historical presidential crises, serving as a compelling perspective during the political cycle.
Discussed“Later, George Stephanopoulos talks to Dan about covering 2024 in his new book, which is full of untold stories about the White House Situation Room.”
Where to get it
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Beloved
On Pod Save America, Tommy Vietor brought up Toni Morrison's novel Beloved while discussing a controversial political campaign ad run by Glenn Youngkin that attacked Terry McAuliffe over sexually explicit school content. Dan Pfeiffer discussed Morrison's prominence as a Black author and the racial themes surrounding the ad. Vietor also noted that McAuliffe's staff distributed physical copies of the book during a political rally.
Discussed“specifically yonkin is running an ad attacking mcauliffe for controversy over tony morrison's classic book beloved to help us sort through all this nonsense and tell us what's actually happening on the ground”
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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Shameless
On the August 9, 2024 episode of Pod Save America titled Trump Spirals In Weird, Damaging Press Conference, the podcast hosts and Tommy Vietor discussed and promoted the upcoming release of Brian Tyler Cohen's book Shameless: Republicans' Deliberate Dysfunction in the Battle to Preserve Democracy. The hosts announced that the book would be released on August 13 and encouraged listeners to pre-order it. Later in the episode, Brian Tyler Cohen joined the show as a guest to discuss his brand-new book and participate in a segment with the hosts.
Discussed“Later, our pal Brian Tyler Cohen is here to talk about his brand new book and play a round of Take Appreciators with me and Lovett. But first, remember Donald Trump?”
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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The Big Break
The Big Break by Ben Terris was featured on Pod Save America in June 2023, where host Tommy Vietor interviewed the author. Vietor recommended the book as a riveting, fun, and insightful read about Washington, D.C. in the post-Trump era. Ben Terris explained the meaning behind the title, noting that it reflects both the systemic shifts the country experienced and the personal opportunities sought by newcomers in politics.
Discussed“Then later the Washington Post's Ben Terris talks to Tommy about his new book The Big Break, which is a riveting account of DC in the post-Trump era.”
Where to get it
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No Going Back
Pod Save America discussed Kristi Noem's memoir No Going Back during a 2024 episode following her controversial press tour. The hosts mocked the defensive media tour and the political fallout from damaging anecdotes revealed in the book, focusing particularly on a controversial story about a dog that Noem chose to include in the memoir after opponents used it against her in past races.
Discussed“so defensive her book is called No Going Back I guess that's right yeah it's it's really like it”
Where to get it
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Team of Vipers
On Pod Save America, guest Isaac Chotiner discussed Cliff Sims's book Team of Vipers during a February 2019 episode. Chotiner examined Sims's portrait of working in the White House and the administration, noting that while the book offered sharp criticisms of figures surrounding the president, it spared the president himself. Chotiner and the host also explored media reactions to Sims and discussed how the book fit into broader political patterns involving figures like Chris Christie and Rudy Giuliani.
Discussed“and then with Cliff Sims it had been basically I read this book uh his new book team of vipers which is about his time working in the White House and the sort of portrait that he puts forward of the president in his administration was interesting to me”
Where to get it
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You Can't Be Serious
On Pod Save America, Tommy Vietor discussed Kal Penn's memoir You Can't Be Serious. Vietor praised the book and questioned Penn about his transition from acting to working as a White House staffer, his activism, and his departure from the television show House, including a specific story about an anonymous email included in the text.
Discussed“you write about this in the book can you talk about your journey from being an actor to leaving acting to be in a white house staffer”
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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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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The Day After
On Pod Save America, hosts Tommy Vietor and Jon Lovett discussed Brian Tyler Cohen's new book, The Day After: How to Wield Power in a Post-Trump World. Vietor referenced the book while discussing governance challenges, public health agency downsizing, and the broader context of wielding political power in a post-Trump landscape.
Recommended“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.”
Where to get it
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We Fed an Island
Jose Andres's book We Fed an Island came up on Pod Save America in September 2018 during an episode featuring the author. Host Jon Favreau introduced the book at the beginning of the interview to discuss the relief and rebuilding work Andres performed in Puerto Rico following the storm. At the conclusion of the interview segment, Favreau recommended the book to listeners under its full title, We Fed an Island: The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico One Meal at a Time.
Recommended“In Jose's new book, We Fed an Island, it's about the relief work he did in the months after the storm,”
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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Someone Like Me
On the Pod Save America episode “Unfazed and determined.”, released on September 20, 2018, host Jon Favreau welcomed author Julissa Arce to discuss her book Someone Like Me, How One Undocumented Girl Fought for Her American Dream. Favreau discussed the work as a young adult adaptation of Arce's bestselling memoir My Underground American Dream and recommended it to listeners at the end of the episode.
Discussed“On the pod today, I am joined by Julissa Arce, who is the author of a brand new book, Someone Like Me, How One Undocumented Girl Fought for Her American Dream.”
Where to get it
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The Oil and the Glory
Steve LeVine's The Oil and the Glory was discussed on an August 2023 episode of Pod Save America. Guest Lydia Kiesling brought up the book, describing it as an amazing work by a former Wall Street Journal journalist. She explained that the book served as an essential research source that helped inspire her novel by detailing the intense rush for Caspian oil reserves following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Discussed“I read a book called the oil and the Glory by the former Wall Street Journal journalist Steve Levine and that was it's an amazing book”
Where to get it
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Why Nothing Works
On Pod Save America, Jon Lovett discussed Marc J. Dunkelman's book Why Nothing Works in a February 2026 episode. Lovett interviewed the author to explore the topics of progressive governance and power, expressed deep admiration for the book at the start of their conversation, and recommended it to listeners at the conclusion of the interview.
Discussed“I spoke to Mark Dunkelman. He wrote a book called Why Nothing Works.”
Where to get it
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Who Is Government?
On Pod Save America, host John Lovett and guest Michael Lewis discussed Lewis's book Who Is Government? in April 2025. Lovett praised the book for highlighting the unglamorous, thankless work of civil servants, doctors, and engineers inside government institutions. Lewis reflected on the thorny nature of public trust and explained that the central observation of his book is the vast amount of knowledge to be gained by examining successful government functions.
Discussed“Michael's most recent book, Who is Government? Showcases the thankless, unglamorous work of doctors and engineers and civil servants inside the government at a time when the government is under attack.”
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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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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Thank You for Your Servitude
On Pod Save America, host Tommy Vietor discussed Mark Leibovich's book Thank You for Your Servitude. Vietor introduced the upcoming book about Washington, D.C.'s Trump years and gave a final recommendation for listeners to pre-order it.
Recommended“he has a new book coming out this july about dc's trump years called thank you for your servitude”
Where to get it
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The Art of Logic in an Illogical World
On Pod Save America in November 2024, Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez recommended Eugenia Cheng's book The Art of Logic in an Illogical World. She discussed how the book provides a method for breaking down large culture war issues into constituent parts by removing proper nouns.
Recommended“there's a really good book um the art of logic in an illogical world and and she talks about how you kind of take these big cultur war issues and you break them down into constituent parts”
Where to get it
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The Art of Power
Nancy Pelosi's book The Art of Power was featured on Pod Save America in October 2024. The podcast host introduced Pelosi by highlighting her accomplishments as a New York Times best-selling author, and Alyssa Mastromonaco mentioned the book while welcoming Pelosi as a guest on the show and strongly recommending it to the audience.
Recommended“also New York Times best-selling author of The Art of power which I cannot recommend enough”
Where to get it
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The Conscience of a Liberal
On Pod Save America, the host recommended Paul David Wellstone's book "The Conscience of a Liberal." During an interview segment, the host highlighted Wellstone as an inspiring political figure and encouraged all listeners to read his book.
Recommended“Everyone should read his book Conscience of a Liberal.”
Where to get it
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The Gates of Gaza
On Pod Save America, Tommy Vietor introduced guest Amir Tibon by mentioning his book The Gates of Gaza at the start of the interview and recommended the work again to the audience at the conclusion.
Recommended“He is the author of the book Gates of Gaza, a story of betrayal, survival, and hope in Israel's borderlands.”
Where to get it
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The Immortalists
On the Christmas Mailbag! episode of Pod Save America, Dan Pfeiffer listed The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin as one of his three favorite books that he read during the year.
Recommended“and the immortal list by Chloe Benjamin”
Where to get it
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The Mars Room
On an episode of Pod Save America, Dan Pfeiffer listed The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner as one of his favorite books that he read during the year, mentioning it during a discussion of his top literary reads.
Recommended“so the three best books I read this year maybe like best is not the rubber three most favorite books ever and this year were the Mars room by Rachel Kushner”
Where to get it
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There There
On Pod Save America, Dan Pfeiffer recommended Tommy Orange's novel There There, highlighting it as one of his three favorite books that he read during that year.
Recommended“they're there by tommy orange”
Where to get it
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We Are the World (Cup)
On the June 9, 2026 episode of Pod Save America, Tommy Vietor interviewed guest Roger Bennett and promoted his recent New York Times bestselling book, We Are the World (Cup). Vietor recommended the book to listeners at both the beginning and the end of the interview segment.
Recommended“Really, he's a New York Times bestselling author whose most recent book is called We Are the World Cup. Buy it now.”
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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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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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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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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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
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The Run of His Life
On Pod Save America, Melissa Murray and the host discussed Jeffrey Toobin's book The Run of His Life during an April 2024 episode. The host reflected on Toobin's rise to cultural prominence reporting from Los Angeles during the O.J. Simpson trial, while Murray praised the work as one of the best legal books ever written, regardless of readers' views on the author.
Recommended“he later wrote what I think is one of the best legal books like in ever um like irrespective of what you might think about Jeffrey Tuan but the Run of his life is one of the best legal books I have ever read”
Where to get it
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The U.S. Constitution
On Pod Save America, Jon Favreau discussed and promoted Melissa Murray's book, The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader, during an interview. Favreau brought up the guide at the conclusion of the conversation to highlight its purpose and encourage listeners to check it out.
Discussed“called The US Constitution, a Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader.”
Where to get it
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True Gretch
On Pod Save America, Julia Louis-Dreyfus discussed reading Gretchen Whitmer's book True Gretch while on a plane to the Democratic National Convention. She and the hosts agreed that it was an interesting, highly digestible read that offered a compelling perspective.
Discussed“I just read her book when we were on our plane by the way and it's actually a really interesting read and it's and it's very digestible”
Where to get it
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Why We Did It
On Pod Save America, host Tommy Vietor interviewed guest Tim Miller and introduced his newly published book, Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell. At the conclusion of the episode, Vietor recommended that listeners pick up a copy of the book.
Discussed“Joining us in studio today writer at the ballwork msnbc analyst former republican former republican operative and author of the new book why we did it a travelogue from the republican road to hell our old pal tim miller”
Where to get it
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All Boys Aren't Blue
On Pod Save America, the host and Dan Pfeiffer noted that Senator Kennedy quoted from All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on book bans, highlighting its explicit passages.
Discussed“that was Senator Kennedy quoting the most sexually explicit passages from the two most censored books in America um Maya Kobe's genderqueer and George M Johnson's all boys aren't blue”
Where to get it
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All the President's Men
Wagner Moura mentioned Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward's classic book All the President's Men on Pod Save America. Moura brought up the title to describe the romanticized idea of journalism he held when he started his career, and to discuss the vital role of institutions like The Washington Post in American democracy.
Discussed“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”
Where to get it
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America's Deadliest Election
Dana Bash's book America's Deadliest Election: The Cautionary Tale of the Most Violent Election in American History was discussed on Pod Save America. Host Tommy Vietor introduced Bash as the co-author alongside David Fiser and asked her about the motivation behind writing about the 1872 Louisiana election and its historical repercussions.
Discussed“She is now the author, along with David Fiser, of "America's Deadliest Election: The Cautionary Tale of the Most Violent Election in American History."”
Where to get it
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American Values
American Values by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was discussed on Pod Save America by a host and guest Brandy Zadrozny. The speakers analyzed the opening line of Kennedy's book, using it to critique what they characterized as a simplistic, dualistic worldview that divides people into gods and monsters.
Discussed“the first line in rfk's Book American values is something like I knew very early that the world was made up of Gods and Monsters good and evil”
Where to get it
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Betrayal
Jonathan Karl's book 'Betrayal' was discussed on Pod Save America. Host Tommy Vietor brought up the book while talking about an interview where Donald Trump admitted to pressuring Mike Pence, and the hosts later discussed the media coverage and Sunday show pickup the book received.
Discussed“he's been accused of in an interview with abc's jonathan carl for his upcoming book betrayal which reveals new details about how the white house pressured vice president mike pence to steal the election”
Where to get it
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Every Day Is Extra
On Pod Save America in September 2018, Tommy Vietor and his co-hosts discussed Every Day Is Extra, the memoir by former Secretary of State John Kerry. The hosts mentioned that Kerry had a new book out and noted that their interview with him would cover his career, his time as Secretary of State, and his 2004 presidential campaign.
Discussed“a new book out called every day is extra we talked to him about the book about his career his time as Secretary of State the 2004 campaign which you worked on”
Where to get it
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Finding My Voice
On Pod Save America, host Jon Favreau discussed Finding My Voice by Valerie Jarrett during an episode in April 2019. Favreau mentioned the book both when previewing his upcoming interview with Jarrett and while teasing the interview segment later in the broadcast.
Discussed“my conversation with our friend and former senior White House advisor Valerie Jarrett about her new book finding my voice”
Where to get it
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Gender Queer
Maia Kobabe's book Gender Queer came up on Pod Save America during a discussion about book bans and censorship. Dan Pfeiffer and the show's host highlighted the text when noting that Senator Kennedy had quoted sexually explicit passages from it during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, underscoring its status as one of the most censored books in America alongside George M. Johnson's All Boys Aren't Blue.
Discussed“that was Senator Kennedy quoting the most sexually explicit passages from the two most censored books in America um Maya Kobe's genderqueer and George M Johnson's all boys aren't blue”
Where to get it
The other 208 books mentioned on Pod Save America, ranked, with the latest episode and time
- Hidden Sins by Stacey Abrams
- Hidden Sins by Selena Montgomery
- Oil! by Upton Sinclair
- Our Kids by Robert D. Putnam
- Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant by Ulysses S. Grant
- Rage by Bob Woodward
- Smart on Crime by Kamala Harris
- The artbook of John Bolton. Ediz. inglese e italiana by John Bolton
- The Atlantic by Editors of The Atlantic
- The People Vs. Barack Obama by Ben Shapiro
- What Would Reagan Do? by Chris Christie
- All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby
- An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro
- Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson
- Bag Man by Rachel Maddow, Michael Yarvitz
- Becoming by Michelle Obama
- Bible by Bible
- Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow
- Dead Wake by Erik Larson
- Democracy Or Else by Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor
- Dog Whistle Politics by Ian Haney-López
- Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke
- Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad
- Fear and Loathing at Rolling Stone by Hunter S. Thompson
- Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 by Hunter S. Thompson
- From Bacteria to Bach and Back by Daniel C. Dennett
- Ghost Wars 12-copy floor by Steve Coll
- Ghost Wars by Steve Coll
- Government Gangsters by Kash Pramod Patel
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
- Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar
- How to Be a (Young) Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi, Nic Stone
- How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
- How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell
- I Disagree: Winning Arguments Without Losing Friends by Jessica Tarlov
- I Have Something to Tell You by Chasten Buttigieg
- King Leopold's ghost by Adam Hochschild
- Less by Andrew Sean Greer
- Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
- Maid by Stephanie Land
- Mia Mayhem Is a Superhero! by Kara West
- Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs
- Nothing is true and everything is possible by Peter Pomerantsev
- 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
- She Proclaims by Jennifer Palmieri
- Small Acts of Courage by Ali Velshi
- So Here's the Thing . . . by Alyssa Mastromonaco
- Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
- Summary of Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett & Tommy Vietor's Democracy or Else by Milkyway Media
- The Arrest by Jonathan Lethem
- 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 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 Hellfire Club by Jake Tapper
- The Idealist.org Handbook to Building a Better World by Idealist.org, Stephanie Land
- The Land and Its Peoples by David Sedaris
- The Last Campaign by Thurston Clarke
- The New Tsar by Steven Lee Myers
- The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman
- The Parisian by Isabella Hammad
- The Perilous Fight by Colin Kaepernick
- The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre
- The Wilderness by Liam OʼFlaherty
- The Witch Elm by Tana French
- 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
- Weather by Jenny Offill
- Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn
- White Working Class by Joan C. Williams
- 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
- American Carnage by Tim Alberta
- 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
- 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
- Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin
- Flash Boys by Michael Lewis
- Food, Inc by Karl Weber
- Going Infinite by Michael Lewis
- Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
- Hatemonger by Jean Guerrero
- 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
- Isaiah by Brevard S. Childs
- 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
- Not My First Rodeo by Kristi Noem
- Notorious RBG by Irin Carmon, Shana Knizhnik
- Oath and Honor by Liz Cheney
- Ours Was the Shining Future by David Leonhardt
- Presidents, Populism, and the Crisis of Democracy by William G. Howell
- Profiles in Cowardice by Jacob Weisberg
- Prototype by Jonathan Martin
- Pulp Fiction by Dana Polan
- Reaganland by Rick Perlstein
- Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
- Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
- Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
- The agenda by Bob Woodward
- The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
- 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 crisis of democracy by William E. Rappard
- 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 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 Room Where It Happened by John R. Bolton
- 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
- While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams
- Who Is Barack Obama? by Roberta Edwards, Who HQ
- Why Civil Resistance Works by Erica Chenoweth
- Why Nothing Works by Marvin Harris
- Why we can't wait by Martin Luther King
Guests who recommended books
- Lydia kiesling (8)
- Katie Porter (5)
- Heather McGhee (5)
- Mark Leibovich (3)
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“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.”
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“I spoke to Mark Dunkelman. He wrote a book called Why Nothing Works.”
“the power broker, which is the takedown of Robert Moses in New York City and reveals that this guy who had remade the landscape of New York City during between the 30s and the 60s had like strangled the city with interstates and like driven the cross Bronx Expressway across a burough of New York City and like you know”
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