Episode · The Ezra Klein Show · 2025-09-16
Books mentioned on We Are Going to Have to Live Here With Each Other | The Ezra Klein Show
Ezra Klein discussed Lions & scavengers by Ben Shapiro, Hillbilly Elegy by J D Vance, and Dominion by Tom Holland. Ben Shapiro recommended Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville and The Constitution of Liberty by Friedrich August Hayek, and discussed Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama and The True Believer by Eric Hoffer.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
-
Lions & scavengers
Lions & scavengers by Ben Shapiro is a non-fiction social, cultural, and moral commentary examining the current state of America and contrasting those who build society against those who tear it down.
Discussed“It was about his new book, Lions and Scavengers, and talking to him about it surprised me.”
Where to get it
-
Dreams from My Father
Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama is an introspective memoir chronicling the future president's early life, family history, and journey toward self-discovery.
Discussed“He he spent time in Pakistan and he he he writes in in Dreams for my father about, you know, his his feelings of kinship in Kenya.”
Where to get it
-
Hillbilly Elegy
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D.
Discussed“and it is directly at odds with the lion version of JD Vance who wrote Hillbilly.”
Where to get it
-
The True Believer
The True Believer by Eric Hoffer is a classic work of social psychology that examines the nature of mass movements, fanaticism, and the underlying motivations that drive individuals to embrace extreme collective beliefs.
Discussed“In his book, The True Believer, Eric Hoffer explains that those who tear down the societies in which they live are typically what he terms inferiors.”
Where to get it
-
Dominion
Dominion by Tom Holland is a sweeping historical work examining how Christianity shaped Western culture, secular values, and modern moral frameworks.
Discussed“So on the one hand I see the author of Dominion Tom Holland on a lot of writing podcasts. I read Dominion. I think it's a really fascinating and and beautiful book,”
Where to get it
-
Democracy in America
Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America is a foundational sociological and political study analyzing the structure, culture, and institutions of American society from the perspective of an outside observer.
Recommended“I think that Democracy in America by Dtoqueville is still the best description of what America is and and in many ways ought to be.”
Where to get it
-
The Constitution of Liberty
The Constitution of Liberty by Friedrich August Hayek is a classic defense of classical liberalism and individual freedom, examining the institutional frameworks necessary for a free society.
Recommended“and maybe I'll go with the Constitution of Liberty by FA Hayek.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“So so the way that I describe it in this book and and I give a sort of more wholesome definition in an earlier book that I that I did called the right side of history”