Episode · The Ezra Klein Show · 2026-10-20
Books mentioned on Trumpism Is Backfiring
If you want to understand the ruins of President Trump’s foreign policy, look no further than Canada. Trump tried to strong-arm America’s trading partner and closest ally with punishing tariffs and threats of becoming the “51st state” in order to extract more concessions.
Ezra Klein discussed Unreliable Boyfriend by Chrystia Freeland. Chrystia Freeland recommended The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin, The player of games by Iain M. Banks, and Book of Lives by Margaret Atwood.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Unreliable Boyfriend
Discussed“Because even in the story you tell in the book, the trade negotiations in Trump 1 feel like they are about trade. And they're ultimately resolved through questions of trade.”
Where to get it
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The Dispossessed
The Dispossessed by Ursula K.
Recommended“One is The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin. Do you know it? So I love this book. And it's so, it speaks so much to our time, actually.”
Where to get it
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The player of games
The Player of Games by Iain M.
Recommended“The second one is The Player of Games by Ian M. Banks. A sci-fi head. Oh, I totally am. I've read sci-fi, like, since I started to read.”
Where to get it
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Book of Lives
Book of Lives by Margaret Atwood is a memoir of sorts written by the celebrated author.
Recommended“And then my third pick is Book of Lives, A Memoir of Sorts by Margaret Atwood. And it's really wonderful. She's obviously a brilliant writer.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (3) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Plugged Unreliable Boyfriend
“And now she's the author of a new book, Unreliable Boyfriend, An Insider's View of Dealing with a Chaotic Superpower, Plutocrats, and Other Complicated People.”
Passing Unreliable Boyfriend
“China has a lot of problems. Unreliable boyfriend. Unreliable boyfriend. What they are is fairly predictable and reliable.”
Plugged Unreliable Boyfriend
“And again, this is one of the reasons I wrote my book. And kind of one of my big conclusions is the battleground for liberal democracy in the world is America.”