Person
Every book Brian Koppelman recommended on podcasts
Key facts
- Brian Koppelman has recommended or discussed 19 books on podcasts, as of November 8, 2023.
- Brian Koppelman has talked about books on 3 podcasts, as of November 8, 2023.
- Those books came up in 3 episodes, as of November 8, 2023.
- The 3 books Brian Koppelman has mentioned in the most episodes, as of November 8, 2023: Difficult Men, The Artist's Way and Super Pumped.
- The latest episode with a book mention from Brian Koppelman aired on November 8, 2023.
Updated
Across 3 podcasts. Every show Brian Koppelman appears on, in one place — not just one.
Brian Koppelman’s most recommended books
- Difficult Men by Brett Martin
- The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
- Super Pumped by Mike Isaac
- Billy Phelan's Greatest Game by William Kennedy
- Deadwood by Pete Dexter
- Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
- Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis
- The Biggest Game in Town by Al Alvarez
- Unrequited Infatuations by Stevie Van Zandt
- A soldier of the great war by Mark Helprin
Brian Koppelman is an American television and film writer, producer, and director. Koppelman is the co-writer of Ocean's Thirteen and Rounders, a producer of films including The Illusionist and The Lucky Ones, the director of films including Solitary Man and the documentary This Is What They Want for ESPN's 30 for 30 series, and the co-creator, showrunner, and executive producer of Showtime's Billions and Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber. During podcast appearances on Conversations with Tyler, Acquired, and the a16z Podcast, Koppelman recommended a diverse array of books that span literature, television history, and memoirs. He recommended Brett Martin's Difficult Men as an insightful look into the era of television showrunners, and he praised Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore as an astonishing novel that encompasses the breadth of human experience. For readers interested in gambling literature, he recommended Al Alvarez's The Biggest Game in Town and William Kennedy's Billy Phelan's Greatest Game. Additionally, Koppelman recommended the unabridged audiobook of Michael Lewis's Liar's Poker alongside its companion podcast, Stevie Van Zandt's memoir Unrequited Infatuations for its lessons on art and commerce, and Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way for its popular morning pages writing technique.
Books recommended by Brian Koppelman
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Difficult Men
Difficult Men by Brett Martin is a critically acclaimed non-fiction book that explores the Golden Age of television and the influential showrunners who revolutionized modern prestige drama.
Recommended“and you know David milch cuts his teeth on um and Hill Street Blues there's a wonderful book by Brett Martin called difficult men that's about showrunners and it starts in a way with botcho and milch in in that time period and it's a great look into uh how this idea of showrunners created um modern modern television and”
Where to get it
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The Artist's Way
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is a foundational self-help guide designed to help readers recover their innate creativity and overcome artistic blocks through structured practices like morning pages and artist dates.
Discussed“I do morning pages every morning. So what, certain morning pages? Like out of Julie Cameron's book, the artists way.”
Where to get it
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Super Pumped
Super Pumped by Mike Isaac is a journalistic account detailing the meteoric rise and chaotic implosion of Uber.
Discussed“That's in the book. It's in Mike's book. That's in Mike's book.”
Where to get it
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Billy Phelan's Greatest Game
Billy Phelan's Greatest Game is a compelling novel by William Kennedy that explores the life of a small-time gambler navigating the gritty underworld of Albany, New York, during the Great Depression.
Recommended“and that is William Kennedy's Billy fail's greatest game uh if I have you ever read that book no never read it Tyler it's as good as Kennedy to me is like you know another one of these people like Kennedy I think should have won the Nobel”
Where to get it
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Deadwood
Deadwood is a critically acclaimed television series created by David Milch, and books exploring its production or featuring writings by its creator offer deep insights into the meticulous craft of television writing.
Recommended“uh and so this is why someone like David milch and that's another book I would recommend as milch's book which is one of the best maybe the best book ever written about television the one that came out last year when you think about a guy like that who was able to write some of the best episodes of”
Where to get it
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Kafka on the Shore
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami is a celebrated surrealist novel featuring parallel storylines that explore isolation, fate, and human consciousness through magical realism.
Recommended“well I think Kafka on the shore is like an astonishing so to me Kafka on the shore is it works so well uh and it shouldn't work it doesn't it it encompasses the entire experience of life and and Love and War it just encompasses it just encompasses so much”
Where to get it
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Liar's Poker
Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis is a semi-autobiographical financial book detailing the author's chaotic experiences as a bond salesman at Salomon Brothers during the explosive Wall Street culture of the 1980s.
Recommended“Well, you brought up Liar's Poker before, and Michael Lewis has just released for the first time an audiobook, an unabridged audiobook of Liar's Poker. But, he also put out a companion podcast, and the companion podcast is spectacular.”
Where to get it
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The Biggest Game in Town
The Biggest Game in Town by Al Alvarez is a classic non-fiction book published in 1983 that chronicles the high-stakes world of professional poker players during the early eras of the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.
Recommended“I have um there's a little known book so the books about poker that that are the non-fiction book you know a Alvarez's book is is perfect it's a perfect book I highly recommend it”
Where to get it
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Unrequited Infatuations
Unrequited Infatuations by Stevie Van Zandt is a memoir by the legendary musician and actor best known for his work with Bruce Springsteen and his role in The Sopranos.
Recommended“And second, for this conversation we're having, there's a book I just read called Unrequited Infatuations by Little Steven Van Zandt, who you know as either Bruce Springsteen's right hand or as James Gandolfini's right hand in The Sopranos... And it's an amazing book about art and commerce, and about uh all these questions, unrequited infatuations. I highly recommend it.”
Where to get it
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A soldier of the great war
A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin is an epic and sweeping historical novel that follows an elderly Italian man reflecting on his youth, art, and his harrowing experiences fighting on the Italian front during World War I.
Discussed“um Mark help uh and Mark said uh Mark helin wrote a soldier of the Great War um uh and um winter tale not the political journalist so they're different people not halin but helprin and and he talked about the cost the emotional cost of reading novels after 50 and that the way a novel can stir you up”
Where to get it
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American Tabloid
American Tabloid by James Ellroy is a sprawling historical fiction novel that delves deep into the dark underbelly of American politics, organized crime, and the conspiracies surrounding the Kennedy assassination.
Discussed“James elroy's American tabloid clearly to me is best the book that's going to live on of his and um I mean like Dalia K too same confidential but but for me American tabl was this guy at the moment in his life as an artist when he was kind of firing an all cylinders”
Where to get it
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Awaken The Giant Within
Awaken The Giant Within by Tony Robbins is a classic personal development guide focused on mindset, decision-making, and mastering personal psychology.
Discussed“That is the tool I used to become unblocked when I was 30 and it when I was that unhappy and I said I had to try to write something I had given Dave awaken the giant within.”
Where to get it
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Big Deal
Discussed“um Anthony Holden's book is really entertaining Peter alon's book about the World Series of Poker there are many many great poker I'm leaving so many out”
Where to get it
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Catching the Big Fish
Discussed“And so in reading about I read David Lynch's book catching the big fish and a couple of other books and it made me interested enough.”
Where to get it
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Chronicles
Chronicles, Volume One by Bob Dylan is an evocative memoir by the legendary singer-songwriter that offers a rare glimpse into his creative process, early days in New York City, and evolving artistic philosophy.
Discussed“and Bob saying the thing about the basing himself and all the [ __ ] he made up in Chronicles that per that the lesson is that none of the externalities matter yes Bob wanted success and it's always confusing with Bob because he's a multi-headed Hydra and all that stuff”
Where to get it
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End of the World and Hard-Boiled Wonderland
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami is a surreal, speculative novel exploring dual narratives of a futuristic data-processing underworld and a walled town where shadows are separated from their owners.
Discussed“I'm glad you asked I saw that somebody wondered about mami I'm glad you asked the question for me it's hardboiled Wonderland but I love that would have been my number two choice I what's your number one choice well I think Kafka on the shore is like an astonishing so to me Kafka on the shore is it works”
Where to get it
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Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami is a labyrinthine, surreal masterpiece that intertwines a futuristic data-processing thriller with a melancholic fable about a walled town.
Discussed“I'm glad you asked I saw that somebody wondered about mami I'm glad you asked the question for me it's hardboiled Wonderland but I love that would have been my number two choice I what's your number one choice well I think Kafka on the shore is like an astonishing so to me Kafka on the shore is it works”
Where to get it
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Norwegian Wood
Haruki Murakami's acclaimed novel Norwegian Wood is a nostalgic and melancholic exploration of loss, youthful longing, and complex romantic relationships in 1960s Tokyo.
Discussed“uh and um because I want to have two that I can read later that I've never read uh but I find him a Marvel a miraculous Marvel and I'm I I'll never forget reading um Norwegian Wood for the first time and and just understanding that there was somebody out there working at the highest possible level that you”
Where to get it
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Winter's Tale
Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin is a sweeping, magical realist novel set in a mythical New York City around the turn of the twentieth century.
Discussed“um Mark help uh and Mark said uh Mark helin wrote a soldier of the Great War um uh and um winter tale not the political journalist so they're different people not halin but helprin and and he talked about the cost the emotional cost of reading novels after 50 and that the way a novel can stir you up”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Koppelman on TV, Movies, and Appreciating Art | Conversations with Tyler | 2023-11-08 | 13 |
| Super Pumped (with Brian Koppelman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt) | Acquired | 2022-02-22 | 4 |
| a16z Podcast: For the Billions of Creatives Out There | a16z Podcast | 2019-03-16 | 6 |
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“I've read chem who's notebooks and Somerset mom's notebooks and I'm happy that they exist but that probably wasn't their intention.”
“I've read chem who's notebooks and Somerset mom's notebooks and I'm happy that they exist but that probably wasn't their intention.”