Person
Every book Cornel West recommended on podcasts
Cornel West’s most recommended books
- David Walker's Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World by David Walker
- A Classical Student by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
- The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X
- The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
- The Sister of Mercy. A Tale for the Times We Live in by Sister of Mercy
- The Strange Career of Jim Crow by The late C. Vann Woodward
- Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov
- Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov
- An appeal in favor of that class of Americans called Africans by Lydia Maria Child
- An appeal in favour of that class of Americans called Africans by Lydia Maria Child
Cornel West, as evidenced by his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, engages deeply with classical literature, historical analysis, and social commentary. During his podcast appearance, West shared an appreciation for the works of Anton Chekhov, specifically recommending the plays Three Sisters, Uncle Vanya, and The Cherry Orchard. He also highlighted Chekhov's short story A Classical Student, noting it as a personal favorite due to its remarkable brevity and depth. In addition to Russian literature, West discussed ancient Greek drama, referencing Aristophanes' play The Clouds to illustrate the early roots of comedy in the West. Shifting toward American history and civil rights, West praised The Autobiography of Malcolm X as one of the great American classics that transcends standard historical accounts. He also pointed to C. Vann Woodward's historical work The Strange Career of Jim Crow, noting that Martin Luther King Jr. regarded it as the bible of the civil rights movement. Finally, West touched upon contemporary culture by mentioning Euny Hong's book The Birth of Korean Cool. Through these recommendations, West demonstrates a broad intellectual curiosity spanning centuries of literature, political history, and cultural analysis, connecting classic storytelling directly to ongoing human struggles for justice, identity, and creative expression.
Books recommended by Cornel West
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David Walker's Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World
David Walker's Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World by David Walker is a fiery and foundational nineteenth-century text that fiercely condemned the institution of slavery and called for radical resistance and self-determination among Black people.
Discussed“it was deeply influenced by one of the greatest works ever written at that time by david walker appealed the colored citizens of the world”
Where to get it
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A Classical Student
A Classical Student by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov is a poignant short story that explores themes of tradition, generational continuity, and the emotional weight of human history.
Recommended“Man the greatest one is called a student it's only two and a half pages It's his favorite short story”
Where to get it
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The Autobiography of Malcolm X
The Autobiography of Malcolm X is a classic American memoir recounting the life, civil rights activism, and spiritual evolution of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley.
Recommended“the great stories he tells in the autobiography of malcolm x one of the great classics really i mean more than history of american civilization”
Where to get it
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The Cherry Orchard
The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov is a classic play that explores the socio-economic decline of the Russian aristocracy and the rise of the merchant class at the turn of the twentieth century.
Recommended“you read three sisters uncle vanya you read the cherry orchard or any of the short stories”
Where to get it
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The Sister of Mercy. A Tale for the Times We Live in
The Sister of Mercy.
Recommended“yo mind i'm just reading the book called the birth of a korean cool by sister wong”
Where to get it
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The Strange Career of Jim Crow
The Strange Career of Jim Crow by The late C.
Recommended“jim crow for example by the great c van woodward uh history of jim crow which is the bible uh martin luther king said was the bible the civil rights movement”
Where to get it
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Three Sisters
Three Sisters is a classic theatrical masterpiece by Anton Chekhov that explores the melancholy, dashed hopes, and quiet desperation of provincial Russian life.
Recommended“you read three sisters uncle vanya you read the cherry orchard or any of the short stories”
Where to get it
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Uncle Vanya
Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov is a celebrated tragicomedy that portrays the mundane and often frustrating realities of rural Russian life through the experiences of its disillusioned characters.
Recommended“you read three sisters uncle vanya you read the cherry orchard or any of the short stories”
Where to get it
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An appeal in favor of that class of Americans called Africans
An appeal in favor of that class of Americans called Africans by Lydia Maria Child is a prominent historical text advocating for the abolition of slavery in the United States.
Discussed“she wrote a book in 1834 called an appeal for that class of americans called africans it was deeply influenced by one of the greatest works ever written at that time by david walker appealed the colored citizens of the world”
Where to get it
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An appeal in favour of that class of Americans called Africans
Discussed“lydia maria child she wrote a book in 1834 called an appeal for that class of americans called africans it was deeply influenced by one of the greatest works ever written at that time by david walker appealed the colored citizens of the world”
Where to get it
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Clouds
Clouds is a famous comedic play by the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes that satirizes Athenian intellectual culture, Sophistry, and contemporary education systems.
Discussed“but it was aristophanes at least in the west who initiated this with the clouds and and frogs and so on”
Where to get it
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Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation
Discussed“that's the question thomas more was wrestling with in the tower of london before he was executed in his dialogues on tribulation”
Where to get it
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Korean Cool
Discussed“yo mind i'm just reading the book called the birth of a korean cool by sister wong”
Where to get it
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Love and Theft
Discussed“and you see what was going on with blackface where eric lott and others have talked about the love and theft”
Where to get it
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Moral Man and Immoral Society
Discussed“ryan holnieber the greatest christian thinker of the 20th century democratic socialist moral man and moral society”
Where to get it
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The Assembly of Women
The Assembly of Women is a classic comedic play by Aristophanes that satirizes radical politics, gender roles, and utopian egalitarianism through a fictional scenario where Athenian women take over the government and institute a collective society.
Discussed“but it was aristophanes at least in the west who initiated this with the clouds and and frogs and so on”
Where to get it
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The Dialogues of Plato
The Dialogues of Plato by Plato is a foundational collection of classical Greek philosophical texts utilizing conversational formats to explore ethics, politics, and metaphysics.
Discussed“you know the first plato's text itself you know the republic was grounded in an imitation of the comic writers who were the first to really delve into everyday people's experiences”
Where to get it
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The Jungle
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair is a 1906 novel that serves as a harsh expose of working conditions in Chicago's meatpacking industry during the Gilded Age.
Discussed“that's that's the jungle that's up to sinclair he's a socialist tried to be governor of california”
Where to get it
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Worstward Ho
Discussed“you know the great samuel beckett number great another great comic writer try again fail again fail better that's the story of our lives”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1325 - Dr. Cornel West | The Joe Rogan Experience | 2019-07-24 | 20 |