Person
Every book Dan Pfeiffer recommended on podcasts
Dan Pfeiffer’s most recommended books
- After the Fall by Ben Rhodes
- A Promised Land by Barack Obama
- Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
- What It Takes by Richard Ben Cramer
- All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby
- Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke, MD
- Fear and Loathing at Rolling Stone by Hunter S. Thompson
- Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 by Hunter S. Thompson
- Grace by Cody Keenan
- Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Dan Pfeiffer is a prominent political commentator and podcast host known for his work on Pod Save America. Throughout his appearances on the show, Pfeiffer recommended and discussed several notable books spanning politics, current events, and fiction. He introduced George Stephanopoulos and his book The Situation Room, which details the inner workings of presidents in crisis. When discussing crime novels, Pfeiffer recommended S. A. Cosby's All the Sinners Bleed and Harlem Shuffle, praising the latter as a well-done crime novel. He also highlighted non-fiction works, recommending Max Fisher's The Chaos Machine, which focuses on social media based on years of reporting in tech companies, and Anna Lembke's Dopamine Nation, which explores phone addiction and its similarities to other forms of addiction. Additionally, Pfeiffer mentioned Cody Keenan's book Grace, Jennifer Egan's novel The Candy House, Kazuo Ishiguro's Klara and the Sun as a book recommendation for listeners, and Yannick García's references to literature, demonstrating a diverse range of reading interests shared with his audience during podcast segments.
Books recommended by Dan Pfeiffer
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After the Fall
After the Fall by Ben Rhodes explores the global rise of authoritarianism and what it means to be American in a changing geopolitical landscape.
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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A Promised Land
A Promised Land by Barack Obama is the presidential memoir by the 44th President of the United States, offering a detailed and reflective look into his early life, political rise, and the first term of his historic presidency.
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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Harlem Shuffle
Harlem Shuffle is a 2021 novel by Colson Whitehead that follows Ray Carney, a furniture salesman in 1960s Harlem navigating a double life involving low-level crime and heists.
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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What It Takes
What It Takes by Richard Ben Cramer is a political journalism classic that follows multiple presidential candidates through the grueling primaries of the 1988 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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All the Sinners Bleed
All the Sinners Bleed by S.
Recommended“he has three all the siners bleed is the one that came out this year excellent”
Where to get it
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Dopamine Nation
Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke is a prominent psychological work exploring how modern society's constant pursuit of pleasure leads to addiction, tolerance, and diminished baseline happiness.
Recommended“dopamine Nation by Anna Lemke which is about phone addiction and why it's like other addictions”
Where to get it
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Fear and Loathing at Rolling Stone
Fear and Loathing at Rolling Stone by Hunter S.
Recommended“the fear and loathing on the campaign trail Hunter s Thompson spoke about the 1972 presidential campaign”
Where to get it
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Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 is a gonzo journalism classic by Hunter S.
Recommended“the fear and loathing on the campaign trail Hunter s Thompson spoke about the 1972 presidential campaign”
Where to get it
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Grace
Grace by Cody Keenan is a political memoir detailing ten pivotal days inside the Obama administration during the battle for America's political soul.
Recommended“Grace by Cody Keenan yeah that's important again”
Where to get it
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Klara and the Sun
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro is a dystopian novel narrated by an artificial intelligence companion observing the shifting human world.
Recommended“clar in the sun you go dan you go first”
Where to get it
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Razorblade Tears
Razorblade Tears by S.A.
Recommended“uh two books uh one Harlem Shuffle by Coulson Whitehead and oh razor blade tear by sa Cosby uh both are sort of very very well done”
Where to get it
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The Boys on the Bus
The Boys on the Bus by Timothy Crouse is a classic piece of journalistic non-fiction that chronicles the intense, camaraderie-filled experiences of the reporters who covered the 1972 United States presidential campaign.
Recommended“and then you know Timothy Kraus is boys on the bus about the how about the reporters covering then 72 election is sort of helps us helps you understand the modern how we got to the place where we've been covering campaigns like sports for decades now”
Where to get it
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The Candy House
The Candy House by Jennifer Egan is a compelling novel that functions as a structural sequel to A Visit from the Goon Squad, exploring themes of memory, technology, and interconnected lives.
Recommended“but the candy house by Jennifer Egan is fantastic”
Where to get it
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The Chaos Machine
The Chaos Machine by Max Fisher is an investigative non-fiction book that explores how social media algorithms manipulate human psychology, rewire brains, and amplify societal polarization on a global scale.
Recommended“the chaos Machine by Max Fisher was fantastic about social media and he did like just years of reporting in these tech companies”
Where to get it
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The Immortalists
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin is a contemporary novel that follows four siblings in 1969 New York City who visit a psychic rumored to know the exact date of each person's death, shaping the rest of their lives in profound and unexpected ways.
Recommended“and the immortal list by Chloe Benjamin”
Where to get it
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The Mars Room
The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner is a gritty contemporary novel that explores the harsh realities of the American prison system through the eyes of an inmate serving multiple life sentences.
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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The Situation Room
The Situation Room by George Stephanopoulos is a political history and non-fiction book that explores the inner workings of the White House Situation Room and the high-stakes crises managed by American presidents.
Recommended“joining now to discuss his forthcoming book The Situation Room the inside story of presidents in crisis”
Where to get it
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The Warmth of Other Suns
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson is a profound narrative nonfiction book chronicling the decades-long mass migration of Black citizens leaving the American South for northern and western cities.
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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The Witch Elm
The Witch Elm by Tana French is a suspenseful psychological mystery novel exploring memory, trauma, and family dynamics following a young man who returns to his ancestral home.
Recommended“and then one other book is the funeral detective by Jonathan Lethem who was probably my favorite author of the last decade or so”
Where to get it
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There There
There There by Tommy Orange is a powerful polyphonic novel that follows a diverse group of Native American characters living in modern-day Oakland, California.
Recommended“they're there by tommy orange”
Where to get it
The other 26 books Dan Pfeiffer recommended or discussed, ranked
- This Republic of Suffering by Drew Gilpin Faust
- Weather by Jenny Offill
- 1984 by George Orwell
- Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China by Evan Osnos
- All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson
- Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- Clinton Cash by Peter Schweizer
- Cribsheet by Emily Oster
- Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh
- Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
- Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe
- How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky, Daniel Ziblatt
- In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
- Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
- Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
- Original Sin by Jake Tapper, Alex Thompson
- The agenda by Bob Woodward
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
- The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
- The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale
- The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
- The Way to Win by Mark Halperin
- The Way to Win by Virginia Frances Townsend
- Twilight of Democracy by Anne Applebaum
Books Dan Pfeiffer wrote
Appearances
Other mentions (21: passing, ad reads, own books)
“Is that a quote from Dos Capal?”
“You're about to hear a great conversation I just had with Leah Litman, a law professor, co-host of Crooked Media's Strict Scrutiny, and author of Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievances, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes.”
“It’s pure cowardice to sit there and believe that a fascist–someone you believe is a fascist, a dangerous fascist–is on the cusp of being President of the United States, and your response is to email Bob Woodward after his book comes out, 'Hey Bob, maybe you put this in your next one in 2026' It’s just–I don’t know, man!”
“you guys all already know about John love it and Tommy's great book democracy or else how to save America in 10 easy steps it's a funny practical guide to help you navigate the rest of this election”
“John's on his Eat Pray Love It Journey this month”
“guess what guys we got a book cover this is our book it's called democracy or else how to save America in 10 easy steps did I get the title right”
“he's like he's like Jean Valjean and Les Miserables he just keeps looking at the mirror and saying One Day More One Day More that I have to”
“the Obamas produced the television show Ada twist scientist on Netflix which is an amazing kid show”
“you know it was very it was very Pro therapy in his recent book Prince Harry”
“and so in this book i lay out how the right wing build up this megaphone how it works”
“The We are now less than 2 weeks out from the release of Battling the Big Lie, my book about how Fox, Facebook, and the MAGA media are infecting our politics and what we can do about it. And because we are in New York for a live show next week, this is actually the last normal Thursday pod before”
“and maybe maybe you get a free copy of battling the big lie no i just gave that hey are you by are you are you are you doing a bulk buy of my book”
“book that i know all of you have already pre-purchased battling the big lie what do you got well gen i would say that if everyone listening or half the people listing or a quarter of the people listening had already pre-ordered the book”
“i just wanted to take a moment and thank everyone all the positive american listeners friends of the pod who went out and pre-ordered battle in the big lie my book about right-wing disinformation”
“is that i'm showing america a plan to make america democracy again my book that was released in february 2020”
“uh political data analysts have and and we i did a lot of reporting on this in the wilderness both seasons”
“I do the book not the concept the holiday the holiday hiatus from book shilling has come to an end and we have work to do trust me and so we are announcing today a special promotional giveaway where anyone who pre-orders the book between now and Friday January 17th will get in the mail a signed poster version of”
“well I wrote an entire chapter my book on this because Oh what is that book called again it's called Unterman America right”
“if some book is the paperback version of my book yes we still can politics in the Age of Obama Twitter and Trump is out this week”
“alyssa is out with a new book so here's the thing notes on growing up getting older and trusting your gut how exciting is that it was supposed to be not giving a instead of trusting your gut but apparently that's derivative there's a real challenge about having a word that they can't say on TV when you're trying to”
“so we're gonna give away our 150 copies of my book yes we still can”