Person
Every book Dan Pfeiffer recommended on podcasts
Dan Pfeiffer, as evidenced by his appearances on the podcast Pod Save America, engages deeply with American politics, media narratives, and societal challenges. Through mailbag episodes and political discussions, Pfeiffer frequently shares recommendations for books that offer historical context, critical insights into modern campaigns, or explorations of contemporary human behavior. For those seeking to understand the mechanics of political strategy and journalism, he recommended Richard Ben Cramer's What It Takes, Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, and Timothy Crouse's The Boys on the Bus, noting how these works illuminate the inner workings of presidential races and the evolution of political reporting. To gain perspective on recent political history and economic negotiations, Pfeiffer brought up Barack Obama's memoir A Promised Land. Additionally, he expands his reading interests beyond strictly political non-fiction. He recommended Jennifer Egan's novel The Candy House as a fantastic read and highlighted Anna Lembke's Dopamine Nation to examine phone addiction and modern compulsions. Furthermore, Pfeiffer mentioned Cody Keenan's book Grace, demonstrating an eclectic and thoughtful approach to literature that bridges political acumen, contemporary fiction, and psychological insight.
Books recommended by Dan Pfeiffer
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What It Takes
What It Takes by Richard Ben Cramer is a sweeping journalistic account of the 1988 United States presidential election that follows several candidates on the campaign trail.
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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A Promised Land
A Promised Land by Barack Obama is a presidential memoir detailing the early life and political rise of the forty-fourth U.S.
Recommended“i would also recommend you read barack obama's take on this in his uh not particularly well-known book promise lane which was only sold seven gazillion copies”
Where to get it
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Dopamine Nation
Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence by Anna Lembke, MD is a psychiatrist's exploration of how modern overconsumption impacts the brain's reward pathways and leads to addiction.
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 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 that reflects on the experiences of writing speeches for the Obama administration.
Recommended“Grace by Cody Keenan yeah that's important again”
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 lives and methods of the reporters who covered the 1972 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 contemporary novel that explores memory, technology, and interconnected lives through a fictional device allowing people to access their externalized memories.
Recommended“but the candy house by Jennifer Egan is fantastic”
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 and compelling novel that offers a stark look at the American prison system through the eyes of a woman serving a life sentence.
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 Warmth of Other Suns
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson is a deeply researched historical account that chronicles the Great Migration of millions of Black Americans out of the American South and into 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 is a psychological thriller by Tana French that explores themes of memory, family, and trauma through the experiences of a young man recovering from a violent attack.
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 explores the urban Native American experience in Oakland, California, following a diverse group of characters as they converge toward the Big Oakland Powwow.
Recommended“they're there by tommy orange”
Where to get it
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This Republic of Suffering
This Republic of Suffering by Drew Gilpin Faust is a historical examination of how the American Civil War profoundly altered the nation's relationship with death, mourning, and mortality.
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 that is about the effect the Civil War had on the country because of the tremendous trauma”
Where to get it
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1984
George Orwell's classic dystopian novel 1984 depicts a chilling totalitarian society under the constant surveillance of Big Brother.
Discussed“but this is not 1984.”
Where to get it
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Eileen
Discussed“but she is a American author who wrote a book called Eileen that won a lot of awards a few years ago”
Where to get it
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The Vanishing Half
Discussed“so I am I just finished the vanishing half by print Bennett which was a I just okay I just started it”
Where to get it
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The Way to Win
Critiqued“you know we have referred to in my before this book that was written in 2006 called the way to win which in most cases is a pile of hot steaming establishment garbage that should not be read in part because it was a treaty from a 2008 election that didn't include the words Barack Obama”
Where to get it
Books Dan Pfeiffer wrote
- The Wilderness Hut
- Un-Trumping America
- The ^AStrange Case of Donald J. Trump
- Yes We (Still) Can
- Battling the Big Lie
Appearances
Other mentions (6: passing, ad reads, own books)
“you know it was very it was very Pro therapy in his recent book Prince Harry”
“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”
“so we're gonna give away our 150 copies of my book yes we still can”