Person
Every book Henry Farrell recommended on podcasts
Henry Farrell participates in substantive discussions on political science, economic history, and international hegemony, appearing on policy-focused programs like The Ezra Klein Show. As an analytical guest, Farrell explores the mechanics of political systems, collective action problems, and the structural foundations of global power. During his podcast appearances, he has recommended and discussed works that illuminate how societies function, how authoritarian regimes maintain control, and how historical economic policies shape modern dominance. Farrell recommended Timur Kuran's Private Truths, Public Lies to explain the complex dynamics of political society and authoritarian conformity through the lens of collective action problems. He also highlighted Mary Bridges's Dollars and Dominion as a vital historical study contributing to his top reading recommendations, alongside a newly released book titled The Score. Furthermore, Farrell referenced Francis Spufford's Red Plenty while discussing narrative structures, praising it as a model for how writers can successfully tackle complicated institutional and political structures within literature. Through these selections, Farrell demonstrates a keen scholarly interest in books that dissect the intersection of economics, political strategy, and complex societal systems.
Books recommended by Henry Farrell
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Dollars and Dominion
Dollars and Dominion by Mary Bridges is a historical work investigating the complex mechanisms of American financial power and global hegemony.
Recommended“It's by a woman a historian called Mary Bridges called dollars and Dominion.”
Where to get it
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Private Truths, Public Lies
Private Truths, Public Lies by Timur Kuran is a social science book that explores how people conceal their true beliefs due to social pressures, introducing the concepts of preference falsification and preference cascades.
Recommended“It's a book by a guy called Timmer Kuran who's a somewhat conservative libertarian professor in Duke called private truths public lies.”
Where to get it
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The Score
The Score by Elle Kennedy is a contemporary romance novel that follows college hockey players navigating love, ambition, and personal growth.
Recommended“And the final book is a book by Tinuan which has just come out called the score.”
Where to get it
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Red Plenty
Red Plenty by Francis Spufford is a celebrated novel that offers a fictionalized account of Soviet economic history and industrial planning during the Khrushchev era.
Discussed“Spuffford wrote this incredible book called Red Plenty, which really I and Abe took as one of our models for how do you write a complicate a book about complicated structures”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Truth About American Hegemony | The Ezra Klein Show | The Ezra Klein Show | 2026-01-27 | 4 |