Person
Every book Jennifer Frey recommended on podcasts
Across 2 podcasts. Every show Jennifer Frey appears on, in one place — not just one.
Died 2016-03-26. Jennifer Marie Frey was an American sportswriter. Jennifer Frey discussed and recommended several influential books during her podcast appearances, connecting literature to broader themes of education, philosophy, and cultural critique. On EconTalk, she recommended Josef Pieper's small book Leisure as the Basis of Culture, suggesting it as an essential read to counter the all-consuming ideology of modern workism. In the same conversation, she brought up Aldous Huxley's Brave New World to illustrate her distaste for pure subjectivism and forced bliss, referencing the fictional drug soma. During an appearance on Interesting Times, Jennifer Frey discussed John Grisham's The Firm to illustrate the distinct boundary between being merely amused or entertained and experiencing true high art. She also talked about Saint Augustine's The Confessions as part of the core curriculum she established in the Honors College at the University of Tulsa, framing it within the historical trajectory of religious texts leading from the Bible to the Reformation. Additionally, she mentioned Plato's Symposium to describe how university students engaged passionately with the strange text outside of the classroom, fostering a shared basis of intellectual curiosity and learning.
Books recommended by Jennifer Frey
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Leisure
Leisure: The Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper is a profound philosophical essay that argues for the vital importance of contemplation and spiritual rest in opposition to the modern obsession with total productivity.
Recommended“So, one book, it's a small book, uh that I highly recommend to anyone is a book by Josef Pieper called Leisure as the Basis Leisure as the Basis of Culture.”
Where to get it
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Brave New World
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is a classic dystopian science fiction novel that depicts a technologically advanced future society controlled through engineered reproduction, psychological conditioning, and constant superficial pleasure.
Discussed“The experience machine doesn't exist. It's a thought experiment, but certainly Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is about soma, a drug that that gives people, you know, just I don't know what we what would you call it? Bliss.”
Where to get it
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The Confessions
The Confessions is a profound spiritual autobiography by Saint Augustine that chronicles his journey from a restless, hedonistic youth to a life of Christian faith.
Discussed“And then, of course, you read some of the Bible, and then you go into long Middle Ages. And that’s basically Augustine to the Reformation. So we start with the confessions, and we go all the way into Luther and Calvin.”
Where to get it
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The Firm
The Firm by John Grisham is a gripping legal thriller published in 1991 that follows a young lawyer who joins a prestigious firm, only to discover it is a front for the mafia.
Discussed“And I enjoyed the firm. I mean, just to be clear, it was entertaining. But there’s a difference between being amused and entertained.”
Where to get it
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The Symposium
The Symposium by Plato is a foundational philosophical text consisting of a dramatic dinner party dialogue centered on the nature, origin, and various manifestations of love.
Discussed“And so you have this shared basis of learning, but it’s amazing to see the fruits that arise from that, because they just go back to the dorm and they’re all kind of wondering what was going on in Plato’s Symposium, because it’s a really strange text in so many ways.”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Best Defense Against A.I. is Reading Plato | Interesting Times with Ross Douthat | Interesting Times | 2026-05-21 | 3 |
| Jennifer Frey on Education, Philosophy, and the University | EconTalk | 2021-11-01 | 2 |