Person
Every book Jerusalem Demsus recommended on podcasts
Jerusalem Demsus appeared on The Ezra Klein Show to discuss urban development, regulatory hurdles, and liberalism, offering thoughtful book recommendations related to the themes of the conversation. She recommended Lily Geismer's Don't Blame Us, noting that the book closely examines Boston suburbs to trace the historical policy changes and citizen opposition that contributed to modern regulatory sclerosis. Demsus also recommended Adam Rome's The Bulldozer in the Countryside, praising it as an insightful work that situates the rise of American environmentalism as a direct reaction to rapid transformations within the urban core. Finally, concluding with a text focused on writing and thinking, she recommended George Saunders's A Swim in the Pond in the Rain. Demsus highlighted how Saunders uses Russian short stories to teach the mechanics of writing while simultaneously functioning as a profound guide to critical thinking.
Books recommended by Jerusalem Demsus
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A Swim in a Pond in the Rain
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders is a critically acclaimed collection of essays in which the celebrated author uses classic Russian short stories to teach the art of reading and writing fiction.
Recommended“this final book I always like to recommend a um a fiction book on this so well it's not really fiction but George saunders's book a swim in the pond in the rain is a book on writing but all really great books about writing are actually great books about thinking”
Where to get it
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Don't Blame Us
Don't Blame Us by Lily Geismer is a political history focusing closely on the suburbs of Boston to trace the policy shifts, cultural developments, and citizen opposition that contributed significantly to modern regulatory sclerosis.
Recommended“the first is by Lily gismer it's called don't blame us and it's a book uh that looks very closely at the Boston suburbs to see the changes that led to a lot of the regulations and opposition that is causing a lot of the sclerosis we see today”
Where to get it
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The Bulldozer in the Countryside
The Bulldozer in the Countryside by Adam Rome is an environmental history examining how the modern American environmental movement emerged largely as a grassroots reaction against the sweeping post-war transformation of the urban core and natural landscapes.
Recommended“and then there's bulldozer in the Countryside by Adam Rome it's another really great book about environmentalism and really kind of situates environmentalism in the United States as coming up as a reaction to changes in the urban core”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| A $1.7 Million Toilet and Liberalism's Failure to Build | The Ezra Klein Show | 2024-04-16 | 3 |