Person
John Lovett's book recommendations
John Lovett appears on Pod Save America as a political commentator, podcaster, and former speechwriter who engages in sharp, humorous analysis of current political events, government institutions, and modern media. As evident from his podcast, Lovett frequently interviews authors, journalists, and public figures to examine the inner workings of government and corporate power. During a conversation with author Michael Lewis, Lovett referenced a wide array of Lewis's notable works to discuss institutional oversight, technological disruption, and public service. He highlighted Lewis's 'Who Is Government?' for its focus on the unglamorous, vital work of civil servants, and brought up 'The Premonition' and 'The Fifth Risk' to explore bureaucratic hurdles and the failures of governmental transitions. Lovett also referenced earlier investigations like 'Liar's Poker' to trace how reporting on powerful figures has evolved, alongside 'Flash Boys' and 'Going Infinite' to question the motivations and societal impacts of modern tech and financial corporations. In addition to these discussions, Lovett used the show's announcements to recommend Amanda Litman's 'When We're in Charge: The Next Generation's Guide to Leadership,' praising it as a practical, no-nonsense manual for emerging leaders. Through these varied literary touchstones, Lovett emphasizes the importance of institutional accountability, civil service, and grassroots leadership.
Books John Lovett recommends
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When We're in Charge
Recommended“Our friend Amanda Litman's great new book, When We're in Charge: The Next Generation's Guide to Leadership, is out now from Crooked Media Reads. Uh, the book is a manual for leadership on Your Own Terms. No fluff, no gatekeeping, no losing yourself in the process, just real tools, honest lessons, and the kind of clarity that younger leaders actually”
Where to get it
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Flash Boys
Discussed“and what whether it's Flash Boys or Going Infinite leads you to wonder about what these companies are doing.”
Where to get it
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Going Infinite
Discussed“and what whether it's Flash Boys or Going Infinite leads you to wonder about what these companies are doing.”
Where to get it
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Liar's Poker
Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis is a nonfiction memoir and financial exposé detailing the author's chaotic experiences working as a bond salesman at Salomon Brothers during the booming and aggressive Wall Street culture of the 1980s.
Discussed“And I was think about how much the ability to report on powerful figures has changed since you wrote say Liars Poker, right?”
Where to get it
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The Fifth Risk
Discussed“And and I and I think that comes back to like kind of a a problem from both directions which is you catalog in this is in the premonition. in in the fifth risk and and and and and you and your fellow writers in in this book”
Where to get it
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The Premonition
Discussed“And and I and I think that comes back to like kind of a a problem from both directions which is you catalog in this is in the premonition. in in the fifth risk and and and and and you and your fellow writers in in this book”
Where to get it
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Who Is Government?
Discussed“Michael's most recent book, Who is Government? Showcases the thankless, unglamorous work of doctors and engineers and civil servants inside the government at a time when the government is under attack.”
Where to get it
Books John Lovett wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republicans Turn On Trump For Brazen, Corrupt Plane Bribe From Qatar | Pod Save America | 2025-05-13 | 1 |
| Michael Lewis Explains Elon Musk, Trump 2.0 and the Real Cost of DOGE | Pod Save America | 2025-04-06 | 8 |
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“Um we got a new book from Crooked Media Reads. Our friend Amanda Litman has written When We're in Charge: The Next Generation's Guide to Leadership. Uh it drops next week, May 13th.”
“It's called WinW We're in Charge: The Next Generation's Guide to Leadership by our pal Amanda Litman. She's been on the pod many times. Uh it's out May 13th. Amanda's co-founder of Run for Something.”