Person
Every book Lisa Damour recommended on podcasts
Lisa Damour appeared on The Ezra Klein Show for the episode titled The Teen Mental Health Crisis, Part 2, published on May 23, 2023. As evident from her podcast appearance, Damour is a psychologist whose work centers heavily on adolescent psychology, youth mental health, and clinical insights. When asked about influential literature, Damour recommended several meaningful works. She highlighted a foundational professional text by fellow psychologist Nancy McWilliams titled Psychoanalytic Diagnosis, describing it as a resource she returns to repeatedly. Additionally, Damour discussed and recommended Yaa Gyasi's novel Transcendent Kingdom, praising the beauty of the fiction work written by an author with a background in neuroscience. Damour also shared her favorite graduation gift to give others, which is A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders, noting that the book revolves around Russian literature and serves as an exceptional instructional read. Through these diverse recommendations spanning psychology, neuroscience-informed fiction, and Russian literary analysis, Damour demonstrated a broad intellectual curiosity that informs her clinical perspective on human behavior, development, and emotional well-being, providing listeners with thoughtful literary suggestions rooted in deep psychological and narrative understanding.
Books recommended by Lisa Damour
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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“and then um my favorite graduation gift so I'm giving it a lot right now is a swim in a pond in the rain by George Saunders which is kind of about Russian literature”
Where to get it
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Psychoanalytic diagnosis
Psychoanalytic Diagnosis is a foundational clinical text by psychologist Nancy McWilliams that provides comprehensive guidance on understanding personality structure and clinical assessment.
Recommended“a book I go back to again and again was written by another psychologist Nancy McWilliams it's called psychoanalytic diagnosis”
Where to get it
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Transcendent Kingdom
Transcendent Kingdom is a poignant contemporary novel by Yaa Gyasi that follows a brilliant neuroscientist grappling with faith, science, family trauma, and addiction.
Recommended“personally I actually just finished a book called Transcendent Kingdom by yeah Jesse a novel beautiful but a neuroscientist”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Teen Mental Health Crisis, Part 2 | The Ezra Klein Show | 2023-05-23 | 3 |