Person
Every book Michael Lewis recommended on podcasts
Across 7 podcasts. Every show Michael Lewis appears on, in one place — not just one.
Michael Lewis is a prominent writer and observer known for his insightful non-fiction books on financial markets, economic trends, and contemporary social issues. During various podcast appearances, Lewis has discussed several of his own acclaimed works, such as The Big Short and Moneyball, drawing comparisons between his historical research and selection processes across different projects. He also spoke about his books The Fifth Risk and Who Is Government?, using them to explain character discovery, such as Arthur A. Allen, and to share broader observations on successful government functions and public administration. In addition to discussing his own bibliography, Lewis reflected on pivotal literary influences from his youth. He described discovering Tom Wolfe's Radical Chic and Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers on his father's bookshelf when he was twelve or thirteen, an experience that deeply inspired his path toward becoming a writer. Furthermore, he referenced Tara Westover's memoir Educated to draw compelling parallels with the upbringing of Charity Dean in his own reporting. During a carveouts segment, Lewis recommended Patrick Rothfuss's fantasy novel The Name of the Wind, while noting its place as part of an unfinished trilogy.
Books recommended by Michael Lewis
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Moneyball
Moneyball by Michael Lewis is a groundbreaking non-fiction book that explores how the Oakland Athletics baseball team leveraged advanced statistical analytics to compete against wealthier franchises with larger payrolls.
Discussed“yes uh I'd written a book called Moneyball which was about the never heard of it never heard of it uh you know who Brad Pit is”
Where to get it
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The big short
The big short by Michael Lewis is a non-fiction account that explores the housing market collapse and the traders who profited from the 2008 financial crisis.
Discussed“you know I had a selection problem that reminded me a bit of the selection problem I had with a big short in The Big Short”
Where to get it
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The Name of the Wind
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss is a beloved epic fantasy novel that follows the tumultuous life of Kvothe, a legendary figure who recounts his journey from a talented traveling child to a notorious wizard and fugitive.
Recommended“It's called The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothus and it's a fantasy trilogy. He never got to the third book and I don't know what's happened to him.”
Where to get it
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Educated
Educated by Tara Westover is a bestselling memoir that follows the author's remarkable journey growing up in a strict and isolated survivalist family in rural Idaho before eventually escaping to pursue a PhD from Cambridge University.
Discussed“so any who's read Tara westover's educated knows a bit of Charity Dean's story she grew up in that”
Where to get it
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Going Infinite
Going Infinite by Michael Lewis is a non-fiction book that explores the meteoric rise and subsequent collapse of cryptocurrency tycoon Sam Bankman-Fried and his company, FTX.
Discussed“And I think I could be wrong about this; it's possible they canceled him because they just decided they didn't need him, but I think between the time they teed him up and the time they called him, they read my book and they saw that he presented the same kind of problem I would present.”
Where to get it
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Liar's Poker
Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis and Blanca Ribera de Madariaga is a semi-autobiographical exposé detailing the author's chaotic experiences as a bond salesman on Wall Street during the reckless financial boom of the 1980s.
Discussed“if you look back at Larry's poker lately about six months ago the audio rights reverted to me and I had not read it since I wrote it”
Where to get it
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Radical Chic and Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers
Radical Chic and Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers by Tom Wolfe is a collection of essays examining political posturing and social dynamics among the wealthy and elite.
Discussed“he meant the world to me pulling radical Chic off my father's shelf when I was maybe 12 or 13 and reading it”
Where to get it
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The Blind Side
The Blind Side by Michael Lewis is a bestselling non-fiction book that examines the evolution of football strategy alongside the complex micro and macro narratives of its subjects, and which famously inspired a major film adaptation.
Discussed“The Blind Side, nobody wanted to make that movie, right?”
Where to get it
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The Confessions of Jean Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau's foundational autobiography details the philosopher's life, thoughts, and personal development with unprecedented candor.
Discussed“I had only one kind of moralistic thought in mind when I wrote it because I really just thought my models that I had in my head when I wrote it were education of Henry Adams and Russo's confessions”
Where to get it
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The education of Henry Adams
The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams is a classic autobiographical masterpiece that reflects on the author's failed formal education in the nineteenth century while examining the accelerating impacts of technology, politics, and social upheaval on American identity.
Discussed“I had only one kind of moralistic thought in mind when I wrote it because I really just thought my models that I had in my head when I wrote it were education of Henry Adams and Russo's confessions”
Where to get it
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The Fifth Risk
Michael Lewis's The Fifth Risk is a non-fiction account examining the vital, often unseen roles and responsibilities carried out by the federal government and civil service agencies.
Discussed“So I just thought I started got interested in the characters and then I found this character towards at the end of the fifth risk. I just picked him basically out of h out of a hat.”
Where to get it
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The Great Influenza
The Great Influenza by John M.
Discussed“in 2005 or six George Bush is in the white house and he reads the great influenza John Barry's book about the 1918 pandemic”
Where to get it
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Who Is Government?
Discussed“uh um so it's thor it's a thorny and difficult subject and and my the if there's I mean I'm coming at it not as a intellectual or a theorist I'm coming at it as a writer and an observer but but the the one big observation of who is government of the book is there's so much to learn”
Where to get it
Books Michael Lewis wrote
- The Fifth Risk
- The undoing project
- Going Infinite
- The Premonition
- Home Game
- Liar's Poker
- Moneyball
- The big short
- Flash Boys
- The Blind Side
- Boomerang
- Michael Lewis Box Set - Liar's Poker; Pacific Rift; Money Culture; TheNew New Thing (India Only)
- New New Thing, The
- Who Is Government?
Appearances
Other mentions (13: passing, ad reads, own books)
“Because there are people in White House who tell you that I can remember stories from the fifth risk. I wrote a book about Trump.”
“What I'm thinking of in my head is Conoran interverski that I wrote a book called the undoing project and and and you could see if you could see two people and then it got me thinking about collaboration”
“I bought these shares in 2008 when I was working on going infinite.”
“So I just thought I started got interested in the characters and then I found this character towards at the end of the fifth risk.”
“my first step in answering that question is I think that people first place um red badge of courage you know not of course that this Danny Conaman used to love the psychologist who I wrote about in the doing project used to love this story as an example of what he thought was true that behavior so context dependent”
“I have read my books before for audio books not in the last few but you know in the liars poker that kind of thing”
“so Daniel um Conan off author of thinking uh fast and slow”
“it was a quote from one of my characters Amos tki he's a one of the main characters in the in the undoing project”
“I wrote a book called home game and it was about my experience with Parenthood”
“He read 'Liar's Poker.' Yes, he had read it, and I think that's why he let me through his door in the first place when I got there and started asking him questions that sounded like the kind of questions you'd ask a Wall Street trader.”
“Now you're talking about Liar's Poker here, not Moneyball, correct? Liar's Poker: pure accident.”
“i mean my first book was liars called liar's pokemon it was this little memoir of me working on wall street which is by the way being made into a film”
“My first book was called 'Liar's Poker'; it was this little memoir of me working on Wall Street, which, by the way, is being made into a film now.”