Person
Every book Ray Madoff recommended on podcasts
Ray Madoff appears as a guest on The Ezra Klein Show, bringing deep economic and political critique regarding tax systems, corporate behavior, and systemic extraction of wealth. During the closing segment of the episode, where guests are invited to share their favorite reading materials, Madoff offers three distinct and thoughtful book recommendations spanning economics, politics, and fiction. First, she recommends The Age of Extraction by Tim Wu, highlighting how the book brilliantly addresses the shift in modern corporations from producing genuine wealth and public good for the world to actively engaging in wealth extraction. Second, Madoff recommends The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order by Gary Gerstle, expressing her admiration for Gerstle's historical analysis of political eras. Finally, diverging from nonfiction, Madoff recommends Jonathan Franzen's novel Crossroads. She explains her appreciation for fiction, noting that diving into a well-crafted novel provides a fantastic space to live and explore alternative worlds and human experiences, particularly during difficult or turbulent times in contemporary society.
Books recommended by Ray Madoff
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Crossroads
Jonathan Franzen's novel "Crossroads" is a sprawling domestic drama set during the early 1970s that delves deep into the moral crises and religious yearnings of a suburban Chicago family.
Recommended“And the last book is a book of fiction, the book "Crossroads" by Jonathan Franzen, fiction at any time, and particularly in these times, is just a fantastic place to live, to explore other things than the world that we’re living in.”
Where to get it
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The Age of Extraction
The Age of Extraction by Tim Wu is an incisive examination of how major technology companies and modern corporations have shifted from generating genuine wealth and public good to extracting value from the economy at the expense of societal prosperity.
Recommended“The first book is "The Age of Extraction" by Tim Wu. This is a fantastic book that talks about how many of our companies that used to do a lot of good for the world are now, rather than producing wealth, they are doing wealth extraction”
Where to get it
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The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order
The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order by Gary Gerstle explores the emergence, dominance, and ultimate crisis of neoliberalism as a dominant political and economic paradigm.
Recommended“The other is the book, "The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order" by Gary Gerstle. And I like this. All past guests of the show Tim Wu, Gary Gerstle Yeah, I love yeah, these are great books.”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our Tax System Should Make You Furious | The Ezra Klein Show | The Ezra Klein Show | 2026-04-17 | 3 |