Every book Roger Nam recommended on podcasts

Roger Nam appeared on Freakonomics Radio on March 14, 2024, in an episode titled The True Story of America’s Supremely Messed-Up Immigration System, where he discussed historical and structural themes related to immigration and society. During the conversation, Roger Nam discussed How to Read the Bible by James L. Kugel. When the topic of immigration came up, he suggested that anyone looking for a really wild book about immigration might start with the Bible. By pointing listeners toward biblical texts, he highlighted how ancient narratives contain foundational stories and themes that relate to the broader human experience of migration, movement, and displacement. His reference to the text provided an unconventional perspective on how contemporary social and political topics, such as immigration systems, can be traced back through ancient literature and historical texts. Through this discussion, he encouraged an exploration of early historical and religious narratives to gain a different vantage point on enduring societal phenomena like human migration, framing the ancient writings as a surprising and engaging starting point for examining modern political and social structures.