Person
Every book Spencer Klavan recommended on podcasts
Spencer Klavan frequently appears on podcasts such as The Megyn Kelly Show to analyze political rhetoric, cultural trends, and historical precedents. As a commentator deeply engaged in classical education and contemporary critique, he frequently draws upon foundational texts to make sense of current societal challenges. For instance, Klavan enthusiastically recommended William Shakespeare's timeless play Julius Caesar, urging listeners to pick up a copy because it would improve their lives. Beyond direct recommendations, he has extensively discussed a variety of classic works. He brought up Niccolò Machiavelli's Discourses on Livy to examine the transition from monarchy to republic and analyze historical class warfare. To illustrate the ancient classification of political systems into monarchy, aristocracy, and other forms, he referenced Aristotle's Politics. He also looked to literature for guidance on enduring difficult historical moments, citing a poignant exchange from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Furthermore, Klavan used Aristophanes' comedy Clouds as an ancient parallel to modern university systems, referenced a vivid battle scene from Homer's The Iliad, and critiqued Judith Butler's Gender Trouble while addressing modern gender ideology and postmodernism.
Books recommended by Spencer Klavan
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Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar is a classic historical tragedy by William Shakespeare that explores power, political conspiracy, betrayal, and the consequences of assassination in ancient Rome.
Recommended“like pick up your copy of of Julius Caesar I beg you uh your your life will be improved”
Where to get it
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Clouds
Clouds is a famous comedic play by the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes that satirizes Athenian intellectual culture, Sophistry, and contemporary education systems.
Discussed“and the closest comparison that I can come up with is with um Aristophanes clouds which is a comedy a a you know famous play from ancient Athens which is about the university system in in so many words”
Where to get it
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Discourses on Livy
Discourses on Livy by Niccolò Machiavelli is a detailed examination of the Roman historian Livy that explores the mechanics of republican governance, political transitions, and class dynamics.
Discussed“machiavelli has a book that discourses on Livy it was a really beautiful examination of the great Roman historian Livi who told us the story of the transition from Republic in to or from from monarchy into Republic among the Romans”
Where to get it
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Gender Trouble
Gender Trouble by Judith Butler is a foundational feminist and queer theory text that challenges conventional understandings of gender and identity.
Discussed“whatever else that is it's definitely an Article of Faith right it's definitely a profession of something that you some spiritual idea that you believe rather than you know some scientific objective facts that everybody has to accept tomorrow or else you're a bigot and you're just ignorant and wrong right um these are these are spiritual claims”
Where to get it
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Politics
Discussed“and Aristotle who's one of the great thinkers on this topic in his politics he says there's three ways that you can organize this there's three ways that you can arrange the system uh fundamentally one is monarchy one person rules right another is aristocracy the best a few people Rule and they're the best people”
Where to get it
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The Abolition of Man
The Abolition of Man is a profound philosophical work by C.S.
Discussed“and he Lewis actually writes about this in the four loves that experience of oh you too I thought I was the only one right”
Where to get it
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The Feminine Mystique
The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan is a landmark 1963 text of second-wave feminism that famously critiqued the stifling domestic confinement and unhappiness experienced by suburban housewives.
Discussed“this is Betty ferdan's kind of you know inaugural text of Second wave feminism”
Where to get it
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The Four Loves
Discussed“and Lewis actually writes about this in the four loves that experience of oh you too I thought I was the only one right”
Where to get it
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The Iliad
The Iliad by Homer is an ancient Greek epic poem that chronicles the fierce battles and heroic figures of the Trojan War, exploring themes of glory, wrath, and mortality.
Discussed“there's a you know a scene in The Iliad where one of the heroes kind of uh Walks from ship to ship because he's so huge”
Where to get it
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The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R.
Discussed“but I always think about this moment in Lord of the Rings of all places which uh where where Frodo says I wish the ring had never come to me Gandalf the wise wizard says so do all who live to see such times”
Where to get it
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The Odyssey of Homer
The Odyssey of Homer by Homer is an ancient epic poem recounting Odysseus's arduous journey home from the Trojan War and his encounters with various mythological trials.
Discussed“there's a you know a scene in The Iliad where one of the heroes kind of uh Walks from ship to ship because he's so huge and he is able to you know transmit himself from the prow to the next prow”
Where to get it
Books Spencer Klavan wrote
Appearances
Other mentions (3: passing, ad reads, own books)
“and so I wrote this book how to save the West because I wanted people to have access to some of that stuff have ownership over this wisdom that comes down to us from Athens and Jerusalem so that we can answer some of these questions that are being raised”
“Machiavelli who's somebody that not maybe not everybody will be familiar with as you know the the great theorist of republics they think of him as the kind of real politics scheming you know author of The Prince”
“my book that's coming out in February is called how to save the West”