Person
Every book Steven Soderbergh recommended on podcasts
Steven Soderbergh appears on literary programs such as The Book Review to discuss his lifelong reading habits, favorite discoveries, and books that have profoundly influenced his perspective. As an acclaimed filmmaker, Soderbergh reads widely and often returns to specific texts that left a lasting mark on his life. During his interview, he repeatedly praised Randall Jarrell's Post-World War II novel Pictures from an Institution, noting that it was given to him by Mike Nichols and remains a single perfect novel that he rereads multiple times. Soderbergh also strongly recommended Robert Sapolsky's Determined, describing it as seismic non-fiction that feels revolutionary in its implications. In addition to his favorite recommendations, Soderbergh discussed his reading cognition, bringing up Ben Hecht's massive memoir A Child of the Century to illustrate how he naturally forgets books shortly after reading them, a phenomenon he initially worried was a brain defect until he discovered that the skilled Hollywood screenwriter experienced the exact same thing.
Books recommended by Steven Soderbergh
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Pictures from an institution
Pictures from an Institution is a satirical novel written by the post-World War II poet and critic Randall Jarrell.
Recommended“Uh, it's a book called Pictures from an Institution by Randall Gerald. Randall Gerald was a poet, a fairly well-known, very respected poet and critic post World War II and he wrote a single perfect novel and Mike gave it to me.”
Where to get it
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A child of the century
A Child of the Century is an expansive, substantial memoir written by the famous and skilled Hollywood screenwriter Ben Hecht.
Discussed“And I thought this was a defect in my brain until I read this book written by the famous and skilled Hollywood screenwriter Ben Hec, a child of the century, which is his doors stop of a memoir.”
Where to get it
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Determined
Determined by Robert M.
Recommended“Well, it's got to be the Robert Seapolski book, Determined. This is seismic. This is something that way back when would have been nailed to the door of some institution.”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steven Soderbergh on His Reading Life (Rerun) | The Book Review | 2025-03-21 | 3 |
| Steven Soderbergh on His Year in Reading | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 2 |