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Every book Stewart Brand recommended on podcasts
Stewart Brand appears as a guest on The Ezra Klein Show, where conversations traverse the history of technology, design, innovation, and the philosophical pursuit of long-term care. When asked by Ezra Klein for three book recommendations, Brand highlights two major works that reflect his expansive worldview. First, he recommends David Deutsch's The Beginning of Infinity, describing it as a work of cosmic-level optimism that emphasizes the infinite nature of human problems and solutions. Second, he recommends Simon Winchester's The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World, which explores the history of precision engineering. Throughout the broader conversation on historical manuals and enlightenment texts, Brand also discusses Denis Diderot's monumental Encyclopédie, noting how its detailed diagrams illustrated how various eighteenth-century trades and crafts actually operated. Additionally, he mentions the history of the Encyclopædia Britannica while recounting the century-long evolution of comprehensive enlightenment reference texts. Through these recommendations and historical references, Brand showcases an enduring fascination with human ingenuity, engineering triumphs, and the accumulation of shared knowledge across centuries.
Books recommended by Stewart Brand
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The beginning of infinity
The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch is a sweeping philosophical and scientific work that champions a deeply optimistic worldview, arguing that all problems are soluble given the right knowledge.
Recommended“What are three books you’d recommend to the audience? I recommend David Deutsch’s "The Beginning of Infinity" It’s basically optimism at a cosmic level, and it’s full of the realization that there are always problems and there are solutions, and that goes on infinitely.”
Where to get it
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The Perfectionists
The Perfectionists by Simon Winchester is a historical non-fiction work that explores how precision engineers created the modern world through the relentless pursuit of exact measurements and manufacturing standards.
Recommended“I recommend a book by Simon Winchester called "The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World."”
Where to get it
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L'Encyclopédie
Discussed“But the one I was looking at was Diderot’s "Encyclopédie," which had diagrams, basically, of all the trades and crafts of the 18th century actually worked.”
Where to get it
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The Encyclopædia Britannica
Discussed“they came up with their own encyclopedia called the "Encyclopedia Britannica," which went from strength to strength for 100 years.”
Where to get it
Books Stewart Brand wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stewart Brand on LSD, A.I. Black Boxes and the Beauty of Care | The Ezra Klein Show | The Ezra Klein Show | 2026-04-24 | 4 |