Person
Theo Von's book recommendations
Across 2 podcasts. Every show Theo Von appears on, in one place — not just one.
Theo Von’s most recommended books
- The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
- 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson
- Bible by Bible
- Tribe by Sebastian Junger
- Grain Brain by David Perlmutter
- Hillbilly Elegy by J D Vance
- Sex at Dawn by Christopher Ryan
- Beyond Order by Jordan B. Peterson
- Breath by James Nestor
- Bowling Alone by Robert D. Putnam
Theodor Capitani von Kurnatowski III, known professionally as Theo Von, is an American stand-up comedian and podcaster. He is the host of This Past Weekend podcast and has appeared on various MTV and Comedy Central shows. Across numerous podcast episodes, Von has frequently introduced, reviewed, and promoted various books and comedy specials for his listeners. When wrapping up interviews, he has endorsed works such as Neil deGrasse Tyson's Lost in Space and strongly promoted James Nestor's Breath, the New Science of a Lost Art. Von has also expressed a strong personal affection for Rick Rubin's The Creative Act, recommending it as a guide on creativity and artistic perspective. Furthermore, he enthusiastically introduced Louis C.K.'s novel Ingram, praising it as an emotional Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer style story. Discussing source material with guests, Von highlighted Elijah Wald's Dylan Goes Electric as a fantastic retelling of events leading up to Newport. Additionally, he has recommended Trevor Wallace's comedy special Pterodactyl and brought up Matt Haig's The Midnight Library to describe its creative premise regarding alternate life choices. Through these varied selections, Von regularly shares literature and media that resonate with his personal interests and entertain his audience.
Books recommended by Theo Von
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The Bridges of Madison County
The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller is a poignant bestselling novel and subsequent film adaptation that explores a brief, intense extramarital affair in Iowa, touching on themes of deep longing, adult choice, and regular family life.
Discussed“you know I like that movie on Bridges of Madison County you know there's just a moment of choice in there”
Where to get it
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12 Rules for Life
12 Rules for Life by Jordan B.
Discussed“I've written these books 12 rules for life and then beyond order 12 more rules because you know you can't have enough rules and I asked it”
Where to get it
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Bible
The Bible is a foundational anthology of sacred texts and scriptures central to both Judaism and Christianity, detailing narratives of creation, prophetic guidance, historical accounts, and moral teachings that have shaped Western civilization for millennia.
Discussed“Oh, it's a Bible. Is it? Hey. Yeah, it's got my name engraved on it and it it says Romans 8:28. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God.”
Where to get it
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Tribe
Tribe by Sebastian Junger is a reflective examination of social cohesion, community, and the psychological impacts of modern isolation compared to traditional societies.
Discussed“I mean there's even that book by Sebastian younger I think it's called tribe maybe where yeah it was about that it was about when we were in smaller groups and stuff like that people used to”
Where to get it
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Grain Brain
Dr.
Discussed“so here today we have a beautiful man and he's the author of the book grain brain”
Where to get it
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Hillbilly Elegy
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D.
Discussed“he's an author uh he wrote with the book hillbilly elegy uh I've read about half of it and uh”
Where to get it
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Sex at Dawn
Sex at Dawn by Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá is an exploration of human sexuality that challenges conventional ideas about monogamy by examining evolutionary biology and primate behavior.
Recommended“is we have a guy named christopher ryan coming in who wrote a book called sex at dawn”
Where to get it
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Beyond Order
Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life by Jordan B.
Discussed“I've written these books 12 rules for life and then beyond order 12 more rules because you know you can't have enough rules and I asked it this is what I asked it to do I said write me an essay that's a 13th rule for Beyond order”
Where to get it
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Breath
Breath by James Nestor is an eye-opening exploration of how modern humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly and how altering breathing habits can radically transform physical health, mental states, and overall well-being.
Recommended“You guys can all go grab his New York Times best seller. The revised edition is out now. It's out now. Yeah, just just released about last week. Breath, the new science of a lost art.”
Where to get it
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Bowling Alone
Bowling Alone by Robert D.
Discussed“There's a book a guy wrote about how there's no more bowling leagues. Um And can you look that up? It's like I'm trying to think of the title of it. But it's about how a lot of these have a lot of men's bowling leagues and men would get together and they would bowl. Uh Bowling Alone, The Collapse”
Where to get it
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Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder is a classic children's novel chronicling pioneer life on the American frontier.
Discussed“we loved him from Little House on the Prairie”
Where to get it
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The Real Anthony Fauci
Robert F.
Discussed“Uh the book, man, I've I've read as much as I can and listened to as much as I can so far, just because it's a lot of information, you know, especially um information probably isn't probably my top strong suit, but I think it's getting better.”
Where to get it
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Evidence of the Afterlife
Discussed“he has done the largest case study over 5,000 cases of uh near-death experiences and he wrote the book evidence of the afterlife”
Where to get it
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Soul Boom
Soul Boom by Rainn Wilson is an insightful and timely book that explores the urgent need for a spiritual revolution, advocating for the integration of deep spiritual principles into modern culture to solve society's greatest challenges.
Discussed“That’s what I kind of derived from the beginning of your book. I think I read like 23 pages of it maybe.”
Where to get it
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The 48 Laws of Power
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers is a provocative guide examining the historical mechanics of influence, strategy, and social dynamics.
Discussed“that's a wonderful gift to have 48 Laws of Power right there”
Where to get it
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Ingram
Ingram by Louis C.K.
Recommended“This is his new book, Ingram. And I've read it. And it's uh it's great.”
Where to get it
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Lost in Space
Lost in Space by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Lindsey Nyx Walker is an engaging and comprehensive compendium packed with thousands of fascinating facts designed to help readers navigate the wonders of the universe.
Discussed“Um, you have a new book, uh, Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe.”
Where to get it
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The culture code
The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle investigates the underlying dynamics of successful groups, arguing that effective organizational culture is built through psychological safety, vulnerability, and shared purpose.
Discussed“Have you ever read that book? Uh, culture code. Ah, culture code.”
Where to get it
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Can't Hurt Me
Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins is a powerful memoir detailing the author's harrowing journey from a brutal, abusive childhood and severe obstacles to becoming a Navy SEAL, ultra-marathon runner, and symbol of extreme mental toughness.
Recommended“and I've been reading this david Goggins book that's pretty cool so i'm excited about that”
Where to get it
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Charles Dickens' Complete Works
Charles Dickens' Complete Works gathers the enduring novels, short stories, and social commentaries of the celebrated Victorian author Charles Dickens.
Recommended“or some Chucky Dickens you know get back to your roots”
Where to get it
- Dylan goes electric! by Elijah Wald
- Fear of Intimacy by Robert Firestone, Joyce Catlett
- Fear of Intimacy and the Tango Cure by Perri Iezzoni
- Flowers for Algernon by David Rogers, Daniel Keyes
- Mark Twain by Ron Chernow
- My Name Is Bill by Susan Cheever
- Plain Language Big Book by Anonymous
- Pterodactyl by Aaron Carr
- Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
- The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
- A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
- Amistad: The Story of a Slave Ship by Patricia C. McKissack
- Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
- Awakenings by Oliver Sacks
- Breaking Bad by Lara C. Stache
- Code Name: Pale Horse by Scott Payne
- Covid-19: The Great Reset by Klaus Schwab
- Developing the Qualities of Success by Zig Ziglar
- Dictionary of The English Language by Samuel Johnson
- Discipline Equals Freedom by Jocko Willink
- Discontent in the Field of Dreams by Marvin Lazerson
- Dr. Mary's Monkey by Edward T. Haslam
- Forrest Gump by Winston Groom
- Greed by Chris Ryan
- Hamlet by William Shakespeare
- Hebrews by Paul Ellingworth
- Idiocracy by Nicole mcelroy
- If I Did It by O. J. Simpson
- Indecent Proposal by Marc Lee
Questions about Theo Von’s book recommendations
What book does Theo Von recommend most?
The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller. Theo Von recommended it in 4 episodes.
How many books has Theo Von recommended on podcasts?
We have found 90 books Theo Von recommended or discussed, across 91 episodes of 2 podcasts. Ad reads and passing mentions are not counted.
What books are on Theo Von's reading list?
The books Theo Von has recommended most on podcasts are The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller, 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson, Bible by Bible, Tribe by Sebastian Junger and Grain Brain by David Perlmutter. The year-by-year lists below have all 90.
What did Theo Von recommend on This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von?
The Bridges of Madison County, 12 Rules for Life and Bible, among 89 books in all.
What is the latest book Theo Von recommended?
Developing the Qualities of Success, discussed on This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von (2026-10-21).
People who recommend the same books
Theo Von’s latest episodes with books
Theo Von’s book recommendations by year
All 90 books Theo Von recommended or discussed across 91 episodes, filed by the year each episode came out. Each year goes episode by episode, with the minute every book came up.