Person
Every book Thomas Sowell recommended on podcasts
Thomas Sowell appeared as a guest on The Rubin Report for an episode titled Discrimination and Disparities, which aired on April 18, 2018. During the interview, Sowell and the host discussed several historical and economic texts, reflecting on childhood reading memories and broader societal trends. Sowell recalled Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle books as some of the very first volumes he checked out from the public library when he was a child. The conversation later shifted to contemporary analyses of society when Sowell referenced Steven Pinker's work on violence, specifically pointing out how homicide rates across the Western world made a notable u-turn during the 1960s. Building on this, the host brought up Pinker's book Enlightenment Now, highlighting its optimistic theme that modern conditions are generally trending in a more positive direction. Furthermore, Sowell mentioned reading the joint autobiography written by Milton Friedman and his wife, sharing a specific historical anecdote recalled from its pages about riding the IND subway in Manhattan. These literary references grounded the discussion in a mix of personal history, economic thought, and long-term socio-historical patterns.
Books recommended by Thomas Sowell
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Enlightenment Now
Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker is a data-driven defense of reason, science, humanism, and human progress, arguing that global living standards have steadily improved.
Discussed“and you know his new book enlightenment now is that things are trending more positively”
Where to get it
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Essays in positive economics
Milton Friedman's foundational collection of methodological papers examines how economic theory should be evaluated through empirical observation rather than unrealistic assumptions.
Discussed“I was reading of Milton Friedman's he and his wife had a joint autobiography and she's looking at one point she looking back on in the days when she would ride the IND subway in Manhattan”
Where to get it
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The Better Angels of Our Nature
The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker is a sweeping historical analysis that argues violence has steadily declined over the course of human history due to the evolution of civilization, governance, and empathy.
Discussed“Pinker's book about about violence and you know that throughout what the Western world the homicide rates did a u-turn in the 1960s”
Where to get it
Books Thomas Sowell wrote
- Charter Schools and Their Enemies
- A Conflict of Visions
- Basic economics
- The Quest for Cosmic Justice
- Black Rednecks And White Liberals
- Discrimination and Disparities
- The Vision of the Anointed
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discrimination and Disparities | Thomas Sowell | POLITICS | Rubin Report | The Rubin Report | 2018-04-18 | 4 |
Other mentions (3: passing, ad reads, own books)
“one of the books was the Doctor Dolittle books I don't know if you know what those are”
“yeah Alison Wonderland and the rest of them but the I came in on May and there wasn't school wasn't open until September”
“yeah Alison Wonderland and the rest of them”