Podcast
Steve Levitt's book list: the books mentioned on People I (Mostly) Admire
The most mentioned books on People I (Mostly) Admire are Freakonomics (14 episodes), Thinking, Fast and Slow (8 episodes) and Superfreakonomics (7 episodes), and the most recommended book is Between Two Kingdoms (4 episodes). We have logged 264 books across 148 episodes from 70 people on People I (Mostly) Admire, through September 23, 2026.
Key facts
- 264 books have been mentioned on People I (Mostly) Admire, as of September 23, 2026.
- 148 episodes of People I (Mostly) Admire mention at least one book, as of September 23, 2026.
- 70 people brought up a book on the show, as of September 23, 2026.
- The 3 books mentioned in the most episodes of People I (Mostly) Admire, as of September 23, 2026: Freakonomics, Thinking, Fast and Slow and Superfreakonomics.
- The latest episode of People I (Mostly) Admire with a book mention aired on September 23, 2026.
Updated
Freakonomics co-author Steve Levitt tracks down other high achievers for surprising, revealing conversations about their lives and obsessions. Join Levitt as he goes through the most interesting midlife crisis you’ve ever heard — and learn how a renegade sheriff is transforming Chicago's jail, how a biologist is finding the secrets of evolution in the Arctic tundra, and how a trivia champion memor…
Books from the latest episodes
Questions about books mentioned on People I (Mostly) Admire
What books were mentioned most on People I (Mostly) Admire?
The most mentioned books on People I (Mostly) Admire are Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (14 episodes), Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (8 episodes), Superfreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (7 episodes), Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad (4 episodes) and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (4 episodes), out of 264 books across 148 episodes, as of September 23, 2026.
What is the most recommended book on People I (Mostly) Admire?
Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad is the most recommended book on People I (Mostly) Admire, recommended in 4 episodes, as of September 23, 2026.
What books were mentioned on People I (Mostly) Admire this year?
In 2026, 3 books came up on People I (Mostly) Admire, led by Scarcity by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir (1 episode), Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (1 episode) and Life Undercover by Amaryllis Fox (1 episode), as of September 23, 2026.
Who recommends the most books on People I (Mostly) Admire?
Steve Levitt has recommended the most books on People I (Mostly) Admire, with 75 books recommended across 71 episodes, as of September 23, 2026.
Most mentioned on People I (Mostly) Admire
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Freakonomics
Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner's Freakonomics was discussed on People I (Mostly) Admire in conversations about popular science writing and unexpected success. Host and co-author Steve Levitt reflected on writing the book as a popular-audience adaptation of academic papers, pushing back against critical claims that it failed to reform the academic field of economics. Guests like Bjarke Ingels and John Green also discussed reading the book and compared their own career milestones to its runaway popularity.
Discussed“Freakonomics has actually been a book that I really enjoyed because it is saturated.”
Where to get it
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Thinking, Fast and Slow
Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow was discussed across several episodes of People I (Mostly) Admire, including a tribute episode following the author's passing. Host Steve Levitt frequently referenced the book as a blockbuster bestseller that popularized behavioral economics, introducing concepts like system one and system two thinking. In a special episode, Kahneman himself joined Levitt to discuss the profound impact and writing process behind the book, noting how it completely reshaped his intellectual focus.
Recommended“It's what Danny Conorman calls system one versus system two thinking. Can you explain to someone why those two modes of thinking matter? Reading Danny Conaman's book, Thinking Fast and Slow, really was just a life-changing experience for me and so many other people”
Where to get it
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Superfreakonomics
Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner's SuperFreakonomics was discussed by Steve Levitt across multiple episodes of People I (Mostly) Admire between 2023 and 2024. Levitt reflected on the book's controversial climate change chapter, its lower sales compared to Freakonomics, predictions regarding carbon emissions, and the sensitive nature of discussing solar geoengineering.
Discussed“I was in New York City shortly after the release of super Freakonomics the follow-up to Freakonomics and that book was proving to be quite controversial because of a chapter we had written on climate change”
Where to get it
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Between Two Kingdoms
Suleika Jaouad's memoir "Between Two Kingdoms" was discussed and recommended on People I (Mostly) Admire by Steve Levitt across multiple episodes in 2024 and 2025. Levitt recommended the book to listeners alongside Jaouad's documentary "American Symphony," brought it up during a conversation with guest Hank Green about cancer experiences, and praised it for documenting Jaouad's battle with cancer and her return to everyday life. Levitt also shared an emotional reaction, stating that he cried repeatedly while reading the memoir.
Discussed“I'm not generally an emotional or an empathetic person, but I cried over and over reading your book between two kingdoms.”
Where to get it
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The Fault in Our Stars
On People I (Mostly) Admire, host Steve Levitt frequently discussed John Green's novel The Fault in Our Stars. Levitt shared that he re-read the book and loved it, noting it is one of his favorite works about young people with cancer who fall in love. Guest Suleika Jaouad also discussed the novel, describing how she read it multiple times during her cancer treatment and found comfort and friendship in the characters.
Recommended“Have you read The Fault in Our Stars? It's John Green's book about two young people, I think, with cancer who are dying, who fall in love. It's one of my favorite books. I love John Green. I had him on the show. He was amazing.”
Where to get it
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Scarcity
On People I (Mostly) Admire, Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir's book Scarcity was recommended by host Steve Levitt and the show's announcer during episodes in January 2023 and September 2026. Levitt discussed his initial skepticism regarding the title and explored themes of poverty with Mullainathan, who shared positive reader feedback concerning how accurately the book captured the experience of being poor.
Discussed“But in this week's episode, I pick up in the middle of our conversation with me telling Sendil about my first reaction to hearing that he had written a book entitled Scarcity.”
Where to get it
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Drug Use for Grown-Ups
On People I (Mostly) Admire, host Steve Levitt and guest Owen Flanagan discussed Carl L. Hart's book Drug Use for Grown-Ups. Levitt praised the book and questioned Hart about the sensational media headlines triggered by his personal admission of heroin use. Hart explained his original intent to focus on drugs, pleasure, and personal autonomy, and detailed specific chapters in the book that critique how scientific language and brain imaging studies are often manipulated to misrepresent drug effects.
Discussed“he is a recreational heroin smoker and his book in which he defends legalizing all drugs is very libertarian and he's clear about that”
Where to get it
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A Brief History of Time
Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time came up on People I (Mostly) Admire as Steve Levitt discussed popular science literature. Levitt and guest Sendhil Mullainathan talked about the irony of the book being a ubiquitous presence on bookshelves while rarely being fully read. Levitt also reflected on how interviews with scientists like Neil deGrasse Tyson inspired curiosity and a renewed desire to tackle complex works like Hawking's classic.
Discussed“I think like many people my first real introduction to black holes was Stephen Hawkings book a brief history of time and I think that book must have come out in the 1980s and it sold millions and millions of copies probably one of the bestselling science books of all time.”
Where to get it
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Grit
On People I (Mostly) Admire, host Stephen Dubner and guest Steve Levitt discussed Grit by Angela Duckworth. Dubner introduced Duckworth by praising her work, while Levitt highlighted the book's massive societal impact and bestseller status during their interview. Levitt also brought up Grit in a later conversation with Annie Duke, contrasting the concept of perseverance with the art of quitting.
Discussed“so I want to talk about grit versus quitting grid of course is a very popular book by psychologist Angela Duckworth who also co-hosts the podcast no stupid questions and her book's about the value of perseverance”
Where to get it
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Noise
Noise by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, and Cass R. Sunstein was featured on People I (Mostly) Admire. Steve Levitt promoted the book at the end of an episode ahead of its May 2021 release and later discussed its fresh ideas in a tribute episode following Kahneman's passing. Additionally, in a listener mail segment, David Reedman cited the book's concept of a noise audit as the foundation for his PhD dissertation on school security.
Discussed“Conorman talked about his book noise which is the variability in human judgment. And I took Conorman's concept of a noise audit which is measuring the aggregate variability in a group and use this to evaluate how school police officers assess threats of violence at K through2 schools.”
Where to get it
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The evolution of cooperation
Steve Levitt brought up Robert Axelrod's book The Evolution of Cooperation on People I (Mostly) Admire, recalling that reading it in college for an economics course blew his mind. Yul Kwon also discussed Axelrod's work on the podcast to explain game theory strategies used on Survivor. Later, Steve Levitt hosted Robert Axelrod on the show, where they discussed the book's profound impact and shared anecdotes about how it inspired readers in real-life situations.
Discussed“So from a game theory perspective, I was always a fan of Robert Axelrod's work around the evolution of cooperation.”
Where to get it
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The Sports Gene
On People I (Mostly) Admire, David Epstein's book The Sports Gene was discussed by host Steve Levitt and guest Seth Stephens-Davidowitz. Levitt and Stephens-Davidowitz referenced the book to examine genetics in sports and to explore how the work debunks the popular 10,000-hour rule.
Discussed“I had David Epstein on the show a couple years back he's written some great books like range and the sports Gene”
Where to get it
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Enlightenment Now
Steven Pinker's book Enlightenment Now was brought up on People I (Mostly) Admire by Steve Levitt and Morgan Levey. The hosts discussed the core themes of reason, science, humanism, and progress, referencing past interviews with Pinker to evaluate how views on human progress have evolved.
Discussed“Five years ago, we talked a lot about his book entitled Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress.”
Where to get it
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Life Undercover
Amaryllis Fox's book Life Undercover was discussed by host Steve Levitt across multiple episodes of People I (Mostly) Admire. Levitt praised the memoir and explored themes from Fox's career as a CIA operative, including the emotional toll of espionage, the strict realities of leaving the agency, the surprising proximity of terror groups to nuclear capabilities, and how Fox's high degree of empathy fit into her covert work. Fox also noted that the book frequently resonates with young women reaching out about personal fulfillment.
Discussed“So I absolutely loved your book.”
Where to get it
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The Selfish Gene
Richard Dawkins's influential book The Selfish Gene was discussed on People I (Mostly) Admire across multiple episodes. In episode 137, host Steve Levitt admitted to reading the book for the first time, noting how eye-opening it was, and discussed its chapters on memes and the economics of family planning with Dawkins himself. In episode 136, guest Richard Prum referenced the book while analyzing evolutionary biologists' traditional views on genetics, and Levitt also mentioned it in another episode while discussing prefaces.
Discussed“I have to start with a confession before last week i' never read your book to selfish genene I have now and I was quite shocked at how eye openening the book was for me”
Where to get it
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The Soul of an Octopus
Sy Montgomery's book The Soul of an Octopus was discussed on People I (Mostly) Admire when host Steve Levitt interviewed the author and later referenced her work in other episodes. Levitt highlighted the book as a finalist for the National Book Award, emphasizing how it captured the public imagination and detailed Montgomery's profound bond with an octopus. Montgomery herself discussed the book's impact, noting how it inspired readers to change their personal eating habits regarding seafood.
Discussed“are you familiar with the nature writer sa Montgomery y among many other books she wrote one called the soul of the octopus”
Where to get it
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The Wealth of Nations
On People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt and Peter Singer discussed Adam Smith's book The Wealth of Nations. Levitt brought up the work to explore the Invisible Hand Theory and contrast his own economic background with Singer's moral philosophy. Singer also highlighted the contrast between The Wealth of Nations and Smith's other work, The Theory of Moral Sentiments.
Discussed“I'd forgotten that Dubner had done this three-part series on Adam Smith, and to win the Adam Smith Award, Dubner crafted an absolutely brilliant speech in which he talked about Adam Smith's life and details; it was really masterful.”
Where to get it
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Breath
On People I (Mostly) Admire, host Steve Levitt recommended James Nestor's Breath in September 2024, and previewed it alongside the author's other work in August 2024. Levitt also used the episodes to transition the conversation directly to the themes and details of the book with the author.
Discussed“let's turn to your more recent book it's called breath”
Where to get it
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Career and Family
Claudia Dale Goldin's Career and Family was highlighted across episodes of People I (Mostly) Admire in 2023. Host Steve Levitt introduced the book as the central focus of his interview with the author, discussing its research on women's century-long journey toward equity and greedy work, and recommended it to listeners at the end of the show.
Discussed“Claudia has pulled this research together into a book entitled Career and Family, Women's Century-Long Journey Towards Equity.”
Where to get it
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Creative Acts for Curious People
Steve Levitt brought up Sarah Stein Greenberg's book, Creative Acts for Curious People, on the People I (Mostly) Admire podcast, specifically in the January 4, 2025, episode titled "148. How to Have Good Ideas." He recommended the book to listeners interested in boosting their creativity and problem-solving skills, noting that it walks readers through dozens of time-tested exercises used at the d.school. Levitt also cited the book to compare the optimistic, extroverted, and childlike enthusiasm found on the d.school's webpage with the attitude pervading the publication.
Discussed“and it's the exact same attitude that pervades the D school's web page and your book creative acts for Curious people”
Where to get it
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Deep
James Nestor's Deep was featured on People I (Mostly) Admire in September 2024. Steve Levitt recommended the book multiple times across episodes as a fascinating read, while also previewing an upcoming interview with the author. James Nestor himself appeared on the show to discuss the two and a half years he spent researching and writing the book.
Recommended“and you know what my answer is I say what you should really read is Deep by James Nester”
Where to get it
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How to Say Goodbye
On People I (Mostly) Admire, host Steve Levitt discussed Wendy MacNaughton's book How to Say Goodbye. Levitt shared that he was initially approaching the book under work and deadline pressures, but ultimately found the prose and illustrations incredibly moving. He humorously noted the irony of expecting a guide on how to say goodbye, and repeatedly recommended the special book to listeners at the conclusion of his episodes.
Discussed“so I'm breaking out of my fear of artist mode to talk to you today because you have created something that's incredibly beautiful and that touched me so deeply it's a book of illustrations of pros and it's called how to say goodbye”
Where to get it
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Nudge
Nudge by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein was discussed on People I (Mostly) Admire by host Steve Levitt and guest Richard Thaler. Levitt repeatedly recommended the book, praising its simple and obvious insights, and recalled Thaler telling him about writing the project years prior. Thaler also humorously mentioned purchasing copies of the book online.
Recommended“if I had to pick one I guess I would say Nudge by Richard thaler and kessenstein and the basic idea is so simple and so obvious”
Where to get it
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Outlive
On an episode of People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt discussed Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia and Bill Gifford. Levitt shared how reading Attia's book provided profound insights into the author's personal struggles with emotional health and childhood trauma, while Attia explained how the book addresses the limitations of traditional medicine in treating chronic diseases.
Recommended“It has taken him seven years to collect and organize his insights into his first book. It's called 'Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity.'”
Where to get it
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Power and Progress
On People I (Mostly) Admire, host Steve Levitt repeatedly recommended and discussed the book Power and Progress by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson. Levitt highlighted it as one of his favorite works by Acemoglu, praising its insights into technology and prosperity. During interviews with Acemoglu, Levitt explored key themes from the book, including the historical struggle over technological gains and the foundational importance of property rights.
Discussed“I want to talk about your most recent book it's co-authored with Simon Johnson and it's called power and progress came out in May of 2023”
Where to get it
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Why Nations Fail
Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson was discussed and recommended on People I (Mostly) Admire in 2024. Host Steve Levitt featured the book during episodes with Nobel Laureate Daron Acemoglu, reflecting on its deep insights into human history, property rights, and institutions. Levitt consistently recommended the work to listeners interested in exploring Acemoglu's broader economic and political philosophy.
Discussed“so back in 2012 you and James Robinson published a book called why Nations fail the origins of power prosperity and poverty”
Where to get it
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Animal Liberation
Peter Singer's book Animal Liberation was discussed on People I (Mostly) Admire by host Steve Levitt. Levitt referenced the 2015 edition of the book while analyzing U.S. meat consumption statistics and noted that the text heavily influenced many individuals to adopt vegetarianism and contributed to the rise of the effective altruism movement.
Discussed“I personally know at least a dozen people who became vegetarian after they read his book animal Liberation and the effective altruism movement is in large part the consequence of his early writings on the topic”
Where to get it
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Braiding Sweetgrass
Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass was discussed on People I (Mostly) Admire by host Steve Levitt. Levitt enthusiastically recommended the book, noting that it stands out as one of the best-selling and most influential non-fiction works of the past decade. He highlighted the incredible social impact the book has achieved since entering the New York Times bestseller list, ahead of an interview with the author.
Discussed“Robin's book, Braiding Sweetg Grass, is one of the best-selling and most influential non-fiction books of the last decade.”
Where to get it
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Eve
Steve Levitt brought up Eve by Cat Bohannon on People I (Mostly) Admire in February 2024. He initially previewed his upcoming interview by recommending the stunning book as an exploration of how the female body drove 200 million years of human evolution. In a subsequent episode, Steve discussed reading the work, admitting he had initial hesitations about prehistoric topics before praising the author's fresh and surprising perspective.
Discussed“I did not expect to like this book I'm generally just not that interested in things that happened 200 million years ago or even 10,000 years ago I tend to be much more excited by modern events but in chapter after chapter K bannan offers such a fresh and surprising perspective that I couldn't put the book down”
Where to get it
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Sapiens
Yuval Noah Harari's bestselling book Sapiens came up in discussions on People I (Mostly) Admire, notably during Steve Levitt's interview with the author and in Levitt's farewell episode. Levitt highlighted the book's massive popularity and unusual lack of traditional characters despite its immense commercial success. The host also quoted and examined provocative statements from the text, including Harari's perspective that human life has no inherent meaning from a scientific standpoint and his characterization of the Agricultural Revolution as history's biggest fraud.
Recommended“And so what was interesting as I read his amazing book, Sapiens, there is not a character in the entire book. So he violates your first rule of storytelling, like how can this book sell millions of copies when it doesn't have anything that people like?”
Where to get it
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Subtract
Leidy Klotz's book Subtract came up on People I (Mostly) Admire when Sendhil Mullainathan recommended it as an awesome read while discussing a learning app. Host Steve Levitt later featured Klotz as a guest, admitting he initially dismissed the book as mediocre pop science before reconsidering its value. Levitt and Klotz discussed the core research on how people tend to add rather than subtract solutions.
Recommended“there's this great book by Lighty clots it's called subtract it just came out it's awesome”
Where to get it
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The God Delusion
On People I (Mostly) Admire, host Steve Levitt discussed Richard Dawkins's book The God Delusion across episodes in July and August 2024. Levitt referenced the book while introducing and interviewing Dawkins, examining the author's arguments against religion and the public reactions they provoked.
Discussed“this is in some sense a leading to talking to you and the reactions you've gotten when you've argued against religion in books like The God Delusion you have this enormous amount of research and you've done around natural selection”
Where to get it
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The Power of Habit
On People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt praised Charles Duhigg as a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the bestselling author of The Power of Habit. Levitt later shifted the conversation with Duhigg to reflect on the remarkable success of that 2012 book.
Discussed“like your first book The Power of Habit that came out back in 2012 and my God it was an unbelievable success”
Where to get it
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The Voltage Effect
On People I (Mostly) Admire, Reginald Dwayne Betts brought up John A. List's book The Voltage Effect when discussing the concept of scale, noting that one of the host's colleagues had written it. Steve Levitt and John List also discussed the book in a separate episode, contrasting it with List's earlier 2013 book The Y-Axis. John List explained that The Y-Axis showcased his early field experiments, whereas The Voltage Effect represented the later stage of his academic career.
Discussed“I think one of your colleagues wrote voltage effect”
Where to get it
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Unforgiving Places
Unforgiving Places by Jens Ludwig was featured on People I (Mostly) Admire. Steve Levitt recommended the book to listeners and used it to discuss differing political assumptions about the causes of crime, while Morgan Levy later referenced Ludwig's work on innovative solutions to American gun violence in response to a listener question.
Discussed“We had a recent episode with Yens Ludwig, who runs the crime lab at the University of Chicago, and he wrote a book called Unforgiving Places, which explores some innovative solutions to America's gun problem.”
Where to get it
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What Is It Like to Be an Addict?
Owen Flanagan's book What Is It Like to Be an Addict? was featured on People I (Mostly) Admire in early 2025. Steve Levitt promoted and described the work as a fascinating combination of highly personal memoir and cutting-edge scientific thinking on addiction. Morgan Levy later mentioned the book during a post-interview discussion with Levitt, noting that it was based on research while also functioning as part memoir.
Discussed“in our last new new episode we interviewed psychologist and neurobiologist Owen Flanigan who recently wrote a book on addiction it's based on research but also is part Memoir”
Where to get it
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A Void
Guest Sarah Hart discussed Georges Perec's lipogrammatic novel 'A Void' on People I (Mostly) Admire, referencing its clever English title to explain how literary constraints relate to themes within the narrative.
Discussed“whereas perex book called Lis barion The Disappearance and in English it's called aoid which both clever titles”
Where to get it
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
On the People I (Mostly) Admire episode The Joy of Math With Sarah Hart, Steve Levitt brought up Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Levitt used the classic work to ask a guest about the presence of mathematical logic in children's literature.
Discussed“and with Lewis Carroll being of course the most famous mathematician author of all time he must have used math in his stories like Alice in Wonderland”
Where to get it
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Capital in the Twenty-First Century
Thomas Piketty's Capital in the Twenty-First Century was referenced on People I (Mostly) Admire in January 2023. Host Steve Levitt brought up the book during a quiz segment based on the World Quizzing Championship, asking Victoria Gross about Piketty's claims regarding wealth inequality, progressive capital taxes, and wealth caps. Gross responded that she heard about the work frequently and planned to read it. In another episode that month, guest Seth Stephens-Davidowitz casually referenced Piketty's book while discussing statistics related to Kindle book underlining.
Discussed“which French Economist author of Capital in the 21st century claims that increasing wealth inequality is a feature of capitalism and suggests steeply Progressive Capital taxes and a cap on the possible total wealth of a person in order to get the capital distribution back to a normal level”
Where to get it
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High Price
On People I (Mostly) Admire, host Steve Levitt mentioned Carl Hart's autobiographical book High Price. Levitt used the book to contrast Hart's background as a lab rat with his evolution into an outspoken advocate for drug policy reform.
Discussed“Because I read your first book, which is called High Price, which is kind of a biography.”
Where to get it
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Moby Dick
On People I (Mostly) Admire, Herman Melville's Moby Dick was discussed in episodes from April 2023 and September 2024. Ken Ono recalled his mentor Basil Gordon reciting the opening of the novel and using its themes as an analogy for mathematical discovery. Additionally, Sarah Hart shared that she wrote an academic paper published in 2021 focusing on the mathematics found within Moby Dick.
Discussed“He started reciting Moby Dick; the opening to Moby Dick was really striking.”
Where to get it
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Nine Nasty Words : English in the Gutter
On People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt brought up John McWhorter's book Nine Nasty Words : English in the Gutter to discuss the history and etymology of various profane and unusual words. Levitt expressed surprise at learning the origins of everyday phrases and asked McWhorter about the treatment of taboo language.
Discussed“so your playful side comes out in a book that you wrote last year called Nine nasty words and you document the history of various profane words from the pretty tame like damn and hell to the totally Taboo in the form of the n-word”
Where to get it
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Once upon a Prime
On People I (Mostly) Admire, host Steve Levitt discussed Sarah Hart's book Once Upon a Prime across episodes in 2023 and 2025. Levitt praised the book for its joyful exploration of the magical overlaps between literature and mathematics, highlighting how it approaches the subject through play and cultural connection rather than strictly practical goals.
Discussed“Sarah wrote a book called once upon a prize which dives into the magical overlap between literature and Mathematics”
Where to get it
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Range
David J. Epstein's book Range was discussed by host Steve Levitt on People I (Mostly) Admire, including an interview with Epstein himself. Levitt highlighted the book's exploration of generalists versus specialists, noting how societal and parental forces push individuals toward extreme specialization, and expressed his appreciation for the stories and arguments presented.
Discussed“I had David Epstein on the show a couple years back he's written some great books like range and the sports Gene”
Where to get it
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The Better Angels of Our Nature
On episodes of People I (Mostly) Admire, host Steve Levitt and guest Dan Gilbert discussed Steven Pinker's book The Better Angels of Our Nature. Levitt and Gilbert highlighted the book's argument that violence has significantly decreased over time, and Levitt humorously recalled how a synopsis of the Old Testament within the book made him laugh.
Discussed“I think a great example comes from another one of your books called the better angels of our nature which argues that violence has greatly decreased over time and that doesn't strike me as being a very funny topic”
Where to get it
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The Blind Watchmaker
Richard Dawkins's The Blind Watchmaker was discussed on People I (Mostly) Admire by host Richard Dawkins and guest Richard Prum. Dawkins referenced his book to explain how he uses problem-posing to teach complex biological facts like bat echolocation, while Prum brought up the work to critique its strictly adaptationist view of biology for omitting cognitive complexity and active choice in nature.
Discussed“in my third book The Blind watchmaker for example I devoted most of a chapter to bat echolocation sonar the navigation by bats using Echo”
Where to get it
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The Book of Hope
Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams's book The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times was discussed on People I (Mostly) Admire when host Steve Levitt interviewed the renowned primatologist. Levitt referenced the book—noting it as the fifth title in Goodall's bibliography to feature the word 'hope'—to transition into a broader conversation regarding her philosophy, survival strategies during difficult eras, and her concept of optimism.
Discussed“so your latest book is entitled The Book of Hope a survival guide for trying times and if I'm counting correctly it's your fifth book that has the word hope in the title”
Where to get it
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The Luminaries
On People I (Mostly) Admire, guest Sarah Hart brought up Eleanor Catton's novel The Luminaries in episodes from 2023 and 2025. Hart discussed the book to illustrate the intersection of literature and mathematics, explaining how the 2013 Booker Prize-winning novel employs an underlying mathematical structure where each chapter is precisely half the length of the preceding one.
Discussed“there's a book called The Luminaries by Elena Katen won the book of prize in 2013 and that book has a mathematical structure underneath it which is that every chapter is half the length of the one before”
Where to get it
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The Premonition
Michael Lewis's book The Premonition was discussed on People I (Mostly) Admire by host Steve Levitt and guest Charity Dean. The conversations focused on Dean's prominent role in the book as a public servant navigating the COVID-19 crisis, examining the pandemic response strategies and leadership decisions detailed in the work.
Discussed“something implicit in Michael Lewis's book premonition that confuses me but that he and I never actually had a chance to talk about it He suggests that if California had heeded your warnings”
Where to get it
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The Theory of Moral Sentiments
On People I (Mostly) Admire, Peter Singer and Steve Levitt discussed Adam Smith's The Theory of Moral Sentiments to contrast it with his more famous work, The Wealth of Nations, noting that the former lays out Smith's foundational moral theories.
Discussed“You're referring to the Adam Smith of The Wealth of Nations but there's also the Adam Smith of the theory of moral sentiments and I think that the distinction between the two is that in the theory of moral sentiments Smith is lying at a moral theory”
Where to get it
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The undoing project
Steve Levitt discussed Michael Lewis's book The Undoing Project on People I (Mostly) Admire. Levitt brought up the 2016 book to ask Daniel Kahneman about his feelings regarding its intimate and personal portrayal of his collaboration with Amos Tversky.
Discussed“and also to ask Danny how he felt about Michael Lewis's book The undoing project which tells the story of K and T's partnership in a very intimate and personal way”
Where to get it
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Through the Looking-Glass
Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll was discussed on People I (Mostly) Admire. Steve Levitt and guest Sarah Hart talked about the sequel to Alice in Wonderland, noting how Lewis Carroll structured the entire narrative around a genuine game of chess.
Discussed“Through the Looking Glass the sequel is based on chess and he actually said you could play that book as a genuine game of chess”
Where to get it
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Woke Racism
On People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt welcomed guest John McWhorter to discuss his book Woke Racism. McWhorter explained that the book was written not merely to criticize the anti-racism movement, but to argue that certain well-intentioned efforts actually harm Black Americans. Levitt and McWhorter also explored specific proposals from the book, including teaching children to read using phonics.
Discussed“After this short break, they’ll return to talk about John's book 'Woke Racism.' So our listener, I know, wrote us an email about the high gas prices we’re currently seeing as a result of Russia’s war with Ukraine.”
Where to get it
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10 to 25
David Yeager's book 10 to 25 was featured on People I (Mostly) Admire, where host Steve Levitt strongly recommended it. Levitt stated that the book fundamentally transformed how he communicates with young people, influences his parenting, and became mandatory reading for a high school he helped launch, while also questioning the author about the specific age range targeted in the work.
Discussed“So, your book is entitled 10 to 25, the science of motivating young people.”
Where to get it
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A Beginner's Guide to the End
On People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt discussed A Beginner's Guide to the End by BJ Miller and Shoshana Berger. Levitt compared the practical guide on preparing for death to parenting books like What to Expect When You're Expecting and recommended it at the end of the episode.
Discussed“you've co-authored a book called a beginner's guide to the end and the best way I can summarize it is that it's like What to Expect When You're Expecting except for dying instead of giving birth”
Where to get it
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Behave
During an episode of People I (Mostly) Admire, host Steve Levitt discussed Robert M. Sapolsky's book Behave with the author. Levitt praised the work as the most thorough, thoughtful, and enlightening scientific book he had ever read regarding the complex roots of human violence, highlighting its comprehensive approach to the subject.
Discussed“so he wrote a book called behave and I would say it's the most thorough and thoughtful enlightening scientific book I've ever read about violence”
Where to get it
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Black Holes
On People I (Mostly) Admire, host Steve Levitt discussed Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw's book Black Holes: The Key to Understanding the Universe. Levitt brought up the recent publication at the beginning of the interview and returned to it toward the conclusion of the episode while talking about black holes.
Discussed“Your most recent book is on black holes. We're talking about black holes.”
Where to get it
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Blue Machine
Steve Levitt discussed Helen Czerski's book 'The Blue Machine' on the podcast People I (Mostly) Admire. During the episode, Levitt expressed his initial skepticism upon learning that a book about the physics of the ocean was being written, but ultimately engaged in a conversation with the author about its contents. In the outro, he formally recommended the book to the audience, noting that listeners who enjoyed the interview would likely appreciate reading her work.
Discussed“so a lot of what we're talking about is coming from your new book it's called the Blue machine and I have to say when I heard that you were going to write a book about the physics of the ocean I was skeptical”
Where to get it
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Brave New Words
On People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt recommended Salman Khan's Brave New Words during the episode "133. Pay Attention! (Your Body Will Thank You) | People I (Mostly) Admire" on June 12, 2024. Levitt shared an update about the author's new work detailing how artificial intelligence will revolutionize education and praised it as a fantastic book that profoundly shaped his thinking.
Recommended“we also have an update from s KH of Khan Academy them who's been on the show a few times in the past he has a new book out it's called Brave new words how AI will revolutionize education and why that's a good thing”
Where to get it
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Cuckoo
On People I (Mostly) Admire, Richard Dawkins strongly recommended Nick Davies's book Cuckoo while discussing the behavior and evolution of cuckoo birds.
Recommended“by the way I'm deriving this mostly from the work of Nick Davis of Cambridge University whose book called cucko I strongly recommend it”
Where to get it
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Economic Gangsters
On the People I (Mostly) Admire podcast, host Steve Levitt recommended the book Economic Gangsters, co-authored by Edward Miguel and Ray Fisman. In the episode titled Edward Miguel on Collecting Economic Data by Canoe and Correlating Conflict with, Levitt noted that he provided a blurb for the front cover of the hardcover edition. He encouraged listeners to check out the book if they enjoyed Miguel's appearance on the show.
Recommended“if you like what you heard from Ted Miguel today check out his book it's called economic gangsters and it's co-authored with another one of my favorite economists Ray fitzman if you buy the hardcover version you see my blurb right on the front and it perfectly captures my opinion of the book it reads rarely has a book on”
Where to get it
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Everything Is Tuberculosis
On an episode of People I (Mostly) Admire titled 157. The Deadliest Disease in Human History released on May 10, 2025, host Steve Levitt discussed John Green's book Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection. Levitt recommended the work to listeners and noted how a previous conversation with Green directly influenced the author's decision to halt another novel and focus instead on writing this history of tuberculosis.
Discussed“In the past, John said that discussion influenced his decision to stop writing the novel he was working on and instead devote himself to writing his new book, Everything is Tuberculosis.”
Where to get it
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Extended Mind
Annie Murphy Paul's The Extended Mind was discussed on People I (Mostly) Admire by Caroline Paul. Caroline Paul shared her reading experience, highlighting how the book explores the concept of awe and how it can be easily triggered by nature.
Discussed“I did read Annie Murphy Paul the extended mind and she talks about awe in there”
Where to get it
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Finding the Mother Tree
Steve Levitt recommended Suzanne Simard's book Finding the Mother Tree on People I (Mostly) Admire in January 2023. He advised listeners to read the work to learn about Simard's successful efforts in challenging and changing conventional, flawed wisdom in forestry.
Recommended“If you want to learn more about how Suzanne samard much more successfully than me took on the flawed conventional wisdom of Forestry check out her fascinating book entitled Finding the mother tree”
Where to get it
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Gathering Moss
On the podcast People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt brought up Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer during the June 7, 2025 episode titled 159. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Manifesto for a Gift Economy. Levitt expressed deep admiration for the work, explicitly naming it as his favorite book by the author and sharing that it had totally enthralled him.
Recommended“But my favorite of her books, the one that totally enthralled me, is called Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses.”
Where to get it
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Happy Money
On People I (Mostly) Admire, guest Dan Gilbert discussed Happy Money, a book written by his co-authors Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton. Gilbert explained that the book was based on their joint research paper concerning how people can spend money to achieve greater happiness.
Recommended“in fact the two co-authors of that paper Mike Norton and Liz Dunn wrote a book based on our paper called happy money”
Where to get it
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Homicide
On a July 8, 2023 episode of People I (Mostly) Admire, host Steve Levitt spoke with guest David Simon. Levitt recalled reading Simon's book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets as a PhD student, sharing how the book deeply influenced his perspective on studying crime.
Recommended“At the time, I was reading your book, Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, which had just come out. My favorite TV show at that time was Cops, and the answer was right in front of me: I should study crime.”
Where to get it
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Imaginable
On the People I (Mostly) Admire episode titled Is Gaming Good for You?, released on January 20, 2023, host Steve Levitt discussed gaming with guest Jane McGonigal. Levitt noted that McGonigal is the author of three books on the topic and highlighted her most recent work titled Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything, even regarding circumstances that seem impossible in the present day.
Recommended“She's also the author of three books on the topic, the most recent of which is called 'Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything,' even things that seem impossible today.”
Where to get it
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Liar's Poker
Michael Lewis's book Liar's Poker was discussed on People I (Mostly) Admire during an interview featuring the author. Steve Levitt reflected on reading the book shortly after graduating from college and noted that he recently reread it after thirty years, expressing surprise at how well the material has aged and how awful the behavior of the characters appears in hindsight. Additionally, Steve Levitt recommended the new audiobook version of Liar's Poker read by Michael Lewis.
Discussed“I read liars poker Michael Lewis's first book just after I graduated college”
Where to get it
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Life 3.0
Max Tegmark's Life 3.0 was recommended on People I (Mostly) Admire in January 2023. Steve Levitt mentioned the best-selling book at the conclusion of his interview with the author, encouraging listeners who enjoyed the conversation about artificial intelligence to read it.
Recommended“if you've enjoyed this conversation check out Max's best-selling book it's entitled life 3.0 Being Human in the age of artificial intelligence”
Where to get it
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Livewired
On the People I (Mostly) Admire episode 144. Feeling Sound and Hearing Color, Steve Levitt recommended David Eagleman's book Livewired at the end of the episode, highlighting its exploration of brain research.
Recommended“If you want to learn more about David eagan's ideas I really enjoyed a couple of his mini books like live wired which talks about his brain research and some 40 Tales from the afterlives his book of speculative fiction”
Where to get it
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Lost cat
In episode 131 of People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt discussed the book Lost Cat with author Caroline Paul. Levitt shared his humorous surprise at reading the memoir about Paul's cat running away, admitting that he normally would not have picked up the book if he had not been preparing to interview her.
Discussed“you wrote a book about of all things your cat running away it's called lost cat and I have to say being just totally honest in a million years I never would have read that book if I didn't know”
Where to get it
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Misbehaving
On an episode of People I (Mostly) Admire, host Steve Levitt recommended Richard H. Thaler's semi-autobiographical book Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics. Levitt expressed his enthusiasm for the text, suggesting to listeners that they would thoroughly enjoy Thaler's account of how behavioral economics was developed and established.
Recommended“I suspect you'd also enjoy Richard's semi-autobiographical book entitled misbehaving the making of Behavioral economics”
Where to get it
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Moonwalking with Einstein
On People I (Mostly) Admire in January 2023, host Steve Levitt discussed Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer during an episode featuring memory champion Nelson Dellis. Levitt mentioned that he first learned about memory palaces from Foer's book, calling it an amazing work, and shared how he attempted to apply those techniques to learning languages.
Recommended“so I knew a little bit about memory palaces from Josh Force book moonwalking with Einstein which is an amazing book and I tried to apply that to language”
Where to get it
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My Own Country
On an episode of People I (Mostly) Admire titled 116. Abraham Verghese Thinks Medicine Can Do Better released on October 14, 2023, host Steve Levitt recommended the memoir My Own Country by Abraham Verghese. Levitt highlighted the book as his personal favorite among the author's works, praising the physician's storytelling.
Recommended“my own personal favorite is his first book A Memoir in titled my own country a doctor story”
Where to get it
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Our Mathematical Universe
On the January 9, 2023 episode of People I (Mostly) Admire, titled Max Tegmark on Why Treating Humanity Like a Child Will Save Us All, host Steve Levitt recommended Max Tegmark's book Our Mathematical Universe: My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality. Levitt suggested that listeners check out the work if they wanted to learn more about Tegmark's worldview.
Recommended“and in the meantime if you want to learn more about Max's view on the world take a look at his book entitled our mathematical Universe my quest for the ultimate nature of reality”
Where to get it
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Outlive the Science and Art of Longevity
On People I (Mostly) Admire, host Steve Levitt discussed Peter Attia's book Outlive the Science and Art of Longevity. Levitt explained that reading the newly published book helped him understand the author's personal lifestyle changes. Toward the end of the episode, Levitt strongly recommended the work to his listeners for its compelling insights into health and longevity.
Discussed“until I read your new book just published it's called outlive the science and art of longevity and reading the book I realized that you have changed more in the last 10 years than just about anyone else I know”
Where to get it
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Plant Hunter
On People I (Mostly) Admire, host Steve Levitt spoke with guest Cassandra Leah Quave about her memoir The Plant Hunter. Levitt discussed how reading the book transformed his perspective on the severity of drug-resistant bacteria and global health projections. The conversation focused on Quave's inspiring personal journey of overcoming childhood illness and amputation, as well as her innovative, nature-based approach to discovering new antibiotics through ethnobotany.
Recommended“Professor Cassandra quave an ethnobotanist at Emory University tells her story in an amazing new Memoir entitled the plant Hunter”
Where to get it
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Power in Numbers
Talithia Williams's book Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics was featured on People I (Mostly) Admire. Guest Talithia Williams and host Steve Levitt discussed the book to highlight the historical contributions of women to mathematics, including figures like Katherine Johnson, and how modern math education relates to past achievements. At the conclusion of the episode, Steve Levitt recommended the book to listeners.
Discussed“You need to know the history of math; you need to understand that, you know, part of my book, 'Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics,' was really to highlight that women have also contributed.”
Where to get it
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Quit
On People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt and Annie Duke discussed her book extensively. Levitt introduced the text to highlight the theme of knowing when to walk away, while Duke explained how the book addresses the positive aspects of quitting and relates to the concept of grit.
Recommended“in her latest book entitled quit the power of knowing when to walk away and he tackles one of my favorite subjects quitting”
Where to get it
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Remember it!
On People I (Mostly) Admire, host Steve Levitt discussed Nelson Dellis's book Remember it! to prepare for his interview with the author. Levitt noted that he had previously been discouraged from using the memory palace technique, but reading Dellis's book inspired him to try it again. Levitt also recommended that listeners read Dellis's books to find memory tips and improve their ability to remember faces.
Discussed“so I had been kind of discouraged from The Memory Palace but in preparation for this interview I was reading your book remember it and I said okay even though I failed on language I'm going to try it again”
Where to get it
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She Said
On People I (Mostly) Admire in 2023, guest Suzanne Gluck strongly recommended She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. Gluck described the book, which details the New York Times reporters breaking the Harvey Weinstein story, as Watergate for girls and urged listeners who have daughters to read it.
Recommended“I think that for anybody who has daughters you should make them read she said which is Watergate for girls it's the New York Times reporters writing about breaking the Harvey Weinstein story”
Where to get it
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Speak, Memorably
Speak, Memorably by Bill McGowan and Juliana Silva was featured on a July 2025 episode of People I (Mostly) Admire. Host Steve Levitt strongly recommended the book for public speaking and discussed concepts like the presentation chasm and familiarity breeding comfort. Guest Bill McGowan explained the content creation principles behind the book, including strategies for distinctiveness, chapters on likability, and the Copala storytelling formula.
Recommended“When I heard he had a new book out called Speak Memorably: The Art of Captivating an Audience, I knew I had to get him on this show to share his insights with you, the listeners.”
Where to get it
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Split the Pie
Barry Nalebuff's book Split the Pie was featured on the People I (Mostly) Admire episode titled Get Your Share of the Pie. Steve Levitt initially approached the negotiation book with skepticism, but stated that the author won him over with an original and insightful approach. Levitt highlighted a specific story from the text regarding a trademark dispute and domain registration, and enthusiastically recommended the book to listeners at the end of the episode.
Discussed“and the second is his new book entitled split the pie when I first heard he had a new book on negotiation I wondered what new ideas could there possibly be on that topic but then I read the book and honestly I was shocked at how original and insightful his approach really was”
Where to get it
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Storm in a Teacup
On the December 28, 2023 episode of People I (Mostly) Admire titled Exploring Physics, from Eggshells to Oceans, host Steve Levitt recommended Helen Czerski's book Storm in a Teacup. Levitt praised the text for explaining everyday physics and highlighted a memorable example from the book regarding how to use physical principles to determine if an egg is raw or boiled.
Discussed“it's not exactly a life-changing Insight but one example that you gave in your book storm and a teacup that really sticks with me is how to use physics to figure out whether an egg is raw or whether it's been boiled”
Where to get it
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Sum
On the People I (Mostly) Admire episode titled 144. Feeling Sound and Hearing Color, Steve Levitt brought up David Eagleman's book Sum to recommend it to listeners at the end of the show. Levitt also mentioned the book earlier while discussing Eagleman's philosophy of possibilianism.
Discussed“in support of possibilianism maybe a better name could be in order you wrote a book called some 40 Tales from the afterlives”
Where to get it
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Supercommunicators
Host Steve Levitt discussed Charles Duhigg's book Supercommunicators on an episode of People I (Mostly) Admire in March 2024. Levitt introduced the work at the beginning of the show as an exploration of the neurology and psychology of connection, interviewed the author about it, and recommended that listeners pick up a copy.
Recommended“he's got a new book out entitled super communicators how to unlock the secret language of connection and I found out that we're actually living through a golden age of understanding the neurology and psychology of communication”
Where to get it
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TED Talks
On the People I (Mostly) Admire podcast, Steve Levitt discussed TED Talks by Chris Anderson during the episode titled 138. Chris Anderson on the Power of TED in August 2024. Levitt praised the book, which serves as the official guide to public speaking, noting that it was easily the best book he had ever read on the subject. Later in the episode, he recapped it alongside other works discussed during their conversation.
Recommended“let's talk about your other book you've written it must have been eight or nine years ago it's called Ted Talks the official Ted guide to public speaking it is easily the best book I've ever read on public speaking”
Where to get it
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The Age of Diagnosis
On March 15, 2025, during episode 153 of People I (Mostly) Admire, titled We’re Not Getting Sicker — We’re Overdiagnosed, host Steve Levitt recommended Suzanne O'Sullivan's work. At the conclusion of the episode, Levitt strongly recommended all four of O'Sullivan's books, specifically highlighting her most recent release, The Age of Diagnosis, which examines how society's obsession with medical labels is making people sicker.
Recommended“I hardly recommend all four of her books especially her most recent book book entitled the age of diagnosis how our obsession with medical labels is making us sicker”
Where to get it
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The Animal Activist's Handbook
On People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt recommended The Animal Activist's Handbook by Matt Ball and Bruce Friedrich. Levitt noted that despite the specific title, he found the lessons inside to be broadly applicable to persuasion and positive impact.
Recommended“Bruce friedrich's book is called the animal activist handbook maximizing our positive impact in today's world and I have to say I found the lessons in the book to be much more broadly applicable than the title would suggest”
Where to get it
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The Anthropocene Reviewed
On the 2023-04-06 episode of People I (Mostly) Admire titled John Green's Reluctant Rocket Ship Ride | People I (Mostly) Admire | Episode 92, host Steve Levitt discussed John Green's book The Anthropocene Reviewed. Levitt shared his surprise at discovering the New York Times bestseller while visiting a bookstore in Germany and realizing it was a non-fiction work meant for adults.
Discussed“I've secretly been a fan of John Green for a while but when I stumbled onto his latest book The anthropocene reviewed I was shocked to discover that it was non-fiction actually meant for adults”
Where to get it
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The Ark Before Noah
On the October 25, 2025 episode of People I (Mostly) Admire titled "169. Decoding the World’s First Writing," host Steve Levitt mentioned Irving Finkel's book during the conversation. Levitt recommended The Ark Before Noah: Decoding the Story of the Flood to listeners who wanted to learn more details about the ark story after discussing ancient writing systems with his guest.
Recommended“If you'd like to learn more about the ark story, Irving's book is called The Ark Before Noah: Decoding the Story of the Flood.”
Where to get it
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The Black Poets
On People I (Mostly) Admire, Reginald Dwayne Betts credited the poetry anthology The Black Poets by Dudley Randall with profoundly changing his life while he was in solitary confinement. He highlighted the emotional resonance of reading Etheridge Knight's poetry within its pages.
Recommended“and I ended up getting this book called the black poets and it changed my life”
Where to get it
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The Covenant of Water (Oprah's Book Club)
On October 14, 2023, during an episode of People I (Mostly) Admire titled Abraham Verghese Thinks Medicine Can Do Better, Steve Levitt recommended Abraham Verghese's novel The Covenant of Water. Levitt noted to listeners that the book had spent over twenty weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.
Recommended“You might want to pick up his latest novel The Covenant of water it's been on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 20 weeks”
Where to get it
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The Creative Act
On the debut episode of People I (Mostly) Admire in April 2023, host Steve Levitt discussed Rick Rubin's book The Creative Act. Levitt admitted he knew little about the music industry but picked up the book after brainstorming guests, expressing surprise that it was a philosophical meditation rather than a memoir. He shared that the book resonated deeply with him and highlighted several passages and key messages for listeners.
Recommended“His new book is entitled The Creative Act: A Way of Being, and it's not at all the book you might expect from someone in the music industry. It's a book about...”
Where to get it
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The Difference
On People I (Mostly) Admire, host Steve Levitt brought up Scott E. Page's book The Difference to explore what makes the most effective teams for judgment. Levitt and his guest discussed how research from the book demonstrates that teams composed of individuals with diverse perspectives consistently outperform teams made up entirely of experts, highlighting the value of diverse viewpoints in collaborative decision-making.
Discussed“and there's an old book called the difference it's about the narrow research question of what makes the best teams for judgment and what it shows is that teams of people with different views destroy teams even of experts”
Where to get it
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The Fifth Wave
On People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt recommended The Fifth Wave, The Evolution of American Higher Education by Michael M. Crow and William B. Dabars to listeners who wanted to learn more about Michael Crow's vision for the future of higher education.
Recommended“If you'd like to learn more about Michael Crow's vision of the future of higher education, check out his book, The Fifth Wave, The Evolution of American Higher Education.”
Where to get it
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The Index Card
On People I (Mostly) Admire on January 21, 2023, in an episode featuring Harold Pollack, Steve Levitt brought up The Index Card by Helaine Olen and Harold Pollack to discuss its major success and how its advice has positively impacted many lives. Later in the outro, Levitt referenced the book again to reiterate how simple personal finance and managing money without high fees can be.
Discussed“so you published a book called the index card why personal finance doesn't have to be complicated and you co-authored that with Helene Olin and it was really a big hit like you said I think it's affected so many people's lives”
Where to get it
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The Mentality of Apes
Wolfgang Kohler's The Mentality of Apes was discussed on People I (Mostly) Admire by guest Jane Goodall. Goodall highlighted the psychologist's book while explaining how he studied captive chimpanzees and described their innovative use of objects, noting how the scientific community had initially dismissed such behavior.
Recommended“there's a wonderful book written by a psychologist called the mentality of Apes wolf ganga and he studied this colony of captive apes and he describes so many Innovative use of objects”
Where to get it
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The Meritocracy Trap
On People I (Mostly) Admire, Thomas Curran recommended Daniel Markovits's book The Meritocracy Trap during an episode in September 2023. Curran referenced the work while discussing higher education access, competition, and perfectionism, noting that Markovits dealt with those societal issues in extensive detail.
Recommended“Daniel markovitz is actually wrote a book called The meritocracy trout where he dealt with these issues in far more detail than I did”
Where to get it
The next 164 books mentioned on People I (Mostly) Admire, ranked
- The Perfection Trap by Thomas Curran
- The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore
- The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver
- The strategy of conflict by Thomas C. Schelling
- The undercover economist by Tim Harford
- Tough Broad by Caroline Paul
- Waking Up by Sam Harris
- WTF?! by Peter T. Leeson
- You Are What You Watch by Walter Hickey
- Your inner fish by Neil Shubin
- A General History of the Pyrates by Captain Charles Johnson
- A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
- Africa's turn? by Edward Miguel
- Alcoholics Anonymous by Alcoholics Anonymous
- Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book by Alcoholics Anonymous World Services
- All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
- An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
- An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore
- Animal species and evolution by Ernst Mayr
- Atheism is Winning! by Anonymous
- Be Useful by Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Big Bets by Rajiv Shah
- Black Boy by Richard Wright
- Bright-sided by Barbara Ehrenreich
- Business Efficiency For Dummies by Marina Martin
- Collapse by Jared M. Diamond
- Contact by Carl Sagan
- Cooking for Geeks by Jeff Potter, Jeff Potter
- Cribsheet by Emily Oster
- Daring Young Men by Richard Reeves
- De ansatte by Olga Ravn
- Dead aid by Dambisa Moyo
- Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips
- Dominion by Tom Holland
- Don't Trust Your Gut by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
- Dr. Spock On Parenting by Benjamin Spock
- Dream hoarders by Richard V. Reeves
- Economics, an introductory analysis by Paul Anthony Samuelson, Nordhaus, William D., William D. Nordhaus
- Essays in positive economics by Milton Friedman
- Every Man for Himself and God Against All by Werner Herzog
- Excellent Advice for Living by Kevin Kelly
- Expecting better by Emily Oster
- Extraterrestrial by Avi Loeb
- Fair Doses by Seth Berkley
- Famine, affluence, and morality by Peter Singer
- Fighting fire by Caroline Paul
- Finnegans Wake by James Joyce
- Flights of Fancy by Richard Dawkins
- Forward by Andrew Yang
- Freedomnomics by John R. Lott
- Globalization and its discontents by Joseph E. Stiglitz
- Gray's anatomy by Henry Gray F.R.S.
- Grey's Anatomy by Chris Van Dusen
- GRIT The Power of PASSION and PERSEVERANCE by Angela Duckworth
- Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond
- Hamlet by William Shakespeare
- Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine by Tinsley R. Harrison
- Harry Potter by Unknown
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
- How Boards Work by Dambisa Moyo
- How schools work by Arne Duncan
- Human Nature by Kate Marvel
- Infectious Generosity by Chris Anderson
- Infinite Powers by Steven H. Strogatz
- Insomnia by Stephen King
- Insurrections by Rion Amilcar Scott
- Interstellar by Avi Loeb
- Is Earth Exceptional? by Dr. Mario Livio
- It's All in Your Head by Suzanne O'Sullivan
- John Stuart Mill by Richard Reeves
- Jump by Larry Miller, Laila Lacy
- King Henry V by William Shakespeare
- La Disparition by Georges Perec
- Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
- Little men by Louisa May Alcott
- Looking for Alaska by John Green
- Marriage and morals by Bertrand Russell
- Measure what matters by John Doerr
- Messy by Tim Harford
- Microeconomics for Managers, 2nd Edition by David M. Kreps
- MOBY-DICK; or, THE WHALE by Herman Melville
- Moneyball by Michael Lewis
- More guns, less crime by John R. Lott
- Not Quite what I was Planning: Six-word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure by Rachel (ed.) Fershleiser
- Of Boys and Men by Richard Reeves
- On Liberty by John Stuart Mill
- One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
- Out of the Mist by Gloria Dare
- Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
- Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
- Paper Towns by John Green
- Performance All the Way Down by Richard O. Prum
- Practical ethics by Peter Singer
- Quest for the tree kangaroo by SY Montgomery, Nic Bishop
- Railroads and American Economic Growth by Robert William Fogel
- Realms of the human unconscious by Stanislav Grof
- Realms of the human unconscious ; observations from LSD research by Stanislav Grof
- Rebel in the ranks by Brad S. Gregory, Brad S. Gregory
- Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust
- Road to Freedom by Joseph E. Stiglitz
- Rubicon by Tom Holland
- Rumbles by Elsa Richardson
- Sleights of mind by Stephen L. Macknik
- Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg
- Sonnets by William Shakespeare
- Speed and Scale by John Doerr
- Starry Messenger by Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Survival of the City by Edward L. Glaeser, David Cutler
- The Abundant University by Michael D. Smith
- The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
- The Bodhisattva's Brain by Owen Flanagan
- The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
- The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
- The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
- The Citadel by AJ Cronin
- The Data Detective by Tim Harford
- The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs
- The descent of man by Charles Darwin
- The Discoverie of Witchcraft by Reginald Scott
- The Discovery of Witchcraft by Reginald Scot
- The economics of discrimination by Gary Stanley Becker
- The Emperor's New Mind by Roger Penrose
- The End of Faith by Sam Harris
- The Evolution of Beauty by Richard O. Prum
- The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals by Charles Darwin
- The Genetic Book of the Dead by Richard Dawkins
- The Good Good Pig by SY Montgomery
- The Great Bridge by David McCullough
- The Great Influenza by John M. Barry
- The gutsy girl by Caroline Paul
- The Harry Potter Series by Lana A. Whited
- The Joy of X by Steven Henry Strogatz
- The kingdom of Matthias by Johnson, Paul E.
- The Latehomecomer by Kao Kalia Yang
- The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
- The Math(s) Fix by Conrad Wolfram
- The Nation City by Rahm Emanuel
- The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore
- The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
- The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy
- The Protocols of the Elders of Zion by Victor, E Marsden
- The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer
- The Sleeping Beauties by Suzanne O'Sullivan
- The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
- The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
- The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution by C. P. Snow
- The Variations of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, Volume 1 by Charles Darwin
- The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom
- Think Like a Freak by Steven D. Levitt
- Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke
- Triumph of the City by Edward L. Glaeser
- Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
- Twilight World by Werner Herzog
- Two lucky people by Milton Friedman
- Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
- What Evolution Is by Ernst Mayr
- What to Expect when You're Expecting by Heidi Eisenberg Murkoff, Sharon Mazel
- When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows... by Steven Pinker
- Who Are We Now? by Blaise Agüera y Arcas
- Winnie the Pooh (Winnie-the-Pooh) by A. A. Milne
- Women of Strength by Betty Jane Cooper Johnson, Suzan Huney
- Worlds I See by Fei-Fei Li
- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
Guests who recommended books
- Reginald Dwayne Betts (17)
- John Green (12)
- Sarah Hart (8)
- Peter Singer (8)
- Abraham Verghese (6)
- Richard Prum (5)
- Seth Stephens-Davidowitz (5)
- Carl Hart (5)
- Suzanne Gluck (5)
- Suleika Jaouad (4)
- Bill McGowan (4)
- Owen Flanagan (4)
- Richard Dawkins (4)
- John List (4)
- Ken Burns (4)
- Sy Montgomery (4)
- Sendhil Mullainathan (3)
- Daron Acemoglu (3)
- Annie Duke (3)
- Michael Lewis (3)
- Amaryllis Fox (3)
- Joshua Jay (3)
- Brian Cox (2)
- Tom Holland (2)
- Jane Goodall (2)
- Richard Reeves (2)
- Ken Ono (2)
- Caroline Paul (2)
- Daniel Kahneman (2)
- Werner Herzog (2)
- Rick Doblin (2)
- Thomas Curran (2)
- Neil Shubin (2)
- John McWhorter (2)
- Richard Thaler (2)
- Edward Glaeser (2)
- Tim Harford (2)
- Bjarke Ingels (1)
- Jens Ludwig (1)
- Yul Kwon (1)
Latest mentions
“Freakonomics has actually been a book that I really enjoyed because it is saturated.”
“But in this week's episode, I pick up in the middle of our conversation with me telling Sendil about my first reaction to hearing that he had written a book entitled Scarcity.”
“So I absolutely loved your book.”
“And so what was interesting as I read his amazing book, Sapiens, there is not a character in the entire book. So he violates your first rule of storytelling, like how can this book sell millions of copies when it doesn't have anything that people like?”
“Conorman talked about his book noise which is the variability in human judgment. And I took Conorman's concept of a noise audit which is measuring the aggregate variability in a group and use this to evaluate how school police officers assess threats of violence at K through2 schools.”
“If you'd like to learn more about Michael Crow's vision of the future of higher education, check out his book, The Fifth Wave, The Evolution of American Higher Education.”
“Maybe the most insidious one was stay positive, which is a byproduct of our culture of toxic positivity that Barbara Aaron Reich has written so beautifully about this idea that if you allow any bit of quote unquote negativity in, you'll somehow make your cancer worse.”
“I'm not generally an emotional or an empathetic person, but I cried over and over reading your book between two kingdoms.”
“Have you read The Fault in Our Stars? It's John Green's book about two young people, I think, with cancer who are dying, who fall in love. It's one of my favorite books. I love John Green. I had him on the show. He was amazing.”
“And the very famous quote from Finnegan's Wake called three quarks for muster mark or something like that. It was because he thought there were three of them at the time and that explained the pattern we saw in the particles we were producing at particle accelerators.”
“Your most recent book is on black holes. We're talking about black holes.”
“I think like many people my first real introduction to black holes was Stephen Hawkings book a brief history of time and I think that book must have come out in the 1980s and it sold millions and millions of copies probably one of the bestselling science books of all time.”
“So we made the album, an album called Out of the Silence, which I still like by the way. I think it's a really good late 80s kind of soft rock album.”
“If you'd like to learn more about the ark story, Irving's book is called The Ark Before Noah: Decoding the Story of the Flood.”
“Five years ago, we talked a lot about his book entitled Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress.”
“So, you got a new book out and it's called When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows.”
“Now, one of the things I didn't even think about until I read your excellent book, Fair Doses, is that many vaccines are there to prevent outbreak.”
“She's got a new book. It's called Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet.”
“When I heard he had a new book out called Speak Memorably: The Art of Captivating an Audience, I knew I had to get him on this show to share his insights with you, the listeners.”
“So, your book is entitled 10 to 25, the science of motivating young people.”
Episodes
Link to this list from your show notes
Host or produce People I (Mostly) Admire? Give your listeners every book mentioned on the show, with the episode it came up in. New episodes are added as they come out.
