Podcast
Stuff They Don't Want You To Know book list: the books mentioned on the show
From UFOs to psychic powers and government cover-ups, history is riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or learn the Stuff They Don't Want You To Know ... an audio podcast from iHeartRadio.
Recently mentioned books
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The Illuminatus! Trilogy
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Masks of the Illuminati
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Against the State
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Christine
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From a Buick 8
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Celui qui garde le ver et autres nouvelles (Graveyard Shift / I am the Doorway / Jerusalem's Lot / Mangler / Night Surf)
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The Crucible
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The Diversity Myth
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Sleeping Murder, The Murder at the Vicarage
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Atlas Shrugged
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Reality Bites Back
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Chariots of the Gods?
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A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
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1984
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Supernormal
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Real Magic
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Entangled Minds
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Einstein's Dreams
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Freemasons For Dummies
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The Grapes of Wrath
Most recommended on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
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1984
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, hosts Ben Bowlin and Matt Frederick repeatedly referenced George Orwell's 1984 to examine government surveillance, post-truth politics, propaganda, and digital ownership issues such as Kindle book removals. The hosts used elements from the novel—including telescreens and Emanuel Goldstein's two-minute hate—to draw parallels between dystopian fiction and modern technological and political realities, with one host remarking that it is hard not to see contemporary comparisons.
Discussed“The very first book illegally unfairly pulled off the Amazon Kindle was indeed 1984. Boom. By George Orwell.”
Where to get it
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Chariots of the Gods?
Erich von Däniken's book Chariots of the Gods? was discussed on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know in connection with ancient astronaut theories, the author's passing, and hip-hop culture references. Ben Bowlin and Matt Frederick noted that the book popularized ancient alien theories in 1968, discussed its original question mark punctuation, and debated whether it was published as a factual account or speculative reading, with Bowlin describing it as an engaging but inaccurate read.
Discussed“It's uh it's it's the author of Chariots of the Gods, a a formative figure in our young lives. Uh honestly, uh part of the inspiration for the show, Eric von Danakin.”
Where to get it
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The Gift of Fear
Gavin De Becker's The Gift of Fear was repeatedly recommended as a must-read on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know between 2023 and 2025. Ben Bowlin and co-hosts frequently highlighted the book to emphasize the importance of human intuition, recognizing unconscious danger signals, and trusting one's gut instincts.
Recommended“Gavin Debecker's excellent book we always recommend, The Gift of Fear. It is a must- readad whether or not you believe in quantum entanglement of your brain throughout time.”
Where to get it
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The Jungle
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, the hosts frequently referenced Upton Sinclair's The Jungle when discussing government regulations, food safety standards, and consumer protections. The hosts and Ben Bowlin highlighted the book as a primary motivating factor behind the creation of the FDA, drawing parallels between historical exposés of Chicago stockyards and modern revelations in the meatpacking industry.
Discussed“Nupton Sinclair was 100% right. There's a reason that we mention him so often.”
Where to get it
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Sapiens
Yuval Noah Harari's book, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, was discussed on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. Host Matt and Ben Bowlin recommended the book as a fantastic and intelligent read on human history and evolution. Noel Brown also mentioned the graphic novel version of Sapiens to thank Ben Bowlin for gifting it to him and Matt.
Discussed“Just a quick shout out to you yourself, Mr. Benolan. You uh gifted both Matt Frederick and myself a lovely graphic novel version of the book Sapiens.”
Where to get it
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The Foundations of Geopolitics
Aleksandr Dugin's book The Foundations of Geopolitics was brought up on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know by co-host Ben Bowlin across multiple episodes between late 2024 and early 2026. Bowlin referenced the text as a guiding manual for Russian disinformation and geopolitical manipulation, discussing its role as a strategic blueprint for influence and examining its parallels with current international policies and political movements.
Discussed“And for the record, uh, that project 2025 stuff is heavily plagiarized from the foundations of geopolitics by Alexander Dugan. Look it up.”
Where to get it
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Watchmen
Ben Bowlin brought up Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's graphic novel Watchmen across multiple episodes of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. In November 2025 and March 2024, he compared the premise of manufacturing a global threat to Project Blue Beam, and in May 2024, he referenced it alongside a speech by Ozymandias to discuss automation. In February 2023, he used it to describe orchestrated alien threats. Additionally, Matt Frederick referenced Watchmen in April 2023 to discuss themes of accountability and the phrase "who watches the watchers."
Discussed“And and the basic idea uh [laughter] is is pretty much the the scenario that played out in in Watchmen. If you've if you've ever read the comic or watched the the movie that came back in the day or the scenario that was alluded to very much so in the new HBO series of the Watchmen”
Where to get it
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11/22/63
Stephen King's novel 11/22/63 was discussed across multiple episodes of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know by hosts Ben Bowlin and Matt Frederick. The hosts brought up the book while exploring the JFK assassination, conspiracy theories, and the television adaptation. They noted that they learned a great deal of historical information from the novel and cited it to illustrate the concept of time travel and whether a character could successfully prevent the assassination of President Kennedy.
Discussed“112263. You know, we talked about comedians and satists and science fiction and stuff. So many amazing ways that folks like that who maybe you wouldn't immediately think can really shed light on this stuff. I learned a lot of this stuff from that book.”
Where to get it
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American Gods
Neil Gaiman's book American Gods came up across multiple episodes of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. Ben Bowlin and other hosts mentioned the novel when discussing mythological entities like jinn, exploring how European migrants brought their folklore to the Americas, and comparing secret factions of gods on earth to reptilian conspiracy theories. Additionally, a host praised the book and its television adaptation, while Matt brought it up to illustrate how authors creatively personify ancient myths into modern characters.
Discussed“this is a big part of the U narrative American Gods by Neil Gaiman right I'm leaning on fiction a lot here”
Where to get it
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Atlas of Remote Islands
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin frequently recommended Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky as one of his absolute favorite books. He brought it up across various episodes when discussing remote locations and specific islands such as Ascension Island, Diego Garcia, and North Sentinel Island. In a later episode, Bowlin humorously noted that repeatedly mentioning the book on the show had unfortunately caused it to go out of publication and become relatively unaffordable.
Discussed“And I love that you're pointing this out, Matt, because we want this to be exactly the same kind of misstep that we made earlier when we kept shouting out one of my favorite books, The Atlas of Remote Islands, which now is out of publication and relatively unaffordable.”
Where to get it
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Blood Meridian
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy was referenced on multiple episodes of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. Ben Bowlin brought up the character Judge Holden to illustrate technological breakthroughs in war and to compare figures like Yevgeny Prigozhin to the violent character, as well as citing the book alongside No Country for Old Men. Additionally, Ben Bowlin and Matt discussed McCarthy's novel and its long-standing reputation as an unfilmable book.
Discussed“You know, Judge Holden from Blood Meridian nailed it. Horrible guy, but very smart. He was right.”
Where to get it
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Brave New World
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley was referenced on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know by Ben Bowlin and Matt. The hosts brought up the novel during discussions on societal dependency, addiction, the ethical implications of artificial gestation technology, and the fictional drug soma in relation to historical tombs, as well as the rise of artificial intelligence.
Discussed“However, Aldis Huxley did write Brave New World, right? It's the Pepsi to the Coca-Cola of Orwell's 1984.”
Where to get it
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Einstein's Dreams
Alan Lightman's book Einstein's Dreams was repeatedly recommended by Ben Bowlin on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. In January 2026, Bowlin described it as a phenomenal and short read by an MIT professor while discussing time and intuition, repeating a similar recommendation a few days earlier regarding the nature of time. Bowlin also shouted out the book in May 2025 and recommended it in January 2025 while exploring concepts of dreams and high-level ideas.
Recommended“We want to shout out a phenomenal book by an MIT professor named Alan Lightiteman. It's called Einstein's Dreams. We've mentioned it before. You guys remember this one? It's a real short book. It's a great read.”
Where to get it
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Pet Sematary
Stephen King's novel Pet Sematary was referenced multiple times on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. In May 2023 and May 2024, Matt and Ben Bowlin discussed the book while exploring eerie sounds, subterranean legends, and tales of creatures returning from the dead, noting that King considers it his most terrifying work and keeps it hidden in a drawer. Matt also referenced the sour soil from the novel in August 2023 to describe radioactive waste conditions at Hunters Point. A listener named sausage McMuffin later recommended both the book and its film adaptation in June 2024.
Recommended“um the scariest part for me in the movie Pet Cemetery was and always will be Zelda has always taken the cake and just now thinking about Zelda in that bedroom is giving me the heie gie and uh for any of you people out there that haven't watched the movie or read the book um do yourself a favor”
Where to get it
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The Grapes of Wrath
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck was referenced on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know across several episodes. Matt Frederick highlighted the novel in What was the Ludlow Massacre? Chapter One: The Colorado Coal Rush to illustrate the struggles of workers facing corporate structures, a theme the host also touched upon in Crime on the Rails. Ben Bowlin brought up the book in The Great US Brain Drain to discuss historical mass migration, and Oz Woloshyn referenced it in the interview segment on the Women of Juarez to compare historical labor migration trends to those depicted in John Steinbeck's novel.
Discussed“So, the Okeis is a term we're shouting out the book uh Grapes of Wrath uh which examines the mass migration of people from Oklahoma who were called Okeis in a porative way by the media of the time.”
Where to get it
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The Illuminatus! Trilogy
The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson came up in several episodes of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. Ben Bowlin referenced the work while discussing secret societies, the Illuminati, and concepts of social hacking. Additionally, the host highlighted the fiction trilogy as a fantastic work that depicts practices reminiscent of projects like MKUltra, and mentioned it when discussing whether ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic alterations were meant to change context.
Recommended“Are you familiar? And have you read the Illuminati trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson? And by his other pal, also named Robert?”
Where to get it
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A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court was referenced on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know by Ben Bowlin. Bowlin used the novel in multiple episodes to discuss time travel, legendary wizards, and to compare Erich von Däniken's genuine belief in his theories to a character attempting to determine if Merlin could perform actual magic.
Discussed“It does feel like he believed it or maybe he was Merlin in Mark Twain's Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. remember where the unnamed protagonist, the Yankee, sees some guy who thinks he's doing magic and has that moment where he says, "Holy crap, this guy actually Merlin actually believes that he can do spells."”
Where to get it
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Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
Stuff They Don't Want You To Know featured John Perkins's book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man across multiple episodes between 2024 and 2025. Ben Bowlin recommended the book while discussing global currency, power dynamics, debt, and economic collapses such as the situation in Venezuela, highlighting the text as a revealing look at how the U.S. economy and dollar are maintained globally.
Discussed“We've read Confessions of an Economic Hitman, a fantastic book.”
Where to get it
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Holy Blood, Holy Grail
The book Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln was referenced across multiple episodes of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know in 2024. The hosts discussed its speculation regarding the painter Poussin and the Priory of Sion, mentioned interviewing the daughter of one of the authors, and noted that they had previously dedicated an entire episode to the title due to its popularity within conspiracy circles.
Discussed“In 1982, the author of a book called The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail speculated that the painter you had mentioned earlier, uh, Poussin, was a member of what's called the Priory of Sion! And we remember we interviewed, uh, the daughter of one of the authors; Vent was her last name, I believe! Uh, fascinating story!”
Where to get it
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Missing 411
Missing 411 by David Paulides and Chris Williams was discussed on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know during episodes exploring mysterious disappearances in national parks. Ben Bowlin and Matt Frederick referenced David Paulides as the prolific author behind the Missing 411 book series and documentary. Paulides appeared on the show to discuss the profile points and commonalities cataloged across the six volumes of his work detailing missing persons cases on public lands.
Discussed“Professor Brian KS uh who talked about the zon to death and Yellowstone and David pitus uh from Missing 411”
Where to get it
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Mysteries of the unknown
Ben Bowlin repeatedly brought up the Time-Life book series Mysteries of the Unknown across multiple episodes of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. In the episode concerning Nan Madol, he contrasted speculative claims with the research cited in the books. While discussing inexplicable skeletons, he highlighted a test within the series regarding alien hybrid ancestry and suggested the hosts might quiz each other on it. Additionally, in the episode on Adam's Calendar, he reminisced about reading the books as a child and noted that he still enjoys rereading them.
Discussed“there's always this big deal of oh these mysterious people how did they do this they must have had help from somewhere but McCoy's research to be clear is not like that”
Where to get it
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Nameless
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, hosts Ben Bowlin and Matt Frederick discussed Grant Morrison's comic book Nameless. The hosts recommended the space-themed horror fiction and noted connections between the book's narrative and topics like the Anian language.
Discussed“Also, Nameless is another good one for this, and I know you love like Nameless. Nameless is an age appropriate buddy comedy in space for everyone.”
Where to get it
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Seveneves
Neal Stephenson's novel Seveneves was discussed on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. A host recommended the phenomenal survival story, highlighting its famous opening line about the moon exploding as a connection to an asteroid topic, while Ben Bowlin brought up the book to illustrate how science fiction explores surviving global cataclysms.
Recommended“And if you love books like we do, please check out the phenomenal the phenomenal story Seven Eves. It's a novel by just a fantastic author named Stephvenson. And the first line is one of my favorites in most of Western literature. It it starts with I kid you not. The first line is something like for no apparent reason”
Where to get it
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Sinners in the hands of an angry God.
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin referenced Jonathan Edwards's sermon and work Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God in multiple episodes. In October 2023, Bowlin recommended the text to illustrate the religious mentality of New England during the Salem witch trials. Earlier in 2023, he compared the fire and brimstone style of early American works and televangelist influences to Edwards's famous piece.
Recommended“Another book recommendation you want to see the mentality of where a lot of these folks were coming from not just in Salem but in New England overall check out sinners in the hands of an angry God. That is man the way it's written still I totally disagree by the way and I I hope if you're hearing this”
Where to get it
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The Black Monday Murders, Vol. 1
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin brought up the graphic novel The Black Monday Murders, Vol. 1 by Jonathan Hickman while discussing the biblical concept of Mammon as a placeholder for the antagonist. Matt Frederick also mentioned the comic series on the podcast, joking about historical conversions and storytelling, and later referencing the work to compare FIFA president Sepp Blatter to a sacrificial figure within the inner circle of the story.
Recommended“Black Monday Murders. They they use Mammon a lot in there as a a placeholder for The Big Bad, right?”
Where to get it
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The Devil in the Shape of a Woman
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Carol F. Karlsen's book The Devil in the Shape of a Woman came up across multiple episodes. Ben Bowlin recommended the 1987 book in October 2023 to provide insight into Puritan history and witchcraft accusations in early America. Matt Frederick and other hosts later referenced Karlsen's work in May and September 2024 to examine gender dynamics, social hierarchies, and historical accounts surrounding the Salem Witch Trials.
Recommended“There's a fantastic book called, uh, Devil in the Shape of a Woman that looks at this practice in the Salem Witch Trials.”
Where to get it
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The Golden Bough
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin referenced James George Frazer's The Golden Bough in episodes from late 2023 through December 2024. Bowlin discussed the 1890 work while exploring comparative religion, mythology, the origin story of Jesus, and winter solstice traditions. He recommended the seminal folklore text and cited Frazer alongside figures like Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell when analyzing primal archetypes and symbolic storytelling in the works of Stanley Kubrick.
Discussed“George Frasier uh the golden bow is nuts it it was first published in 1890 and it's talking about a lot of the same things and it still holds up because Frasier was largely correct”
Where to get it
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The Omnivore's Dilemma
Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma was featured on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. Ben Bowlin recommended the book as a resource for exploring vegetarianism and dietary choices, referenced Pollan's insights on how corn colonized the human diet, and brought it up during listener mail segments regarding food sustainability.
Discussed“but we do have a Continuing Story regarding the great debate of what Michael pollen calls the omnivores Dilemma to eat”
Where to get it
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The Three-Body Problem
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, the hosts discussed Cixin Liu's novel The Three-Body Problem across several episodes in 2024. Ben Bowlin recommended reading the book while discussing the Dark Forest Theory, while co-host Matt referenced the novel's fictional concepts to compare the secretive nature of human thought to the book's wallfacers. The hosts also mentioned the book series when exploring the background of its Netflix adaptation and corporate intellectual property.
Recommended“incorporating What's called the Dark Forest Theory shout out three body problem and then it's time to finish that it's worth it”
Where to get it
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2001, a Space Odyssey
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin referenced Arthur C. Clarke's novel 2001: A Space Odyssey and its film adaptation across different episodes. He brought it up to illustrate fictional portrayals of villainous artificial intelligence like HAL 9000 and to discuss how Europa is depicted as a forbidden place in science fiction.
Discussed“Uh, it's sometimes villainous like Howal 9000 in 2001 of Space Odyssey or like AM in I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream.”
Where to get it
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A Christmas Carol
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin mentioned Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol during holiday episodes. Bowlin used the classic story to reflect on holiday times and life paths, and also discussed whether the book exists as intellectual property within the universe of the movie Scrooge.
Discussed“And I think it's also appropriate in these holiday times thinking about like uh Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol and Ebenezer Scrooge”
Where to get it
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Anathem
Matt and Ben Bowlin discussed Neal Stephenson's novel Anathem on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know across episodes in 2023 and 2024. Matt brought up the book as a fantastic exploration of multidimensional concepts, while Ben Bowlin referenced the novel to provide a literary example of a conspiracy involving the manipulation of the past.
Discussed“uh in Neil Stevenson's anathema which is a or anathem which is a fantastic by the way examination of multi-dimensional stuff that I want to spoil”
Where to get it
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Animal Farm
Animal Farm by George Orwell was brought up on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know by hosts Ben Bowlin and his co-hosts. They discussed the novel's enduring popularity and bleak plot elements while using the behavior of the pigs in Orwell's allegory to draw parallels to human power dynamics and the hypocrisy often found in cult leaders.
Discussed“I know that a lot of us listening today are huge fans of Animal Farm right in the work of George Orwell”
Where to get it
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Atlas Shrugged
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, hosts Noel Brown and Ben Bowlin referenced Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged. Brown invoked the book to connect Peter Thiel's libertarian corporate philosophy to Rand's work, while Bowlin cited it to illustrate a free-market perspective on supply and demand returning to normal after economic disruptions.
Discussed“This is shades of iron rand. I know this guy must love Atlas Shrugged.”
Where to get it
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Behold a Pale Horse
William Cooper's Behold a Pale Horse came up on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know in June and October 2023. Ben Bowlin recalled reading the work during his youth when discussing parental reading restrictions and later brought it up alongside John Goforth as a prime example of a book attempting to tie multiple distinct conspiracy theories together into a single narrative.
Discussed“a bad example is Bill Cooper with Behold a Pale Horse yeah that was super conspiracy”
Where to get it
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Biggest Secret
Ben Bowlin discussed David Icke's book The Biggest Secret across multiple episodes of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know in 2023 and 2024. The hosts referenced the 1999 text while exploring the origins of modern lizard people conspiracy theories and examining the work of its author. Specifically, Bowlin highlighted how the book connects the discovery of the Grand Canyon to Reptilian overlords as part of its overarching conspiratorial narrative.
Discussed“a guy who gets a lot of credit for this is a guy we interviewed back in the day named David Ike in 19 I want to say 1998 he wrote a book called the biggest secret”
Where to get it
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Born On A Blue Day
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin brought up Daniel Tammet's memoir, Born On A Blue Day, to discuss extreme forms of synesthesia, cognitive processing, and the author's extraordinary memory and perception of numbers.
Discussed“I think about somebody like Daniel Tamt who there's a book called Born on a Blue Day and it's all about um this gentleman Daniel Tamt and it's it's amazing what he can do”
Where to get it
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Catching Fire
On the podcast Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin referenced the book series A Song of Ice and Fire while discussing Suzanne Collins's Catching Fire, comparing plot developments to a red wedding. In another episode, Bowlin brought up a book by a journalist named Wolf about Jeffrey Epstein while continuing discussions on current events.
Recommended“Remember I kept comparing it to a red wedding last time we talked about this from Game of Thrones which is adapted from Song of Ice and Fire. Check out the books.”
Where to get it
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Chaos
Tom O'Neill's book Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties was featured on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. Co-host Ben Bowlin and a listener named Full Body Taste introduced the 2019 book, noting its controversial nature and how it explores potential CIA connections to Charles Manson. The podcast hosts discussed the unique background of the book, explaining that it is the culmination of decades of research by O'Neill as he investigated inconsistencies in the official narrative surrounding the Manson Family.
Book club“Once you know book club, there's a book that came out in 2019 that Matt captured our attention.Oh yes.It is titled 'Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the 60s.'”
Where to get it
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Crime classification manual
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin brought up the Crime Classification Manual by John E. Douglas in multiple episodes. Bowlin cited the 1992 text to explain the official criteria and base-level definitions for identifying a serial killer.
Discussed“and that comes from the 1992 crime classification manual and um that's where it outlines all that stuff”
Where to get it
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Delay, Deny, Defend
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, the hosts discussed Jay M. Feinman's book Delay, Deny, Defend after it unexpectedly surged on the Amazon bestseller charts. Ben Bowlin and the other hosts noted how the 2010 book's title and its critical perspective on the insurance industry mirrored phrases found in recent news events.
Recommended“deny defend and depose these are the words written on the casings and they are similar to a phrase called delay deny defend uh and this is the way that some attorneys and public rights Advocates have uh described privatized Insurance's strategy that we just discussed denying uh services and payment it's also the title of a book published in”
Where to get it
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Devil in the Grove
Gilbert King's Pulitzer Prize-winning book "Devil in the Grove" was discussed on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know by host Ben Bowlin and the author himself. The podcast highlighted how King's investigative work and the book's publication eventually brought renewed attention to the Groveland Four case, directly leading to the posthumous exonerations of the wrongly accused men.
Discussed“you have written multiple books beneath a Restless son the Pulitzer Prize winning the devil in the Grove as well as the edge execution of Willie Francis”
Where to get it
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Dune
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Matt brought up Frank Herbert's Dune while discussing the butlerian jihad in relation to fears surrounding super intelligent artificial intelligence development. Later, in an episode with Michael Colyar, the guest mentioned the book Dune by Frank Herbert to draw a parallel between the fictional spice and hallucinogenic mushrooms.
Discussed“If we don't mention the butlerian jihad from Dune, this is in Frank Herbert's Dune.”
Where to get it
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Foucault's Pendulum
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin referenced Umberto Eco's novel Foucault's Pendulum across different episodes. Bowlin compared the way online groups construct modern conspiracy theories to the plot of the novel, where characters invent a fictional conspiracy game that ultimately becomes real and brings about real-world consequences.
Discussed“sort of similar to uh that novel uh Fakose pendulum wherein people create a conspiracy and then it becomes real for them and it has real world consequences.”
Where to get it
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Foundations of Geopolitics: the Geopolitical Future of Russia
Alexander Dugin's book Foundations of Geopolitics: the Geopolitical Future of Russia was discussed on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know in multiple episodes. In April and October 2024, Ben Bowlin brought up the publication to explain the geopolitical foundations of state-sponsored propaganda, disinformation, and Russian hybrid warfare strategies.
Discussed“This is totally textbook Foundation of Geopolitics by uh Alexander duken there you go uh Alexander dukin”
Where to get it
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Gattaca
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin referenced the sci-fi film Gattaca across different episodes to examine societal pressure and conformity. Bowlin used the movie as a cultural touchstone to illustrate his dystopian concerns regarding futuristic reproductive technologies and the potential social coercion surrounding genetic modification.
Recommended“kind of like uh the sci-fi film Gataga. They didn't make it illegal not to genetically modify your children, but they made it so inconvenient that uh you couldn't afford to have children the natural way. Everybody check out Gataga. It's not really a Christmas movie.”
Where to get it
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Good Omens
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin recommended Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman as an example of a story featuring secret sects working to bring forth the Antichrist. In a later episode, Bowlin mentioned the book again during a discussion about cultural depictions of demons, contrasting the novel with its television adaptation.
Discussed“have you guys seen good Omens yet the new uh TV adaptation I preferred it to the book I found the book Whimsical in a way that didn't really speak to me”
Where to get it
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Guns, Germs and Steel
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin brought up Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel across multiple episodes. He referenced the author's work to discuss the theory of ecoside on Easter Island and to touch upon historical events surrounding the arrival of Spanish forces in the Incan Empire.
Discussed“Instead, it seems to be what Jared Diamond, the author of Guns, Germs, and Steel, would later describe as ecoside, which is a phrase I wasn't familiar with, but yeah, not nor I that's a much better term than I had said resource extraction, which isn't exactly right.”
Where to get it
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Helter Skelter
On the podcast Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin and the hosts discussed 'Helter Skelter' by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry across episodes in 2024. Bowlin brought up the book to explain the widely accepted narrative and motivations behind the Manson family murders, referencing it as a definitive source compared to alternative research by Tom O'Neill. The hosts also addressed holes in the book's narrative and examined the differing perspectives on key facts.
Discussed“And that's where you get the what most widely accepted narrative, Å popularized by the book Helter Skelter, written by Vincent Bugliosi.”
Where to get it
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I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream
Ben Bowlin brought up I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. He referenced the science fiction story as a comparison to the Roko's basilisk thought experiment and as an example of an evil artificial intelligence in fiction.
Discussed“Uh, it's sometimes villainous like Howal 9000 in 2001 of Space Odyssey or like AM in I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream.”
Where to get it
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Jurassic Park
Ben Bowlin brought up Jurassic Park to highlight the scientific connection between birds and dinosaurs. He also referenced the dinosaurs in the series to compare their spontaneous reproduction with the parthenogenesis observed in stingrays.
Discussed“And uh you know I've always found the connection uh between birds and dinosaurs fascinating as laid out uh brilliantly and scientifically unquestionably in the Jurassic Park series by the great scientist and Michael Kiteon.”
Where to get it
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Kim
Rudyard Kipling's novel Kim was discussed on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know in early 2025. In April, Matt brought up the book as a work of fiction rooted in the historical period of the Great Game in Afghanistan, acknowledging Kipling as a talented poet with an intensely problematic background. In February, a host referenced Kim again while exploring the history of tradecraft and intelligence operations, noting that the novel centers entirely on a young boy acting as a spy.
Discussed“Afghanistan became uh once again as you mentioned Matt a very uh fertile battleground right you can see uh you can see some excellent fiction based on this period of time a work by Richard Kipling it's intensely problematic author but I would I would say a talented poet uh he wrote a novel called Kim which is about a”
Where to get it
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Lazarus
Ben Bowlin recommended the graphic novel Lazarus on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know to illustrate a dystopian future where a corporate-run global government and elites control workers in a post-apocalyptic society.
Recommended“Do check out the graphic novel series Lazarus and Lazarus Risen if you want to see what a post-apocalyptic world like that would.”
Where to get it
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Lolita
Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita was featured on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. Ben Bowlin recommended the novel while reviewing Stanley Kubrick's filmography, praising it as a fantastic book despite its controversial premise. In another episode, the host cited Lolita while listing famous writers and artists who experienced synesthesia.
Recommended“Spartacus 1960, Lolita in 1962, which I do have to say, despite the premise, is a fantastic book by Nabokov.”
Where to get it
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Mein Kampf
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler and Stephen R. Pastore was discussed in multiple episodes. On June 23, 2023, Ben Bowlin brought up the work as an example of racist propaganda often analyzed in the context of dangerous books, noting that he had read a copy. On October 3, 2023, Bowlin mentioned the book again while discussing free speech and German laws surrounding neo-Nazi literature, expressing his view on its legal status in Germany.
Discussed“I may be painting with a broad brush but I'll be honest given given strong precedent I would rather Mein Kampf not be legal reading in Germany”
Where to get it
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Minority Report
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin referenced the film and concept behind Minority Report by John D. Griffin and Brian Newman during multiple episodes. In November 2024, he brought it up to discuss pre-crime in connection with modern surveillance and predictive technologies. Earlier, in February 2023, he referenced the story to discuss potential future dystopian targeted advertising within augmented reality.
Discussed“remember that Minority Report yes yes”
Where to get it
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Neuromancer
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, William Gibson's cyberpunk novel Neuromancer came up in multiple episodes. Ben Bowlin thanked a listener in November 2023 for shouting out the author who saw it all coming while discussing ransomware themes. Later in July 2025, Matt mentioned Neuromancer in the context of cyberspace, futurist ideas, and an upcoming television adaptation.
Discussed“And speaking of forwardlooking, y'all might have heard this as well, but ¹¹¹ I believe finally ¹¹¹ William Gibson's Neurommancer is getting a a proper adaptation into a series. And I know that's a big one in terms of futurists and the idea of cyerspace, I think, was coined in that.”
Where to get it
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Perfume
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin brought up Patrick Süskind's novel Perfume in the episode Pheromones vs. Humans, noting that a friend of the show, Matt Riddle, had recommended it to him. Bowlin described it as a dark and fascinating read dealing with themes related to the episode. Additionally, in the earlier episode Are Vibes Real?, the host mentioned the novel and its film adaptation, recommending that the audience read or watch the story of murder.
Discussed“Are y'all familiar with a novel that I believe was called uh Perfume? Yes, I love it. Recommended to me by Matt Riddle, friend of the show.”
Where to get it
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Playing Dead
Elizabeth Greenwood's book, Playing Dead, was discussed on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know in episodes from March 2023 and April 2025. Ben Bowlin recommended the book as the definitive reading material on the subject of faking one's own death and disappearing. Later, Maggie Freleng and Matt discussed Greenwood's research into whether faking a death is genuinely possible, recalling a past interview with the author and reaffirming Bowlin's praise for the book.
Discussed“years ago, I interviewed this woman, Elizabeth Greenwood, and she wrote a book about faking your own death cuz she was like, 'I need to know if this is possible.' We we did. We talked to her as well, didn't we, Matt? What was the book called? Oh, Ben's a big fan of it. I think it's called Playing Dead.”
Where to get it
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Propaganda
Edward L. Bernays's book 'Propaganda' was recommended by Ben Bowlin on two episodes of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know. On October 1, 2024, in 'My Momma Told Me, With Langston Kerman and David Gborie,' Bowlin suggested the book online as a strong starting point for exploring public relations strategies. He recommended it again on September 3, 2025, in 'Your News Agency or the CIA: The Story of Operation Mockingbird,' calling it an accessible breakout work on the subject.
Recommended“I like to recommend for anybody who hasn't read him before uh checking out crystallizing public opinion and of course his breakout banger, the single in his uh if his work is an album, the book simply titled Propaganda.”
Where to get it
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Rage
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin referenced Stephen King's controversial book Rage, which was published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. In episodes from June 2023 and August 2024, Bowlin discussed how King voluntarily pulled the fictional story from publication after it drew real-world concerns regarding school violence and mass murder.
Discussed“Stephen King under the name Richard Bachman wrote a basically a a fictional instruction manual about how to commit mass murder at a school and the name of the book is Rage It was pulled from the shelves because it was close enough to the truth to inform other people if they would be bad faith actors”
Where to get it
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Raven Rock
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin and co-hosts recommended Garrett M. Graff's book Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself While the Rest Us Die. Praising it as a gripping, sobering, and harrowing read, Bowlin explained how the book served as his primary source for learning about secret government continuity facilities like Mount Weather and deep underground bunkers designed to protect officials during catastrophic events.
Discussed“We had an interview segment as well with Garrett Graph, the author of Raven Rock, who's going to come up in this.”
Where to get it
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Remembrance of Things Past
On Stuff Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin discussed Marcel Proust's novel Remembrance of Things Past across multiple episodes. In July 2025, Bowlin referenced the book to explain how smell functions as a primary encoder for long-term human memory. In January 2025, he cited the novel again to illustrate how scents and tastes act as powerful triggers for memory and time travel, beginning with a character dipping a madeleine into a beverage.
Discussed“Not for nothing did P base an entire novel on this remembrance of things past.”
Where to get it
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Rip-off Red, Girl Detective and the Burning Bombing of America
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin and a listener discussed the memoir Transformation of America by Kathy O'Brien, addressing its claims and background regarding Project Monarch.
Discussed“I've read Kathy O'Brien's book Transformation of America three times”
Where to get it
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Rush to Judgment
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, guest Rob Reiner discussed Mark Lane's book Rush to Judgment. Reiner explained that reading the book was his initial entry point into researching the JFK assassination and detailed how Lane's work dismantled the findings of the Warren Commission.
Discussed“I read a book called Rush to Judgment by a writer named Mark Lane and he completely uh uh disbanded the Warren Commission and and pointed out the inconsistencies”
Where to get it
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The Billionaire Murders
Recommended“first off if you haven't read Kevin Donovan's book uh the I I would say that is probably the best collected source of this information because the guy has been there uh since pretty much day one right and he's talked to a person”
Where to get it
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The Boys
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin referenced Garth Ennis's comic series The Boys while discussing the complexities and dangers of raising super-powered children. In another episode, Matt Frederick also mentioned the series as an exploration of holding powerful figures accountable.
Discussed“We mentioned The Boys in our recent episode on um surviving nuclear war. And one of the things that The Boys comics does very well is depicting the problems of raising superhumans.”
Where to get it
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The Catcher in the Rye
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin discussed J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye while recounting how Mark David Chapman was carrying the novel when he shot John Lennon and presented it as his statement upon arrest. In another episode, the host mentioned the book while previewing a discussion on whether the novel acted as a trigger for assassinations.
Discussed“and then he just sat down on a curb and started reading The Catcher in the Rye which he had brought with him when he was arrested he and asked for a statement he told police that the book The Catcher And The Ry was his statement”
Where to get it
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The Creature from Jekyll Island
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin recommended and discussed G. Edward Griffin's book The Creature from Jekyll Island. Ben Bowlin brought up the book as a helpful search term for listeners interested in exploring financial conspiracies and the controversial historical creation of the Federal Reserve.
Recommended“So, I believe it's the creature from Jackal Island. That's a good search term if you wish to go down that rabbit hole.”
Where to get it
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The Denial of Death
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin discussed Ernest Becker's The Denial of Death in July 2024. Bowlin shouted out Josh Clark for recommending the book to him several years prior, and he referenced the psychological theory within the work to explain why people engage in recreational activities to distract themselves from mortality.
Discussed“the book that we reference there is uh the denial of death”
Where to get it
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The Illustrated Golden Bough
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, James George Frazer's The Illustrated Golden Bough was discussed as a seminal comparative religion and folklore text. The hosts referenced the book while exploring winter solstice traditions and the concept of immaculate conception, noting that Frazer's 1890 work still holds up as a largely accurate and valuable study.
Recommended“George Frasier, 'The Golden Bough' is nuts; it was first published in 1890 and it’s talking about a lot of the same things and it still holds up because Frasier was largely correct!”
Where to get it
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The Lord of the Rings
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, the hosts mentioned J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings to clarify details regarding characters like Shelob and to discuss fictional portrayals of invisibility.
Discussed“uh in in the book Shob the the spider the evil uh Spider is in Lord of the Rings you are absolutely correct about that”
Where to get it
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The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket and Related Tales (Balloon Hoax / Descent Into the Maelstrom / How to Write a Blackwood Article / Loss of Breath / Ms. Found in a Bottle / Mystification / Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket / Pit and the Pendulum / Premature Burial)
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin discussed Edgar Allan Poe's novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. In the February 24, 2023 episode on Titanic conspiracies and the September 6, 2023 episode on the Grand Canyon, Bowlin referenced Poe's only published novel as a bizarre and dark literary coincidence involving survival cannibalism that mirrored real-life events years later.
Discussed“the only novel he published The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket in 1838.”
Where to get it
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The Population Bomb
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, hosts Ben Bowlin and others discussed Paul R. Ehrlich's 1968 book 'The Population Bomb'. In episodes from January 2023 and May 2024, the hosts examined the text as an alarmist, neo-Malthusian work that shaped modern overpopulation fears, shifted perspectives on population growth, and primed the public for conspiracy theories.
Discussed“Uh yeah, shout out to the Population Bomb. That's a book that also changed the game.”
Where to get it
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The Secret
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, the host brought up Rhonda Byrne's The Secret during a discussion on self-help books and popular culture. In another episode, the host described the book as a modern interpretation of the new thought movement, explaining its core premise that putting positive thoughts into the world can manifest them into reality.
Discussed“Like The Secret, right? Do you read The Secret? I'm I'm always hear people referencing The Secret.”
Where to get it
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The Shining
The Shining by Stephen King came up on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know in different contexts. Ben Bowlin mentioned the novel during a discussion on fictional tropes involving psychic powers and imaginary friends. In another episode, Matt discussed Stephen King's writing style while comparing the eerie hotel setting of the story to the real-world legends surrounding the El Tovar Hotel.
Discussed“I've always thought it was so interesting that Stanley kubric being such a snob uh glommed on to The Shining because it is a bit of a broad you know Stephen King is a bit of a broad writer”
Where to get it
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The Stand
Ben Bowlin referenced Stephen King's novel 'The Stand' on Stuff They Don't Want You To Know in two separate episodes. In February 2025, he brought up the book to illustrate a scenario where the government covers up a dangerous infection outbreak. In January 2024, Bowlin mentioned the novel again while comparing Jack Parsons's reckless explosive habits to the character Trashcan Man.
Discussed“it reminds me of um for anybody's read The Stand by Stephen King there's there's a moment where the US government decides to cover up an outbreak of a very dangerous infection”
Where to get it
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The Time Machine
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin brought up H. G. Wells's The Time Machine across two different episodes in 2024. In the July episode covering humanity in one thousand years, Bowlin used the Eloi and the Morlocks as a literary example to illustrate how genetic modifications might have unintended consequences. Earlier, in a May episode focusing on rodent utopias and behavioral sinks, he referenced the same characters to draw a direct parallel to the 'beautiful ones' rodent subgroup.
Discussed“a good example of this would be the Eloy and the morlocks from the time machine right”
Where to get it
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The Tipping Point
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Malcolm Gladwell's concept and book The Tipping Point came up in different contexts. In October 2023, Ben Bowlin cited the book to explain how sudden events like military conflict can seemingly materialize out of nowhere. In February 2023, another host referenced Gladwell directly while questioning whether a current situation had reached what Malcolm Gladwell would call a tipping point.
Discussed“Cuz as Malcolm Gladwell so eloquently explains in The Tipping Point, nothing seems like it will ever happen until suddenly it does.”
Where to get it
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The Vanishing Hitchhiker
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin referenced Jan Harold Brunvand's The Vanishing Hitchhiker while explaining the extensive folkloric research behind the vanishing hitchhiker legend and discussing how the academic study of urban legends informs modern conspiracy theories.
Discussed“another guy yaw and Harold brunvald writes a book called The Vanishing hitchhiker American urban legends and their meanings”
Where to get it
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Third Eye Spies
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin frequently referenced the book Third Eye Spies by Russell Targ during listener mail segments. Bowlin brought up the book while discussing government programs for training psychic spies, the intersection of science and the unknown, and a previous interview conducted with the author about the literal intelligence programs the subject helped design.
Discussed“specifically I know I bring it up a lot, but I know you guys enjoy this conversation to Russell Tar to third eye spies author and person who is involved in some of those very programs with the government for training psychic spies”
Where to get it
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Trance Formation of America
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Cathy O'Brien and Mark Phillips's book is discussed during listener mail and classic conspiracy segments in August and September 2024. A listener named Skip shares his enthusiasm for the text, stating he has read it three times. The hosts also discuss the correct spelling of the title, 'Trance Formation of America', and its subtitle, noting the play on words between 'trance' and 'formation' regarding Project Monarch mind control.
Discussed“Hey guys, this is crazy Skip from Bal. I've read Kathy O'Brien's book Transformation of America three times. Her partner Mark Phillips saved her life.”
Where to get it
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Ulysses
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin referenced James Joyce's Ulysses in two separate episodes. On December 23, 2025, in "CLASSIC: What is 'Antifa?'", Bowlin recommended reviewing the United States court case regarding the book to understand the legal challenges surrounding definitions like obscenity. Earlier, on June 23, 2023, in "Should Any Books Be Banned?", Bowlin mentioned Ulysses alongside The Canterbury Tales while discussing the implications of removing books from public libraries on adult rights.
Recommended“And and for anyone interested in what a problem those two definitions have been, uh I would I would recommend checking out the court case in the US pertaining to James Joyce's Ulyses where the uh I think the deciding legal opinion was uh some highuting version of pornography is pornography.”
Where to get it
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Valis
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin mentioned the novel Valis by Philip K. Dick while discussing personal experiences of receiving messages or divine-like interventions, noting that the science fiction author's story is dramatized and autobiographical. Noel Brown also brought up Philip K. Dick's book Valis to discuss how the author fully believed he received divine information and messages.
Discussed“Yeah, I think I mentioned on the hearing voices episode the story about the science fiction author Philip K. Dick that's dramatized, it's also kind of autobiographical in the novel Valis.”
Where to get it
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... The Geology of Falmouth and Truro and of the Mining District of Camborne and Redruth
On the Stuff They Don't Want You To Know podcast episode titled Astrology and the Government, Chapter One: The Myanmar Move, Ben Bowlin brought up the book The Geology of Falmouth and Truro and of the Mining District of Camborne and Redruth by James B. Hill, Donald A. MacAlister, and Sir John Smith Flett. During their bibliomancy segment, after turning to a random page in the Norton Anthology, Ben Bowlin referenced the book and correctly attributed the excerpt.
Discussed“this is uh from barnesley and District by Donald Davy page 1055 of wait read that first”
Where to get it
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10 Little Rubber Ducks
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin talked about lost shipping containers and floating bath toys. He mentioned the book 10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle, noting that it is the story of rubber ducks falling overboard when being shipped across the sea, and connected it to his experience reading the book to his son and to real-life oceanographic studies.
Discussed“I've read that book The the small the short book by Carl no I don't I can't remember who wrote it but it's a book about 10 little rubber ducks that fell overboard when they were being shipped across the sea”
Where to get it
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12 Angry Men
During an episode of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know titled The Luigi Mangione Story, Chapter Two: The Larger Context, Ben Bowlin referenced the work 12 Angry Men. He brought up the book and its film adaptations to illustrate the concepts of jury selection and legal dynamics.
Recommended“then also you know a good example of this of course the seminal work 12 Angry Men do also check out an amazing film Devil's Advocate”
Where to get it
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1776
In the March 2024 episode of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know titled CLASSIC: Agent 355: Washington's Secret Spy, Ben Bowlin recommended the book 1776 by David McCullough. Bowlin brought up the historical work while discussing the heavy and devastating casualties, numbering around 25,000, that the American colonists suffered during the course of the Revolutionary War.
Recommended“and uh there's an historian David McCulla who wrote a book called 1776 which we would recommend um the Americans suffered terrible just horrendous losses roughly uh 25,000 casualties in all”
Where to get it
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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin brought up Jules Verne's 1870 novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to introduce a quote regarding ocean biodiversity.
Discussed“One of the things we talked about off air as we were diving into this episode, was Jules Vern, of course, his famous 1870 novel, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Don't think too much about the unit of measurement there. Just enjoy the poetic title.”
Where to get it
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A Canticle for Leibowitz
During an episode of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know titled What happens in a nuclear war?, released on May 23, 2025, the host suggested fictional works about nuclear disaster. The host recommended Walter M. Miller Jr.'s book alongside other favorites for listeners looking for fiction dealing with post-apocalyptic themes.
Book club“Thinking things like Canacle for Liowitz, The Day After Tomorrow. Uh hey, you hit us to your favorites.”
Where to get it
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A dictionary of folklore
On an episode of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know from April 2023, Matt mentioned finding a thick old volume titled A Dictionary of Folklore by David Pickering. He brought up discovering the heavy reference book while browsing through Atlanta Vintage Books.
Discussed“I mean it is super thick and it was just the dictionary of folklore”
Where to get it
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A History of the Franks
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin cited Gregory of Tours's historical work A History of the Franks. Bowlin referenced the medieval text while exploring historical anomalies, specifically discussing how people during the medieval period mistakenly believed that the Egyptian pyramids were actually biblical granaries.
Discussed“um this uh this was in a book called history of the Franks by Gregory of Tours”
Where to get it
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A Lie Too Big to Fail
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, the host discussed Lisa Pease's book A Lie Too Big to Fail. The host recommended the book to listeners, noting it is available for free online and arguing that the text points to CIA fixer Robert Mayhew as the real mastermind behind the assassination. Furthermore, the host explored specific eyewitness claims detailed in the book regarding shredded paper fluttering through the air during the shooting.
Recommended“one book I want to give a big shout out to is a lie too big to fail which you can read for free on archive.org right now by an author named Lisa peas p a e”
Where to get it
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A Narrative of the Campaigns of the British Army at Washington and New Orleans, Under Generals Ross, Pakenham, and Lambert, in the Years 1814 And 1815
On the Stuff They Don't Want You To Know episode 'Have You Experienced Divine Intervention?' on October 4, 2023, the host Matt discussed the historical book A Narrative of the Campaigns of the British Army at Washington and New Orleans, Under Generals Ross, Pakenham, and Lambert, in the Years 1814 And 1815 by George Robert Gleig. He brought up the text to describe historical accounts of Washington, D.C. during the War of 1812.
Discussed“There are a couple of books, but one of the major books in here is by George Robert Gleig, g l e i g. He wrote a book uh called The Campaigns of the British Army at Washington and and New Orleans in the years 1814 to 1815.”
Where to get it
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A New Earth
On an episode of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know titled Interview: Alive Again, with Dan Bush released on June 27, 2025, Ben Bowlin brought up A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. Bowlin stated that he had been really enjoying the book and recommended it to explore the disconnect between dogmatic religion and true spirituality.
Recommended“Um but another one that I've been really enjoying is a book called A New Earth: Awakening Your Life's Purpose by Ehart Tulli.”
Where to get it
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A Song of Ice and Fire (A Game of Thrones / A Clash of Kings / A Storm of Swords / A Feast for Crows / A Dance with Dragons)
During an episode of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know titled Strange News: Peter and the Antichrist, Hegseth's Stand-up Bombs, Crypto Heists on October 6, 2025, Ben Bowlin brought up the book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. Bowlin referenced the series while comparing previous topics to a red wedding from Game of Thrones, noting that the television show was adapted from the books and encouraging listeners to check them out.
Recommended“Remember I kept comparing it to a red wedding last time we talked about this from Game of Thrones which is adapted from Song of Ice and Fire. Check out the books.”
Where to get it
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A Spy in Canaan
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin welcomed a guest by highlighting his new work, A Spy in Canaan. Later in the episode, Bowlin and the other hosts recommended the book to the audience, noting that all three of them had read it and would highly recommend it.
Discussed“and you sir have a quite amazing thing going in your new book a spy in Canaan”
Where to get it
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A Storm of Witchcraft
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, the hosts and guest Aaron Mankey discussed Emerson W. Baker's book A Storm of Witchcraft. Mankey and the hosts referenced Baker's historical work to explain the various contributing factors behind the Salem Witch Trials, highlighting the author's description of the events as a perfect storm of multiple elements coming together.
Discussed“Dr Emerson Baker is one of our historians and he calls his book The Storm of Witchcraft because it it's this perfect storm of ingredients”
Where to get it
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A Tale of Two Cities
On Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin referenced Charles Dickens's novel A Tale of Two Cities to set a thematic tone for the episode. Bowlin remarked that history had channeled the author and siphoned the sentiment of 1859 to describe the juxtaposition of modern events and Cold War history.
Discussed“guys history this week has channeled Charles Dickens it's uh we're siphoning the sentiment of 1859 because uh because history is literally doing this”
Where to get it
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A Translation of John Dee's "Monas Hieroglyphica" (Antwerp, 1564), with an Introduction and Annotations
On the December 24, 2023 episode of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know titled CLASSIC: Do angels have a language?, Ben Bowlin discussed A Translation of John Dee's Monas Hieroglyphica (Antwerp, 1564), with an Introduction and Annotations by John Dee. Bowlin brought up the 1564 publication to explain John Dee's proposed magical and mathematical symbol known as the hieroglyphic monad.
Discussed“He published something called the monus hieroglyphica the hieroglyphic monad in 1564”
Where to get it
Guests who recommended books
- Sarah Marshall (4)
- Jake Hanrahan (4)
- Gilbert King (4)
- Jason Flom (4)
- Oz Woloshyn (3)
- Jon Walczak (3)
- Rob Reiner (2)
- John Cameron Mitchell (2)
- Maggie Freleng (2)
- Robert Lamb (2)
- Jonathan Strickland (2)
- Aaron Mankey (2)
- John Goforth (2)
- Ryan Bethea (2)
- David Paulides (2)
- Brent Hand (1)
- Russell Targ (1)
- Brett Wood (1)
- Casey Pegram (1)
- Taylor Allen (1)
- Andrew Logan (1)
- Jeremy Corbell (1)
- Michael Colyar (1)
- Lucky Yates (1)
- David Bakara (1)
Latest mentions
“Are you familiar? And have you read the Illuminati trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson? And by his other pal, also named Robert?”
“And it looks like there's a third or an additional book that came out later that's only by Robert Anton Wilson called Masks of the Illuminati that also has a dope cover with like a sea serpent swimming in a book, that open book with Albert Einstein's face in the clouds.”
“It reminds me of something that you've talked about in your newest book, Against the State. You also speak about this in several other interviews.”
“What is that Stephen King piece of writing about a haunted car? Which one? There are like three. There's Christine.”
“What is that Stephen King piece of writing about a haunted car? Which one? There are like three. There's Christine. There's from a Buick. I can't remember the year. The Buick. Buick 8.”
“But then there's the haunted laundry machine, a short story. The Mangler, where it just so happened to get gelatin spilled on it that stood in for horse hooves, and the man loves the cursed object.”
“Wasn't there a thing about poppets in the crucible, about that being sort of a witchy item, a poppet?”
“And I think he would agree with us there because a little bit after he graduates grad school, he teams up with a guy named David Saxs and together they write a book called, get this, the diversity myth.”
“I mean, Black Monday Murders, one of the best graphic novels ever written. Spoiler, it's not done yet.”
“This is shades of iron rand. I know this guy must love Atlas Shrugged.”
“There's another author Jennifer L. Pner wrote a book called Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth About Guilty Pleasure TV. And she notes that a lot of these shows, whether by design or by accident, a lot of these shows end up reinforcing what are seen as cultural or social norms.”
“It's uh it's it's the author of Chariots of the Gods, a a formative figure in our young lives. Uh honestly, uh part of the inspiration for the show, Eric von Danakin.”
“It does feel like he believed it or maybe he was Merlin in Mark Twain's Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. remember where the unnamed protagonist, the Yankee, sees some guy who thinks he's doing magic and has that moment where he says, "Holy crap, this guy actually Merlin actually believes that he can do spells."”
“The very first book illegally unfairly pulled off the Amazon Kindle was indeed 1984. Boom. By George Orwell.”
“A couple of books that you might know. Supernormal, I think, is the one that probably probably most people have pinged on at some point because it's been mentioned so many times.”
“Real Magic is another one.”
“And Entangled Minds was, oh gosh, a fascinating book from ' 06, 2006, talking about interconnectedness on levels that we're now talking about, especially with quantum mechanics and quantum quantum entanglement and things like that.”
“We want to shout out a phenomenal book by an MIT professor named Alan Lightiteman. It's called Einstein's Dreams. We've mentioned it before. You guys remember this one? It's a real short book. It's a great read.”
“you can look all that stuff up now now that there are books like Freemasons for Dummies that we've read. Um, there's all kinds of fun stuff out there.”
“So, the Okeis is a term we're shouting out the book uh Grapes of Wrath uh which examines the mass migration of people from Oklahoma who were called Okeis in a porative way by the media of the time.”