Podcast
Stuff You Should Know book recommendations
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Latest mentions
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The Iliad
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The Odyssey
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Ulysses
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The Penelopiad
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I'm Glad My Mom Died
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The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
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The Illustrated Golden Bough
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The Golden Bough
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Folk Tales of Sherpa and Yeti
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My Quest for the Yeti
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The Seven Daughters of Eve
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Cliffs Notes
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Playing Dead
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The Day of the Jackal
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The Scarlet Letter
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MOBY-DICK; or, THE WHALE
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Moby Dick
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The Monster at the End of This Book
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Alibaba
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Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
Most recommended on Stuff You Should Know
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Animal Farm
On Stuff You Should Know, George Orwell's Animal Farm came up through listener feedback and thematic discussions. In one episode, the hosts read a listener email recalling eighth-grade reading assignments that included the book alongside other social commentary literature. In another episode, the hosts noted how social statements about animal treatment existed prior to the novel's release. Later, a listener wrote in to explain that a joke from a previous episode was a direct reference to the famous chant Four legs good, two legs bad used by the animals in Orwell's classic story.
Discussed“I believe that is a joke reference to the book 'Animal Farm' by George Orwell. In the book, the animals use the phrase 'Four legs good, two legs bad' as they rise against the humans. That must be it, love the show, longtime listener.”
Where to get it
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Mein Kampf
On Stuff You Should Know, the hosts referenced Adolf Hitler's autobiographical manifesto Mein Kampf across multiple episodes to provide historical context. Josh Clark brought up the book when discussing Hitler's early artistic ambitions and rejection from art school. In another episode, the hosts discussed how Hitler cited Henry Ford as an inspiration within the text and detailed Hitler's claims that Esperanto was a secret Jewish language used to plot against Germany.
Discussed“I think I read in that in mine comp I haven't read mine comp but I read an article by somebody who read minec confin said that he said it was like a bolt from the blue and that um you know he was pursuing this dream that his father would like beat him out of”
Where to get it
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The Jungle
On Stuff You Should Know, host Josh frequently discussed "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair across several episodes. In "Selects: How Restaurant Health Inspections Work," Josh recalled working as a 13-year-old busboy and witnessing conditions reminiscent of the book, while noting how its 1905 publication pushed Congress to pass the Pure Food and Drug Act. In "What Americans Ate When There Were No Food Laws," the hosts examined how Sinclair's socialist perspective and portrayal of Chicago's meatpacking industry influenced public awareness. Additionally, during "The Story of the Nuclear Boy Scout," the hosts shared a listener email detailing an eighth-grade reading list that featured the influential book.
Discussed“Oh man, it was like Upton Sinclair's The Jungle right before my little 13-year-old eyes.”
Where to get it
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1491
Charles C. Mann's book "1491" was referenced on Stuff You Should Know in early and mid-2024. In one episode, a host made a passing reference to the work while discussing Native American society before Columbus. In another episode concerning Pulitzer Prizes, a host mentioned "1491" and its follow-up, "1493," while discussing previous awards won by the author.
Discussed“Yeah, so all of the Native Americans, even though their society was completely upended, and I guess here's my chance to mention 1491 again because it covers all of this stuff. Man, it's been a while.”
Where to get it
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Helter Skelter
On Stuff You Should Know, the hosts discussed Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry in two 2024 episodes covering the Manson family murders. The hosts described the 600-page work by prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi as the definitive true crime book on the subject. One of the hosts also recalled the book being a massive cultural phenomenon during his childhood and shaping his early fears surrounding Charles Manson.
Discussed“And this idea is apparently the creation of the prosecutor in the case, a guy named Vincent Bugliosi, who wrote a book called 'Helter Skelter,' a 600-page book, basically the definitive True Crime book on the Manson family and the Manson family murders.”
Where to get it
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On the Road
On Stuff You Should Know, host Josh and his co-host brought up Jack Kerouac's 'On the Road' in two separate episodes. In 'Like, here's the episode on "like"', the hosts discussed how jazz bop talk and slang filtered into the Beat movement, pointing out that words like 'like' appear throughout Kerouac's famous novel as it reached a wider audience. Later, in 'Hitchhiking: Two thumbs out!', Josh highlighted 'On the Road' as one of the premier literary works centered on hitchhiking culture and road travel across the United States.
Discussed“Whether it's obviously Jack Kerouac's On the Road is a big one, or Tom Robbins even Cowgirls Get the Blues. The Gus Van Sant movie, the main character was born with an abnormally large thumb, so she obviously had a talent as a hitchhiker, and that's kind of one of the subplots of the book and film, right?”
Where to get it
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The Scarlet Letter
On Stuff You Should Know, the hosts referenced Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter' as a quintessential example of a classic high school assigned reading that students often dread. In another episode exploring American history, they cited the novel while discussing the strict Puritan stance on extramarital sex and the historical practice of branding Hester Prynne.
Discussed“like if you went to read a book in high school in the 80s like the Scarlet Letter and you're like, 'Oh god, do I really have to read the Scarlet Letter?' You would go to a store and you would buy this uh yellow and black uh very thin pamphlet.”
Where to get it
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... In Praise of Folly
On the Stuff You Should Know episode titled Why Manners?, released on June 6, 2023, the host discussed the book ... In Praise of Folly by Desiderius Erasmus. The host noted that the work, originally titled in Latin as Civilitate Morum Purilium and translated as Civility of Childish Manners, was written by the famous Dutch philosopher in 1530 when he took time out from translating the New Testament to write down the first guide to manners in Europe.
Discussed“It was called the civilitate morum purilium which means civility of childish manners yeah it was written by Erasmus the famous Dutch philosopher back in 1530 and he took some time out from translating the New Testament to write down manners...”
Where to get it
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1493
On Stuff You Should Know, Chuck discussed the book '1493' by Charles C. Mann as a follow-up to the author's previous book, '1491'. During the conversation, Chuck noted that the author won a major award for the follow-up work, though he clarified that the accolade was not a Pulitzer Prize.
Discussed“He won, which was yours, 1491! And then the follow-up was 1493! He won a big award for that, but not the Pulitzer!”
Where to get it
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A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates - from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence to the present year
On an episode of Stuff You Should Know, the hosts discussed a notable historical book about pirates from the era. They shared both its lengthy original title, A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates, and its commonly known shorter title.
Discussed“one very notable one uh the long title is a general history of the robberies and murders of the most notorious pirates with a y uh and or that is generally known a general history of the Pirates”
Where to get it
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A million little pieces
On Stuff You Should Know, during the episode The Pulitzer Prize: A major award! on March 28, 2024, the host discussed James Frey's book A Million Little Pieces. The host praised the book while reflecting on past Pulitzer controversies, noting that the author could have avoided scrutiny simply by classifying the work as a novel.
Discussed“I think the sad thing is that apparently it's sort of like a million little pieces book that that guy wrote. I read that book, and it was great with a capital G! In my mind, I always thought, 'Dude, why didn’t you just call it a novel?'”
Where to get it
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A Spy Among Friends
On an episode of Stuff You Should Know titled Kim Philby Greatest Liar of All Time, released on April 15, 2025, the hosts discussed the history of infamous spies. During the episode, the host gave a shout-out to a book by Ben Macintyre titled A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal, recommending it to listeners as a source for the topic.
Recommended“But uh Dave also wanted us to shout out and we want to shout out a book by Ben McIntyre, A Spy Among Friends, Colon Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal.”
Where to get it
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A Wrinkle in Time
On Stuff You Should Know, the hosts Chuck and Josh briefly mentioned Time-Life Books while joking about alternative resources to the internet for addressing phobias. Josh quipped that one would not find books dedicated solely to pictures of vomit within those publications.
Discussed“Yeah, but so is like a Time-Life Book.”
Where to get it
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Abduction
On Stuff You Should Know on March 14, 2024, the hosts explored the mid-20th-century alien abduction phenomenon. They discussed John E. Mack's contributions and mentioned his 1994 book, Abduction: Human Encounters with Aliens, while noting his position as a professor at Harvard.
Discussed“Then, yeah, he had a book in '94 about 13 different abduction cases called 'Abduction: Human Encounters with Alien.' Uh, parentheses, BTW, I teach at Harvard. Did I mention?”
Where to get it
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Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express
During an episode of Stuff You Should Know in April 2025, host Josh mentioned "Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie and Ken Ludwig. He referenced the book, mispronouncing the title slightly, as a prime example of Agatha Christie's works set in exotic locations. Josh explained how these settings captured widespread public attention and contributed significantly to the author's international fame following World War II.
Discussed“um set in this period of time that and for some reason it just captured everybody's attention and apparently when she started expanding I think after World War II uh to some slightly more exotic loces like Egypt or Mesopotamia you know um uh for like Death on the Nile was a very famous one during this time or the”
Where to get it
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Airport
On the Stuff You Should Know podcast episode titled What Makes Disaster Films Great, released on April 17, 2025, the host discussed the mechanics of disaster movies. During the conversation, the host mentioned the film Airport and noted that the movie was based on a novel written by Arthur Hailey, who had also written Hotel.
Discussed“...what they were following airport was based on a novel by Arthur Haley and he had written hotel.”
Where to get it
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Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
During an episode of Stuff You Should Know titled We Got to Sesame Street, released on May 14, 2025, Josh Clark discussed the traditional tale Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. Clark mentioned the work to explain the literary origin of the famous phrase open sesame and how it inspired the title Sesame Street.
Discussed“So, the title, if you're wondering where that came from, um it was uh from Alibaba and the 40 Thieves, Open Sesame.”
Where to get it
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Alibaba
During an episode of Stuff You Should Know titled We Got to Sesame Street, released on May 14, 2025, Josh Clark discussed the literary origins of the name Sesame Street. Clark noted that the phrase derived from the traditional tale of Alibaba and the 40 Thieves, referencing the phrase open sesame.
Discussed“So, the title, if you're wondering where that came from, um it was uh from Alibaba and the 40 Thieves, Open Sesame.”
Where to get it
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All Quiet on the Western Front
On Stuff You Should Know, Erich Maria Remarque's 'All Quiet on the Western Front' came up in a February 2024 episode. The hosts reviewed a listener's email detailing an eighth-grade reading list that included the novel alongside other significant literary works.
Discussed“But my reading teacher was also the social studies teacher, and I guess that explains why all of our reading lists included Animal Farm, Hiroshima, All Quiet on the Western Front, and you know it. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair is a powerful book.”
Where to get it
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And Then There Were None
On Stuff You Should Know, hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryan discussed Agatha Christie's literary works in the episode "Selects: Agatha Christie: Queen of the Murder Mystery." Chuck Bryan mentioned starting her early novel "The Mysterious Affair at Styles," while Josh Clark specifically discussed "And Then There Were None," noting the extensive revisions the novel underwent in both the United States and Great Britain.
Recommended“I started reading The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which I think was her first published work um last night, and it's just great. She just sucks you right in like you she does what's um she creates in a lot of books, not all of them, but she creates what's called a cozy mystery with an S because it's British.”
Where to get it
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Awakenings
On Stuff You Should Know, the hosts referenced Oliver Sacks's book Awakenings while exploring the function of dopamine. They noted that the book, along with its film adaptation, is famously associated with dopamine and Parkinson's disease. The hosts cited Sacks's reporting as a real-world parallel to research on dopamine operating as a motivating factor in human behavior.
Discussed“It's very famously associated with dopamine for anybody who has read Awakenings or saw the movie.”
Where to get it
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Backyard fairies
On the October 24, 2024, episode of Stuff You Should Know titled "Spend Some Time with Fairies," the host brought up the children's book Backyard Fairies by Phoebe Wahl. While looking through material on the subject, the host highlighted the publication as a delightful recommendation for young readers, discussing the title within the context of fairy-themed children's literature.
Discussed“Well, I'm looking, yeah, yeah, 'Backyard Fairies' by Phoebe Wahl.”
Where to get it
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Bible
On the June 22, 2024 episode of Stuff You Should Know titled 'Selects: How the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Work, Part I', a host discussed the Bible. The speaker noted that Ephesus was an important biblical city where Paul preached, explaining that Paul's presence sparked a riot because people worried his message would undermine Artemis and ruin the local economy.
Discussed“I did see that Ephesus was an important city in the Bible because I think Paul came and was preaching there and started a riot because everybody's like, 'Oh man, your God sounds so great that it's going to undermine our Emis, and our local economy is going to fall to pieces.'”
Where to get it
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Birth Order
On an episode of Stuff You Should Know titled 'Birth Order: So nice, we did it twice' released on July 11, 2023, the host discussed the subject of birth order and referenced the book 'Birth Order' by Cecile Ernst and Jules Angst. The host noted that the book was written by Swiss psychologists who went back and thoroughly examined approximately 1,500 previous studies conducted from the mid-1940s to 1980, effectively refuting earlier claims and assumptions about birth order and its direct influence on human personality.
Discussed“and we're going to write our own book called birth order Colon it's poo poo Yeah uh actually his birth order its influence on personality and they went back and looked at all these studies like 1500 studies from the mid 40s to 1980”
Where to get it
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Bittersweet [by] C.H. Gervais
A book by Charles Henry Gervais was briefly mentioned on Stuff You Should Know during a February 2023 episode on the history of veterinary medicine. One of the hosts speculated about whether the previously discussed historical book by Gervais Markham was still actively used in America during the specific historical period being covered in the episode.
Discussed“I don't think they were still using Gervais markham's book”
Where to get it
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Blake; or, The Huts of America
On the podcast Stuff You Should Know, during the episode "How Afrofuturism Works" released on June 22, 2023, the host discussed the 1857 novel "Blake; or, The Huts of America" by Martin R. Delany. The host described the author as a jack-of-all-trades who worked as a doctor, journalist, author, and abolitionist. The host highlighted that the book fits into the genre of alternate histories, noting its historical context and creative premise.
Discussed“but uh there was a guy in 1857 uh named Martin Delaney who was a a kind of a jack of all trades he was a doctor and a journalist and an author and abolitionist uh he wrote a book a novel called Blake or the Huts of America uh which was as a lot of these are alternate histories”
Where to get it
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Bloom County
On Stuff You Should Know, during an episode on March 19, 2024, about Peanuts, one of the hosts reflected on Berkeley Breathed's comic strip 'Bloom County'. The host shared that the work hit him on a deeper level and made him laugh in a secondary way, prompting a broader discussion about their personal connections to various comics.
Discussed“Well, now that I think about it, the first one that really— not the first one that made me laugh, but the one that hit me on a second level was Bloom County.”
Where to get it
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Born to Rebel
On an episode of Stuff You Should Know titled Birth Order: So nice, we did it twice, released on July 11, 2023, the hosts discussed the scientific literature surrounding birth order. During the episode, they highlighted Born to Rebel by Frank J. Sulloway, published in 1996. The hosts explained that Sulloway conducted an extensive meta-analysis of existing studies to argue for the significant impact of family dynamics and birth order on creative lives.
Discussed“and he ended up writing a book in 1996 called Born to Rebel colon birth order family Dynamics and creative lives and he did his own meta-analysis of all of these studies that are out there”
Where to get it
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Carsick
On Stuff You Should Know, Josh discussed John Waters's book Carsick, highlighting how Waters hitchhiked across America at age 68 from Baltimore to San Francisco and documented the experience.
Discussed“For me, John Waters is a pretty fun one because he hitchhiked and enjoyed it as a kid and then eventually wrote a book. He hitchhiked as a 68-year-old grown man in 2013 from his home in Baltimore to his other home in San Francisco and wrote a book about it called 'John Waters Hitchhikes Across America.'”
Where to get it
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Child Care and the Growth of Love
On an episode of Stuff You Should Know titled How Attachment Theory Works, released on January 26, 2023, the host discussed Child Care and the Growth of Love by John Bowlby. The host noted that the book was based on research Bowlby conducted for the World Health Organization and praised him for successfully writing it for a popular audience, which helped attachment theory gain broader traction.
Discussed“and he came out with a book called child care and the growth of love It was basically I know it's a great title They'll love it but it was based on the work and the research that he did for the World Health Organization but he he very wisely I get the impression wrote it for a popular audience”
Where to get it
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Children of the Plague
On the September 11, 2024 episode of Stuff You Should Know titled Selects: How Futurology Works, the hosts discussed Hugo Gernsback and his book Ralph 124C 41+, which was mentioned alongside Children of the Plague by Kat Hankinson. The hosts highlighted the book for its numerous predictions and commented on the clever use of numbers and letters in the title.
Discussed“But back in I think the 1910s, writing, yeah, he wrote a book called Ralph 124C 41+ which predicted everything in this!”
Where to get it
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Classic Ghost Stories
On Stuff You Should Know, host Josh introduced Algernon Blackwood's Classic Ghost Stories during the 15th Annual SYSK Halloween Spooktacular. Josh read aloud the title and author of the first featured tale of the episode, identifying it as The Woman's Ghost Story.
Discussed“What's it called? This is 'The Woman's Ghost Story' by Algernon Blackwood.”
Where to get it
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Cliffs Notes
On Stuff You Should Know in May 2025, the host read a listener mail submission from Natalie in Canada. The listener wrote in to discuss a previous episode covering Cliffs Notes by Michael Shaara, and shared her familiarity with the Canadian educational equivalent known as Cole's Notes.
Discussed“Great episode about the Cliff's Notes, guys.”
Where to get it
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Coercive control
On Stuff You Should Know in June 2024, the hosts discussed Evan Stark's 2007 book Coercive Control: How Men Entrap Women in Personal Life. During the episode, they examined the concept of coercive control and praised the important work Stark accomplished in defining the invisible basis of abuse.
Discussed“He wrote a book in 2007 called 'Coercive Control: How Men Entrap Women in Personal Life.' Evan Stark has done some pretty great work.”
Where to get it
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Communion
On Stuff You Should Know in a March 2024 episode about mid-20th-century alien abduction phenomena, the hosts discussed Whitley Strieber's 1987 book Communion. They noted how the book and its distinctive cover illustration shaped the public's perception of aliens, specifically the Grays.
Discussed“But he was a horror and science fiction writer and in '87 published the book 'Communion' which had, if you look up the cover of 'Communion', the illustration that was done by Ted Jacobs along with, you know, Strieber, because he was like this is what I saw, you got to draw this right, that is as stereotypical alien head”
Where to get it
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Cosmic View
On the February 20, 2024 episode of Stuff You Should Know titled Ray and Charles Eames: More than Chairs, the hosts examined the Eames film Powers of Ten. They discussed how the project was directly inspired by the book Cosmic View: The Universe in 40 Jumps, authored by Dutch teacher Kees Boeke.
Discussed“It was based on a book by a Dutch teacher named Kees Boeke, called Cosmic View: The Universe in 40 Jumps.”
Where to get it
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Creative Personality: A Companion-Book for the Study and Growth of the Self
On Stuff You Should Know, the hosts explored family dynamics and birth order during a segment on sibling relationships. While discussing the topic, the host referenced a related book written by Frank Sulloway, which argued for the immense significance of birth order based on a comprehensive meta-analysis of numerous psychological and sociological studies conducted over the years.
Discussed“and he ended up writing a book in 1996 called Born to Rebel colon birth order family Dynamics and creative lives and he did his own meta-analysis of all of these studies that are out there”
Where to get it
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Crooked House
On an episode of Stuff You Should Know in April 2025, Josh Clark mentioned Agatha Christie's novel Crooked House. While discussing Christie's extensive literary catalog and its 2017 film adaptation, Clark praised the book, noting that it is widely regarded by readers as one of her most ingenious and inventive works.
Recommended“Um, have you seen the Agatha Christie film adaptation of Crooked House that came out in 2017?”
Where to get it
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Curtain
On Stuff You Should Know, Josh Clark discussed Agatha Christie's Curtain during an episode focused on the author. He described the novel as Hercule Poirot's final case, noting that it was written during World War II and published posthumously.
Discussed“Uh one is called Curtain, that's Puarro's final book, and the other is Sleeping Murder.”
Where to get it
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Dandelion Wine
On the November 14, 2024 episode of Stuff You Should Know titled The Fascinating History of Dandelions, the host mentioned Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury. Discussing the cultural presence of dandelions, the host noted that Bradbury had a novel with that title published in 1957, demonstrating that the concept of dandelion wine is something that has been enjoyed all over the world.
Discussed“Um, I mean, it's definitely a thing; Ray Bradbury had a novel called Dandelion Wine from 1957, so it's something that's been enjoyed all over the world.”
Where to get it
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Dangerous to man
During the March 27, 2024, episode of Stuff You Should Know titled Short Stuff: Ramree Island Crocodile Massacre, hosts Josh and Chuck discussed Roger A. Caras's book Dangerous to Man. The hosts explained how Caras built upon the naturalist writings of Bruce Wright regarding the historical crocodile event.
Discussed“But because there was a respected naturalist, Bruce Wright, writing about this, it was picked up by another scientist, a conservationist named Roger Caras, who wrote a book a couple of years later called Dangerous to Man.”
Where to get it
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Dark territory
On Stuff You Should Know, the hosts discussed the film WarGames and its historical impact on President Ronald Reagan. To explain Reagan's reaction, they referenced Fred M. Kaplan's book 'Dark Territory,' which details the history of cyber war.
Discussed“The problem was at the time, Ronald Reagan was the President of the United States, and there's a guy named Fred Kaplan who wrote a book about, um, the history of cyber war called Dark Territory, and apparently, Reagan saw this film, was so freaked out by it that he got the Joint Chiefs together and was like, 'Can this”
Where to get it
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Death on the Nile
On Stuff You Should Know, host Josh Clark discussed Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile. Clark highlighted the novel as a prime example of Christie's work set in exotic international locations like Egypt, noting how these stories contributed significantly to her global fame following World War II.
Discussed“um set in this period of time that and for some reason it just captured everybody's attention and apparently when she started expanding I think after World War II uh to some slightly more exotic loces like Egypt or Mesopotamia you know um uh for like Death on the Nile was a very famous one during this time or the”
Where to get it
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Deliverance
On the October 17, 2024, episode of Stuff You Should Know titled "Kudzu: The Vine That Just Won't Stop," the host discussed "Deliverance" by James Dickey. The hosts referred to James Dickey, noting that he was a poet who was also a novelist and wrote the book "Deliverance," while they were discussing a specific poem he had written about kudzu.
Discussed“This is a poem by James Dickey, who was a poet but also a novelist; he wrote Deliverance!”
Where to get it
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Development as Freedom
On Stuff You Should Know in 2024, the hosts discussed the causes of famines and referenced the book Development as Freedom by Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen, highlighting how the work supported the arguments made during the episode.
Discussed“There’s a great, great book referenced in this same article, written by Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen, called 'Development as Freedom,' which essentially backs up what we’re discussing.”
Where to get it
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Discovering Griffith Park
During an episode of Stuff You Should Know about the Hollywood Sign, the host mentioned the book Discovering Griffith Park by Casey Schreiner. The host noted that the book served as source material and that the research for the episode involved speaking with the author.
Discussed“um and there's a book that uh was written by an author named Casey Schreiner uh called discovering Griffith Park colon a Local's guide”
Where to get it
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Disorders of personality
On Stuff You Should Know, the hosts discussed the historical documentation of psychological conditions, specifically referencing the DSM-2 introduced in the late 1960s. They highlighted how the manual documented a diagnosis known as hyperkinetic reaction of childhood, which served as the early framework for what is understood today as ADHD.
Discussed“So in the late 60s, the DSM-2 introduced a diagnosis called hyperkinetic reaction of childhood, and it's essentially ADHD that they were talking about.”
Where to get it
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English Men of Science
On Stuff You Should Know, the host mentioned Francis Galton, a half-cousin of Charles Darwin, and his book English Men of Science, noting that it was a study focused on members of the Royal Society.
Discussed“so he uh was the half cousin of Charles Darwin and he had a book called English men of science um kind of sounds like Real Men of Genius”
Where to get it
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Etiquette
On an episode of Stuff You Should Know released on June 6, 2023, the hosts discussed the history of manners and Emily Post. The discussion highlighted how Post, a woman in her forties and a divorcee at the time, sat down to write what became the most successful etiquette book in history, titled Etiquette in Society, Business in Politics, and Home, published in 1922.
Discussed“...Emily post was raised in that world and she as I think a 40-something divorcee I sat down and and put pen to paper and wrote what became the most successful etiquette book of all time yeah uh 1922 etiquette in society not a colon everybody a comma yeah etiquette in society and business and politics and at home”
Where to get it
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Etre et le néant
On Stuff You Should Know in August 2024, the podcast hosts discussed philosophical concepts related to the call of the void. During the conversation, they mentioned Jean-Paul Sartre's book Being and Nothingness in the context of Sartre explicitly referencing the ideas of Kierkegaard in a specific section of the work.
Discussed“to Kierkegaard, and I think he even calls out Kierkegaard in the section of Being and Nothingness.”
Where to get it
Host picks
- A Spy Among Friends
- Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express
- Airport
- Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
- Alibaba
- And Then There Were None
- Cliffs Notes
- Crooked House
- Curtain
- Death on the Nile
- Folk Tales of Sherpa and Yeti
- Girl with a Pearl Earring
- Happiness
- Hotel
- I'm Glad My Mom Died
- Kim
- Little Johnny Jones
- Mein Kampf
- Moby Dick
- MOBY-DICK; or, THE WHALE
Guest picks
Guests who recommended books
Latest mentions
“They attribute both the Odyssey and the Iliad, which is kind of the prequel to the Odyssey, to Homer.”
“They attribute both the Odyssey and the Iliad, which is kind of the prequel to the Odyssey, to Homer.”
“1922, the novel Ulysses by James Joyce was a big one because Ulysses is the Latin version of Odysseus.”
“Margaret Atwood in 2005 wrote a novel called the Penelope ad.”
“She published a memoir in 2022 titled, "I'm glad my mother's dead," and there's not some ironic twist to that title, like it's exactly what you think, or it sounds like she was glad her mother's dead, in part because her mother pushed her into acting and basically set her up to be exposed to the stuff she was exposed”
“Uh he wrote a book in 1956 called the presentation of self in everyday life. What a great title. No colons. It's exactly what it says it is.”
“Um one was a guy named James Frasier. He was an anthropologist who wrote a book, very influential book in 1890 called The Golden Bow. B U I'm sorry. Yeah, U. W. Jesus, what's going on with me? B O U G H. I'm going with bow. It's pronounced bo.”
“He was an anthropologist who wrote a book, very influential book in 1890 called The Golden Bow.”
“there's a there was someone named um Shiva Dal that collected a bunch of these stories in a book called Folktales of Sherpa and Yeti and all of them kind of figured the same way”
“Uh people like Reinhold Messner and uh one Sir Edmund Hillary both searched for evidence of the Yeti while they were hiking. Uh and Messner even wrote a book called My Quest for the Yeti: Confronting the Himalayas's Deepest Mystery, right?”
“Sykes is like a a a leading expert on um analyzing mitochondrial DNA. Wrote the book The Seven Daughters of Eve, which kind of introduced the world to genetic analysis through M MTDNA.”
“Great episode about the Cliff's Notes, guys.”
“um we should probably give a pretty big shout out at the outset here um to Elizabeth Greenwood. She's an author. I think her day job is a creative writing professor at Colombia. Uh but she wrote a book which as far as I can tell is the most exhaustive look at pseudocide anyone's ever created. Um the her book”
“Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsight had been published a few years before and it and it appears that he literally kind of followed the steps of how to obtain a false identity from that book kind of note by note.”
“So you'd think, of course, like I mean they're famous for the Scarlet Letter! These are the people who branded Hester Prynne with The Scarlet Letter!”
“He is a Moby Dick afficionado and collects copies and versions of that and he said that is the best book of all time. He said it's not my favorite book. He said, 'It's the best book.' You mean The Scarlet Letter, the one with the Great White Whale?”
“He is a Moby Dick afficionado and collects copies and versions of that and he said that is the best book of all time.”
“the monster at the end of this book is a classic children's book with Grover as as the center character.”
“So, the title, if you're wondering where that came from, um it was uh from Alibaba and the 40 Thieves, Open Sesame.”
“So, the title, if you're wondering where that came from, um it was uh from Alibaba and the 40 Thieves, Open Sesame.”