Podcast
The Realignment book recommendations
The United States is in the midst of a dramatic political realignment with shifting views on national security, economics, technology, and the role of government in our lives. Saagar Enjeti and Marshall Kosloff explore this with thinkers, policymakers, and more.
Latest mentions
-
Why We're Polarized
-
The wise men: Six friends and the world they made
-
Up All Night
-
Ray & Joan
-
Scoop Evelyn Waugh
-
Post Corona
-
Goliath
-
The Culture of Narcissism
-
Elements
-
The Decadent Society
-
Aeneis
-
Zero to One
-
Billion Dollar Loser
-
The Sayings of Lao Tzü
-
The Strange Death of Europe
-
The Madness of Crowds
-
The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
-
Evicted
-
Study Guide
-
The war on normal people
Most recommended on The Realignment
-
Study Guide
On The Realignment, discussions centered around prominent books on racial bias and anti-racism. In 'The Realignment Ep. 44: Joe Lonsdale, Free Speech is Under Attack,' guest Joe Lonsdale mentioned reading books by Ibram X. Kendi to better understand differing viewpoints on race while sharing his frustration regarding racism. Later, in 'The Realignment Ep. 51: Zaid Jilani, the Left Case Against Defunding the Police,' host Marshall brought up Kendi's works 'Stamped from the Beginning' and 'How to Be an Anti-Racist' alongside Robin DiAngelo's writing, describing them as essential bestsellers featured prominently in bookstores.
Discussed“By the way, just to say, Robin DiAngelo wrote the best-selling book 'White Fragility,' and Ibrahim Kendi wrote 'Stamped from the Beginning' and 'How to Be an Anti-Racist.' So these are the biggest speakers, if you go to Barnes and Noble, if it's open, they’re who you're going to see.”
Where to get it
-
Aeneis
On The Realignment in November 2020, Saagar discussed Michael Lind's 'New Class War' alongside Marshall as a vital text that they frequently referenced on the podcast, highlighting its importance to their discussions on political realignment.
Discussed“Yeah, I think that's one that I absolutely is important, and this kind of brings us to our final section here, which is that one of the most important books I think for Marshall and I was Michael Lind's 'New Class War,' which we've talked a lot about here on the podcast, and he makes a point you know, in”
Where to get it
-
Billion Dollar Loser
On The Realignment, the host welcomed author Reeves Wiedeman to discuss his narrative book 'Billion Dollar Loser,' which details the dramatic rise and fall of Adam Neumann and WeWork. The host emphasized the book's compelling narrative structure and encouraged the audience to purchase and read through it for a deeper understanding of the corporate collapse.
Discussed“So Reeves, you've just authored 'Billion Dollar Loser', the epic rise and spectacular fall of Adam Neumann and WeWork.”
Where to get it
-
Elements
On an episode of The Realignment featuring guest Jane Coaston, the discussion touched on historical texts and cultural memory. Coaston drew an analogy to the Book of Genesis and the story of Moses on Mount Sinai to illustrate how people frequently forget important events and promises.
Discussed“It reminds me of basically every story from Genesis not to get biblical here but there's the story of when Moses goes up Mount Sinai to get the Ten Commandments. He tells everyone, 'Okay, I'm gonna go talk to God, I'll be right back', and they're like, 'Cool, great.'”
Where to get it
-
Evicted
During 'The Realignment Ep. 54: Matt Yglesias, The Case for 1 Billion Americans' released on September 15, 2020, guest Matt Yglesias discussed Matthew Desmond's book 'Evicted'. Yglesias noted that while many readers incorrectly believe the book is solely about bad landlords in Milwaukee, it is actually a broader examination of the city and the specific circumstances that incentivize landlords to behave in certain ways.
Discussed“A lot of those who read Matthew Desmond's book, Evicted, think it's about bad landlords in Milwaukee—it’s a great book—but it’s really about Milwaukee. The particular circumstances there incentivize landlords to behave in such a manner.”
Where to get it
-
Goliath
On episode 76 of The Realignment, released on November 19, 2020, guest Matt Stoller appeared to discuss power, technology, and the wealth gap. Stoller mentioned that the insights he shared during the podcast originated from writing his book "Goliath," which examines the problem of monopoly power.
Discussed“This came from my writing my book, Goliath, which was on the problem of monopoly power.”
Where to get it
-
How to Be an Antiracist
Ibram X. Kendi's book 'How to Be an Antiracist' was discussed on The Realignment on August 25, 2020. During a debate on social conservatism, the host referenced Kendi's anti-racism books in a hypothetical scenario about suburban social standing and book clubs. Additionally, the conversation touched upon how modern political figures hold ideologies that resemble the approach found in Kendi's work.
Discussed“I would say right now, you could raise her taxes by 25% but as long as she could remain in good social standing in PTA, aka not being aligned with Trump, not being anti-Black Lives Matter, she could go to her book club and talk about white fragility and Ibrahim Kendi's anti-racism books.”
Where to get it
-
Post Corona
Scott Galloway's Post Corona: From Crisis to Opportunity was featured on The Realignment in November 2020. Host Marshall praised the book at the top of the interview, noting that he had thoroughly read and enjoyed it prior to the recording. At the conclusion of the episode, Galloway thanked the hosts and encouraged the audience to check out the book.
Discussed“Before we get into your book, Post Corona: From Crisis to Opportunity, which I really enjoyed, by the way, I want to mention that this was one of the books I read before the show—something that doesn't happen always, but it's a real testament to your work.”
Where to get it
-
Ray & Joan
During "The Realignment Ep. 80: Lisa Napoli on CNN, Ted Turner, and the Future of Cable," guest author Lisa Napoli spoke about her book "Ray & Joan: The Man Who Made the McDonald's Fortune and the Woman Who Gave It All Away." She explained the publishing challenges she faced when pitching a story centered solely on Joan, noting that framing the narrative around both Ray and Joan allowed her to sell the project. Napoli described how innovation and fortune spread through individuals, expressing immense pride in the completed work. In response to her enthusiasm, the host expressed his intention to read the book.
Discussed“Look, I wrote a book before this book about the creation of McDonald's. Well, it wasn't really about the creation of McDonald's, but it wound up being a lot about the creation of McDonald's.”
Where to get it
-
Scoop Evelyn Waugh
During an episode of The Realignment on November 26, 2020, featuring guest Andrew Sullivan, the book "Scoop" by Evelyn Waugh was mentioned. Sullivan reflected on his early days in journalism by comparing the Daily Telegraph building to the setting described by Waugh in connection with Lord Copper.
Discussed“Which is the building that Evelyn Waugh describes in 'Scoop' with Lord Copper.”
Where to get it
-
The Culture of Narcissism
On The Realignment, the host discussed The Culture of Narcissism by Christopher Lasch in an episode from November 2020. During the segment, guest Anna Khachiyan referenced Lasch while analyzing the concept of narcissism in political discourse, noting how a liberal political orientation aligns with the specific psychological type described by the author.
Discussed“The political denomination or orientation is liberal, the psychological type as Lash talks about, it is narcissist.”
Where to get it
-
The Decadent Society
On The Realignment, host Marshall Kosloff welcomed guest Ross Douthat on an episode titled Lessons for the Right and Left After 2020. The host noted that Douthat had previously appeared on the podcast to discuss his book The Decadent Society. Praising the work as an incredible and excellent read, the host encouraged listeners to check out the book alongside Douthat's podcast, The Argument. During the discussion, the host referenced the book title as The Deccan Society, which reflected a minor audio slip or transcription error of the actual title.
Discussed“Yeah, Ross, the last time we had you on, it was to discuss your book. It was, I mean, obviously the Deccan Society, it's an incredible book.”
Where to get it
-
The Madness of Crowds
In episode 65 of The Realignment, author Douglas Murray appeared as a guest to discuss his book "The Madness of Crowds." Murray explained that the rights issues examined in his work originally stemmed from noble intentions before shifting over time. He detailed his arguments regarding post-civil rights activism, likening modern social justice campaigners to post-battle dragon slayers attempting to fight fights long after the major victories of the 1960s were achieved. Murray also elaborated on specific chapters from his book, addressing contemporary cultural debates surrounding sexuality and explaining why he views transgender issues as distinct from other components of the LGBT movement.
Discussed“I'm very keen that people realize the two things: first of all, I completely agree with you, and it’s very important to state—I stated at the opening of The Madness of Crowds—every single one of the rights issues I'm talking about starts not only in a good place but an exceptionally admirable place.”
Where to get it
-
The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
On The Realignment, the hosts discussed "The Power of Your Subconscious Mind" by Joseph Murphy during an episode in September 2020 featuring Krystal Ball. The hosts referenced the release of a book by Ball, highlighting how its timing coincided with Bernie Sanders performing well in the primaries during a pre-pandemic political environment.
Discussed“So that was right when you guys released your book, you were sort of in the middle of Bernie doing really well, there was no pandemic, so it's been a while.”
Where to get it
-
The Sayings of Lao Tzü
On The Realignment in October 2020, the host discussed Laozi's 'The Sayings of Lao Tzü' indirectly by noting that the ideas presented by guest Michael Lind in his own book were directly pertinent to their conversation concerning the limitations and shortcomings of populism.
Discussed“I think a lot of what Michael Lind discusses in his book speaks to this.”
Where to get it
-
The Strange Death of Europe
Douglas Murray's book The Strange Death of Europe was mentioned on The Realignment in October 2020. The host referenced the 2017 book while introducing Murray as a guest, highlighting that the work centers primarily on the topic of immigration.
Discussed“He wrote The Strange Death of Europe back in 2017 about immigration.”
Where to get it
-
The war on normal people
On The Realignment, during the episode Ep. 50: The Realignment x Andrew Yang Crossover on September 1, 2020, host Sagar spoke with Andrew Yang about his book The War on Normal People. The host asked Yang about how the book, written before his candidacy, anticipated the impacts of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and related to his political views.
Discussed“You wrote your book before you ran for your candidacy, but how many years before that did you kind of see the Fourth Industrial Revolution kind of happening before your eyes?”
Where to get it
-
The wise men: Six friends and the world they made
On The Realignment episode 'The Realignment Ep. 81: Joe Scarborough on Saving Freedom After WWII & Grappling' from December 8, 2020, Joe Scarborough referenced Walter Isaacson and Evan Thomas's book 'The Wise Men'. He described how President Truman used to make his staff drive over to Senator Vandenberg's townhouse at the end of every day to brief him, illustrating the bipartisan consensus-building detailed in the book.
Discussed“He was smart enough to understand this is the guy I have to talk to, and not only did he talk to him during the day, but Walter Isaacson described in The Wise Men how at the end of every day, Truman would make his staff get in the car and drive over to Vandenberg’s townhouse and brief him on”
Where to get it
-
Up All Night
On The Realignment ("The Realignment Ep. 80: Lisa Napoli on CNN, Ted Turner, and the Future of Cable ", 2020-12-03), the hosts interviewed author Lisa Napoli about her book, Up All Night: Ted Turner, CNN, and the Birth of 24-Hour News. During the conversation, Napoli explained that a central theme of her work centers on how 24-hour cable news almost failed to materialize because so many things went wrong during CNN's inception. Following an engaging discussion about Turner's impact and the broader future of media, the host praised the interview and encouraged listeners to purchase Napoli's book on Amazon.
Discussed“So we are here to talk about your book, Up All Night: Ted Turner, CNN, and the Birth of 24-Hour News. But a good place to start would be your thoughts on the future.”
Where to get it
-
Why We're Polarized
On The Realignment podcast during the season finale episode titled Ep 84 Season Finale: Richard Hanania on the Working-Class Realignment Myth, released on December 17, 2020, Ezra Klein's book Why We're Polarized came up in conversation. Richard referenced the text to emphasize the author's argument that every political actor in the system operates rationally.
Discussed“Um, you know, uh, so like, uh, Ezra Klein's book, I don't know if you've seen why we're polarized, you might have read it. Yeah, you know, the one thing he emphasizes every actor in the system is sort of acting rationally.”
Where to get it
-
Zero to One
On The Realignment, Dr. Eric Weinstein discussed Peter Thiel's ideas, which stem from works like Zero to One, co-authored with Blake Masters. Weinstein expressed inspiration from Thiel's perspective on innovation, specifically the perceived imbalance between advancements in the digital world of bits and the physical world of atoms.
Discussed“I've been inspired by Peter Thiel's vision that we have too much innovation in the world of bits but not enough in the world of atoms, in 'rust out' that refers to this age of decadence. It seems that one of the reasons many boomers and others struggle to think critically about today’s politics is that we haven't lived in”
Where to get it
-
Πολιτικά (Politiká)
On The Realignment, the host spoke about Aristotle's Politiká during an episode featuring Joe Lonsdale. While discussing censorship and political power, Lonsdale referenced Aristotle's concept of human beings as political animals, drawing connections to political nature.
Discussed“This is something I think a lot of people just get very, very wrong, is it like censorship is political; like human nature is like Aristotle means a political animal.”
Speaker The Realignment Ep. 44: Joe Lonsdale, Free Speech is Under Attack 2020-08-06 Listen at 13:25Where to get it
Host picks
Guest picks
Guests who recommended books
Latest mentions
“Um, you know, uh, so like, uh, Ezra Klein's book, I don't know if you've seen why we're polarized, you might have read it. Yeah, you know, the one thing he emphasizes every actor in the system is sort of acting rationally.”
“He was smart enough to understand this is the guy I have to talk to, and not only did he talk to him during the day, but Walter Isaacson described in The Wise Men how at the end of every day, Truman would make his staff get in the car and drive over to Vandenberg’s townhouse and brief him on”
“Lisa, this has been such an incredible episode; I want to make sure that people know about the book 'Up All Night.' They can find it on Amazon.”
“So yeah, but please look for 'Ray and Joan' because I love that book and I'm so proud of that book. Well, I'm going to pick it up.”
“Which is the building that Evelyn Waugh describes in 'Scoop' with Lord Copper.”
“Thank you both; Marshall and I are big fans, so thank you very much, and everyone should go check out the book Post Corona. Thanks for having me, Tommy.”
“This came from my writing my book, Goliath, which was on the problem of monopoly power.”
“The political denomination or orientation is liberal, the psychological type as Lash talks about, it is narcissist.”
“It reminds me of basically every story from Genesis not to get biblical here but there's the story of when Moses goes up Mount Sinai to get the Ten Commandments. He tells everyone, 'Okay, I'm gonna go talk to God, I'll be right back', and they're like, 'Cool, great.'”
“Oh, if everybody checks out Ross's book, The Decadent Society, and his podcast, The Argument, where Jane will soon be joining him, it's absolutely excellent and will continue to be so. Thank you, guys; have a good one.”
“Yeah, I think that's one that I absolutely is important, and this kind of brings us to our final section here, which is that one of the most important books I think for Marshall and I was Michael Lind's 'New Class War,' which we've talked a lot about here on the podcast, and he makes a point you know, in”
“I've been inspired by Peter Thiel's vision that we have too much innovation in the world of bits but not enough in the world of atoms, in 'rust out' that refers to this age of decadence. It seems that one of the reasons many boomers and others struggle to think critically about today’s politics is that we haven't lived in”
“The book is a narrative book, so I suggest everyone who purchases it just reads through that part.”
“I think a lot of what Michael Lind discusses in his book speaks to this.”
“He wrote The Strange Death of Europe back in 2017 about immigration.”
“Madness of Crowds, I recommend everybody go out there and buy the book.”
“So that was right when you guys released your book, you were sort of in the middle of Bernie doing really well, there was no pandemic, so it's been a while.”
“A lot of those who read Matthew Desmond's book, Evicted, think it's about bad landlords in Milwaukee—it’s a great book—but it’s really about Milwaukee. The particular circumstances there incentivize landlords to behave in such a manner.”
“So it’s like I just read his books; I kind of want to know what’s going on when you read the book; there are some things that get you really pissed off with racist white people.”
“You wrote your book before you ran for your candidacy, but how many years before that did you kind of see the Fourth Industrial Revolution kind of happening before your eyes?”