Podcast
The Rubin Report book recommendations
Care about free speech? Tired of political correctness? Join Dave Rubin for real conversations, real news, and one-on-one interviews with some of the most intriguing names in America today as they break down politics and current events.
Latest mentions
-
Down Came the Rain
-
Guinness World Records
-
The Godfather
-
Fiddler on the Roof
-
War on the West
-
The Strange Death of Europe
-
All the Demons Are Here
-
Don't Burn This Book
-
Magic of Believing
-
The Evolutionary Bases of Consumption
-
Dopamine Nation
-
The Book: A Cover-to-Cover Exploration of the Most Powerful Object of Our Time
-
Light of the Mind, Light of the World
-
One Jewish State
-
The Righteous Mind
-
The God Delusion
-
Hillbilly Elegy
-
Seeing Like a State
-
Irreversible Damage
-
The Purpose-Driven Life
Most recommended on The Rubin Report
-
Holy Bible (NIV)
On The Rubin Report, host Dave Rubin and several guests discussed the "Holy Bible (NIV)" across multiple episodes. Guest David M. Friedman emphasized its enduring relevance, noting that it sells thousands of copies hourly and provides foundational values and comfort. Andrew Klavan discussed the Jewish authorship of the text and highlighted Genesis as a deep exploration of the human condition. Additionally, guest Emily Austin referenced the Bible when reflecting on modern events and spirituality, while guest Russell Brand described how studying the gospels personally transformed his perspective, shifting his focus away from materialism toward a certainty grounded in faith and love.
Discussed“The more I look at literal gospel Christianity from the good book itself, the more it's somehow unraveling, melting away, throwing out my preconceptions, my arid, ardent, severe sense of materialism and replacing it with a certainty only in love—a certainty only in our ability to have a relationship with an indwelling God that died for us.”
Where to get it
-
Atlas Shrugged
Host Dave Rubin and various guests referenced Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged" across several episodes of The Rubin Report. Guest Rajshree Agarwal described reading the book as a foundational pillar of strength that helped shape her personal identity, while Larry Sharpe noted that reading it influenced his journey toward libertarianism. Guest Nick Gillespie admitted he had not finished the book but understood its central premises from movie adaptations. Additionally, guest Peter Thiel cited the famous question "Who is John Galt?" to illustrate broader societal trends, and Rubin referenced the novel when discussing capitalism and public infrastructure.
Discussed“I will admit that I've never read "Atlas Shrugged", I've never finished it. I've watched the movies, which I enjoyed (laughing) and I know the basic plot, and I kind of liked the idea of Gulch-Gulch”
Where to get it
-
Don't Burn This Book
On The Rubin Report, Dave Rubin frequently referenced his book 'Don't Burn This Book,' mentioning across multiple episodes that it was a bestselling work defending classical liberalism, pointing back to specific chapters like his mentorship advice, and explaining how it reflected the evolution of his personal positions, such as on abortion. Guests also brought up the title, with Yeonmi Park noting she felt inspired by it, and Karlyn Borysenko discussing how her community was actively reading it to explore the theme of speaking honestly in a fearful climate.
Discussed“I mean, I always say to people, look, I wrote a book, uh, it was the best pro, it might be the bestselling book in American history about defending classical liberalism.”
Where to get it
-
Irreversible Damage
On The Rubin Report, host Dave Rubin and author Abigail Shrier, alongside guests like Riley Gaines and Peter Boghossian, discussed Shrier's book, "Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters." Rubin introduced Shrier on dedicated interview episodes where she discussed interviewing roughly 1,000 parents during her research. Across episodes featuring Gaines, Boghossian, and Ashley St. Clair, Rubin and his guests discussed the book's core arguments regarding social contagion among young girls transitioning to boys. They examined how the psychiatric and psychological professions have failed gender-confused youth, referencing Shrier's thesis that mental health systems are causing harm to an entire generation of teenagers.
Discussed“You mentioned the social contagion part, uh, Abigail Shrier, I'm sure you know the book Irreversible Damage, wrote an incredible book about the social contagion particularly as it pertains to young girls transitioning to boys, not the other way around. I’m wondering, are you hearing from young girls who are in high school now or maybe even younger?”
Where to get it
-
Enlightenment Now
Steven Pinker's book Enlightenment Now came up across multiple episodes of The Rubin Report. Dave Rubin mentioned reading the book during an interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali and discussed its positive trends with Thomas Sowell in 2018. Additionally, Rubin hosted Pinker as a guest on the March 23, 2018 episode to discuss the book. Later, in April 2024, guest Ben Shapiro referenced Pinker's general notions on humanity while discussing human nature.
Discussed“I think human beings don't change, and the story of humanity is not humanity becoming ever better, sort of in the Steven Pinker notion.”
Where to get it
-
Quran
Guests and hosts on The Rubin Report referenced the Quran in discussions regarding Islamic theology, interpretations of violent passages, and comparisons to other religious and literary texts like the Bible and Shakespeare. Speakers such as Dave Rubin, Maajid Nawaz, and Dinesh D'Souza debated how the sacred text is read and perceived across different traditions and political viewpoints.
Discussed“for example when i speak against stoning i can refer to the most sacred book outside the quran the bukhari and show that the stoning began when two monkeys were throwing rocks at each other in bukhari throwing rocks at each other and the companion of muhammad saw them and said okay so that that monkey must be a female”
Where to get it
-
The Saad Truth about Happiness
On The Rubin Report, author Gad Saad discussed his book, "The Saad Truth about Happiness," across multiple appearances. In a June 2024 episode, Saad explained key themes from his work, including how choosing the correct spouse and profession impacts lifelong well-being. He adapted a quote from Viktor Frankl in his final chapter to argue that happiness is a consequence of making proper decisions rather than a direct pursuit. Saad also cited research detailed in his book showing that conservatives generally report higher happiness levels than progressives, and noted that sharing stories from the text helps motivate students to achieve goals regardless of age.
Discussed“In the last chapter of my happiness book, I quote Victor Frankl, who says that pursuing success should not be the primary aim, but rather a consequence of making the right decisions. I suggest swapping 'success' with 'happiness' in that quote, as that's exactly my perspective.”
Where to get it
-
The Strange Death of Europe
On The Rubin Report, host Dave Rubin brought up guest Douglas Murray's book, "The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity and Islam." Rubin praised the book's title and noted its reference to historical literature. Throughout their conversations, Murray outlined the central thesis of his work, reciting its opening lines regarding European leadership, identity, and cultural shifts. Rubin and Murray reflected on the book's long-term relevance over the years, with Murray explaining that he had hoped the predictions detailed in his writing would ultimately prove incorrect. Rubin used the book as a foundation for broader discussions about European politics.
Discussed“You've been talking about all this for a long time. Uh strange death of Europe and you know at least a decade you've been on all of this.”
Where to get it
-
The Virtue of Nationalism
On The Rubin Report, Dave Rubin frequently referenced Yoram Hazony's book The Virtue of Nationalism. Across multiple episodes in 2019 and 2020, Rubin discussed the book's core argument that every nation should set its own laws and argued that strong democratic nations promote peace. He brought up the text while conversing with guests like Michael Shermer and Richard Grenell, and eventually interviewed Hazony himself on the program.
Discussed“The book that I reference in the chapter, "The Virtue of Nationalism" by Yoram Hazony his whole argument is that every nation should be able to set it's own laws...”
Where to get it
-
12 Rules for Life
Jordan B. Peterson's "12 Rules for Life" came up across several episodes of The Rubin Report. In one episode, Peterson read aloud the title of chapter nine. In another, the host mentioned that individuals on tour with Peterson frequently told him how they had read the book and applied its rules to their lives. Additionally, another guest referenced incorporating Peterson's rules for life into their own book, "Orphan X".
Discussed“Chapter nine. If old memories still upset you, write them down carefully and completely.”
Where to get it
-
Brave New World
On The Rubin Report, guests referenced Aldous Huxley's Brave New World between 2016 and 2018 to illustrate various dystopian concerns. Rabbi Wolpe mentioned the book when discussing societal control and basic needs in relation to China, while Brendan O'Neill used the novel to describe the dangers of an authoritarian state obsessed with citizen happiness. Zoltan Istvan also referenced Brave New World to describe a future scenario where technological augmentation creates severe societal inequality.
Discussed“so I also I want to bring in Aldous Huxley here doesn't have that far to go ya know in brave new world which I have to say I think about all the time as I read about China”
Where to get it
-
Mein Kampf
On The Rubin Report, Adolf Hitler's book 'Mein Kampf' arose in different contexts across episodes. In September 2023, Dennis Prager referenced it as an example of a book that elementary schools would typically ban, contrasting it with modern book bans. In November 2020, Glenn Beck presented a lambskin-bound copy of the book from his collection, noting it was given by Hitler and once belonged to Von Stauffenberg. Earlier, in November 2017, a guest joked about reading 'Mein Kampf' every morning while discussing extreme ideas and political correctness.
Discussed“That means a lot of books were banned. You mean your elementary school didn't have 'Mein Kampf'? Well, listen, here's the irony.”
Where to get it
-
New Right
On The Rubin Report across episodes from 2019 to 2021, host Dave Rubin discussed "New Right" with author Michael Malice. Malice explained the origins of the subculture described in the book, detailing how anarchists and internet trolls evolved into the political movement examined in his work.
Discussed“That the right, the new right, to use the title of your book that the new right would become the place that was creative and cool”
Where to get it
-
On Liberty
On The Rubin Report, John Stuart Mill's book "On Liberty" was highlighted as a foundational text for freedom of speech. On June 8, 2018, guest Chris Freiman called it the single greatest defense of free speech. On December 1, 2017, Brendan O'Neill referenced the text to discuss the concept of informal censorship and the "tyranny of custom," while host Dave Rubin mentioned keeping a copy of the book on his nightstand during the July 26, 2020 episode.
Discussed“I gotta show you. I have a copy of "On Liberty" in my nightstand.”
Where to get it
-
The God Delusion
On The Rubin Report, host Dave Rubin and guests such as Michael Shermer referenced Richard Dawkins' bestselling book The God Delusion. Shermer discussed how the 2006 publication created a lasting split within the atheist and humanist skeptic movements regarding how militant adherents should be. Rubin also cited the book when discussing Dawkins' long-standing views on religion and national identity, while a fan show participant mentioned reading it as an English lesson.
Discussed“And then after Dawkins' book, The God Delusion, became a bestseller in 2006, there was kind of a split in the atheist and humanist skeptics movement about how militant you are in your atheism.”
Where to get it
-
The Madness of Crowds
Across multiple episodes of The Rubin Report between 2019 and 2020, guest Douglas Murray frequently referenced his book 'The Madness of Crowds'. Speaking with host Dave Rubin, Murray quoted from the introduction and conclusion of his work to discuss contemporary societal issues, the over-politicization of modern life, and the underlying economic factors causing young people to reject capitalism.
Discussed“And I say this at the end of "The Madness of Crowds" as you know which is that people have over politicized their lives.”
Where to get it
-
Trump: The Art of the Deal
Across multiple episodes of The Rubin Report between 2016 and 2020, guests including Newt Gingrich, Mike Cernovich, and Ben Shapiro referenced Donald J. Trump and Tony Schwartz's book 'Trump: The Art of the Deal'. The participants brought up the publication when discussing Trump's marketing approach, communication style, and can-do attitude, with Ben Shapiro briefly contrasting the work with the Bible.
Discussed“One of the great lessons I learned was from a book by Tony Schwartz called the election game and then how to win. And I'm sorry. I won't get the name, the title right now, I'm just gonna give you the wrong title. Anyway, Tony Schwartz was a great radio consultant who then went into politics. He did a lots”
Where to get it
-
A Manual for Creating Atheists
Peter Boghossian's 'A Manual for Creating Atheists' was referenced on The Rubin Report by host Dave Rubin. Rubin introduced Boghossian as the author of the book and discussed themes related to deprogramming religious thinking and academic discourse.
Discussed“Well so as the guy who wrote a manual for creating atheist deprogramming religious thinking is something you've been interested in a long time”
Where to get it
-
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was referenced on The Rubin Report on two occasions. In March 2022, Judge Napolitano used the title to describe the absurdity of trying to prove a negative in a legal scenario. Earlier, in April 2018, guest Thomas Sowell mentioned the book alongside Doctor Dolittle as one of the titles he frequently checked out from the public library during his childhood.
Discussed“How do you prove a negative? That's 'Alice in Wonderland.'”
Where to get it
-
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
On The Rubin Report, John Locke's "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding" was referenced by guest historian C. Bradley Thompson in episodes from February 2018 and August 2020. Thompson cited the book alongside works by Sir Isaac Newton as pivotal 17th-century texts that helped shape Enlightenment ideas on natural law and noted that Locke's essay significantly influenced John Adams during his time at Harvard by introducing him to secular ethics.
Discussed“And Sir Isaac Newton in his Principia Mathematica, and John Locke, in his Essay Concerning Human Understanding, And they took the enlightenments ideas of the laws of nature,”
Where to get it
-
Autobiography of Rev. James Lindsay, D.D.
On The Rubin Report, host Dave Rubin discussed various topics with guests in episodes from 2017 and 2019. In the 2019 episode featuring James Lindsay, Lindsay mentioned a book he had written to examine the psychological motivations behind belief in God. In the 2017 episode with Peter Boghossian, the host introduced a hoax paper titled The Conceptual Penis as a Social Construct, which was co-written by Boghossian and James Lindsay.
Discussed“and I would I had just written this book or was in the process I don't remember exactly the date I'd written this book trying to look at the psychological motivations behind belief in God and what people mean by that”
Where to get it
-
Chicago Blues Rhythm Guitar
On The Rubin Report, host Dave Rubin briefly noted that he had written a book defending liberalism, while Larry King humorously used a hypothetical scenario about an over-the-top interviewer introducing Rubin and mentioning a fictional book titled Chicago My Hometown.
Discussed“I mean, I wrote a whole book defending liberalism, but they have to ally with the moderates on the right, which I think is most of America at this point.”
Where to get it
-
Eichmann in Jerusalem
On The Rubin Report, Hannah Arendt's book 'Eichmann in Jerusalem' was referenced in two separate episodes. In November 2023, Ayaan Hirsi Ali brought up Arendt and her concept of 'the banality of evil' while discussing the disturbing reactions of a Hamas member's parents after their son committed atrocities. Earlier in October 2023, Dinesh D'Souza also referenced the book on the podcast to discuss how individuals like Eichmann may be motivated less by explicit ideology and more by a desire to participate in an efficient system.
Discussed“The banality of evil, remember Hannah Arendt?”
Where to get it
-
Genius Kitchen
On The Rubin Report, host Dave Rubin welcomed guest Max Lugavere to discuss his health and nutrition work. In March 2020, the host introduced Lugavere as the bestselling author of 'Genius Foods' and 'The Genius Life'. In a January 2018 episode, the guest himself referenced discussing similar topics in his work.
Discussed“Now, joining me today is a New York Times Best Selling of "Genius Food," and the new book "The Genius Life," Max Lugavere, welcome back to "The Rubin Report."”
Where to get it
-
God Is Not Great
Christopher Hitchens' book "God Is Not Great" was referenced across two episodes of The Rubin Report. On January 12, 2018, in an interview with Michael Shermer titled "Heavens on Earth: Scientific Search for the Afterlife," Shermer mentioned the book while discussing debates surrounding God and morality. Later, on May 20, 2016, in "The Rubin Report Fan Show!," a guest named Marco brought up reading "God Is Not Great" alongside works by Richard Dawkins as part of his journey toward atheism and as an English lesson.
Discussed“well hitch still dealt with this in his book God is not great”
Where to get it
-
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
On The Rubin Report, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series was brought up in different interview contexts. In a 2019 episode featuring Onkar Ghate and Tara Smith, a speaker used Rowling as an example of an extraordinarily successful creator who generated immense value and pleasure for others while benefiting financially. In a 2018 episode with Gregg Hurwitz, the host mentioned Jordan Peterson's frequent use of Harry Potter and other fictional stories, such as Pinocchio, to extract underlying truths from narrative fiction.
Discussed“if the woman who wrote all the Harry Potter books is richer than - or whatever she bought a hell of a lot of pleasure and so on to other be right”
Where to get it
-
Heavens on Earth
On The Rubin Report on January 12, 2018, the host introduced Michael Shermer's new book, 'Heavens on Earth', focusing on the scientific search for the afterlife and immortality. Previously, on July 7, 2017, Shermer himself mentioned the upcoming book while discussing the concept of uploading the mind.
Discussed“Alright so your new book it is out this week it is sitting right in front of me heavens on earth the scientific search for the afterlife immortality and utopia well did you figure it out”
Where to get it
-
John Adams and the Spirit of Liberty
On The Rubin Report, host Dave Rubin engaged with guest C. Bradley Thompson across multiple episodes. On the August 29, 2020 episode titled Historian: Correcting Myths of The Founding Fathers, Rubin welcomed Thompson as a professor and author, discussing his work. Previously, on the February 21, 2018 episode titled Who Was John Adams?, the host mentioned John Adams and the Spirit of Liberty as a resource linked in the show notes below the video.
Discussed“Joining me today, is a Professor of Political Philosophy at Clemson University and author of the new book, "America's Revolutionary Mind: A Moral History of the American Revolution and the Declaration That Defined It," C. Bradley Thompson, welcome back to "The Rubin Report."”
Where to get it
-
Manufacturing consent
On The Rubin Report, guests Michael Malice and Jimmy Dore referenced the book 'Manufacturing Consent' by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky. Malice brought up the work while discussing media elites controlling narratives, and Dore cited it while talking about media consolidation and corporate bias.
Discussed“how do we manufacture consent and Noam Chomsky, who's a fellow anarchist of mine, had a book on this subject”
Where to get it
-
Maps of Meaning
On The Rubin Report, Jordan B. Peterson discussed his 1999 book Maps of Meaning. He explained that he spent three hours every day for fifteen years writing it because he was deeply obsessed with understanding the historical events that occurred in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.
Discussed“and that's a consequence of having spent when I wrote my first book which was maps of meaning I wrote every day for three hours for 15 years”
Where to get it
-
The Ascent of Money
Niall Ferguson's work and ideas were discussed on The Rubin Report across different episodes. In a 2020 episode with Ferguson, the historian mentioned writing a history of the Rothschilds as part of his contributions to financial history. In another 2020 episode featuring John Anderson, the guest referenced Ferguson's perspective comparing the internet age to the printing press and its initial chaos followed by the widespread sharing of knowledge.
Discussed“In my field, I was writing a lot of financial history, I'd written the history of the Rothschilds.”
Where to get it
-
The Better Angels of Our Nature
On The Rubin Report, Thomas Sowell referenced Steven Pinker's work on violence trends, specifically pointing out the u-turn in Western homicide rates during the 1960s. In another episode, Steven Pinker explicitly mentioned his book The Better Angels of Our Nature while discussing the historical decline of violence.
Discussed“Pinker's book about about violence and you know that throughout what the Western world the homicide rates did a u-turn in the 1960s”
Where to get it
-
The Book: A Cover-to-Cover Exploration of the Most Powerful Object of Our Time
On The Rubin Report, the book is referenced across different episodes. In November 2024, a speaker mentions insights from 'the book' that he co-authored with his sister regarding the irrationality of the medical system and chronic conditions. In June 2022, guest Jonathan Isaac discusses a story from his own book about getting recruited to play college basketball.
Discussed“My sister and I talk about this in the book; it’s just not rational when it comes to chronic conditions.”
Where to get it
-
The Challenge of Dawa
Ayaan Hirsi Ali's work was discussed across multiple appearances on The Rubin Report. In a 2021 interview, Dave Rubin introduced her by highlighting her then-new book, 'Prey: Immigration, Islam, and the Erosion of Women's Rights'. In a 2017 interview, Rubin and Ali discussed her newer publication on political Islam and Sharia law, which Ali described as a white paper that had expanded into a booklet exploring the concept of 'dawa'.
Discussed“a best-selling author whose new book, "Prey: Immigration, Islam, "and the Erosion of Women's Rights" is out right now.”
Where to get it
-
The Communist Manifesto
On The Rubin Report, host Dave Rubin discussed 'The Communist Manifesto' by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels with guests Brendan O'Neill and Yanis Varoufakis in separate episodes. O'Neill recommended the book to viewers, noting its surprising praise for the capitalist class in the opening pages, while Varoufakis referenced Marx's text when discussing how disruptive technologies alter social relations of production.
Discussed“If you read the communist manifesto which I recommend to all your viewers they must read the communist manifesto the first nine or ten pages are devoted to praising the capitalist class praising them for the wonders of what they created the new system of production they brought in”
Where to get it
-
The End of History and the Last Man
On The Rubin Report, Francis Fukuyama's The End of History and the Last Man was discussed by guests and the host in relation to global politics. Peter Boghossian argued against the notion that history had reached a definitive endpoint, while John Anderson reflected on the rapid collapse of the post-Cold War assumption that democracy and free-market capitalism had permanently won out globally.
Discussed“I don't think that history has an end point; I don't think we're at the end of history, as Fukuyama suggested.”
Where to get it
-
The Evolutionary Bases of Consumption
On The Rubin Report in December 2024, guest Gad Saad mentioned his work while discussing self-deception, explicitly noting that the concept appears in his first book, The Evolutionary Bases of Consumption.
Discussed“It's in my first book, by the way. The evolutionary basis of consumption.”
Where to get it
-
The Federalist papers
On The Rubin Report, Alexander Hamilton's 'The Federalist Papers' arose in discussions with guests. On July 21, 2017, the guest noted that colleagues on the Left were finding the papers interesting due to concerns regarding presidential power. On June 30, 2020, Niall Ferguson referenced the papers when discussing Alexander Hamilton's explicit statements on the design of the Constitution.
Discussed“Alexander Hamilton was very explicit about that in the Federalist Papers and elsewhere.”
Where to get it
-
The Federalist Papers
On The Rubin Report, the hosts and their guests explored the foundations of American ideals, referencing the nation's roots in the Enlightenment, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. A guest specifically quoted James Madison from Federalist 51 to explain the principle of ambition counteracting ambition in government structure.
Discussed“It is a vision of separation of church and state; fine, you can have any religion you want, but just don't impose it on me. The roots of America are in the enlightenment, the Declaration, and the Constitution. If we can resurrect the spirit of the Founders, if we can bring that back, and that's a positive vision.”
Where to get it
-
The Fountainhead
On The Rubin Report, the host brought up Ayn Rand's novel The Fountainhead during two separate episodes. In a 2019 episode discussing the virtue of selfishness, the host alluded to Rand's well-known philosophy. Later, in a 2017 interview with Mark Duplass, Dave Rubin compared Duplass's concluding remarks to a speech style reminiscent of The Fountainhead.
Discussed“we're going to be talking about selfishness and the virtue of selfishness”
Speaker Why Selfishness is a Virtue (Onkar Ghate and Tara Smith Interview) 2019-02-27 Listen at 0:13Where to get it
-
The Moral Arc
On The Rubin Report, author Michael Shermer referenced his book The Moral Arc during two different interviews. On May 11, 2020, in Pushing Dave On: Nationalism, Drugs, Abortion & Guns, Shermer reflected on how he speculated about a world without borders at the end of the book written in 2015. Earlier, on January 12, 2018, in Heavens on Earth: Scientific Search for the Afterlife, he mentioned writing the book while preparing to teach a course on morality, ethics, and evolution.
Discussed“You know, at the end of the moral arch I sort of speculate about a future, a world without borders. ... Unfortunately since I wrote that in 2015 we've kind of gone the other direction...”
Where to get it
-
The Right Side of History
Ben Shapiro's The Right Side of History was discussed on The Rubin Report. Shapiro mentioned the book when explaining his concerns about the country falling apart, while host Dave Rubin noted that Shapiro wrote the book to address broader intellectual debates regarding the potential flaws within liberalism and the god-shaped hole.
Discussed“I mean, there've been things that have been going wrong, which is why I wrote the previous book, "Right Side of History", which was the country's kind of falling apart.”
Where to get it
-
The Selfish Gene
On The Rubin Report, guests referenced Richard Dawkins' book 'The Selfish Gene' in episodes from July 2017 and November 2018. Bret Weinstein identified the book as a major theoretical progress in evolutionary biology that brought a proper theory of cultural evolution online, while Dennis Prager cited it to argue that science does not promote selflessness.
Discussed“but the last piece of theoretical progress actually involves Dawkins Selfish Gene we essentially encapsulates a synthesis that does lots of things including brings a proper theory of cultural evolution online... so to the extent that we did not have a way of discussing cultural evolution prior to the Selfish Gene Dawkins introduction of the concept of memes”
Where to get it
-
The Torah
The Torah was discussed across episodes of The Rubin Report. In the May 21, 2024 episode, guest Ashira Solomon referenced a Torah portion to describe Moses asking God for entry into the land. In the April 10, 2022 episode, guest David Mamet shared his personal journey of studying the Torah and linked it to his exploration of his Jewish identity.
Discussed“When considering Moses, the greatest prophet in Judaism, he didn’t get to enter the land as one of the Torah portions describes; he asked God if he'd be allowed entry just to see it, and God said no.”
Where to get it
-
Waking Up
On The Rubin Report, host Dave Rubin referenced Sam Harris's book Waking Up during discussions on spirituality and life balance. Rubin highlighted the book's subtitle, pointing out its focus on exploring spirituality without adhering to religion or fundamentalism.
Discussed“yeah it sounds a lot like uh the book by Sam Harris who's one of my one of my favorite... oh the book's right there Sam Harris waking up a GU... a guide to spirituality without religion”
Where to get it
-
Why the Jews?
On The Rubin Report, Dennis Prager discussed his literary work across different appearances. In a January 2017 episode, Prager mentioned his book 'Why the Jews?', citing it while discussing the unique, exterminationist nature of antisemitism as the only hatred of its kind. In a June 2020 episode, he also referenced his biblical commentary project titled 'The Rational Bible' and discussed Moses as a mentor.
Discussed“I've written a bible commentary, "The Rational Bible," and the figures there, Moses was a mentor.”
Where to get it
-
1984
During the October 29, 2023 episode of The Rubin Report titled Exposing the Previously Hidden Police State | Dinesh D'Souza, guest Dinesh D'Souza referenced the book 1984 by George Orwell. While discussing the implementation of a police state through public media and education, D'Souza drew parallels to Orwell's work, noting how Big Brother features an inner party and an outer party.
Discussed“Some of it is hidden, to be sure, but some of it, even outside the government, is almost reminiscent of Orwell in '1984'. It talks about the fact that Big Brother has an inner party and an outer party.”
Where to get it
-
2030
On The Rubin Report, host Dave Rubin discussed the book '2030' by Albert Brooks. Rubin mentioned that he had read the fiction novel, which explores what the author predicts America will look like in the year 2030, specifically focusing on themes related to an aging population.
Discussed“yeah you know it's interesting I read a book called 2030 by Albert Brooks it was his fiction novel about what he thinks America is going to be like in 2030”
Where to get it
-
A New Earth
On the June 19, 2019 episode of The Rubin Report titled "How Mindfulness Can Bring Balance to Your World (Eckhart Tolle Interview)," host Dave Rubin introduced his guest, Eckhart Tolle. Rubin discussed Tolle's internationally best-selling book The Power of Now and then mentioned his most recent book, A New Earth, highlighting its significant sales figures since publication.
Discussed“I'm Dave Rubin and joining me on the Reuben report today is the internationally best-selling author of The Power of Now which is sold 12 million copies worldwide since it was first published with translations into 52 languages along with his most recent book A New Earth which has already sold over 15 million copies worldwide and has been translated”
Where to get it
-
A People's History of the United States
On the 2020-06-30 episode of The Rubin Report featuring guest Niall Ferguson, the conversation turned toward education and history. Ferguson criticized the instruction of young Americans using Howard Zinn's book A People's History of the United States. He argued that the textbook constantly emphasizes negative aspects of American history over positive ones.
Discussed“But I don't think we should be teaching young Americans, from how it Howard Zinn's 'A People's History of the United States,' in which the negatives are constantly emphasized over the positives.”
Where to get it
Host picks
Guest picks
Guests who recommended books
Latest mentions
“For all those listening and suffering and husbands of wives who are suffering, there's a book that saved me. It's called Down Came the Rain and it's by Brooke Shields and my doctor recommended it to me.”
“The record, according to Guinness World Records books, is 4,080 at the moment.”
“And that was to Bob and Julie fly down the plane and he takes her home to meet his family and it's the Godfather.”
“And so I think when he came in, they figure, you know, it's that like that line in Fiddler on the Roof, when you're rich, they think you really know.”
“All right, Douglas Murray, do we get right into democracies and death cult or do you want to talk about other things first?”
“first off I love the title the strange death of Europe I thought using the adjective strange was particularly interesting the first is it's an odd which not many readers will get to a slightly known history textbook or the strange death of liberal england which described the decline of the Liberal Party in the early part of the 20th”
“It sort of reminds me of the ridiculous right now whereas I'm sure you know about a month ago Jake Tapper announced he has a book about the scandal around Biden's health.”
“"Oh, that girl is saying what she thinks, and so many people are afraid to do it", some guy wrote a book about that. - He did, he did, and we're actually reading that book in my community right now.”
“I read a book called 'The Magic of Believing' by Claude M. Bristol, this old book, and it talked about how to condition your mind, and it talked about incantations, not affirmations. You go, 'I'm happy, I'm happy, I'm happy,' and your brain goes, 'BS,' I'm not happy.”
“uh now I take this idea and is part of my book so the book is tally titled death of the west by a Thousand Cuts”
“I would refer everybody to Dr. Anna, who specializes in this, who's an addiction specialist, and she wrote a book called 'Dopamine Nation' and she breaks it down better than anybody.”
“There's one story in the book where I'm getting recruited to go to college to play ball.”
“I mean there’s a fascinating moment, and this really is kind of at the heart of the book, and it comes with Isaac Newton, who I learned about in school, and I think I have a tolerable understanding of Newton's laws of motion and force and acceleration and all that.”
“Joining me today is the former U.S. ambassador to Israel under President Trump and author of the new book, One Jewish State: The Last Best Hope to Resolve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.”
“A lot of it is down to phones, you know this, Jonathan Haidt’s book that came out was pretty scary about the impact on impressionable young minds, but I also think we're not preparing kids when they come through school; we're not preparing them for the hard knocks of the real world.”
“he showed me Christopher Hitchens and and Richard Dawkins and I thought it would be a good English lesson to to read those those books like God Is Not Great”
“What’s important is, one, his political identity is from Hillbilly Elegy; he’s speaking to people from the Rust Belt.”
“One of the main aims of the state, and this is from the book, seeing like a state, he said that the state tries to make taxpayers legible.”
“Joining me today for a long overdue interview is author of the new book "Irreversible Damage The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters". Abigail Shrier, welcome to The Rubin Report.”
“And I think since becoming Christian, I am learning in my choices to recognize that as Rick Warren says in the first four words of his book: it’s not about you. It's not about you.”