Book Club with Michael Smerconish

Son of the Midwest, movie star, and mesmerizing politician―America’s fortieth president comes to three-dimensional life in this gripping and profoundly revisionist biography. Michael talks to writer Max Boot, author of "Reagan: His Life and Legend, wherein he illuminates the untold story of Ronald Reagan, revealing the man behind the mythology. Boot draws on interviews with over one hundred of the fortieth president’s aides, friends, and family members, as well as thousands of newly available documents. Original air date 9 September 2024. The book was published on 10 September 2024.

Michael is an alum of Lehigh University, so he was thrilled to have this conversation with Dr. Laura Katz Olson, who has Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Lehigh University for 50 years - starting teaching in 1974. She's written the new novel, "Wrinkled Rebels." Now 80 years old, retirement and advanced age have dissipated the spirit of six college radicals of the 1960s, who jointly had participated in civil rights campaigns and anti-war protests. Having engaged in only periodic communication over the decades, they suddenly receive an invitation to reunite for an extended weekend. Struggling with whether to go, each of them has divergent qualms and expectations for the proposed gathering. Original air date 6 September 2024. The book was published on 23 July 2024.

New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West —the latest from the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and bestselling author David E. Sanger—is a fast-paced account of America’s plunge into simultaneous confrontations with two very different adversaries. Listen to his conversation with Michael here. Original air date 29 August 2024. The book was published on 16 April 2024.

From the best-selling author of The Big Short and Flash Boys, the story of FTX’s spectacular collapse and the enigmatic founder at its center. When Michael Lewis first met him, Sam Bankman-Fried was the world’s youngest billionaire and crypto’s Gatsby. CEOs, celebrities, and leaders of small countries all vied for his time and cash after he catapulted, practically overnight, onto the Forbes billionaire list. Who was this rumpled guy in cargo shorts and limp white socks, whose eyes twitched across Zoom meetings as he played video games on the side? In Going Infinite Lewis sets out to answer this question, taking readers into the mind of Bankman-Fried, whose rise and fall offers an education in high-frequency trading, cryptocurrencies, philanthropy, bankruptcy, and the justice system. Listen to his conversation with Michael here, on "Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon." Original air date 26 August 2024. The book was published in October 2023, with the updated paperback version releasing on 27 August 2024.

Through the lens of her years spent as a sex worker, Charlotte Shane offers a provocative and tender reckoning of what it means to be a heterosexual woman and a feminist in a misogynistic society. Listen to her conversation with Michael on her new book "An Honest Woman: A Memoir of Love and Sex Work." Original air date 23 August 2024. The book was published on 13 August 2024.

Power, privilege, and blood—this is the definitive and thrilling true story of Alex Murdaugh’s violent downfall, from a veteran Wall Street Journal reporter who has become an authority on the case. Listen to Michael's conversation with Valerie Bauerlein, author of "The Devil at His Elbow: Alex Murdaugh and the Fall of a Southern Dynasty." Original air date 20 August 2024. The book was published on 20 August 2024.

Listen to Michael's conversation with Chris Matthews about "Tip and the Gipper: When Politics Worked".... a magnificent personal history of a time when two great political opponents served together for the benefit of the country. Matthews was an eyewitness to this story as a top aide to Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, who waged a principled war of political ideals with President Reagan from 1980 to 1986. Together, the two men forged compromises that shaped America’s future and became one of history’s most celebrated political pairings—the epitome of how ideological opposites can get things done. Original air date 1 October 2013. The book was published on 1 October 2013.

A timely, revelatory look at freedom of speech—our most basic right and the one that protects all the others. Listen to Michael's conversation with GW Law Professor Jonathan Turley, author of "The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage." Original air date 13 August 2024. The book was published on 18 July 2024.

Looking back at the 2020 presidential campaign, listen to his conversation Michael had with political analyst Mark Halperin, author of "How To Beat Trump: Americas Top Political Strategists on What It Will Take." Drawing on dramatic and illuminating war stories from presidential campaigns past, America’s top political operatives explain how to meet the daunting challenge of beating Trump, who is one of the most talented pure political campaigners in modern history. Original air date 29 October 2019. The book was published on 29 October 2019.

There is only one scenario other than an asteroid strike that could end the world as we know it in a matter of hours: nuclear war. And one of the triggers for that war would be a nuclear missile inbound toward the United States. Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen’s Nuclear War: A Scenario explores this ticking-clock scenario, based on dozens of exclusive new interviews with military and civilian experts who have built the weapons, have been privy to the response plans, and have been responsible for those decisions should they have needed to be made. Listen to her conversation with Michael now. Original air date 1 August 2024. The book was published on 26 March 2024.

An account of the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome reveals the competition's unexpected influence on the modern world, in a narrative synopsis that pays tribute to such athletes as Cassius Clay and Wilma Rudolph while evaluating the roles of Cold War propaganda, civil rights, and politics. Enjoy this conversation Michael has with David Maraniss, author of "Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed the World" with the backdrop of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Original air date 21 July 2008. The book was published on 1 July 2008.

Journalist William J. Kole, reluctant but newly minted member of AARP, explores the looming era of super-aging—incredibly longer lifespans overall, and eight times more centenarians by the year 2050—through the lens of past, present, and future life at ages 50, 65, 80, and on to 100-plus. What happens to all of us when 65 is merely a life half-lived? Michael talks to him about his book "The Big 100: The New World of Super-Aging." Original air date 26 July 2024. The book was published on 3 October 2023.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille comes a suspenseful new novel featuring Detective John Corey and an all-too-plausible conspiracy to detonate a nuclear bomb in two major American cities. Michael talks to him about "Wild Fire (A John Corey Novel, 4)". Welcome to the Custer Hill Club--an informal men's club set in a luxurious Adirondack hunting lodge whose members include some of America's most powerful business leaders, military men, and government officials. Ostensibly, the club is a place to gather with old friends, hunt, eat, drink, and talk off-the-record about war, life, death, sex and politics. But one Fall weekend, the Executive Board of the Custer Hill Club gathers to talk about the tragedy of 9/11 and what America must do to retaliate. Their plan is finalized and set into motion. Original air date 27 November 2006. The book was published on 6 November 2006.

The dishy, rollicking, and deeply personal story of what really happened in the 2016 election, as seen through the eyes of the New York Times reporter who gave eight years of her life to covering the First Woman President who wasn't. For a decade, award-winning New York Times journalist Amy Chozick chronicled Hillary Clinton’s pursuit of the presidency. Chozick’s front-row seat, initially covering Clinton’s imploding 2008 campaign, and then her assignment to “The Hillary Beat” ahead of the 2016 election, took her to 48 states and set off a nearly ten-years-long journey in which the formative years of her twenties and thirties became – both personally and professionally – intrinsically intertwined to Clinton’s presidential ambitions. Listen to her conversation with Michael here on the book "Chasing Hillary: Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns, and One Intact Glass Ceiling." Original air date 23 April 2018. The book was published on 24 April 2018.

Michael is joined by Joan Williams, Distinguished Professor of Law and Hastings Foundation Chair at University of California, in a chat about her book "White Working Class: Overcoming Class Cluelessness in America." Original air date 18 November 2019. The book was published on 16 May 2017.

Michael invites lawyer and writer Amy Chua to join him in a conversation about Chua's thought-provoking book "Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations." Original air date 23 February 2018. The book was published on 20 February 2018.

Listen to Michael chat with author Adam Buckman in a conversation about his book "Jerk: How I Wasted My Life Watching Television." Original air date 22 July 2014. The book was published on 14 September 2014.

Division in society. The spread of misinformation. The rise of extremism. Centrism holds the answers. Listen to Michael's conversation with Yair Zivan, editor of "The Centre Must Hold: Why Centrism is the Answer to Extremism and Polarisation." Original air date 2 July 2024. The book was published on 27 June 2024.

The definitive, inside story of the Idaho murders from bestselling author Howard Blum, whose groundbreaking coverage of the story was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Timed for a trial that will capture national attention, "When the Night Comes Falling: A Requiem for the Idaho Student Murders" examines the mysterious murders of the four University of Idaho students. Having covered this case from its start, Edgar award winning investigative reporter Howard Blum takes readers behind the scenes of the police manhunt that eventually led to suspected killer, Bryan Christopher Kohberger, and uncovered larger, lurid questions within this unthinkable tragedy. Listen to Blum's conversation with Michael now. Original air date 1 July 2024. The book was published on 25 June 2024.

A longtime Washington insider argues that former FBI Director James Comey’s letter to Congress, sent just before the presidential election in 2016 was a key determining factor in Trump’s win. Listen to Michael's conversation with attorney Lanny Davis, author of "The Unmaking of the President 2016: How FBI Director James Comey Cost Hillary Clinton the Presidency." Original air date 7 February 2018. The book was published on 6 February 2018.

Doctor Anthony Stephen Fauci is an American physician-scientist and immunologist who served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases from 1984 to 2022, and the chief medical advisor to the president from 2021 to 2022. He joins Michael to discuss his new book "On Call: A Doctor's Journey in Public Service." Original air date 21 June 2024. The book was published 18 June 2024.

What J. D. Vance did for Appalachia with Hillbilly Elegy, CNN analyst and one of the youngest state representatives in South Carolina history Bakari Sellers does for the rural South, in this important book that illuminates the lives of America’s forgotten black working-class men and women. Part memoir, part historical and cultural analysis, "My Vanishing Country: A Memoir" is an eye-opening journey through the South's past, present, and future. Listen to Michael's conversation from 22 May 2020. The book was published on 19 May 2020.

Jack Valenti, former special assistant to President Lyndon B. Johnson and former President of the Motion Picture Association of America, penned a memoir, but did not live to be able to talk about it when it was published. Therefore, Michael welcomed his daughter, Courtney Valenti, for a wonderful conversation on "This Time, This Place: My Life in War, the White House, and Hollywood." Mr. Valenti passed away in April 2007. Original air date 20 June 2007. The book was published on 15 May 2007.

Since its opening in 1965, the Watergate complex has been one of Washington's chicest addresses, a home to power brokers from both political parties and the epicenter of a scandal that brought down a president. In "The Watergate: Inside America's Most Infamous Address" writer and political consultant Joseph Rodota paints a vivid portrait of this landmark and the movers and shakers who have lived there. Listen to his conversation with Michael here. Original air date 23 February 2018. The book was published on 20 February 2018.

From New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Garrett Graff comes the most up-to-date and complete account of D-Day—the largest seaborne invasion in history and the moment that secured the Allied victory in World War II. Garrett joins Michael to talk about his new book "When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day." Original air date 5 June 2024. The book was published on 4 June 2024.

As the Commander of U.S. Central Command, General Frank McKenzie oversaw some of the most important — and controversial operations in modern U.S. military history. He had direct operational responsibility for the strikes on Qassem Soleimani and two successive leaders of ISIS, the many months of deterrence operations against Iran and its proxies, and the methodical drawdown in Iraq. He directed the noncombatant evacuation operation in Afghanistan, and our final withdrawal from that tortured country. Listen to his conversation with Michael about "The Melting Point: High Command and War in the 21st Century

Michael welcomes climate investor and activist Tom Steyer, author of "Cheaper, Faster, Better: How We’ll Win the Climate War." The climate is changing more rapidly than scientists predicted even a few years ago, with extreme weather already touching our everyday lives. At the same time, the clean energy revolution is forging ahead faster than nearly anyone anticipated. As Tom Steyer sees it, these two trends together create a moment like the one America faced during World War II: on the one hand, an existential threat calling for collective action; on the other, an opportunity to lead the world, protect the planet, and set the stage for a new generation of shared economic prosperity. Original air date 28 May 2024. The book was published on 28 May 2024.

Entrepreneur and New York legend Ken Langone tells the compelling story of how a poor boy from Long Island became one of America's most successful businessmen. A pillar of corporate America for decades, he's a co-founder of Home Depot, a former director of the New York Stock Exchange, and a world-class philanthropist. In this memoir he finally tells the story of his unlikely rise and controversial career. Listen to Michael's conversation with Ken Langone on the bestselling book "I Love Capitalism!: An American Story." Original air date 23 May 2018. The book was published on 15 May 2018.

Michael's conversation with Bernard Kerik about his book "From Jailer to Jailed: My Journey from Correction and Police Commissioner to Inmate #84888-054." The controversial New York City police commissioner shares the story of his fall from grace and the effects of his incarceration on his views of the American justice system. Kerik was New York City’s police commissioner during the 9/11 attacks, and became an American hero as he led the NYPD through rescue and recovery efforts of the World Trade Center. His résumé as a public servant is long and storied, and includes receiving a Medal of Honor. In 2004, Kerik was nominated by George W. Bush to head the Department of Homeland Security. Now, he is a former Federal Prison Inmate known as #84888-054. Original air date 7 April 2015. The book was published on 31 March 2015.

Following the success of his #1 New York Times bestseller 'Make Your Bed', Admiral William H. McRaven is back with amazing stories of bravery and heroism during his career as a Navy SEAL and commander of America's Special Operations Forces. He talks to Michael about his book "Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations." Original air date 21 May 2019. The book was published on 21 May 2019.

From one of the country’s most brilliant political commentators, the bestselling author of Then Everything Changed, an extraordinary, thought-provoking look at Kennedy’s presidency—after November 22, 1963. On that day, JFK does not die. What would happen to his life, his presidency, his country, his world? Michael speaks with Jeff Greenfield about his book "If Kennedy Lived: The First and Second Terms of President John F. Kennedy: An Alternate History." Original air date 28 October 2013. The book was published on 22 October 2013.

The first battle book from Mark Bowden since his #1 New York Times bestseller Black Hawk Down, "Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietnam" is the story of the centerpiece of the Tet Offensive. With unprecedented access to war archives in the U.S. and Vietnam and interviews with participants from both sides, Bowden narrates each stage of this crucial battle through multiple viewpoints. Listen to his conversation with Michael, from 23 June 2017. The book was published on 6 June 2017.

Rooted in humorous stories distilled with bits of sagely honest advice, The Journey goes beyond the well-chronicled college admissions madness and cuts to the core of parental angst with concrete suggestions for preparing children for a competitive and rapidly changing world. Listen to Michael's conversation with college admissions strategist Greg Kaplan, author of "The Journey: How to Prepare Kids for a Competitive and Changing World." Original air date 8 May 2024. The book was published on 7 May 2024.

Is there "another 1968" full of protests coming our way this year, with Democrats convening in Chicago this summer to nominate their candidate for president? Michael talks to Historian James Traub, who recounts Hubert Humphrey’s role as a liberal hero of twentieth-century America in "True Believer: Hubert Humphrey's Quest for a More Just America." Original air date 6 May 2024. The book was published on 13 February 2024.

This is a special conversation we like to call a "Reverse Book Club." It is political commentator Mike Barnicle interviewing Michael about his own book, "Talk: A Novel" in front of a studio audience. The book is The Primary Colors of 2014- an explosive novel exposing the inner workings of conservative talk radio and campaign politics. Original air date 8 May 2014. The book was published on 6 May 2014.

Michael Hayden is a retired United States Air Force four-star general and former Director of the National Security Agency, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He joins the podcast to discuss his book: "The Assault on Intelligence: American National Security in an Age of Lies." Original air date 16 May 2018. The book was published 01 May 2018.

For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But today, success is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others. It turns out that at work, most people operate as either takers, matchers, or givers. Whereas takers strive to get as much as possible from others and matchers aim to trade evenly, givers are the rare breed of people who contribute to others without expecting anything in return. Listen to Michael's conversation with UPenn Wharton Professor Adam Grant, he is the school's youngest professor to ever achieve tenure, is top-rated by his students, and is author of "Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success." Original air date 26 April 2013. The book was published on 9 April 2013.

A must-have guide to optimizing your life for wealth and success. Today's workers have more opportunities and mobility than any generation before. They also face unprecedented challenges, including inflation, labor and housing shortages, and climate volatility. Even the notion of retirement is undergoing a profound rethink, as our life spans extend and our relationship with work evolves. In this environment, the tried-and-true financial advice our parents followed no longer applies. It's time for a new playbook. NYU Professor Scott Galloway joins Michael with his new book, "The Algebra of Wealth: A Simple Formula for Financial Security." Original air date 29 April 2024. The book was published on 23 April 2024.

A hilarious, fascinating, and revealing view of the national pastime from the 1930's to the present, "Pouring Six Beers at a Time: And Other Stories from a Lifetime in Baseball" offers a treasure trove of stories by a man once dubbed the P. T. Barnum of Major League Baseball, Philadelphia Phillies Chairman emeritus Bill Giles. Michael spoke to him when he was chair of the club in 2007. Original air date 18 June 2007. The book was published on 1 April 2007.

There is a troubling trend happening in teenage sex. Michael talks to Indiana University Professor Dr. Debby Herbenick, Ph.D, co-author of "Yes, Your Kid: What Parents Need to Know About Today's Teens and Sex." Original air date 22 April 2024. The book was published on 14 November 2023.

For those starting out in their careers—and those who wish to advance more quickly—this is a delightfully fussy guide to the hidden rules of the road in the workplace and in life. As bestselling author and social historian Charles Murray explains, at senior levels of an organization there are curmudgeons everywhere, judging your every move. Yet it is their good opinion you need to win if you hope to get ahead. He joins Michael to discuss "The Curmudgeon's Guide to Getting Ahead: Dos and Don'ts of Right Behavior, Tough Thinking, Clear Writing, and Living a Good Life." Original air date 10 April 2014. The book was published on 8 April 2014.

What's the recipe for happiness? If you listen to liberal elites or red pill influencers, you'd say it's making money, living for yourself, and staying single without kids—and you'd be wrong. Nothing predicts happiness better than a good marriage. University of Virginia Professor Brad Wilcox joins Michael with his new book "Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization." Original air date 15 April 2024. The book was published on 13 February 2024.

This is a special extended edition of Book Club. In 2008, Michael had the opportunity to speak with Wall Street Journal reporter Jeffrey Zaslow, co-author of "The Last Lecture" which he wrote with Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch. It focuses on a final lecture that many college professors give, except for Pausch, it was very real - he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. He passed away in July 2008, just months after the book was published. The first part of this conversation with Mr. Zaslow by phone, and then a couple months later, he joined Michael in studio after they spoke in front of a live audience at the Keswick Theatre in June 2008 about "The Last Lecture." Mr. Zaslow has since also passed away, in 2012. Original air date Spring/Summer 2008. The book was published on 8 April 2008.

Michael talks to "Huffington Post" co-founder Arianna Huffington about her book "Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder." The best-selling author makes an impassioned and compelling case for the need to redefine what it means to be successful in today's world. Original air date 7 April 2014. The book was published on 25 March 2014.

An original and engaging account of the Obama years from a group of leading political historians: Barack Obama's election as the first African American president seemed to usher in a new era, and he took office in 2009 with great expectations. But by his second term, Republicans controlled Congress, and, after the 2016 presidential election, Obama's legacy and the health of the Democratic Party itself appeared in doubt. In "The Presidency of Barack Obama: A First Historical Assessment", Princeton University Professor Julian Zelizer gathers leading American historians to put President Obama and his administration into political and historical context. Original air date 16 March 2018. The book was published on 13 March 2018.

Former Philadelphia Daily News columnist and National Book Award Winner Pete Dexter ("Paris Trout") speaks with Michael about his book "Paper Trails: True Stories of Confusion, Mindless Violence, and Forbidden Desires, a Surprising Number of Which Are Not About Marriage." Original air date February 2007. The book was published on 7 February 2007.

The most controversial essays from the bestselling author once called the most dangerous man in America—collected for the first time. The nation’s most-cited legal scholar who for decades has been at the forefront of applied behavioral economics, and the bestselling author of Nudge and Simpler, Cass Sunstein is one of the world’s most innovative thinkers in the academy and the world of practical politics. Listen to his conversation with Michael on "Conspiracy Theories and Other Dangerous Ideas." Original air date 1 April 2014. The book was published on 18 March 2014.

Looking back at Jennifer Weiner who joined Michael to discuss her book "In Her Shoes." The book tells the story of two women with nothing in common but a childhood tragedy, shared DNA, and the same size feet. The two are about to learn that their family is more different than they ever imagined, and that they're more alike than they'd ever believe. Original air date 2002. The book was published September 17th 2002.

After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on many measures. Why? Phone-based childhoods. Michael talks to social psychologist and bestselling author Jonathan Haidt, on his book "The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness." Original air date 25 March 2024. The book was published on 26 March 2024.

Michael had the opportunity to speak with Former Vice President Al Gore on his WPHT radio program in 2006. The interview did not quite go as planned - he reminisces in this episode, on the book "Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It." Original air date 2006, The book was published in 2006.

So much has happened in the world surrounding FOX News, Donald Trump, and Roger Ailes since the paperback version of this book by Gabriel Sherman came out in early 2017, including Ailes passing away just a few months later in May 2017. Listen to Michael's and Sherman's conversation about "The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News--and Divided a Country." Original air date 16 February 2017. The updated paperback version was published 14 February 2017, and the book was originally published in 2014.

Nathan Raab, America’s preeminent rare documents dealer, describes his years as the Sherlock Holmes of historical artifacts—questing after precious finds and determining their authenticity—and he shows us what the past can tell us about the present, in "The Hunt for History: On the Trail of the World's Lost Treasures―from the Letters of Lincoln, Churchill, and Einstein to the Secret Recordings Onboard JFK's Air Force One." Original air date 11 March 2020. The book was published on 10 March 2020.

The widening gulf between rural and urban America is becoming the most serious political divide of our day. Support for Democrats, up and down the ballot, has plummeted throughout the countryside, and the entire governing system is threatened by one-party dominance. Is the country splintering between two very different Americas―one rural, one urban? Michael talks to Colby College Professors Nicholas F. Jacobs and Daniel M. Shea, authors of "The Rural Voter: The Politics of Place and the Disuniting of America." Original air date 15 March 2024. The book was published on 21 November 2023.

From the acclaimed authors of the runaway New York Times bestseller "2034" comes another explosive work of speculative fiction set twenty years further in the future, at a moment when a radical leap forward in artificial intelligence combines with America’s violent partisan divide to create an existential threat to the country, and the world. Retired US Navy Admiral James Stavridis, a long-time friend of the show, is co-author (with Elliot Ackerman) of "2054: A Novel." Original air date 12 March 2024. The book was published 12 March 2024.

From the moment she first appeared as a young princess, Queen Elizabeth II fascinated the world. And, the late Queen had a special relationship with the United States. Times of London U.S. Editor David Charter joins Michael with his new book, "Royal Audience: 70 Years, 13 Presidents--One Queen's Special Relationship with America." Original air date 11 March 2024. The book was published on 5 March 2024.

"Warnings: Finding Cassandras to Stop Catastrophes" is the story of the future of national security, threatening technologies, the U.S. economy, and possibly the fate of civilization. In Greek mythology Cassandra foresaw calamities, but was cursed by the gods to be ignored. Modern-day Cassandras clearly predicted the disasters of Katrina, Fukushima, the Great Recession, the rise of ISIS, the spread of viruses and many more. Like the mythological Cassandra, they were ignored. Listen to Michael's conversation with former government national security official Richard Clarke. Original air date 8 June 2017. The book was published on 23 May 2017.

“How can the NCAA blithely wreck careers without regard to due process or common fairness? How can it act so ruthlessly to enforce rules that are so petty? Why won’t anybody stand up to these outrageous violations of American values and American justice?” In 2012, Joe Nocera asked those questions, and then in 2016, wrote this book, "Indentured: The Inside Story of the Rebellion Against the NCAA." And in the years since this book came out and this great conversation with Michael, some of the payment rules for college athletes eased up starting in 2021. Original air date 15 March 2016. The book was published on 16 February 2016.

In a divided America, the biggest solvable problem fueling political extremism and dysfunction is hiding in plain sight: party primaries. The Primary Solution shows how to fix them. Michael talks to Nick Troiano, Executive Director of Unite America, on his book "The Primary Solution: Rescuing Our Democracy from the Fringes." Original air date 28 February 2024. The book was published on 27 February 2024.

Peter Singer is often described as the world's most influential philosopher. He is also one of its most controversial. Listen to Michael's conversation with the Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, on the book, "Ethics In The Real World: 82 Brief Essays On Things That Matter." Original air date: 13 September 2016. The book was published 13 September 2016.

A remarkably poignant writer for our troubled times, Patti Davis writes about love, loss, and the power of redemption in this poetic letter to her long-gone parents. The daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan talks to Michael about her book "Dear Mom and Dad: A Letter About Family, Memory, and the America We Once Knew." Original air date 22 February 2024. The book was published on 6 February 2024.

A fascinating examination of what “the pursuit of happiness” meant to our nation’s Founders and how that famous phrase defined their lives and became the foundation of our democracy. Listen to Michael's conversation with National Constitution Center President Jeffrey Rosen about "The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America." Original air date 21 February 2024. The book was published on 13 February 2024.

What determines your race? Is it your DNA? The community in which you were raised? The way others see you or the way you see yourself? With "In Full Color: Finding My Place in a Black and White World", Rachel Doležal describes the path that led her from being a child of white evangelical parents to an NAACP chapter president and respected educator and activist who identifies as Black. Original air date 31 March 2017. The book was published on 28 March 2017.

Michael speaks with Peter Wehner about his book "The Death of Politics: How to Heal Our Frayed Republic After Trump." The New York Times opinion writer, media commentator, outspoken Republican and Christian critic of the Trump presidency offers a spirited defense of politics and its virtuous and critical role in maintaining our democracy and what he believes we must do to save it before it is too late. Original air date 6 June 2019. The book was published on 4 June 2019.

New York Times Bestselling author Lisa Scottoline joins Michael with her 2008 hit novel "Lady Killer." Mary DiNunzio is a trademark Lisa Scottoline heroine—she's strong, she's smart, and she's got plenty of attitude. She's become a big-time business-getter, and the last person she expects to walk into her office one morning—in mile-high stilettos—is super sexy Trish Gambone, her high school rival. Mary is forced to confront some very uncomfortable truths about her own past, and the profound effects of lifelong love—and hate. Original air date 20 March 2008. The book was published on 19 February 2019.

Free Range Kids has become a national movement, sparked by the incredible response to Lenore Skenazy's piece about allowing her 9-year-old ride the subway alone in NYC. Parent groups argued about it, bloggers, blogged, spouses became uncivil with each other, and the media jumped all over it. Michael and Lenore revisit her book "Free-Range Kids, Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry." Original air date 3 May 2023. The book was published on 20 April 2009.

On February 4, 1974, Patty Hearst, a sophomore in college and heiress to the Hearst Family fortune, was kidnapped by a ragtag group of self-styled revolutionaries calling itself the Symbonese Liberation Army. The weird turns that followed in this already sensational take are truly astonishing--listen to bestselling author Jeffrey Toobin talking to Michael about "American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst." The book portrays the electrifying lunacy of the time and the toxic mic of sex, politics, and violence that swept up Patty Hearst and captivated the nation. Original air date: 18 August 2016. The book was published: 2 August 2016.

From one of the world's foremost experts on the subject, a powerful argument that the greatest damage from drugs flows from their being illegal, and a hopeful reckoning with the possibility of their use as part of a responsible and happy life. Michael talks with Dr. Carl Hart, Professor at Columbia University, about his book "Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear."

Our kids are being raised disconnected from natural outdoor environments, for a variety of reasons like technology addictions, fears and dangers of being alone outside and many more. Michael welcomes Richard Louv, author of "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder." As children’s connections to nature diminish and the social, psychological, and spiritual implications become apparent, Mr. Louv highlights that new research shows that nature can offer powerful therapy for such maladies as depression, obesity, and attention deficit disorder. Original air date June 2007. The book was originally published on 15 April 2005.

Kate Andersen Brower, New York Times bestselling author, gives us an an intimate, news-making look at the true modern power brokers at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: the First Ladies, from Jackie Kennedy to Michelle Obama and Melania Trump. Listen to Michael's conversation with her on "First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies." Original air date 21 April 2016. The book was published on 12 April 2016.

From the archives, Michael's conversation with journalist Bob Woodward on his #1 New York Times Bestselling book "State of Denial: Bush At War", which examines how the George W. Bush administration avoided telling the truth about Iraq to the public, to Congress, and often to themselves. This conversation is from 2006, around when the book was published.

Michael attended a talk at the Union League of Philadelphia called "James Bond Beyond The Cold War" and so enjoyed what he heard that he welcomed Dr. Ronald Granieri in for a conversation on the book he has co-authored, "The Bondian Cold War (Routledge Studies in Espionage and Culture)." Original air date 26 January 2024. The book was published on 1 September 2023.

A fascinating, first-of-its-kind journey through the making of America's most complex, intriguing, and popular game. Michael's conversation with ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio, who explores just how crucial football is to understanding the American psyche. Original air date 16 September 2008. The book was published on 1 September 2008.

Longtime journalist and satirist P.J. O'Rourke with Michael on his book "The Baby Boom: How It Got That Way...And It Wasn't My Fault...And I'll Never Do It Again..." Mr. O'Rourke passed away in February 2022. Original air date 28 January 2014. The book was published on 07 January 2014.

Height? Skill? Wealth? What is the most useful trait when looking to become an NBA player. Seth Stephens-Davidowitz joins Michael to discuss this question in his new book: "Who Makes the NBA?: Data-Driven Answers to Basketball's Biggest Questions." Original air date 19 January 2024. The book was published December 8 2023.

It was just before he decided to run for President in the 2012 cycle: Listen to Michael's conversation with former Governor & Senator Mitt Romney, on his book "No Apology: The Case for American Greatness." Original air date 6 April 2010. The book was published on 2 March 2010.

Veteran Jack Lucas, who served in the Marines during World War 2 joins Michael to discuss his book "Indestructible: The Unforgettable Story of a Marine Hero at the Battle of Iwo Jima." Original air date 21 May 2007. The book was published 1 May 2006.

Bestselling author Brad Meltzer joins Michael to discuss his new book "I Am Ruth Bader Ginsburg" which is part of his award-winning 'Ordinary People Change The World' series. Original air date 8 January 2024. The book was published on 9 January 2024.

Decision strategist, professional poker champion and author Annie Duke joins Michael to discuss her life, career, and book "Thinking In Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts." Original air date: 09 February 2018. The book was published on 6 February 2018.

Journalist and bestselling author Ted Gup writes on a broad range of American institutions, exposing how and why they keep secrets from the very people they are supposed to serve. Drawing on original reporting and startling analysis, Gup argues that a preoccupation with secrets has undermined the very values—security, patriotism, privacy, the national interest—in whose name secrecy is so often invoked. Listen to his conversation with Michael on his book "Nation of Secrets: The Threat to Democracy and the American Way of Life." Original air date 29 May 2007. The book was published on 29 May 2007.

Winding back the clock, today's book club podcast Michael is joined by Maya Angelou an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She discusses her book "Letter To My Daughter." Original Air Date: September 2008. The book was published on 23 September 2008.

From the acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Make Your Bed—a short, inspirational book about the qualities of true, everyday heroes. Listen to Michael talk to Admiral William McRaven about "The Hero Code: Lessons Learned from Lives Well Lived." Original air date 15 April 2021. The book was published on 13 April 2021.

Listen to Michael's conversation with Jane Leavy, the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Boy and Sandy Koufax, author of "The Big Fella: Babe Ruth and the World He Created" - the definitive biography of Babe Ruth—the man Roger Angell dubbed "the model for modern celebrity." Original air date 14 December 2018. The book was published on 16 October 2018.

The Grateful Dead is one of Michael's favorite bands - listen to his conversation with legendary bass player Phil Lesh, on his book "Searching for the Sound: My Life with the Grateful Dead." Original air date April 2006. The book was published on 25 April 2006.

Michael welcomes Former Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-WY) with her gripping first-hand account of the January 6th, 2021, insurrection from inside the halls of Congress, from origins to aftermath, and her dare to stand up against former President Trump and his enablers, in her new book "Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning." Original air date 12 December 2023. The book was published on 5 December 2023.

Michael is joined by American anthropologist and author Chip Colwell to discuss his new book "Stuff: Humanity's Epic Journey from Naked Ape to Nonstop Shopper." Original air date 11 December 2023. The book was published on 16 November 2023.

Comedian Joan Rivers passed away in 2014. In 2018, her daughter published this great book "Joan Rivers Confidential: The Unseen Scrapbooks, Joke Cards, Personal Files, and Photos of a Very Funny Woman Who Kept Everything." Listen to Michael's conversation with Melissa Rivers, right as the MeToo movement was underway, and what would her mom have said about it? Original air date 11 January 2018. The book was published on 24 September 2017.

An incredible homage to the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of the book business in the 20th century. Book publisher Buz Teacher, co-founder of Running Press, joins Michael to discuss his new book "Among Friends: An Illustrated Oral History of American Book Publishing and Bookselling in the 20th Century." Original Air Date 06 December 2023. The book was published on 23 September 2023.

How the American financial system lost its way, and how it can right its course...from deep in Michael's archives, a conversation with the founder and former CEO of Vanguard Jack C. Bogle, on his book "The Battle for the Soul of Capitalism." Mr. Bogle passed away in 2019. Original air date 8 November 2005. The book was published on 1 November 2005.

Legendary Philadelphia sports talk radio host Angelo Cataldi, now retired, is out with a great new book and joins Michael to talk about "Angelo Cataldi: LOUD: How a Shy Nerd Came to Philadelphia and Turned up the Volume in the Most Passionate Sports City in America." Original air date 30 November 2023. The book was published on 28 November 2023.

From his days on local radio in Philadelphia, Michael spoke with former California Governor and Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger about the news of the day (2012 election, remember Mitt Romney's campaign?), and his book "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story." Also in the conversation are TC, and Michael's former producer at WPHT Greg Stocker. Original air date 8 October 2012. The book was published on 1 October 2012.

Michael has to physically touch the New York Times every day. The newsprint in his hands - its the only paper he has a copy of. It's a newspaper that has seen massive changes over the past four decades. Listen to Adam Nagourney, National Political Reporter for the Times, talk about his book "The Times: How the Newspaper of Record Survived Scandal, Scorn, and the Transformation of Journalism." Original air date 21 November 2023. The book was published on 26 September 2023.

Michael's conversation with former President Jimmy Carter on his book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid." The conversation is followed up by reaction from Harvard Professor Alan Dershowitz, who has differing opinions than President Carter - an interesting listen nearly 20 years later. Original air date 30 November 2006. The book was published on 16 November 2006.

Quite the conversation here from the archives: In October 2013 just before the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy Assassination, Michael hosted former MN Governor Jesse Ventura in front of a live studio audience in New York, on his new book "They Killed Our President: 63 Reasons to Believe There Was a Conspiracy to Assassinate JFK." Original air date 1 October 2013. The book was published on 1 January 2013.

Michael is joined by journalist and author, Brian Stelter to discuss his new book "Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for American Democracy." It tells the story of how Fox News paid almost a billion dollars in legal settlements to bury the contents of this explosive account of the network’s attempts to manipulate the truth. Original air date: 16 November 2023. The book was published on 14 November 2023.

Michael welcomes New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Garrett M. Graff with his new book, "UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government's Search for Alien Life Here―and Out There." Listen to this interview about the first comprehensive and eye-opening exploration of our government’s decades-long quest to solve one of humanity’s greatest mysteries: Are we alone in the universe? Original air date 15 November 2023. The book was published on 14 November 2023.

Bestselling author and New York Times Columnist David Brooks joins the podcast to discuss his new book "How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen," which pulls from his own observations and research and dives into the topic of human connection and its importance in today's society. Original Air Date 14 November 2023. The book was published on 24 October 2023.

Former New Jersey Governor James E. McGreevey, who in 2004 came out as gay and resigned from office, is back in the news, now announcing (in November 2023) that he is running for Mayor of Jersey City, NJ. In 2006, Michael spoke with him about his candid memoir, "The Confession." The book was published on 19 September 2006.

Michael talks with New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille on his new novel "Blood Lines." The story features the return of Army CID Special Agents Brodie and Taylor who are on the hunt for the cold-blooded murderer of one of their fellow agents. Original air date 10 November 2023. The book was published on 10 October 2023.

Michael talks with Robert Rubin, former secretary of the Treasury and co-chairman of Goldman Sachs, on his book "The Yellow Pad: Making Better Decisions in an Uncertain World." Original air date 7 November 2023. The book was published on 16 May 2023.