If Books Could Kill

About

The airport bestsellers that captured our hearts and ruined our minds

Episodes

• Grit 2026-04-30

  This episode of If Books Could Kill discusses "Grit" and how education reformers attempted to use a popular TED Talk to assist students. It explores various perspectives and research on the concept of grit.

• CROSSOVER EVENT: Tim Ferriss’s "The 4-Hour Body" 2026-04-16

  On this crossover episode, Peter and Mike revisit Tim Ferriss's "The 4-Hour Body." They discuss the biohacking diet book.

• Bullshit Jobs 2026-03-05

  Peter and Michael examine David Graeber's book Bullshit Jobs and debate which contemporary professions may be considered meaningless or unnecessary. They explore the sociological and economic theories regarding labor, job satisfaction, and…

• The Millionaire Next Door 2026-02-05

  This episode of If Books Could Kill examines the book The Millionaire Next Door, analyzing its claims regarding wealth accumulation and social factors. The hosts discuss the book's perspectives on lifestyle, demographics, and the sources o…

• The Worst Takes of 2025 [TEASER] 2025-12-29

  The hosts review notable media and public commentary from 2025, ranging from political analysis to bizarre personal claims. This segment serves as a preview of a longer episode available on their Patreon.

• Elon Musk Part 2 2025-12-18

  In this second part of their discussion on Walter Isaacson's biography of Elon Musk, the hosts continue analyzing the book and explore various events and political controversies surrounding the billionaire.

• Elon Musk 2025-12-09

  This episode of If Books Could Kill profiles Elon Musk, examining his controversial career. It questions whether his business achievements, including advancements in robotics and space travel, outweigh accusations of worker abuse, narcissi…

• Sapiens 2025-11-20

  This episode of If Books Could Kill examines Yuval Noah Harari's "Sapiens," questioning how one book can encapsulate the entirety of human history. The hosts and researchers discuss various aspects and critiques of Harari's work.

• How To Win Friends And Influence People 2025-10-02

  This episode of If Books Could Kill delves into Dale Carnegie's 'How to Win Friends and Influence People,' exploring his methods alongside historical figures like Calvin Coolidge and examining themes of sincerity and success in modern Amer…

• Thomas Chatterton Williams' "Summer of Our Discontent" 2025-09-11

  Peter and Michael discuss Thomas Chatterton Williams'

• He's Just Not That Into You 2025-07-31

  This episode of If Books Could Kill examines the origins of "He's Just Not That Into You," tracing its journey from an advice column to a TV episode, book, and movie, and discussing its cultural impact.

• Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink" 2025-07-17

  Peter and Michael discuss Malcolm Gladwell's book "Blink," exploring its anecdotes and its alleged connection to millions in wasted taxpayer funds on fraudulent science.

• The Supreme Court Goes Full TERF [TEASER] 2025-07-01

  This episode of If Books Could Kill is titled "The Supreme Court Goes Full TERF." The last 20 minutes of the episode are available to Patreon supporters.

• "In Covid's Wake" Part 2: Wrong About The Right 2025-06-19

  This episode of If Books Could Kill, titled "In Covid's Wake" Part 2: Wrong About The Right, analyzes the COVID-19 pandemic response. It critiques political scientists' understanding of both virology and political science, referencing vari…

• "In Covid's Wake" Part 1: Lying About Lockdowns 2025-06-17

  In "In Covid's Wake" Part 1, two political scientists review the COVID-19 pandemic, questioning the efficacy of lockdown measures. The episode references numerous studies on policy interventions, social distancing, and mortality rates in t…

• Bonus: The Lab Leak Goes Mainstream 2025-06-05

  This bonus episode of If Books Could Kill examines the lab leak theory's shift in public discourse, from its promotion by right-wing figures to its adoption by liberal journalists.

• The Let Them Theory 2025-04-23

  Peter and Michael delve into "The Let Them Theory," a self-help guide advocating for complacency. The episode explores the book's concepts and its alleged connections to other works.

• Josh Hawley's "Manhood" [TEASER] 2025-03-31

  This episode of If Books Could Kill covers Josh Hawley's work titled "Manhood."

• Steve Harvey's "Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man" 2025-03-28

  This episode critiques Steve Harvey's book

• Of Boys And Men 2025-03-06

  This episode discusses the crisis of American masculinity, analyzing how right-wing politics and social media influence perceptions of manhood. It references multiple studies on gender gaps in education, behavior, and societal roles.

• You Are A Badass 2025-01-23

  Peter and Michael analyze Jen Sincero's "You are a Badass," discussing its style and comparing it to other self-help books. The episode also touches upon Sincero's other works.

• What's The Matter With Kansas? 2024-12-06

  This episode of If Books Could Kill analyzes historian Thomas Frank's 2004 theory about the white working class's shift to the right. It explores whether Frank's thesis accurately predicted the rise of Trump or if it was flawed, ultimately…

• Sam Harris's "The End of Faith" 2024-11-04

  In "The End of Faith," Peter and Michael examine the New Atheism phenomenon and Sam Harris's exploration of secularized animosity towards Muslims.

• Who Moved My Cheese? 2024-10-10

  This episode of If Books Could Kill analyzes the 1998 bestseller 'Who Moved My Cheese?', questioning its advice for laid-off workers and exploring the history and impact of corporate downsizing.

• UNLOCKED: Eric Adams 2024-09-26

  This episode of If Books Could Kill discusses the life of Eric Adams. It is a bonus episode available to patrons.

• Glenn Kessler Retire B*tch [TEASER] 2024-09-26

  The hosts question the validity of fact-checking as an enterprise and debate whether Glenn Kessler, a prominent fact-checker, can be accurately described as a 'dweeb'.

• Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother 2024-09-24

  This episode discusses Amy Chua's memoir "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother," examining her parenting style and the surrounding controversies. It touches on research related to parenting styles, child behavior, and cultural influences.

• The Anxious Generation 2024-08-08

  This episode of If Books Could Kill examines the potential link between social media and the teen mental health crisis. It acknowledges the complexity of the issue and mentions contributions from several researchers and fact-checkers.

• Breaking News Re-Release: "Hillbilly Elegy" 2024-07-16

  This episode of "If Books Could Kill" is a re-release discussing J.D. Vance's "Hillbilly Elegy." The re-release coincides with Donald Trump choosing Vance as his running mate.

• Richard Hanania's "The Origins of Woke" 2024-07-11

  In this episode of If Books Could Kill, Peter and Michael analyze Richard Hanania's "The Origins of Woke." They discuss the Republican Party's goals and Hanania's views, referencing legal cases and studies related to workplace discriminati…

• The Columbia Protests [TEASER] 2024-05-16

  Peter and Michael discuss the media's portrayal of the Columbia protests, examining the differences between right-wing and centrist coverage.

• "Going Infinite": Michael Lewis Takes On Sam Bankman-Fried 2024-05-02

  This episode of If Books Could Kill discusses Michael Lewis’s book "Going Infinite," which covers the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried and the collapse of FTX. The hosts analyze the events surrounding the crypto prodigy and the book’s re…

• "The Better Angels of Our Nature" Part 2: Campus Lies, I.Q. Rise & Epstein Ties 2024-04-11

  This episode, "The Better Angels of Our Nature" Part 2, delves into campus lies, the rise of IQ, and connections to Jeffrey Epstein. It references various sources concerning sexual abuse, hate crimes, and child victimization trends.

• Who's Afraid of Naomi Wolf? [TEASER] 2024-03-28

  This episode discusses Naomi Klein's book "Doppelgänger," exploring Naomi Wolf's transition from feminist figure to conspiracy theorist.

• Lean In 2024-03-14

  This episode of If Books Could Kill examines Sheryl Sandberg's 2013 book "Lean In," which aimed to help women advance in tech management. Peter and Michael discuss the book's impact, corporate feminism, and the potential role of the Metave…

• "The Better Angels of Our Nature" Part 1: You're Not Wrong, Pinker. You're Just An *sshole 2024-02-22

  This episode of If Books Could Kill tackles Steven Pinker's work on the decline of violence, questioning whether it was due to societal factors or influential writings. The discussion explores various historical and political perspectives.

• The Art of the Deal 2024-01-11

  In this episode of If Books Could Kill, Michael and Peter delve into Donald Trump's 1987 book, "The Art of the Deal." They examine his past as a New York City celebrity slumlord and businessman, exploring the exploits detailed in the bests…

• The Worst Takes of 2023 [TEASER] 2023-12-21

  The episode "The Worst Takes of 2023" from the podcast "If Books Could Kill" is available. To access the full episode, listeners are encouraged to support the show on Patreon.

• The Identity Trap 2023-12-14

  This episode of If Books Could Kill discusses the book "The Identity Trap," contrasting two types of political scientists: those who analyze complex data and those who write about identity politics. The episode touches on related concepts…

• Pundit Portraits: Kathleen Parker and Chris Cillizza [TEASER] 2023-11-28

  This episode of If Books Could Kill focuses on pundits Kathleen Parker and Chris Cillizza. A portion of the full episode is available to Patreon supporters.

• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck 2023-11-21

  This episode of If Books Could Kill discusses Mark Manson's "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck." The hosts analyze the book's self-help framework and its perceived novelty.

• The 48 Laws of Power 2023-11-02

  This episode of If Books Could Kill discusses Robert Greene's "The 48 Laws of Power," released twenty years after a screenwriter's fellowship. It explores the concept of zero-sum thinking and mentions a content warning for suicide.

• The "Organized Retail Crime" Panic [TEASER] 2023-10-26

  This episode examines the

• San Fransicko 2023-10-19

  This episode of If Books Could Kill discusses "San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities." It questions prevailing expert opinions on homelessness and explores alternative perspectives, referencing research on housing costs and homelessn…

• The 4-Hour Workweek 2023-09-21

  This episode of If Books Could Kill discusses Timothy Ferriss's "The 4-Hour Workweek," touching on concepts of escaping the daily grind and the book's purported methods for achieving this.

• The Clinton E-Mail Scandal [TEASER] 2023-09-14

  Michael analyzes the Clinton email controversy that gained significant media attention in 2016. Peter's attempts to introduce anti-Hillary sentiment are noted.

• God And Man At Yale 2023-09-07

  This episode of If Books Could Kill discusses William F. Buckley Jr.`s "God and Man at Yale," exploring conservative critiques of higher education and the alleged prevalence of liberalism in universities.

• 'On Bullsh*t' and the Pundit Industrial Complex [TEASER] 2023-08-10

  This bonus episode of If Books Could Kill examines Harry Frankfurt's book 'On Bullsh*t' and its relevance to the op-ed page. Additional content is available on Patreon.

• Liberal Fascism 2023-07-27

  This episode of If Books Could Kill discusses Jonah Goldberg's 2008 book "Liberal Fascism." It explores the question of whether movements explicitly using fascist symbols and policies, or the average bureaucrat, represent the primary dange…

• Are The Straights OK [TEASER] 2023-07-13

  This bonus episode of If Books Could Kill focuses on dissecting the phenomenon of online dating. The hosts share their worst date experiences and read cringe profiles aloud.