Old School with Shilo Brooks
Books & Literature
About
Fewer of us than ever are reading books for pleasure. Shilo Brooks is on a mission to change that. Old School is a new podcast from The Free Press about great books and how reading them can make us stronger, better men. The show features intimate conversations with fascinating men—from fitness gurus to philosophers—about the books that shaped their lives. New episodes out every Thursday. Read with us: https://bookshop.org/lists/old-school-with-shilo-brooks
Episodes
- Roald Dahl: Genius and Bigot
Shilo Brooks and Eli Lake discuss how to approach the work of brilliant artists who also held bigoted views, using Roald Dahl as a primary example. They also mention other figures such as Voltaire and Norman Mailer.
- How Sports Became Our Civic Religion
In this episode of Old School, Shilo Brooks and Wright Thompson discuss why sports hold such profound cultural importance, touching on themes of greatness, meritocracy, and the quasi-religious intensity of collective experience.
- The Ancient Jewish Wisdom Behind a $5 Billion Company
Daniel Lubetzky, founder of Kind Snacks, drew upon the 2,000-year-old Jewish text Pirkei Avot for ethical guidance in building his $5 billion company. The text influenced his leadership and Kind's culture by emphasizing humility, learning…
- Neal Stephenson on AI, Rome, and How Civilizations Decline
In this episode of Old School, author Neal Stephenson joins Shilo to discuss Edward Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. They explore the reasons for Rome's decline and draw parallels to contemporary issues, in…
- The Two Types of People Who Never Find Happiness
Arthur Brooks explains that the pursuit of empty pleasures or great achievement traps people in a cycle. True happiness comes from deepening relationships, cultivating faith, lifelong learning, and accepting life's hardships, rather than s…
- Hunting Humans for Sport
Shilo Brooks and Jack Carr discuss the influence of Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game" on the thriller genre and Carr's own novels. They explore the ethics of violence and Carr's views on U.S. operations regarding Iran.
- Joan Didion Knew What Hollywood Would Become
This episode of Old School features Shilo Brooks and Peter Savodnik discussing Joan Didion's novel 'Play It as It Lays.' They examine how the book accurately predicted aspects of modern Hollywood, celebrity culture, and the spiritual void…
- The NYC Public Defender Who Sends Books to Prisoners
Shilo Brooks interviews NYC public defender Ben Schatz about the novel True Grit and the American criminal justice system. Schatz, founder of Books Beyond Bars, discusses his nonprofit that sends books to incarcerated individuals and criti…
- ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ Helped Inspire the Catholic App Hallow
Alex Jones discusses how Dostoevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov" influenced his faith and led him to create the Hallow app, a Catholic prayer tool with millions of users. He explains the novel's connection to Christian scripture and Dostoevs…
- ‘Lolita,’ Jeffrey Epstein, and the Real Meaning of a Challenging Classic
One particular novel is all over the Epstein files: Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita . Reportedly, this was the one and only book Jeffrey Epstein kept at his bedside table. He owned a first edition. It pops up in emails and in photos, released by…
- The Secret Lives of Ordinary People
In this episode of Old School, Shilo Brooks and David Aaronovitch discuss Dylan Thomas's 1954 play Under Milk Wood. They explore how the radio play captures the secret interior lives of its Welsh seaside town characters, highlighting the c…
- David Mamet vs. the Snobs
Shilo Brooks and David Mamet debate literary taste, with Mamet criticizing Sinclair Lewis's "Main Street." The conversation expands to discuss distrust of critics and institutions, and how to determine valuable reading material.
- Colin Quinn on Incels, Woke Activists, and Peaking at 14
In this episode of Old School, Colin Quinn and Shilo Brooks discuss John Kennedy Toole's novel 'A Confederacy of Dunces,' exploring its characters and themes. Quinn draws parallels between the book's humor and standup comedy, suggesting it…
- Dante: The Most Famous, Least Read Poet
Shilo Brooks and Joseph Luzzi discuss Dante Alighieri, a major poet whose work The Divine Comedy is central to Western civilization. Luzzi shares how the poem aided him after a personal tragedy, and they explore Dante's genius.
- America’s Most Righteous War Produced Its Best Anti-War Novel
Elliot Ackerman joins Shilo Brooks to discuss Joseph Heller’s anti-war novel Catch-22. They examine the book's satire and its relevance to current global conflicts and the American perception of the costs of war.
- Why ‘Middlemarch’ Changed This Catholic Priest’s Life
On the Old School podcast, Shilo Brooks and Father Jonah Teller discuss George Eliot's novel 'Middlemarch.' They delve into the book's central themes, including marriage, political reform, scientific progress, and the significance of ordin…
- The Lost Art of Taking the Piss with Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins joins Shilo Brooks on Old School to discuss P.G. Wodehouse's satire and writing. The conversation covers Wodehouse's humor, his internment by the Nazis, and the decline of humor in intellectual discourse.
- Living Through the Fall of a Regime
This episode of Old School features historian Dominic Green and Shilo Brooks discussing the concept of regime decline, drawing parallels between Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's novel The Leopard and the current state of American and British…
- Read This Book Instead of ‘The Catcher in the Rye’
Shilo Brooks and Ryan Holiday discuss Walker Percy's novel "The Moviegoer," comparing it to "The Catcher in the Rye" and examining its themes of existential malaise and the search for meaning in a media-saturated world.
- George Orwell’s Lessons on the Class Divide
Shilo Brooks and Rob Henderson discuss George Orwell's 'Down and Out in Paris and London,' examining how poverty shapes individuals and the misunderstandings between social classes. Henderson shares his personal experiences with poverty an…
- What ‘The Great Gatsby’ Taught Fareed Zakaria About America
Journalist Fareed Zakaria joins Shilo Brooks on Old School to discuss 'The Great Gatsby's' relevance 100 years later. Zakaria shares how the novel helped him understand America, and they explore themes of reinvention, the American dream, a…
- How Thomas Sowell Transformed Coleman Hughes
Shilo Brooks and Coleman Hughes discuss Thomas Sowell's influential book "A Conflict of Visions." They explore how underlying beliefs shape political views and analyze the logic behind modern political divides, contrasting utopian societal…
- Nick Cave on ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio’
Nick Cave joins host Shilo Brooks to discuss Carlo Collodi’s 'The Adventures of Pinocchio'. They explore the book's themes of disobedience, grief, and the process of becoming human through suffering and love.
- Why We Still Need Plato
Shilo Brooks and Dr. Cornel West discuss the enduring relevance of Plato's Republic, exploring themes of justice, self-examination, and the human quest for meaning. West also offers critiques of American universities and political parties.
- What Steven Pinker Taught this Pro Bodybuilder about Genetics
Dr. Mike Israetel, a bodybuilder and scientist, shares how Steven Pinker's book 'The Blank Slate' influenced his understanding of genetics and human nature, leading to a more science-first approach in coaching.
- MeatEater’s Steven Rinella on Lessons from the Wilderness
Steven Rinella joins host Shilo Brooks to discuss Jim Harrison's 1971 novel, Wolf. They examine the themes of the book, Rinella’s connection to the work, and his perspective on how the story resonates with young men searching for purpose.
- The Old Man and the Sea with Admiral James Stavridis
Admiral James Stavridis, former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO and a rare book collector, joins Shilo Brooks on Old School to discuss Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea. They explore the book's themes of hardship, pride, and resi…
- Introducing: Old School with Shilo Brooks
Old School with Shilo Brooks is a new podcast dedicated to encouraging reading for pleasure and exploring how books can strengthen and improve men. Host Shilo Brooks will engage in conversations with diverse male guests about the books tha…