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If Books Could KillHe's Just Not That Into YouHow one comedian's offhand advice launched a decent TV episode, a mediocre book and a terrible movie.Where to find us: Our PatreonOur merch!Peter's newsletterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Susan Faludi's "Backlash"For Women Who Count on Men to Be JerksBridget Jones’s LegacySingle Women in Popular CultureA Decade of Advice for Women and Men in the Best-Selling Self-Help LiteratureThe gendered nature of self-helpSingle Women in Popular Culture Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!2025-07-311h 00If Books Could KillMalcolm Gladwell's "Blink"Did you know that in the split-second it took you to read the title of this episode, your subconscious already figured out that it was going to be extremely good?Peter and Michael talk about Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink," a book that is mostly cute scientific anecdotes but also indirectly resulted in millions of taxpayer dollars being wasted on fraudulent science.Where to find us: Our PatreonOur merch!Peter's newsletterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Unconscious influences on decision making: A critical reviewHalf a Minute: P...2025-07-1757 minIf Books Could KillThe Supreme Court Goes Full TERF [TEASER]This is most of the episode but if you want to hear the last 20 minutes, support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod2025-07-011h 01If Books Could Kill"In Covid's Wake" Part 2: Wrong About The RightLast episode we met two Princeton political scientists who are bad at virology. Today we learn that they are also bad at political science.Where to find us: Peter's newsletterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Lawrence Wright’s “The Plague Year”Jonathan Howard’s “We Want Them Infected”How the Pandemic Defeated AmericaCOVID-19: examining the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventionsUS State Restrictions and Excess COVID-19 Pandemic DeathsImpact of non-pharmaceutical interventionsPolicy Interventions, Social Distancing, and SARS-CoV-2 TransmissionThe Impact of Vaccines and Behavior on US Cumulative DeathsPro-Trump counties now have far high...2025-06-191h 10If Books Could Kill"In Covid's Wake" Part 1: Lying About LockdownsTwo political scientists look back at a deadly pandemic and ask, "could we have done even less?"Where to find us: Peter's newsletterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Lawrence Wright’s “The Plague Year”The 2019 WHO report 30‐day mortality following COVID‐19COVID-19: examining the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventionsPolicy Interventions, Social Distancing, and SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in the United StatesWhat we can learn from SwedenA review of the Swedish policy response to COVID-19How Sweden approached the COVID‐19 pandemicThe first eight months of Sweden’s COVID‐19 strategyThe Swedish COVID-19 Response Is a Dis...2025-06-1757 minIf Books Could KillBonus: The Lab Leak Goes MainstreamBy popular demand we are releasing last month's Patreon bonus episode on the main feed! We chart the transformation of the lab leak from an unfounded theory promoted by right-wing cranks to an unfounded theory promoted by liberal journalists.Where to find us: Peter's newsletterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseThanks to Mindseye for our theme song!2025-06-051h 21If Books Could KillThe Let Them TheoryPeter and Michael discuss The Let Them Theory, a self-help guide to seeking bliss through unmitigated complacency.Where to find us: Peter's newsletterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:How to stop screwing yourself overMel Robbins and PlagiarismLet her? Army wife claims Mel Robbins stole her idea for blockbuster self-help book Mel Robbins’s “Let Them” theory: really that simple?Breathing Practices for Stress and Anxiety Reduction: Conceptual Framework of Implementation Guidelines Based on a Systematic Review of the Published Literature Polarization in AmericaThe 5 Resets Impact of health war...2025-04-2353 minIf Books Could KillJosh Hawley's "Manhood" [TEASER]To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod2025-03-3153 minIf Books Could KillSteve Harvey's "Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man"Are you a single lady struggling to find love with a man? Don't fret! A twice-divorced game show host who thinks conversation is for women is here to help.Where to find us: Peter's newsletterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseThanks to Mindseye for our theme song!2025-03-2858 min
In Bed With The RightEpisode 65 -- "So Long, Pamela Paul" with Michael Hobbes and Peter ShamshiriMichael Hobbes and Peter Shamshiri of If Books Could Kill visit In Bed with the Right to talk about the life, times and very, very milquetoast opinions of Pamela Paul, who recently departed from her perch as the New York Times columnist Bluesky loves to hate. Paul emblematizes many aspects of public discourse over the last 5-10 years -- from the emergence of "reactionary centrism" to the renewed freakouts over campus speech, from the panic over trans kids to Gen X's drift to the right. Also this one has an airhorn. 2025-03-251h 07If Books Could KillOf Boys And MenWho's to blame for the crisis of American masculinity? On the right, politicians tell men that they being oppressed by feminists and must reassert their manhood by supporting an authoritarian regime. And on the left, users of social media are often very irritating to people who write airport books. Where to find us: Peter's newsletterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Conscientiousness as a Predictor of the Gender Gap in Academic AchievementGender Differences in Scholastic Achievement: A Meta-AnalysisEarly Childhood Behavior Problems and the Gender Gap in Educational At...2025-03-061h 22
What Rough BeastReclaiming Your AttentionToday on What Rough Beast we talk to the great Miriam Elder, whose NY Times op-ed “Don’t Let Donald Trump Drive You Into Internal Exile,” got Stephen and Virginia dreaming of how to check out and skip T2 entirely. When they weren’t having nightmares about Jack Smith’s extinction, that is. And while Elder acknowledges the powerful seductions of internal exile—she counsels us against it. And gives Stephen and Virginia ideas of what to do. Dammit: why we always gotta stay in the fight?What Rough Beast is a labor of love and...2025-01-2957 minIf Books Could KillYou Are A BadassPeter and Michael dissect Jen Sincero's "You are a Badass," a book that answers the question: What if "The Secret" was written in the painful, try-hard style of "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck"? Featuring a surprise digression about Sincero's other, even worse books.Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Savy Writes BooksThanks to Mindseye for our theme song!2025-01-2358 min
What Rough BeastFirst They Come for the OystersIn this interview with Peter Shamshiri (5-4 Pod, If Books Could Kill), we discuss the transformation of the Supreme Court and conservative legal movement in America. We explore how the court has become increasingly aligned with conservative political ideology, the Federalist Society's 40-year influence, the role of originalism as a legal philosophy, and significant cases like Dobbs, Citizens United, and Trump v. Hawaii. How is it that personal grievances, cultural resentments, and abortion rights became central to conservative legal thought? And what will be the Court's future role under this second Trump presidency? Listen now! 2025-01-2041 min
Fast Politics with Molly Jong-FastMary Ziegler, Peter Shamshiri & Michael LiroffPeter Shamshiri and Michael Liroff, hosts of the podcast 5-4, examine the key developments from the Supreme Court this session. Author and historian Mary Ziegler discusses what lies ahead for reproductive rights in the coming year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.2025-01-0136 minIf Books Could KillWhat's The Matter With Kansas?In 2004, historian Thomas Frank proposed a theory about the rightward drift of the white working class. Was he a prescient king whose work presaged the rise of Trump — or a bumbling fool with a broken thesis? Unfortunately it turns out he is a secret third thing that takes one hour and six minutes to explain.Special thanks to Julia Valdés for her help with this episode!Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:The Thesis That Drove American Politics Crazy: The E...2024-12-061h 05If Books Could KillSam Harris's "The End of Faith"Peter and Michael discuss the book that launched the phenomenon of New Atheism and asked the question: What if we hated Muslims, but in a secular way?Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Views of ViolenceCarnival Booth: An Algorithm for Defeating the Computer-Assisted Passenger Screening SystemThe same motive for anti-US 'terrorism' is cited over and overDoes intuitive mindset influence belief in God? Terrorism science: 5 insights into jihad in EuropeAnalytic cognitive style predicts religious and paranormal beliefWhat Is "Islamophobia"?Essays In Defense of Pr...2024-11-041h 09If Books Could KillWho Moved My Cheese?What should workers do when they get laid off? In 1998 a bleak, asinine bestseller told them to find another whey. Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining AmericaDownsizing in AmericaTemp: How American Work, American Business, and the American Dream Became TemporaryThe Disposable AmericanSpencer Johnson, ‘Who Moved My Cheese?’ Author, Dies at 78What was the New Economy?Boss, Employees Share Large Cheese PlatterTarpon's big cheese has aides reading2024-10-101h 09If Books Could KillUNLOCKED: Eric AdamsNew York’s favorite criminal is in the news, so here is our episode about his ridiculous life.To hear all of our bonus episodes, support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod2024-09-2659 minIf Books Could KillGlenn Kessler Retire B*tch [TEASER]Is fact-checking a legitimate enterprise? Is America's most famous fact-checker nothing more than a dweeb? Michael and Peter discuss.To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod2024-09-2636 minIf Books Could KillBattle Hymn of the Tiger MotherA memoir about parenting very badly and then getting weirdly defensive when anyone asks you about it.Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Effects of Authoritative Parental Control on Child Behavior, Child DevelopmentTypes of Parenting Styles and Effects On ChildrenDoes “Tiger Parenting” Exist? Parenting Profiles of Chinese Americans and Adolescent Developmental OutcomesAssociations of parenting dimensions and styles with externalizing problems of children and adolescents: An updated meta-analysisDo the associations of parenting styles with behavior problems and academic achievement vary by culture? Results from...2024-09-2455 minIf Books Could KillThe Anxious GenerationIs social media to blame for the teen mental health crisis? It's complicated!Thanks to Emily Weinstein, Amy Orben, Andrew Przybylski, Dean Burnett, Michael Mullarkey and Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz for help researching and fact-checking this episode! Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Emily Weinstein's book, "Behind Their Screens"Positive and negative uses of social media among adolescents hospitalized for suicidal behaviorThe Sisyphean Cycle of Technology PanicsThe Relationship Between Online Social Networking and Depression: A Systematic Review of Quantitative StudiesOnline "predators" and t...2024-08-082h 00
Slate CultureMoney Talks: How to Write a Trashy Airport BookFor this Money Talks, lawyer/podcaster Peter Shamshiri, co-host of If Books Could Kill, reveals the secrets of junk nonfiction to host Emily Peck. He explains why “airport books” like The Secret, Hillbilly Elegy, and The Tipping Point tend to be rife with non-advice, pseudoscience, and outright junk, and what that means for our culture at large. He also tells how to get rich with your own crappy self-help book!If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our...2024-07-2335 min
Slate ConversationsMoney Talks: How to Write a Trashy Airport BookFor this Money Talks, lawyer/podcaster Peter Shamshiri, co-host of If Books Could Kill, reveals the secrets of junk nonfiction to host Emily Peck. He explains why “airport books” like The Secret, Hillbilly Elegy, and The Tipping Point tend to be rife with non-advice, pseudoscience, and outright junk, and what that means for our culture at large. He also tells how to get rich with your own crappy self-help book!If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our...2024-07-2332 min
Slate MoneyMoney Talks: How to Write a Trashy Airport BookFor this Money Talks, lawyer/podcaster Peter Shamshiri, co-host of If Books Could Kill, reveals the secrets of junk nonfiction to host Emily Peck. He explains why “airport books” like The Secret, Hillbilly Elegy, and The Tipping Point tend to be rife with non-advice, pseudoscience, and outright junk, and what that means for our culture at large. He also tells how to get rich with your own crappy self-help book!If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our...2024-07-2332 min
Slate BusinessMoney Talks: How to Write a Trashy Airport BookFor this Money Talks, lawyer/podcaster Peter Shamshiri, co-host of If Books Could Kill, reveals the secrets of junk nonfiction to host Emily Peck. He explains why “airport books” like The Secret, Hillbilly Elegy, and The Tipping Point tend to be rife with non-advice, pseudoscience, and outright junk, and what that means for our culture at large. He also tells how to get rich with your own crappy self-help book!If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our...2024-07-2332 minIf Books Could KillBreaking News Re-Release: "Hillbilly Elegy"To celebrate ("celebrate") Donald Trump choosing JD Vance as his running mate we are re-releasing our "Hillbilly Elegy" episode. Enjoy!2024-07-1751 minIf Books Could KillRichard Hanania's "The Origins of Woke"Peter and Michael discuss "The Origins of Woke," a glimpse into the dark aspirations of the Republican Party and the mind of a very unusual man.Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:What Speech Does "Hostile Work Environment" Harassment Law Restrict? Tunis v. Corning Glass Works, 698 F. Supp. 452 (S.D.N.Y. 1988)Pakizegi v. First Nat. Bank of Boston, 831 F. Supp. 901 Tesla Settles Discrimination Suit With Former Factory Worker - The New York TimesMenial Tasks, Slurs and Swastikas: Many Black Workers at Tes...2024-07-111h 01If Books Could KillThe Columbia Protests [TEASER]Peter and Michael discuss the media coverage of the protests at Columbia — from the crazed, bloodthirsty ravings of right-wing media to the more muted, respectful bloodthirst of centrist media.To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod2024-05-1627 min
The Audio Browser"Going Infinite": Michael Lewis Takes On Sam Bankman-Fried Podcast: If Books Could Kill (LS 72 · TOP 0.05% what is this?)Episode: "Going Infinite": Michael Lewis Takes On Sam Bankman-FriedPub date: 2024-05-02Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationPeter and Michael discuss Michael Lewis’s bestselling book about the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, a young prodigy whose only flaw was that he dreamed too big.Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Michael Lewis Is Buying What S...2024-05-041h 15If Books Could Kill"Going Infinite": Michael Lewis Takes On Sam Bankman-FriedPeter and Michael discuss Michael Lewis’s bestselling book about the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, a young prodigy whose only flaw was that he dreamed too big.Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Michael Lewis Is Buying What Sam Bankman-Fried Is Selling Michael Lewis Likens Critics of His New Book on Sam Bankman-Fried to a 'Mob'The SBF trial is a reminder that crypto is a rotten businessReview: Michael Lewis's Going InfiniteThe Curious Case of FTX’s ‘Company Therapist’ (vice.com)FTX’s Coll...2024-05-021h 15If Books Could Kill"The Better Angels of Our Nature" Part 2: Campus Lies, I.Q. Rise & Epstein Ties2 Better 2 AngelsSupport us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Jeffrey Epstein’s Science of SleazePinker’s response to Epstein allegationsHow Jeffrey Epstein Captivated HarvardJeffrey Epstein Hoped to Seed Human Race With His DNAIt’s Official — Steven Pinker Is Full of ShitPinker, Epstein, Soldier, SpyA century of sexual abuse victimisation: A birth cohort analysisThe prevalence of child sexual abuse with online sexual abuse addedHave Sexual Ab...2024-04-111h 24
Den levendeOPGØR MED HVID FEMINISME: »Man kan forsvare utrolig meget racisme med, at der er nogle kvinder man gerne vil hjælpe«(PREMIUM)I ugens ’Den levende’ taler vi om dekolonial feminisme - og i høj grad om, hvad den feministiske retning er en reaktion på.Hvordan kan man se kolonial feminisme udspille sig i dansk politik - i for eksempel ghettoloven og vuggestuetvang?Hvorfor mener pro-palæstinensiske aktivister, at det er hykleri, at Mette Frederiksen taler kvindernes sag den 8. marts, mens kvinder føder i krig i Gaza?Og har to hvide kvinder, som Lotte Folke og Eva Eistrup, overhovedet ret til at forklare, hvad dekolonial feminisme er?Vi diskuterer også mainstream-feminisme, ligestillingsfeminisme og girlboss...2024-04-1105 minIf Books Could KillWho's Afraid of Naomi Wolf? [TEASER]We're finally discussing a good book! Naomi Klein's "Doppelgänger" chronicles the long, steady descent of another Naomi — Wolf (buddy oof) — from feminist icon to crank conspiracist. To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod2024-03-2830 minIf Books Could KillLean InIn 2013, Sheryl Sandberg became an icon for women who wanted to move from middle management at a tech company into upper management at a tech company. Today, Peter and Michael examine the contents of her bestselling book, survey the wreckage of corporate feminism and ask whether women will finally find liberation in the Metaverse.Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Facebook Feminism, Like It or NotFeminism's Tipping Point: Who Wins from Leaning in?One Cheer for Lean InIs there an implicit quota o...2024-03-1457 minFast Politics with Molly Jong-FastRick Wilson, Noah Shachtman, Michael Liroff & Peter ShamshiriThe Lincoln Project’s Rick Wilson roasts the GOP’s failure to land a punch on Hunter Biden in their closed-door hearing. Rolling Stone’s Noah Shachtman details the prescription drug abuses in the Trump White House. The 5-4 Podcast hosts Michael Liroff & Peter Shamshiri about the Supreme Court's latest descent into being a vehicle for MAGA activism.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.2024-03-0449 minIf Books Could Kill"The Better Angels of Our Nature" Part 1: You're Not Wrong, Pinker. You're Just An *ssholeThis week we're tackling Steven Pinker's 900 page dissection of the reasons why violence, torture and war have declined over the last 10,000 years. Was it an indeterminate mixture of politics, economics, technology and serendipity? Or did some European guys write some books that said murder was bad?Special thanks to Philip Dwyer, Eleanor Janega, David M. Perry and Doug Thompson for help researching and fact-checking this episode!Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:The Darker Angels of Our NatureGetting Medieval On St...2024-02-221h 37
No Cartridge AudioNo Cartridge 251 - Tired, Wired and Esquired ft. Peter @notalawyer ShamshiriWe welcome Peter Shamshiri of 5-4 and If Books Could Kill on the show to talk Twitter, Madden, gaming as an old guy, and legal brains on gaming problems. A fun episode by all measures!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/no-cartridge-audio/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices2024-01-261h 17If Books Could KillThe Art of the DealBefore Donald Trump became America's most prominent politician and birth certificate inspector, he spent his days making everyone in New York City slightly uncomfortable. Michael and Peter discuss "The Art of the Deal," Trump’s 1987 bestseller chronicling his exploits as a celebrity slumlord. Where to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:When Donald Trump Took Down Holiday Inns The Lost City of Trump Who Runs New York Now? How Donald Trump Bankrupted His Atlantic City Casinos, but Still Earned Millions Doer and Slumlord Both Donald T...2024-01-1152 minIf Books Could KillThe Worst Takes of 2023 [TEASER]To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod2023-12-2128 minIf Books Could KillThe Identity Trap"There are two kinds of political scientists: The types who deal with noisy data and post on Twitter with a bunch of caveats. And then there are the types who write books about identity politics." Where to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Sam Huneke's "Yascha Mounk’s Woke Straw Man"Jacob T. Levy's "The Defense of Liberty Can’t Do Without Identity Politics"Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò's "Elite Capture"Aaron Huertas's "We Need to Talk About Reactionary Centrists"Mary Lin Elementary und...2023-12-141h 47If Books Could KillPundit Portraits: Kathleen Parker and Chris Cillizza [TEASER]To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod2023-11-2829 minIf Books Could KillThe Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ckYou stare, mouth agape, at the bookstore display. It’s a self-help book, but with curse words in the title?! This must be a revolutionary new framework, not simply the same dull, reactionary ideas repackaged as hip and new.Support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck (Blog Post)Where A is Ordinary: The Evolution of American College and...2023-11-2145 minIf Books Could KillThe 48 Laws of PowerIn 1996, a frustrated screenwriter got a fellowship in Italy. Twenty years later, Beyoncé released "Lemonade." Content warning: This episode includes a mention of suicide.Support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Rebecca Solnit’s “A Paradise Built in Hell”Kelly Link's "White Cat, Black Dog"The Half-Century in Bullshit: On Peter Bogdanovich’s “Paper Moon” and Robert Greene’s “The 48 Laws of Power”A Book of Anecdotes...2023-11-021h 05If Books Could KillThe "Organized Retail Crime" Panic [TEASER]Retailers have been sounding the alarm about a shoplifting epidemic driven by organized criminal syndicates. In a shocking twist, it turns out that their story is mostly made up. Join us as Peter tries to figure out where this panic originated and as Mike finally comes clean about his criminal past.To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod2023-10-2631 minIf Books Could KillSan FransickoThis week we're tackling "San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities," a book that dares to ask: What if everything that experts think about homelessness is wrong, and everything that one crank on Twitter thinks about homelessness is right?Thanks to Ned Resnikoff for helping us with the research for this episode!Support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Inflection Points in Community-level Homeless R...2023-10-191h 00If Books Could KillThe 4-Hour WorkweekHave you ever wanted to escape the grind and follow your dreams? This week we're discussing "The 4-Hour Workweek," which reveals that all you need is a plan, a willingness to take risks and a modestly sized fraud operation built on Third World labor.Support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:The Fraud and the Four-Hour WorkweekRevisiting "The 4-Hour Workweek"New! Improved! Shape Up Your L...2023-09-2156 minIf Books Could KillThe Clinton E-Mail Scandal [TEASER]But her e-mails! Michael explains the non-scandal that captivated the mainstream media in 2016 while Peter attempts to sow the podcast with anti-Hillary sentiment.To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod2023-09-1428 minIf Books Could KillGod And Man At YaleOops all grievance.Support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:No Ivory Tower : Mccarthyism And The UniversitiesThe Fire Is Upon UsThe Conservative Intellectual Movement in America Since 1945The Passion of William F. Buckley: Academic Freedom, Conspiratorial Conservatism, and the Rise of the Postwar RightWhy Are Professors Liberal and Why Do Conservatives Care?Compromised Campus: The Collaboration of Universities with the Intelligence Community, 1945-1955Debunking a L...2023-09-071h 11If Books Could Kill'On Bullsh*t' and the Pundit Industrial Complex [TEASER]For this month's bonus episode we dissected Harry Frankfurt's gloriously brief bestseller and applied the concept to our favorite op-ed page. To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod2023-08-1016 minIf Books Could KillLiberal FascismWho poses the greatest threat to democracy? Is it the movement that openly identifies with the symbols, goals and policies of fascist governments? Or is it the median bureaucrat at the Department of Health and Human Services? In 2008, a National Review nepo-baby attempted to answer this vexing question.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:History News Network: A Symposium on Jonah Goldberg’s L...2023-07-271h 04
Some More NewsTrump Indictment The Third, Supreme Court Corruption, And EVEN MORE Tree LawHi. Peter Shamshiri (@The_Law_Boy) joins Katy and Cody to talk about the likely third indictment of Donald Trump, the shameless corruption of Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, and a Supreme Court ruling that says discrimination is fine and good, actually.
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LongformEpisode 542: Peter ShamshiriPeter Shamshiri is a lawyer and co-host of the podcast 5-4.“Because of the nature of law, I think a lot of journalists find it hard to take a position—or to sort of tip their hand about what they actually believe—because so much of the discourse around how law should operate is about neutrality and the general perspective that the law is non-partisan, non-ideological. I think the result is media coverage that is particularly lacking in those regards. And that's where we swoop in.”Show notes:
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02:00 "Writer Evan...2023-07-1947 min
The Podcast PodcastEpisode 18: If Books Could KillLisa and Dita bungie jump from the bridge of If Books Could Kill with Michael Hobbes and Peter Shamshiri. Get ready to be nudged off after them while they talk about annoying dietary restrictions, whether genders are actually just carbs, and how libertarianism doesn't work. Follow for this one cool life hack that will rock your world!
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Music by Evan Velasco-Speakman2023-07-1442 minIf Books Could KillAre The Straights OK [TEASER]In our "Rules" and "Game" episodes we didn't get a chance to dissect the phenomenon of online dating (i.e. describe our worst dates and read cringe profiles out loud to each other), so that is what we are doing on today's bonus episode. To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod2023-07-1324 minIf Books Could KillBONUS: Conservatives vs. Pride MonthLots of subscribers asked us to release last month's bonus episode in full so here it is! Share it with the conservatives, the boomers and the Satanists in your life.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseThanks to Mindseye for our theme song!2023-07-061h 05If Books Could KillThe RulesIn 1995 a bestselling book proposed a simple dating strategy for women: Lose weight, wear bright colors and become a completely different person for the rest of your life.Thanks to Moira Donegan for helping us with this episode! Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:From Front Porch to Back Seat: Courtship in Twentieth-Century America Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s essay, “Stuff Your ‘Rules’” The More Things C...2023-06-291h 09If Books Could KillAtomic HabitsThis week we're discussing "Atomic Habits," a book about how to use science (and also some stuff that’s definitely not science) to train yourself to be a more functional person.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:How 1% Performance Improvements Led to Olympic GoldFrom paupers to kings: The lottery-funded revolution Habit FormationImplementation Intentions to Reduce Smoking: A Systematic Review of the...2023-06-151h 01If Books Could KillConservatives vs. Pride Month [TEASER]To celebrate Pride Month we recorded the most depressing bonus episode we've ever done.To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod2023-06-1223 minIf Books Could KillThe World is FlatMuch has been said about globalization, but perhaps no one has said it worse than Thomas Friedman.Content Note: Discussions of xenophobic and racist content, especially toward the end of the episode.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Why The World Isn't FlatThe World Is Still Not FlatDHL Global Connectedness Index 20222023-06-011h 07If Books Could Kill"Nudge" Part 2: Mr. Nudge Goes to WashingtonThe Nudgening.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:David Gal's "Behavioral Winter"The i-frame and the s-frame: How focusing on individual-level solutions has led behavioral public policy astrayWhy Is Behavioral Economics So Popular?Applying Behavioral Insights To Intimate Partner ViolenceWhat Counts as a Nudge?The Power of Nudges, for Good and BadAllowing Patients to Waive the Right to Sue for Medical Malpractice: A Response t...2023-05-191h 01
A Really Good Enough ParentEp 6 Books Are Allowed at the Table - An Interview with Timur KocakNew York City-based actor, husband, father, Timur Kocak shares his thoughts on raising happy children without heavy-handed discipline and the importance of making your own bread.Timur's acting career on IMDbhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm0462233/Reminder: No paraffin candles!Eat real food (if you can).Podcasts referenced in this episode:Podcast for kids: Grim, Grimmer, Grimmesthttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grimm-grimmer-grimmest/id14366515212023-05-1700 minIf Books Could KillThe Meme Stock Cult [TEASER]In 2021, scrappy young investors from across the world joined forces to buy GameStop stock, aiming to take down greedy hedge funds. What came next was tragedy, injustice, and a conspiratorial internet cult so stupid we had to do an episode about it.To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod2023-05-1519 minIf Books Could Kill"Nudge" Part 1: A Simple Solution For Littering, Organ Donations and Climate ChangeIn 2008, an economist and a law professor proposed a radical new approach to politics: Telling people not to do bad stuff.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Mike's Maintenance Phase episode on the godfather of the "cafeteria nudge"Nudge: Concept, Effectiveness, and EthicsFrom mechanism to virtue: Evaluating Nudge theoryThe effectiveness of nudging: A meta-analysis of choice architecture interventions across behavioral domainsWhy the Most Important I...2023-05-041h 10If Books Could KillThe 5 Love LanguagesWhat’s your love language? Is it gifts? Words of affirmation? Or is it podcasts about books with extremely weird, reactionary gender dynamics?Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Can Gary Chapman Save Your Marriage?The Sixth Love Language Does Not ExistHow ‘The Five Love Languages’ Gets Misinterpreted The 5 Love Languages Don’t Matter as Much as You ThinkThe Creator Of The 5 Love Languages Is A Homo...2023-04-2054 minIf Books Could KillBen Shapiro's Plan To End Poverty [TEASER]Is it bootstraps? It's bootstraps.To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod2023-04-1312 minIf Books Could KillRich Dad Poor DadIn 1997, Robert Kiyosaki revealed the secret to lifelong success: Deliver grifty seminars and hire child slaves.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Pound Foolish: Exposing the Dark Side of the Personal Finance Industry‘Rich Dad Poor Dad' Robert Kiyosaki ExposedStupid Investment of the WeekRobert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Education on Real Estate Investing ReviewThe Ticket to Easy Street? The Financial Consequences of Winning the Lotte...2023-04-061h 13If Books Could KillThe Dumbest Campus Controversies Of The Last Decade [TEASER]Get in loser, we're going to Oberlin.To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod2023-03-3020 minIf Books Could KillHillbilly ElegyIn 2016, J.D. Vance informally launched his political career with "Hillbilly Elegy," a memoir that blames the relative poverty of Appalachian and Rust Belt populations on their own culture. Despite its reactionary premise, mainstream and liberal press outlets were so enamored by the book that they accidentally made Vance a senator.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Appalachian Reckoning America’s Divided Recovery What Did H...2023-03-2348 minIf Books Could KillThe Coddling Of The American MindTRIGGER WARNING: if you're a SNOWFLAKE college professor afraid of how your students are expressing themselves, you might need a SAFE SPACE, because Michael and Peter are discussing "The Coddling of The American Mind," a book about campus culture that's light on facts and heavy on cherry-picked anecdotes.CORRECTION: The Socrates quote mentioned at the end of this episode is apocryphal. We thank the listeners who pointed this out for refusing to coddle our American minds.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod2023-03-091h 01If Books Could KillThe New York Times's War On Trans Kids [TEASER]The nation's most prestigious newspaper insists on asking a very stupid question. So for this month's bonus episode, we decided to answer it. To hear the rest of the show, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodAs we mentioned at the top of the episode, we're donating this month's support to three of our trans journo-friends! They've been unbelievably patient with Mike as he's navigated the science and politics of this issue over the last year. Here's where to find and support their work:...2023-02-2827 minIf Books Could KillThe Clash of Civilizations"If your thesis doesn't hold up to obvious criticisms, there's a chance that your thesis sucks." Thanks to Paul Musgrave and Alex Cruikshanks for helping us fact-check this episode!Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseLinks!Huntington’s 1993 articleStatistics on deaths in state-based conflicts The Clash of Civilizations: An Islamicist’s CritiquePaul Musgrave’s Roundtable on Clash of Civilizations “The Hispanic Challenge” The “Arab Street”? Pub...2023-02-2358 minIf Books Could KillThe End of HistoryFrancis Fukuyama's "The End of History and the Last Man" changed political discourse forever. Peter and Michael peel back his muddled history and fluffy rhetoric, revealing several more layers of muddled history and fluffy rhetoric.Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Reflections on the End of History, Five Years Later (https://www.jstor.org/stable/2505433)More Proof That This Really Is the End of History (h...2023-02-0947 minIf Books Could KillThe Lab Leak [TEASER]In December 2019, the coronavirus pandemic began in Wuhan, China. In May 2021, America experienced one of the most cursed weeks of punditry we've ever seen. This is a condensed version of the full episode. To hear the rest go to patreon.com/IfBooksPod. See you next week! 2023-01-3114 minIf Books Could KillMen Are From Mars, Women Are From VenusIn 1992 a yoga instructor with a distance-learning PhD had the courage to ask: "Are women not getting help around the house because they're using the wrong modal verb?" Support us on PatreonWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:The Myth of Mars and Venus: Do Men and Women Really Speak Different Languages?2023-01-261h 09
Survive It WellEpisode 11: We Went Cow-DodgingWelcome to Survive it Well, the podcast that had a four month time jump! Our dissertations have been submitted, Aparna is back in India, Haley’s back in Canada, and we have a ten and a half hour time difference between us. For the main discussion, we revisit the days leading up to submitting our dissertations and then explore the contradictory feelings of being done. Haley discovers that poetry and physics are the same. Aparna regales us with the stories of her boxing training.
The punchline regarding the After Eight went thusly:
Aparna: *hands Haley a...2023-01-251h 02If Books Could KillThe SecretRhonda Byrne's "The Secret" sold millions of copies based on a simple premise: All of science is fake and the only reason anything ever happens is because people manifest it by communicating with the universe.Support us on PatreonWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Power Lines Oprah's Ugly Secret The Staggering Bullshit of The SecretDeath by “alternative” medicine: Who’s to blame? For Some Seeking Rebirth, Sweat Lodge Was End A Little Secret About The Secret Thanks...2023-01-1242 minIf Books Could KillThe Population BombHow a Stanford lepidopterist convinced the world to fear the breeding habits of the poor. Again. Support us on PatreonWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Sonia Shah’s “The Next Great Migration” Barbarian Hordes: The overpopulation scapegoat in international development discourseOptimism and OverpopulationThe Population Bomb RevisitedThe Strange History of Birth ControlBirth Control for OthersHow the World Survived the Population Bomb: Lessons From 50 Years of Extraordinary Demographic HistoryWhy the Population Bomb is a Rockefeller Baby2022-12-1549 minIf Books Could KillA Bari Special Bonus Episode [TEASER]Our first premium episode is a deep dive into the blog of the infamously (and dubiously) "canceled" Bari Weiss. To hear the full episode, subscribe on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPodMore free episodes are on their way! 2022-12-0809 minIf Books Could KillThe GameNeil Strauss's "The Game" aimed to teach any man how to hook up with beautiful women. All he needed was a little bit of sociopathy, a lot of misogyny and a fanny pack full of props.Support us on PatreonWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:He's Simply Resistable Pickup Artists Are Still A Thing. And They Want You To Know They’ve Evolved.Misogynist Incels and Male Supremacism Would the Pickup Artist Stand a Chance in the...2022-12-0155 minIf Books Could KillDavid Brooks's "Bobos in Paradise"David Brooks became liberals' famous conservative by telling them what they wanted to hear. But ... why did they want to hear something that was lazy and wrong?Support us on PatreonWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:A Reasonable ManDavid Brooks: Boo-Boos in ParadiseA Cartoon EliteDavid Brooks’s Conversion StoryDavid Brooks and the Endless Grift of the Conservative CommentariatHow The Bobos Broke AmericaDeath Of A Yuppie Dream: The Rise And Fall Of The Professional-Managerial ClassStuff the Professional-Managerial Cla...2022-11-1759 minIf Books Could KillMalcolm Gladwell's "Outliers"In "Outliers," Malcolm Gladwell posited that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert in something. Mike and Peter prove him wrong by mastering his dumb book over the span of about 50 minutes.Support us on PatreonLinks:Malcolm Gladwell talks about responding to critics, and the perils of ‘Talking to Strangers’Gladwell for Dummies Malcolm Gladwell interview The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance The Dangers of Delegating Education To Journalists Good intuition takes years of practice Blinkered How Malcolm Gladwell Tricks You Into Believing Complexity...2022-11-1050 minIf Books Could KillFreakonomicsIn 2005, two men named Steven and Stephen published the quintessential airport book. In 2022, two men named Mike and Peter started a whole podcast just to make fun of it. Thanks to Ted Joyce and Ames Grawert for helping with the research for this episode!Support us on PatreonWhere to find us: TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:The 2003 NYT articleFreakonomics: What Went Wrong?A Review of FreakonomicsDismal ScienceFreak-FreakonomicsThe Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime: CommentThe Abortion–Cri...2022-11-021h 13