Episodes
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Is 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!
Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Where to find us:Sources:
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 their victimsThe Coddling of the American ParentNo More FOMO: Limiting Social Media Decreases Loneliness and DepressionHow technology is transforming the ways in which children playBanning mobile phones in schools in SpainNo One Knows Exactly What Social Media Is Doing To TeensWindows of developmental sensitivity to social mediaSmartphones are bad for some teens, not allHow Smartphones Affect the Social-Emotional Development of AdolescentsSocial media use and its impactTime Spent on Social Network Sites and Psychological Well-BeingA School-Level Analysis of Adolescent Extracurricular ActivityThanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
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To celebrate ("celebrate") Donald Trump choosing JD Vance as his running mate we are re-releasing our "Hillbilly Elegy" episode. Enjoy!
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Missing episodes?
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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.
Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Where to find us:Sources:
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 Tesla Say They Faced Racism - The New York Times Diaz v. Tesla, Inc.Making Hispanics: How Activists, Bureaucrats, and Media Constructed a New AmericanAre Emily and Greg More Employable than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination Meta-analysis of field experiments shows no change in racial discrimination in hiring over time | PNASSystemic Discrimination Among Large U.S. EmployersThanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
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Peter and Michael discuss the media coverage of the protests at Columbia â 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:
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Peter and Michael discuss Michael Lewisâs bestselling book about the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, a young prodigy whose only flaw was that he dreamed too big.
Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Where to find us:Sources:
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 FTXâs âCompany Therapistâ (vice.com)FTXâs Collapse Was a Crime, Not an AccidentGoing Infinite by Michael Lewis review â falling for the antiheroThe Second FTX Asset Recovery Report Is Packed With BombshellsTakeaways From a New Book on Sam Bankman-FriedCaroline Ellison Testifies Against Sam Bankman-Fried, Blaming Him for CrimesThanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
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2 Better 2 Angels
Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Support us on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
Where to find us:Sources:
Jeffrey Epsteinâs Science of SleazePinkerâs response to Epstein allegationsHow Jeffrey Epstein Captivated HarvardJeffrey Epstein Hoped to Seed Human Race With His DNAItâs Official â 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 Abuse and Physical Abuse Declined Since the 1990s?Explanations for the Decline in Child Sexual Abuse CasesThe Decline in Child Sexual Abuse CasesWhy Have Child Maltreatment and Child Victimization Declined?Spanking and Other Corporal Punishment of Children by Parents: Undervaluing Children, Overvaluing PainWere There Really More Hate Crimes Last Year?Hate Crime Reported by Victims and PoliceThe Sexual Victimization of College WomenThe "Discovery" of Child AbuseA Short History of Child Protection in AmericaThanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
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We're finally discussing a good book! Naomi Klein's "DoppelgĂ€nger" chronicles the long, steady descent of another Naomi â Wolf (buddy oof) â from feminist icon to crank conspiracist.
To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod -
In 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.
Peter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Where to find us:Sources:
Facebook Feminism, Like It or NotFeminism's Tipping Point: Who Wins from Leaning in?One Cheer for Lean InIs there an implicit quota on women in top management? A largeâsample statistical analysisFemale tokens in high-prestige work groups: Catalysts or inhibitors of group diversification?Want Equal Pay? Get a Union.The Gender Wage Gap: Extent, Trends, and ExplanationsWhat Was the Girlboss?New Research: Women Who Donât Negotiate Might Have a Good ReasonNow, Women Do Ask: A Call to Update Beliefs about the Gender Pay GapWhatâs It Like Inside the Hive? Managerial Discretion Drives TMT Gender Diversity of Women-Led FirmsI asked Facebook if I could work part-time from home after I had my baby. They said noâso I quitWomen in the Workplace 2023Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter SyndromeDig Deep: Beyond Lean InThanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
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This 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 Steven PinkerThe Decline of Violence in the West: From Cultural to Post-Cultural HistoryPinkerâs (Mis)Representation of the Enlightenment and ViolenceHerding and Homicide: An Examination of the Nisbett-Reaves HypothesisPeace in Our TimeJohn Gray: Steven Pinker is wrong about violence and warThe business class doesn't understand the EnlightenmentDelusions Of PeacePinker And ProgressNorbert Elias and the History of ViolenceModernization, Self-Control And Lethal ViolenceExplaining Long Term Trends in Violent CrimeThe Enlightenmentâs Dark SideThanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
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Before 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," Trumpâs 1987 bestseller chronicling his exploits as a celebrity slumlord.
TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
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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 Trump Gets What He WantsDonald Trump was a nightmare landlord in the 1980s Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of AmericaThanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
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To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon:
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"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."
TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Where to find us:Sources:
Sam Huneke's "Yascha Mounkâs Woke Straw Man"Jacob T. Levy's "The Defense of Liberty Canât Do Without Identity Politics"OlĂșfáșčÌmi O. TĂĄĂwĂČ's "Elite Capture"Aaron Huertas's "We Need to Talk About Reactionary Centrists"Mary Lin Elementary under federal investigationParents refute claims of segregation at Mary Lin Elementary SchoolSchool Segregation in Metropolitan Regions, 1970â200060 Years After BrownSchool choice and racial segregation in US schoolsStudent Population Has Significantly Diversified, But Many Schools Remain Divided Along Racial, Ethnic, and Economic LinesU.S. public school students often go to schools where at least half of their peers are the same race or ethnicityThe Return of Old-Fashioned Racism to White Americansâ Partisan PreferencesWhy The Democrats Have Shifted Left Over The Last 30 YearsWidespread misperceptions of long-term attitude changeTrump, the 2016 Election, and Expressions of SexismChanging Norms Following the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election: The Trump Effect on PrejudiceChanges in Americansâ prejudices during the presidency of Donald TrumpThe CDC slide presentationModel-informed COVID-19 vaccine prioritization strategiesThanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
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To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod -
You stare, mouth agape, at the bookstore display. Itâs 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.
TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
Support us on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
Where to find us:Sources:
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck (Blog Post)Where A is Ordinary: The Evolution of American College and University Grading, 1940-2009Weâve Been Handing Out Participation Trophies for 100 Years
Positive DisintegrationâThe Subtle Art of Not Giving a #@%!â Review: A Blunt PhilosophyThanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
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In 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:
TwitterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
Where to find us:Sources:
Rebecca Solnitâs âA Paradise Built in HellâKelly Link's "White Cat, Black Dog"The Half-Century in Bullshit: On Peter Bogdanovichâs âPaper Moonâ and Robert Greeneâs âThe 48 Laws of PowerâA Book of Anecdotes, 1957
The Little Brown Book Of AnecdotesFear Nothing: Self-Fashioning and Social Mobility in 50 Centâs The 50th LawThe fear of conflict leads people to systematically avoid potentially valuable zero-sum situationsThe Immigration DilemmaYou Can Win But I Can't LoseIf you rise, I fall: Equality is prevented by the misperception that it harms advantaged groupsZero-Sum Thinking and the Roots of U.S. Political DividesA Genesis of Conflict: The Zero-Sum MindsetForbes Winslowâs Physic and PhysiciansThe role of masculinity in men's help-seeking for depression: A systematic review The Strange, Sad Story of Joe Orton, His Lover, and 72 Stolen Library Books A Failure Of InitiativeNew Orleans reaches settlements for police shootings after Hurricane KatrinaPost-Katrina, White Vigilantes Shot African-Americans With ImpunityThanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
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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:
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This 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 RatesHow Housing Costs Drive Levels of HomelessnessThe 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report To CongressThe California Statewide Study of People Experiencing HomelessnessSan Francisco Homelessness Benchmarking ReportHomelessness is a Housing ProblemA randomized trial of permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless persons with high use of publicly funded servicesSan Francisco Department of Public Health Update Report on Mental Health ReformCivil Commitment in the United StatesThanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
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Have 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 Life!From Productivity to Psychedelics: Tim Ferriss Has Changed His Mind About SuccessThanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
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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:
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Oops 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 Longstanding Myth About William F. BuckleyHow William F. Buckley Jr.âs Right-Wing College Crusade Paved the Way for Ron DeSantisThe Right v. Higher Education: Change and ContinuityThe Buckleys: A Family ExaminedThe Academic Elite Goes to Washington, and to WarWhat About âGod and Manâ?The Attack on YaleThe academy on the firing line: William F. Buckley, Jr.'s God and Man at Yale and the modern conservative critique of higher educationConservatives charge that universities are hotbeds of liberalism. Theyâre wrong.Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
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