Claim OwnershipIf Books Could Kill
Subscribed: 20,610Played: 669,898
Subscribe
© 2025 If Books Could Kill
Description
The airport bestsellers that captured our hearts and ruined our minds
66 Episodes
Reverse
Peter and Michael discuss a book that's light on facts and long on sentences. Where to find us: Our PatreonOur merch!Peter's newsletterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources: Book Review: ‘Summer of Our Discontent,’ by Thomas Chatterton WilliamsPolice shootings database 2015-2024From the archive, 22 March 1991: President Bush sickened by Rodney King caseBarack Obama Public ApprovalLetter To Christopher L. Eisgruber, President Princeton UniversityPolice ...
12How 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&n...
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 PhaseSou...
This is most of the episode but if you want to hear the last 20 minutes, support us on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
Last 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 DeathsIm...
Two 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 Trans...
By 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 Phase Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
Peter 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 ...
To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
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!
Who'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 Achievement...
Peter 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 Books Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
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 D...
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 insi...
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?Bo...
New 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/IfBooksPod
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/IfBooksPod
A 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 externaliz...
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! 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 Sisyp...
To celebrate ("celebrate") Donald Trump choosing JD Vance as his running mate we are re-releasing our "Hillbilly Elegy" episode. Enjoy!
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States
Listening to this in Sept. 2025 - striking serious fear and a bit of "aww, bless their hearts"
I was hoping this was about iconic Doctor Who episodes.
there was a direct mention of this book in a k-pop song I like 😭🤦♂️ it's everywhere
I need merch with "my critics will die without cheese" on it
we eeeèwr
"the thing about Steve Harvey is that he's fundamentally a dumb asshole" lol
That second zinger was absolute gold
I love this podcast.
15 minutes in and I've already said "ew" so many times I lost count.
Neil Strauss's "The Game" delves into the world of pickup artists, offering insights into social dynamics and human behavior. While the content is controversial, it sheds light on the lengths some go to in mastering social interactions. Similarly https://afropari.com/line in the realm of online gaming, understanding strategies can enhance one's experience. For instance, platforms like Afropari provide intuitive interfaces and a variety of games, making it easier for newcomers to navigate and enjoy. Just as "The Game" emphasizes practice and understanding, immersing oneself in these platforms can lead to a more rewarding experience.
can you do a review on "deep work" by cal Newport?
I've never seen these two miss the mark more than this episode. Comparing religious beliefs to horoscopes? People don't kill for horoscopes.
Eee-DAMN this was a good episode!
This might sound so cheesy, but I think this episode was really grate.
my critics will die without cheese 😂
sippy cups are for closers 😆 🤣
please eviscerate "Love and Respect" by Emerson Eggerichs. Especially his insulting audio version, in which he voices women as whiny nags dragging down the hero...
you're kid can learn these lessons without the way she does it, so less trauma.
I absolutely love 'If Books Could Kill'! The podcast is a brilliant blend of insightful analysis and engaging storytelling. Each episode is meticulously researched, making complex topics accessible and captivating. https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/4a766d5b-6a9b-4e72-8318-3d15c1302779/episodes/277ba47b-163c-4643-96e9-60f9037e494b/packaging-los-angeles-role-of-candle-packaging-in-e-commerce
that pret a manger pronunciation killed me