#56

Mentioned in 179 episodes

Moby Dick

Book • 1999

Herman Melville

Moby-Dick is a novel that tells the story of Captain Ahab's maniacal quest for revenge against Moby Dick, the giant white sperm whale that bit off his leg.

Narrated by Ishmael, the story follows the crew of the whaling ship Pequod as they embark on a journey that explores themes of obsession, man vs.

nature, and the existential questions of good and evil.

The novel is rich in detailed descriptions of whale hunting and life aboard a culturally diverse crew, and it has become a cornerstone of American and world literature.

Mentioned by

Mentioned in 179 episodes

Mentioned by

Trenton Bricken

and James Dyer as a source of inspiration for the show "Silo."

Is RL + LLMs enough for AGI? — Sholto Douglas & Trenton Bricken

Mentioned by

Cal Newport

during the "Battle of the Sheds" segment, comparing his writing shed to Melville's.

Ep. 310: Rethinking Discipline

Mentioned by

Neri Oxman

in relation to the whiteness of the whale.

#394 – Neri Oxman: Biology, Art, and Science of Design & Engineering with Nature

Mentioned by

David Rosenthal

as a difficult book to read.

Berkshire Hathaway Part I

Mentioned by

Brett McKay

, recounting a scene where Ahab destroys his quadrant.

Men Don't Run in the Rain — And 7 Other Essential Lessons for Being a Man

Daniel Immerwahr

mentioned this book when talking about a hot diagnosis of the 19th century.

ReThinking: The truth about the attention crisis with historian Daniel Immerwahr

Mentioned by

Paul Harding

as a book that gave him the inspiration to write in the same spirit

Paul Harding: A New Way To Think About Writing | How I Write

Mentioned by

Dan Wang

at the beginning of the conversation and by

Tracy Alloway

at the end of the episode.

Dan Wang on China's Breakneck Economic Growth

Mentioned by

Richard Powers

as an example of a book about man versus nature.

Richard Powers: Pulitzer Prize-Winning Stanford Professor | How I Write

Mentioned by

Bryan Callen

in a discussion about the themes of the Old Testament.

#2257 - Bryan Callen

Mentioned by Stephen Dubner as the whale book of all whaling books.

The First Great American Industry (Update)

Mentioned by

Joe Weisenthal

who recently read the book.

Joseph Torigian on Xi Zhongxun and Elite Chinese Communist Party Politics

Discussed by

Brett McKay

and

Mark Cirino

, exploring its themes and enduring appeal.

Chasing the White Whale — Into the Depths of Moby-Dick

Mentioned multiple times by

Hester Blum

and Stephen Dubner as central to the discussion about whaling and its cultural impact.

What Can Whales Teach Us About Clean Energy, Workplace Harmony, and Living the Good Life? (Update)

Mentioned by

Lex Fridman

and

Sean Kelly

;

Sean Kelly

discusses "Moby Dick" and its exploration of themes of obsession, meaning, and the human condition.

#227 – Sean Kelly: Existentialism, Nihilism, and the Search for Meaning

Mentioned as an interesting read, despite being from the 19th century.

Why Do People Still Hunt Whales? (Update)

Mentioned by

Andy Johns

as a metaphor for the relentless pursuit of truth and self-liberation.

When enough is enough | Andy Johns (ex-FB, Twitter, Quora)

Mentioned by

Joe Weisenthal

when comparing

Dave Cavitt

's story to characters from it.

What an Alaskan Furniture Company Tells Us About Tariffs

Mentioned by

John Coogan

when referring to the novel that features Captain Ahab's obsession with a white whale.

The AI Industry Is Becoming Like Professional Sports

Bjørn Andersen

said he's not a reader and has not read it.

Extra: A Modern Whaler Speaks Up (Update)

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