99% Invisible

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What We're Reading

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Mar 11, 2025

Guest

Jayson DeLeon

Jayson DeLeon, a producer at 99% Invisible, shares his love for children's literature and poetry. He recommends the charming book "Hoppity Frog" and discusses how reading poetry connects to life's complexities. The conversation delves into the joys and challenges of parenting while carving out time for adult reading. Jayson also reflects on the emotional power of contemporary poetry and its links to today's political landscape, revealing how literature shapes our understanding of the world around us.

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ANECDOTE

Lasha's Pickling Ritual

Lasha Madon pickles something every time she submits a draft to an editor.
This ritual helps her manage anxiety while waiting for feedback.

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ADVICE

Unique Gift Idea

Consider "Usha's Pickle Digest" as a unique gift.
This self-published cookbook contains over 1,000 pickle recipes and has a charming backstory.

insights

INSIGHT

Presidential Ambition

Politicians often exhibit single-minded focus.
Richard Ben Cramer's "What It Takes" explores this trait in the 1988 presidential candidates.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

The Art of Pickling and Personal Rituals

02:16 • 6min

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Exploring Literature and Politics

08:26 • 9min

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Diverse Reading Recommendations and Sponsorship Highlights

17:22 • 5min

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Reading Reflections: Literature and Politics

22:13 • 13min

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Exploring Meritocracy and Creative Nonfiction

35:16 • 5min

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#33239

Plunkitt of Tammany Hall

George Washington Plunkitt

This book, originally published in 1905, contains a series of talks by George Washington Plunkitt, a prominent figure in Tammany Hall, detailing his views on politics and how he profited from 'honest graft. ' It offers a candid look at the inner workings of machine politics during that era. The talks were recorded by William L. Riordon, a journalist from the New York Evening Post.

#16024

• Mentioned in 2 episodes

How to End a Love Story

Hoppity Frog is a simple yet engaging story where readers help find the titular character through a series of slide-out pages. The book features colorful illustrations and sturdy construction, making it suitable for young children. It encourages interaction and discovery as children explore the watery world filled with other animals.

#60256

Usha's pickle digest

Usha R. Prabakaran

Usha's Pickle Digest is an encyclopedic volume that captures the art of Indian pickling with over 1,000 unique recipes. The book includes traditional and innovative pickle recipes, along with detailed techniques, storage guidelines, and a multilingual ingredient chart. It has achieved cult status among food enthusiasts for its thoroughness and dedication to preserving culinary traditions.

#33357

Scattered Snows, to the North

Carl Phillips

Scattered Snows, to the North is a collection of poems that delve into the themes of distortion, revelation, and the unreliability of human memory. Phillips reflects on the past to understand the sameness of the human condition, exploring emotions like joy, beauty, and regret. The poems often intertwine natural imagery with introspective musings on love, loss, and mortality.

#23032

The Pine Barrens

John McPhee

The Pine Barrens is a compelling portrait of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, captured at a crucial moment when the region seemed headed toward extinction. John McPhee delves into the history of the area, including the iron industry and the role of forest fires in the ecosystem. He profiles contemporary residents, known as 'pineys', who live and work in the cranberry bogs and blueberry fields, and explores the unique culture and ecology of the region. The book also touches on the threats to the wilderness, such as plans for a new city and a supersonic jetport.

#142

• Mentioned in 87 episodes

The Power Broker

Robert Moses and the Fall of New York

Robert Caro

This book is a monumental biography of Robert Moses, who was the single most powerful man in New York City and State during his time. It explores how Moses accumulated and wielded power, shaping the city through his public works projects, including highways, bridges, and parks. The book delves into Moses's early life, his idealistic beginnings, and his transformation into a powerful figure who dominated New York's politics without ever being elected. It also highlights the social and environmental impacts of his projects and his eventual fall from power. The biography is renowned for its detailed and nuanced portrayal of power dynamics in urban politics.

#1802

• Mentioned in 14 episodes

Blackout

John J. Nance

In Blackout, John J. Nance crafts a plot centered around a series of mysterious airplane accidents, including a 747 that crashes in the Gulf of Mexico and another that disappears from radar. FBI Special Agent Kat Bronsky, along with investigative journalist Robert McCabe, must navigate a complex web of terrorism and government cover-ups. The story unfolds as they protect crash survivors from those trying to kill them, uncovering a conspiracy involving a new laser-powered weapon that has fallen into terrorist hands. The novel combines airborne action with Bronsky's investigative skills, culminating in a tense showdown in snowy Idaho.

#1573

• Mentioned in 15 episodes

What It Takes

The Way to the White House

Richard Ben Cramer

In this comprehensive and engaging book, Richard Ben Cramer provides an in-depth analysis of the 1988 U.S. presidential election. The book delves into the lives and campaigns of the major candidates, including George H.W. Bush, Michael Dukakis, Joe Biden, Gary Hart, and others. Cramer's narrative explores the personal and political aspects of each candidate, offering a rich and nuanced understanding of what it takes to run for the highest office in the United States.

#9869

• Mentioned in 3 episodes

• Mentioned in 91 episodes

Amusing Ourselves to Death

Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business

Neil Postman

In this book, Neil Postman argues that the contemporary world is more akin to Aldous Huxley's 'Brave New World' than George Orwell's '1984'. Postman contends that television's emphasis on entertainment has led to a decline in rational discourse and the trivialization of politics, education, and religion. He contrasts the print-based culture of the 19th century with the televisual culture of the 20th century, highlighting how the medium of television inherently promotes incoherence and triviality, turning serious information into a form of entertainment.

After we finished up The Power Broker, a bunch of people were asking us what other books we’d been reading. A group of us got together and presented some of our recent favorites, and the choices were so good and surprising and charming, we're now sharing it widely.

Here are the books covered in this episode:

Lasha's book: Usha's Pickle Digest by Usha R Prabakaran
Chris's books: What It Takes by Richard Ben Cramer (and The Power Broker by Robert Caro 😁)
Vivian's books: Orbital by Samantha Harvey, Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar, Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman, and How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
Jayson's books: Hoppity Frog by Emma Parrish (for the kids), Scattered Snows, to the North: Poems by Carl Philips, and Blackouts by Justin Torres
Joe's book: Plunkitt of Tammany Hall by George Washington Plunkitt
Roman's book: The Pine Barrens by John McPhee

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What We're Reading

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