Bestselling author Michael Lewis explores the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, delving into his unconventional genius, eccentric traits, intelligence, literature interests, predictive analytics, lavish spending, therapy dynamics, and the downfall of FTX, revealing financial troubles and the impact on the cryptocurrency market.

Discussing the controversial ties between Steven Pinker and Jeffrey Epstein, exploring the decline in child abuse cases, navigating racial sensitivity on campuses, and the correlations between rising IQ levels and political ideologies.

Feminist icon turned conspiracist Naomi Wolf is discussed in this episode. They explore her evolution, controversies, misinformation in her works, rise of eating disorders in young American women, unsettling encounters, debunking historical misconceptions, and controversial interviews.

Exploring Sheryl Sandberg's impact on corporate feminism, the gender ambition gap, and challenges women face in the workplace. Critiquing self-help advice for marginalized communities and co-opting feminism for corporate gain. Discussing power dynamics, gender equality, and feminist ideas in the business world.

Exploring the decline of violence over time, debunking cultural explanations for violence, analyzing crime trends in different eras, critiquing Enlightenment ideas, examining Marxist ideology's impact, and reevaluating historical atrocities and death toll statistics.

The hosts discuss Trump's book 'The Art of the Deal' and analyze his speeches and writing style. They delve into his questionable business practices, opposition to rent control, and his strategies in politics. They also highlight examples of people standing up to Trump and examine his attitude towards critics. The podcast explores the lack of substance in celebrity business books and the impact Trump's deals have on average people.

The hosts discuss nominations for worst takes of 2023, including a defense of Hillary Clinton and criticisms of the podcast. They delve into the misconception of the link between marriage and poverty, critique an editorial claiming political dating mismatches threaten marriage, and explore ideological divides in America. They also discuss behavior in online and in-person interactions and challenge the notion of gatekeeping queerness.

Yascha Mounk, Jacob T. Levy, Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, and Aaron Huertas discuss the challenges of identity politics and explore topics like segregation in schools, the concept of identity synthesis, cultural appropriation, and its impact on public policy, the influence of identity on political ideologies, and the debate between social class and identity politics.

Kathleen Parker and Chris Cillizza discuss the career and predictions of Kathleen Parker, the functioning of the US government under Trump, the possibility of a Kavanaugh doppelganger, brand exploitation on TikTok, and blaming left-wing activists for right-wing actions.

The hosts delve into the concept of not giving a f*ck and analyze a self-help book promoting this idea. They explore the implications of not caring, the power of choice and responsibility, and the history of self-esteem practices. They debunk inaccuracies in a book on exceptionalism and discuss defining womanhood, cancel culture, and the dark side of self-help and online content.