Book Club with Michael Smerconish

Michael talks with Nate Soares, co-author of "If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All", about the alarming risks of advanced artificial intelligence. Soares, president of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, explains why AIs are not designed but grown, how that leads to unpredictable behavior, and why even their creators can’t control them. They discuss chilling examples—from rogue chatbots to lab “escape” attempts—and why simply “unplugging” an AI may not be possible. Soares argues that humanity must act now, treating AI risk as seriously as pandemics or nuclear war. Original air date 15 October 2025. The book was published on 16 September 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ben Rein, PhD, is an award-winning neuroscientist, chief science officer of the Mind Science Foundation, adjunct lecturer at Stanford University, clinical assistant professor at SUNY Buffalo, and renowned science educator. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael speaks with journalist and author Betty Medsger about her book "The Burglary: The Discovery of J. Edgar Hoover’s Secret FBI." Medsger recounts the 1971 break-in at a small FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania, where activists uncovered secret files exposing Hoover’s widespread surveillance and targeting of dissenters and Black Americans. She shares how the documents reached The Washington Post, the fierce debate over whether to publish them, and the lasting impact on government accountability and press freedom. The book was published on 7 January 2014. Original air date 8 March 2021, which was the 50-year anniversary of the 1971 break-in. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of The Book Club with Michael Smerconish, Michael sits down with journalist and author David Paul Kuhn to discuss his book The Hardhat Riot: Nixon, New York City, and the Dawn of the White Working-Class Revolution. Together, they revisit the dramatic events of May 1970, when construction workers and anti-war protesters clashed in lower Manhattan following the Kent State shootings and President Nixon’s expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia. Kuhn explains how the so-called Hard Hat Riot symbolized a deeper class divide in America—between blue-collar workers and college students—that reshaped the political landscape for decades to come. They explore how this moment foreshadowed today’s polarization, the “diploma divide,” and the shifting loyalties of the American working class from Democrats to Republicans. Kuhn is also producer of the documentary "Hard Hat Riot", now streaming on PBS. Original air date 1 October 2025. The book was published on 1 July 2020. The documentary was released on 30 September 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael Smerconish invites environmentalist and author Bill McKibben to the program to discuss McKibben's new book "Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization." Michael asks McKibben about climate change, solar power, natural disasters, and other environmental topics. Original air date 25 September 2025. The book was published on 19 August 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Together, Michael and Jeffrey unpack the myths of scarcity, the pitfalls of the Common App, and the immense pressure students face in today’s admissions arms race.If you have a student in your life considering college—or if you’ve ever wondered whether chasing elite names is truly worth it—this episode offers a fresh, practical perspective on finding the right fit.Also listen to Episode #454, on Jeffrey Selingo's book ""Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions." (2021). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael speaks with David Shimer, author of "Rigged: America, Russia, and One Hundred Years of Covert Electoral Interference." Shimer traces a century of CIA and KGB election meddling, drawing parallels to Russia’s role in 2016 and beyond. Together, they explore the history, methods, and moral questions behind covert electoral operations—and what it means for the future of democracy. Original air date 30 June 2020. The book was published on 30 June 2020. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael welcomes back CNN senior legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Elie Honig to discuss his brand-new book "When You Come at the King: Inside DOJ’s Pursuit of the President from Nixon to Trump." Blending history, analysis, and candid insights from more than 30 on-the-record sources, Honig explores how the Department of Justice has navigated the politically charged task of investigating sitting presidents—and why no prosecutor ever leaves the job unscathed. Along the way, Michael challenges listeners with a spirited round of political trivia, giving callers the chance to test their knowledge of DOJ special counsels and presidential investigations—with signed copies of Honig’s book on the line. Original air date 16 September 2025. The book was published on 16 September 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Listen to Episode #340 from 2007Richard Louv is co-founder of the Children & Nature Network. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From the Spring of 2005, Michael's conversation with Kevin Flynn, co-author of "102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers." This is the dramatic and moving account of the struggle for life inside the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, when every minute counted At 8:46 am on September 11, 2001, 14,000 people were inside the twin towers-reading e-mails, making trades, eating croissants at Windows on the World. Over the next 102 minutes, each would become part of a drama for the ages, one witnessed only by the people who lived it-until now. Of the millions of words written about this wrenching day, most were told from the outside looking in. New York Times reporters Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn have taken the opposite-and far more revealing-approach. Reported from the perspectives of those inside the towers, 102 Minutes captures the little-known stories of ordinary people who took extraordinary steps to save themselves and others. Beyond this stirring panorama stands investigative reporting of the first rank. Original air date March 2005. The book was published in January 2005. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.