

Book Club with Michael Smerconish
SiriusXM
Reading for Independent Minds. Unlike many author interviews, if Michael didn't actually read the book, you won't hear about it. If he read it, you'll hear it and you'll love it. Insights into a wide range of topics, including many titles you've probably never heard of. The perfect book is just one listen away.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 20, 2023 • 16min
Sheila Johnson: "Walk Through Fire"
She is the co-founder of BET and America's first African American female billionaire - listen to Michael's conversation with Sheila Johnson, on her book "Walk Through Fire: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Triumph." Original air date 19 September 2023. The book was published on 19 September 2023.

Sep 18, 2023 • 15min
David Fajgenbaum: "Chasing My Cure"
The powerful memoir of a young doctor and former college athlete diagnosed with a rare disease who spearheaded the search for a cure—and became a champion for a new approach to medical research. Michael talks to David Fajgenbaum, author of "Chasing My Cure: A Doctor's Race to Turn Hope into Action; A Memoir."

Sep 15, 2023 • 15min
Aaron David Miller: "The End Of Greatness"
Michael talks with Aaron David Miller, author of "The End of Greatness: Why America Can't Have (and Doesn't Want) Another Great President." The End of Greatness explores the concept of greatness in the presidency and the ways in which it has become both essential and detrimental to America and the nation's politics. Original air date 14 October 2014. The book was published on 7 October 2014.

Sep 13, 2023 • 31min
Ashton Applewhite: "This Chair Rocks"
You're never too old to listen to a great conversation - Michael talks with author and activist Ashton Applewhite, about "This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism." Original air date 8 September 2016. The book was published in 2016.

Sep 11, 2023 • 18min
Gerald Posner: "Case Closed"
In 2013, Michael spoke with Gerald Posner on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy - he's author of the 1993 book "Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK." Original air date 15 November 2023. The book was published in 1993 and republished in paperback on 9 September 2003.

Sep 8, 2023 • 20min
Franklin Foer: "The Last Politician"
Michael talks with Franklin Foer, writer at The Atlantic, about his new book "The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle for America's Future." Original air date 7 September 2023. The book was published on 5 September 2023.

Sep 6, 2023 • 21min
Caveat Magister: "The Scene That Became Cities" (Burning Man)
Michael talks to Benjamin Wachs, who under the pen name Caveat Magister is the author of "The Scene That Became Cities: What Burning Man Philosophy Can Teach Us about Building Better Communities." Michael spoke to him on the occasion of Burning Man 2023. Original air date 5 September 2023. The book was published on 25 June 2019.

Sep 1, 2023 • 18min
Nelson Schwartz: "The Velvet Rope Economy"
A gripping investigation into how a virtual velvet rope divides Americans in every arena of life. Michael talks to New York Times business reporter Nelson D. Schwartz about his book "The Velvet Rope Economy: How Inequality Became Big Business." Original air date 10 March 2020. The book was published on 3 March 2020.

Aug 29, 2023 • 19min
Dr. Avi Loeb: "Interstellar"
Harvard University astrophysicist Dr. Avi Loeb breaks news that metallic spheres found on the floor of the Pacific Ocean are interstellar in origin, on the same day that he releases his new book "Interstellar: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life and Our Future in the Stars." Original air date 29 August 2023. The book was released on 29 August 2023.

Aug 28, 2023 • 18min
Carter Malkasian: "The American War in Afghanistan"
Michael's conversation with Carter Malkasian, the Special Assistant for Strategy to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, eneral Joseph Dunford, from 2015 to 2019. His book is "The American War in Afghanistan: A History" - the first comprehensive history of America's longest war. Original air date 8 July 2021. The book was published on 1 July 2021.