

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

Aug 25, 2023 • 23min
Saul Austerlitz: "Kind of a Big Deal"
One of the most iconic comedies to hit the big screen in the last 20 years, "Anchorman" - is worthy of the full treatment of a great book. Michael welcomes NYU Professor Saul Austerlitz, author of "Kind of a Big Deal: How Anchorman Stayed Classy and Became the Most Iconic Comedy of the Twenty-First Century." Original air date 25 August 2023. The book was published on 22 August 2023.

Aug 23, 2023 • 19min
Billy Walters: Gambler
The wild and highly anticipated autobiography of Billy Walters—“the greatest and most controversial sports gambler ever” (ESPN)—who shares his extraordinary life story, reveals the secrets to his fiercely protected betting system, and breaks his silence about Phil Mickelson. Listen to Michael's conversation with him here. Original air date 22 August 2023. The book was published on 22 August 2022.

Aug 21, 2023 • 21min
Ron Lieber: The Price You Pay For College
Are your kids heading to college? Or planning to in the future? This is a must-listen - Michael's conversation with NY Times columnist Ron Lieber, author of "The Price You Pay for College: An Entirely New Road Map for the Biggest Financial Decision Your Family Will Ever Make." Original air date 29 January 2021.

Aug 18, 2023 • 20min
Margaret Sullivan: "Ghosting The News"
Michael's conversation with Washington Post Media Columnist Margaret Sullivan, on her book "Ghosting the News: Local Journalism and the Crisis of American Democracy."

Aug 16, 2023 • 25min
Amanda Ripley: "The Smartest Kids In The World"
As kids go back to school, this is the perfect time to listen to Michael's conversation with NY Times best-selling author Amanda Ripley, on her book "The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way." Listen to find out how other countries make "smarter kids" - Amanda Ripley followed three American families in three different countries for a year. Original air date 2 September 2014. The paperback version of the book was published on 29 July 2014.

Aug 11, 2023 • 19min
David Sanger: "The Perfect Weapon"
David Sanger's "The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage, and Fear in the Cyber Age" tells the story of the rise of cyberweapons: a transformational twist for geopolitics comparable to the atomic bomb. Original air date 18 July 2018.

Aug 9, 2023 • 22min
Jonathan Allen: "Shattered"
Jonathan Allen, co-author of "Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign" on the unseen architects of Hillary Clinton's memorable defeat back in 2016. Original air date 25 April 2017.

Aug 7, 2023 • 15min
Daniel Markovits: The Meritocrat Who Wants To Unwind the Meritocracy
Author and professor Daniel Markovits relates the thesis of his book, "The Meritocracy Trap: How America's Foundational Myth Feeds Inequality, Dismantles the Middle Class, and Devours the Elite" to the politics of today. Original air date 12 September 2019. The book was published on 10 September 2019.

Aug 4, 2023 • 16min
Michael Mann: "The Madhouse Effect"
Michael speaks with Dr. Michael Mann, co-author (with Tom Toles) of "The Madhouse Effect: How Climate Change Denial Is Threatening Our Planet, Destroying Our Politics, and Driving Us Crazy." Original air date 26 October 2016. The book was published on 27 September 2016.

Jul 31, 2023 • 30min
Peter Feaver: "Thanks For Your Service"
A definitive study on the decades-long run of high public confidence in the military and why it may rest on some shaky foundations. Listen to Michael's conversation with Duke University Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, Peter D. Feaver, author of "Thanks for Your Service: The Causes and Consequences of Public Confidence in the US Military." Original air date 27 July 2023. The book was published on 7 July 2023.