
Book Club with Michael Smerconish
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.
Latest episodes

May 12, 2023 • 22min
Jeffrey Toobin: "Homegrown"
Timothy McVeigh's legacy begins at the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing, and goes all the way through the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol. Listen to Michael with New York Times Bestselling author Jeffrey Toobin on his new book, "Homegrown: Timothy McVeigh and the Rise of Right-Wing Extremism." Original air date 12 May 2023. The book was published on 2 May 2023.

May 10, 2023 • 22min
David Grann: "The Wager"
#1 New York Times Bestselling Author David Grann is back with a new book - an incredible, thrilling story of a shipwreck in the 18th century. Listen to his conversation with Michael on "The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder." Original air date 8 May 2023. The book was published on 18 April 2023.

May 8, 2023 • 19min
David Grann: "The Lost City of Z"
Michael's conversation with David Grann, author of "The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon." Original air date 4 March 2009. The book was published on 24 February 2009

May 3, 2023 • 19min
Dr. Jean Twenge: "Generations"
A groundbreaking, revelatory portrait of the six generations that currently live in the United States and how they connect, conflict, and compete with one another—from the acclaimed author of Generation Me and iGen.The United States is currently home to six generations of people:-the Silents, born 1925–1945-Baby Boomers, born 1946–1964-Gen X, born 1965–1979-Millennials, born 1980–1994-Gen Z, born 1995–2012-and the still-to-be-named cohorts born after 2012.They have had vastly different life experiences and thus, one assumes, they must have vastly diverging beliefs and behaviors. But what are those differences, what causes them, and how deep do they actually run?(Courtesy: Simon & Shuster)

May 1, 2023 • 15min
Peter Schweizer: "Clinton Cash"
Bestselling author Peter Schweizer, on his book "Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich." Original air date 8 May 2015. The book was published on 5 May 2015.

Apr 26, 2023 • 18min
Seth Stephens-Davidowitz: "Everybody Lies"
Data scientist and best-selling author Seth Stephens-Davidowitz on "Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are." Original air date 10 May 2017. The book was published on 9 May 2017.

Apr 24, 2023 • 15min
Brian Stelter: "Hoax"
Michael's conversation with former CNN Reliable Sources Host (at the time of this interview and the book's publishing) Brian Stelter on his book "Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth." Original air date 20 August 2020. The book was published on 25 August 2020.

Apr 21, 2023 • 15min
Neil King, Jr: "American Ramble"
Michael welcomes former Wall Street Journal reporter and editor Neil King, Jr., author of "American Ramble: A Walk of Memory and Renewal." A story of his 330-mile walk from Washington DC to New York City, via Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey. Original aid date 19 April 2023. The book was published on 4 April 2023.

Apr 19, 2023 • 19min
Pat Cunnane: "West Winging It"
Pat Cunnane pulls back the curtain on the most famous and exclusive building and house in the United States, plus, on his close access to the nation's 44th President, from his time serving as President Barack Obama’s Senior Writer and Deputy Director of Messaging at the White House. Listen to his conversation with Michael on his book "West Winging It: An Un-presidential Memoir." Original air date 17 April 2018. The book was published on 17 April 2018.

Apr 17, 2023 • 20min
Sally Kohn: "The Opposite of Hate"
It is time to practice emotional, not political, correctness. And, it is time to bridge divides, and here is how to do it. So says writer Sally Kohn in "The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing Our Humanity." Listen to this engaging conversation with Michael and her in this episode. Original air date 12 April 2018. The book was published on 10 April 2018.