Book Club with Michael Smerconish
572 episodes — Page 1 of 12
Michael Lewis: "Blockers"
Malcolm Gladwell: "The American Way of Killing"
Gabriel Zucman: "We Need To Tax Billionaires"
Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY): "Go And Do Likewise"
Josh Tyrangiel: "AI For Good"
Dana Bash: "The Elections That Changed the World"
Tim Harford: "Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy"
Eric Zwick: "The Everywhere Millionaire"
Tara Bane: "Evolution Of A Heart"
Jim VandeHei: "Simplify"
James B. Steele Revisits "America: What Went Wrong" 35 Years Later
Jake Tapper: "The Hellfire Club"
Stephen Prothero: "Why Liberals Win the Culture Wars (Even When They Lose Elections)"
Paul Ryan: "The Way Forward"
Frederick J. Ryan Jr.: "The Civility Handbook"
Annie Jacobsen: "Biological War"
Maggie Haberman & Jonathan Swan: "Regime Change"
Julian Zelizer: "Burning Down The House"
Dr. Joseph Turow: "The Problem With Personalization"
Dr. Jared Horvath: "The Digital Delusion"
Tad Devine: "How The Democrats Screwed Bernie"
Doug Schoen & Carly Cooperman: "America: Unite Or Die"
Salena Zito: "The Great Revolt"
Rye Barcott: "Courage Can Save US"
Jeremy Bernard: "Treating People Well"
Dr. Ben Carson: "One Nation"
Lloyd Blankfein: "Streetwise"
Richard Louv: "Noticing"
Sharon McMahon: "We Are Mighty"
Andrew Guthrie Ferguson: "Your Data Will Be Used Against You"
Admiral James Stavridis: "2084"
Russell Muirhead: "A Lot of People Are Saying"
Dr. Nassir Ghaemi on The Psychology of Great Leaders: The Creative Power of Mental Illness
Susan Page: "The Queen and Her Presidents"
Robert Putnam Revisits "Bowling Alone" with The Mingle Project
Julian Zelizer: "The Presidency of Joseph R. Biden"
Sarah Isgur: "Last Branch Standing"
Jonathan Zimmerman: "Free Speech - And Why You Should Give A Damn"
Lanny Davis: "Finding The Third Way"
Melissa S. Kearney: "The Two-Parent Privilege"
Richard Louv: "Vitamin N"
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld: "Trump's Ten Commandments"
Mark Halperin & John Heilemann: "Double Down"
Seth Davis: "Wooden"
Ep 526David Pogue: "Apple"
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Ep 525Christopher Kennedy Lawford: "What Addicts Know"
Christopher Lawford passed away in 2018. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Ep 524Bob Crawford: "America's Founding Son"
The conversation delves into Adams’ fierce opposition to slavery, his role in shaping the Monroe Doctrine, and the striking political parallels between his era and today—from media polarization to debates over tariffs and national identity. Blending rigorous research with vivid storytelling, Crawford reintroduces one of America’s most complex leaders and makes the case for why John Quincy Adams’ legacy still matters now. Find America's Founding Son here! Bob Crawford is bassist for the Avett Brothers and co-host of The Road To Now podcast. He is also a guest host of The Michael Smerconish Program on SiriusXM. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Ep 523Dr. Debra Soh: "Sextinction"
Dr. Debra Soh is a neuroscientist who specializes in human sexuality and biological explanations for behavior. Find "Sextinction" here! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Ep 522Michael Shermer: "Truth"
Is America living in a “post-truth” era? In this episode of Book Club, Dr. Michael Shermer — founding publisher of Skeptic magazine and author of "Truth: What It Is, How to Find It, and Why It Still Matters" — joins Michael for a wide-ranging conversation about belief, evidence, and critical thinking in a complicated age. Shermer addresses the recent surge of UFO and UAP claims, explaining why decades of investigation have left him unconvinced of extraterrestrial visits. From conspiracy theories and alternative facts to AI-generated deepfakes and declining trust in institutions, the discussion explores how we determine what’s real — and why skepticism remains essential. Are we more gullible than ever? Can truth survive politics, social media, and artificial intelligence? And what does healthy skepticism actually look like? A thoughtful, timely conversation about how to separate fact from fiction — and why it still matters. Original air date 12 February 2026. The book was published on 27 January 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Ep 521Jean Becker & Tom Collamore: "Don't Tell The President"
What really goes into a presidential visit? In this episode of Book Club, Michael sits down with Jean Becker and Tom Collamore to discuss their new book, "Don’t Tell the President: The Best, Worst, and Mostly Untold Stories from Presidential Advance." From George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama, Becker and Collamore pull back the curtain on the high-stakes world of “advance” work — the behind-the-scenes operatives who plan every detail of a president’s public appearances. The conversation features unforgettable stories, including the controversy over a papal backdrop, the infamous Dukakis tank photo, assassination attempts on President Ford, a royal riser mishap with Queen Elizabeth II, and even Smerconish’s own unexpected detour into a Brussels brothel while advancing Vice President Bush. It’s a candid, entertaining, and revealing look at the moments that shaped presidential history — and the unsung professionals who made (and sometimes nearly broke) them. Original air date 11 February 2026. The book was published on 3 February 2026. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.