Book Club with Michael Smerconish

After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on many measures. Why? Phone-based childhoods. Michael talks to social psychologist and bestselling author Jonathan Haidt, on his book "The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness." Original air date 25 March 2024. The book was published on 26 March 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael had the opportunity to speak with Former Vice President Al Gore on his WPHT radio program in 2006. The interview did not quite go as planned - he reminisces in this episode, on the book "Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It." Original air date 2006, The book was published in 2006. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

So much has happened in the world surrounding FOX News, Donald Trump, and Roger Ailes since the paperback version of this book by Gabriel Sherman came out in early 2017, including Ailes passing away just a few months later in May 2017. Listen to Michael's and Sherman's conversation about "The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News--and Divided a Country." Original air date 16 February 2017. The updated paperback version was published 14 February 2017, and the book was originally published in 2014. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nathan Raab, America’s preeminent rare documents dealer, describes his years as the Sherlock Holmes of historical artifacts—questing after precious finds and determining their authenticity—and he shows us what the past can tell us about the present, in "The Hunt for History: On the Trail of the World's Lost Treasures―from the Letters of Lincoln, Churchill, and Einstein to the Secret Recordings Onboard JFK's Air Force One." Original air date 11 March 2020. The book was published on 10 March 2020. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The widening gulf between rural and urban America is becoming the most serious political divide of our day. Support for Democrats, up and down the ballot, has plummeted throughout the countryside, and the entire governing system is threatened by one-party dominance. Is the country splintering between two very different Americas―one rural, one urban? Michael talks to Colby College Professors Nicholas F. Jacobs and Daniel M. Shea, authors of "The Rural Voter: The Politics of Place and the Disuniting of America." Original air date 15 March 2024. The book was published on 21 November 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From the acclaimed authors of the runaway New York Times bestseller "2034" comes another explosive work of speculative fiction set twenty years further in the future, at a moment when a radical leap forward in artificial intelligence combines with America’s violent partisan divide to create an existential threat to the country, and the world. Retired US Navy Admiral James Stavridis, a long-time friend of the show, is co-author (with Elliot Ackerman) of "2054: A Novel." Original air date 12 March 2024. The book was published 12 March 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From the moment she first appeared as a young princess, Queen Elizabeth II fascinated the world. And, the late Queen had a special relationship with the United States. Times of London U.S. Editor David Charter joins Michael with his new book, "Royal Audience: 70 Years, 13 Presidents--One Queen's Special Relationship with America." Original air date 11 March 2024. The book was published on 5 March 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"Warnings: Finding Cassandras to Stop Catastrophes" is the story of the future of national security, threatening technologies, the U.S. economy, and possibly the fate of civilization. In Greek mythology Cassandra foresaw calamities, but was cursed by the gods to be ignored. Modern-day Cassandras clearly predicted the disasters of Katrina, Fukushima, the Great Recession, the rise of ISIS, the spread of viruses and many more. Like the mythological Cassandra, they were ignored. Listen to Michael's conversation with former government national security official Richard Clarke. Original air date 8 June 2017. The book was published on 23 May 2017. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

“How can the NCAA blithely wreck careers without regard to due process or common fairness? How can it act so ruthlessly to enforce rules that are so petty? Why won’t anybody stand up to these outrageous violations of American values and American justice?” In 2012, Joe Nocera asked those questions, and then in 2016, wrote this book, "Indentured: The Inside Story of the Rebellion Against the NCAA." And in the years since this book came out and this great conversation with Michael, some of the payment rules for college athletes eased up starting in 2021. Original air date 15 March 2016. The book was published on 16 February 2016. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a divided America, the biggest solvable problem fueling political extremism and dysfunction is hiding in plain sight: party primaries. The Primary Solution shows how to fix them. Michael talks to Nick Troiano, Executive Director of Unite America, on his book "The Primary Solution: Rescuing Our Democracy from the Fringes." Original air date 28 February 2024. The book was published on 27 February 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Peter Singer is often described as the world's most influential philosopher. He is also one of its most controversial. Listen to Michael's conversation with the Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, on the book, "Ethics In The Real World: 82 Brief Essays On Things That Matter." Original air date: 13 September 2016. The book was published 13 September 2016. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A remarkably poignant writer for our troubled times, Patti Davis writes about love, loss, and the power of redemption in this poetic letter to her long-gone parents. The daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan talks to Michael about her book "Dear Mom and Dad: A Letter About Family, Memory, and the America We Once Knew." Original air date 22 February 2024. The book was published on 6 February 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A fascinating examination of what “the pursuit of happiness” meant to our nation’s Founders and how that famous phrase defined their lives and became the foundation of our democracy. Listen to Michael's conversation with National Constitution Center President Jeffrey Rosen about "The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America." Original air date 21 February 2024. The book was published on 13 February 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What determines your race? Is it your DNA? The community in which you were raised? The way others see you or the way you see yourself? With "In Full Color: Finding My Place in a Black and White World", Rachel Doležal describes the path that led her from being a child of white evangelical parents to an NAACP chapter president and respected educator and activist who identifies as Black. Original air date 31 March 2017. The book was published on 28 March 2017. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael speaks with Peter Wehner about his book "The Death of Politics: How to Heal Our Frayed Republic After Trump." The New York Times opinion writer, media commentator, outspoken Republican and Christian critic of the Trump presidency offers a spirited defense of politics and its virtuous and critical role in maintaining our democracy and what he believes we must do to save it before it is too late. Original air date 6 June 2019. The book was published on 4 June 2019. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York Times Bestselling author Lisa Scottoline joins Michael with her 2008 hit novel "Lady Killer." Mary DiNunzio is a trademark Lisa Scottoline heroine—she's strong, she's smart, and she's got plenty of attitude. She's become a big-time business-getter, and the last person she expects to walk into her office one morning—in mile-high stilettos—is super sexy Trish Gambone, her high school rival. Mary is forced to confront some very uncomfortable truths about her own past, and the profound effects of lifelong love—and hate. Original air date 20 March 2008. The book was published on 19 February 2019. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Free Range Kids has become a national movement, sparked by the incredible response to Lenore Skenazy's piece about allowing her 9-year-old ride the subway alone in NYC. Parent groups argued about it, bloggers, blogged, spouses became uncivil with each other, and the media jumped all over it. Michael and Lenore revisit her book "Free-Range Kids, Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry." Original air date 3 May 2023. The book was published on 20 April 2009. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On February 4, 1974, Patty Hearst, a sophomore in college and heiress to the Hearst Family fortune, was kidnapped by a ragtag group of self-styled revolutionaries calling itself the Symbonese Liberation Army. The weird turns that followed in this already sensational take are truly astonishing--listen to bestselling author Jeffrey Toobin talking to Michael about "American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst." The book portrays the electrifying lunacy of the time and the toxic mic of sex, politics, and violence that swept up Patty Hearst and captivated the nation. Original air date: 18 August 2016. The book was published: 2 August 2016. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From one of the world's foremost experts on the subject, a powerful argument that the greatest damage from drugs flows from their being illegal, and a hopeful reckoning with the possibility of their use as part of a responsible and happy life. Michael talks with Dr. Carl Hart, Professor at Columbia University, about his book "Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our kids are being raised disconnected from natural outdoor environments, for a variety of reasons like technology addictions, fears and dangers of being alone outside and many more. Michael welcomes Richard Louv, author of "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder." As children’s connections to nature diminish and the social, psychological, and spiritual implications become apparent, Mr. Louv highlights that new research shows that nature can offer powerful therapy for such maladies as depression, obesity, and attention deficit disorder. Original air date June 2007. The book was originally published on 15 April 2005. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kate Andersen Brower, New York Times bestselling author, gives us an an intimate, news-making look at the true modern power brokers at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: the First Ladies, from Jackie Kennedy to Michelle Obama and Melania Trump. Listen to Michael's conversation with her on "First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies." Original air date 21 April 2016. The book was published on 12 April 2016. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From the archives, Michael's conversation with journalist Bob Woodward on his #1 New York Times Bestselling book "State of Denial: Bush At War", which examines how the George W. Bush administration avoided telling the truth about Iraq to the public, to Congress, and often to themselves. This conversation is from 2006, around when the book was published. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael attended a talk at the Union League of Philadelphia called "James Bond Beyond The Cold War" and so enjoyed what he heard that he welcomed Dr. Ronald Granieri in for a conversation on the book he has co-authored, "The Bondian Cold War (Routledge Studies in Espionage and Culture)." Original air date 26 January 2024. The book was published on 1 September 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A fascinating, first-of-its-kind journey through the making of America's most complex, intriguing, and popular game. Michael's conversation with ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio, who explores just how crucial football is to understanding the American psyche. Original air date 16 September 2008. The book was published on 1 September 2008. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Longtime journalist and satirist P.J. O'Rourke with Michael on his book "The Baby Boom: How It Got That Way...And It Wasn't My Fault...And I'll Never Do It Again..." Mr. O'Rourke passed away in February 2022. Original air date 28 January 2014. The book was published on 07 January 2014. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Height? Skill? Wealth? What is the most useful trait when looking to become an NBA player. Seth Stephens-Davidowitz joins Michael to discuss this question in his new book: "Who Makes the NBA?: Data-Driven Answers to Basketball's Biggest Questions." Original air date 19 January 2024. The book was published December 8 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It was just before he decided to run for President in the 2012 cycle: Listen to Michael's conversation with former Governor & Senator Mitt Romney, on his book "No Apology: The Case for American Greatness." Original air date 6 April 2010. The book was published on 2 March 2010. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Veteran Jack Lucas, who served in the Marines during World War 2 joins Michael to discuss his book "Indestructible: The Unforgettable Story of a Marine Hero at the Battle of Iwo Jima." Original air date 21 May 2007. The book was published 1 May 2006. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bestselling author Brad Meltzer joins Michael to discuss his new book "I Am Ruth Bader Ginsburg" which is part of his award-winning 'Ordinary People Change The World' series. Original air date 8 January 2024. The book was published on 9 January 2024. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Decision strategist, professional poker champion and author Annie Duke joins Michael to discuss her life, career, and book "Thinking In Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts." Original air date: 09 February 2018. The book was published on 6 February 2018. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Journalist and bestselling author Ted Gup writes on a broad range of American institutions, exposing how and why they keep secrets from the very people they are supposed to serve. Drawing on original reporting and startling analysis, Gup argues that a preoccupation with secrets has undermined the very values—security, patriotism, privacy, the national interest—in whose name secrecy is so often invoked. Listen to his conversation with Michael on his book "Nation of Secrets: The Threat to Democracy and the American Way of Life." Original air date 29 May 2007. The book was published on 29 May 2007. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Winding back the clock, today's book club podcast Michael is joined by Maya Angelou an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She discusses her book "Letter To My Daughter." Original Air Date: September 2008. The book was published on 23 September 2008. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From the acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Make Your Bed—a short, inspirational book about the qualities of true, everyday heroes. Listen to Michael talk to Admiral William McRaven about "The Hero Code: Lessons Learned from Lives Well Lived." Original air date 15 April 2021. The book was published on 13 April 2021. 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 Michael's conversation with Jane Leavy, the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Boy and Sandy Koufax, author of "The Big Fella: Babe Ruth and the World He Created" - the definitive biography of Babe Ruth—the man Roger Angell dubbed "the model for modern celebrity." Original air date 14 December 2018. The book was published on 16 October 2018. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Grateful Dead is one of Michael's favorite bands - listen to his conversation with legendary bass player Phil Lesh, on his book "Searching for the Sound: My Life with the Grateful Dead." Original air date April 2006. The book was published on 25 April 2006. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Liz Cheney served as a member of Congress from 2017 to 2023, rising to chair the House Republican Conference until her stand against the January 6th insurrection caused her party to strip away that role, and led to her defeat in the 2022 primary election. An attorney and national security specialist, Cheney previously worked in Eastern Europe, Russia, Ukraine and the Middle East while serving in the State Department during the George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush administrations. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael is joined by American anthropologist and author Chip Colwell to discuss his new book "Stuff: Humanity's Epic Journey from Naked Ape to Nonstop Shopper." Original air date 11 December 2023. The book was published on 16 November 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Comedian Joan Rivers passed away in 2014. In 2018, her daughter published this great book "Joan Rivers Confidential: The Unseen Scrapbooks, Joke Cards, Personal Files, and Photos of a Very Funny Woman Who Kept Everything." Listen to Michael's conversation with Melissa Rivers, right as the MeToo movement was underway, and what would her mom have said about it? Original air date 11 January 2018. The book was published on 24 September 2017. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

An incredible homage to the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of the book business in the 20th century. Book publisher Buz Teacher, co-founder of Running Press, joins Michael to discuss his new book "Among Friends: An Illustrated Oral History of American Book Publishing and Bookselling in the 20th Century." Original Air Date 06 December 2023. The book was published on 23 September 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How the American financial system lost its way, and how it can right its course...from deep in Michael's archives, a conversation with the founder and former CEO of Vanguard Jack C. Bogle, on his book "The Battle for the Soul of Capitalism." Mr. Bogle passed away in 2019. Original air date 8 November 2005. The book was published on 1 November 2005. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Legendary Philadelphia sports talk radio host Angelo Cataldi, now retired, is out with a great new book and joins Michael to talk about "Angelo Cataldi: LOUD: How a Shy Nerd Came to Philadelphia and Turned up the Volume in the Most Passionate Sports City in America." Original air date 30 November 2023. The book was published on 28 November 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From his days on local radio in Philadelphia, Michael spoke with former California Governor and Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger about the news of the day (2012 election, remember Mitt Romney's campaign?), and his book "Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story." Also in the conversation are TC, and Michael's former producer at WPHT Greg Stocker. Original air date 8 October 2012. The book was published on 1 October 2012. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael has to physically touch the New York Times every day. The newsprint in his hands - its the only paper he has a copy of. It's a newspaper that has seen massive changes over the past four decades. Listen to Adam Nagourney, National Political Reporter for the Times, talk about his book "The Times: How the Newspaper of Record Survived Scandal, Scorn, and the Transformation of Journalism." Original air date 21 November 2023. The book was published on 26 September 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael's conversation with former President Jimmy Carter on his book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid." The conversation is followed up by reaction from Harvard Professor Alan Dershowitz, who has differing opinions than President Carter - an interesting listen nearly 20 years later. Original air date 30 November 2006. The book was published on 16 November 2006. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Quite the conversation here from the archives: In October 2013 just before the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy Assassination, Michael hosted former MN Governor Jesse Ventura in front of a live studio audience in New York, on his new book "They Killed Our President: 63 Reasons to Believe There Was a Conspiracy to Assassinate JFK." Original air date 1 October 2013. The book was published on 1 January 2013. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael is joined by journalist and author, Brian Stelter to discuss his new book "Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for American Democracy." It tells the story of how Fox News paid almost a billion dollars in legal settlements to bury the contents of this explosive account of the network’s attempts to manipulate the truth. Original air date: 16 November 2023. The book was published on 14 November 2023. 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 New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Garrett M. Graff with his new book, "UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government's Search for Alien Life Here―and Out There." Listen to this interview about the first comprehensive and eye-opening exploration of our government’s decades-long quest to solve one of humanity’s greatest mysteries: Are we alone in the universe? Original air date 15 November 2023. The book was published on 14 November 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bestselling author and New York Times Columnist David Brooks joins the podcast to discuss his new book "How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen," which pulls from his own observations and research and dives into the topic of human connection and its importance in today's society. Original Air Date 14 November 2023. The book was published on 24 October 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Former New Jersey Governor James E. McGreevey, who in 2004 came out as gay and resigned from office, is back in the news, now announcing (in November 2023) that he is running for Mayor of Jersey City, NJ. In 2006, Michael spoke with him about his candid memoir, "The Confession." The book was published on 19 September 2006. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael talks with New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille on his new novel "Blood Lines." The story features the return of Army CID Special Agents Brodie and Taylor who are on the hunt for the cold-blooded murderer of one of their fellow agents. Original air date 10 November 2023. The book was published on 10 October 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.