Book Club with Michael Smerconish

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 p...

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our c...

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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal da...

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...

In late 2017, scientists at a Hawaiian observatory glimpsed an object soaring through our inner solar system, moving so quickly that it could only have come from another star. Dr. Avi Loeb, the Frank B. Baird Jr. Professor of Science at Harvard University says there was only one conceivable explanation: the object was a piece of advanced technology created by a distant alien civilization. Hear the...

Michael's conversation with Thomas M. Bloch, the co-founder of the H&R Block tax preparation company, he is the subject of the book written by his son, "Many Happy Returns: The Story of Henry Bloch, America's Tax Man." Original air date 23 June 2015. Thomas Bloch passed away in 2019 at 96 years old. The book was published on 9 November 2010. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pc...

Shaped by the unique stories of his time in federal custody, Ken Smukler's "The JailBird Diet: Losing 100 Pounds and Finding Myself Behind Bars" takes the reader into the world of incarceration that challenges the mind, body, and spirit at every turn. A long time friend of Michael's, Smukler sits down in studio for a conversation on this book on his year in prison. Original air date 21 July 2023....

Michael's conversation with actor, comedian and activist D.L. Hughley on his book "Surrender, White People!: Our Unconditional Terms for Peace." Original air date 14 July 2020. The book was published on 30 June 2020. Check out two other interviews with D.L. Hughley, Episode #5 "How To Survive America" and Episode #219 "How Not To Get Shot." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm...

"Before I was 10 years old, I was sexually assaulted, twice." So begins Former NFL Star Femi Ayanbadejo's chapter that he wrote for Camille L. Miller's "The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Successful Soul Professional: 22 Powerful Growth Strategies for Upleveling Your Soul-Aligned Business." Hear Michael's conversation about his Femi's, an excerpt of which was shared at Smerconish.com. Original air d...

Prepare to be transported to the 1970s underground world of cults, celebrities, tabloid journalism, serial killers, disco, and UFOs. Bestselling author and CNN Anchor Jake Tapper joins Michael with his new book "All the Demons Are Here: A Thriller." Original air date 12 July 2023. The book was published on 11 July 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for info...

When is the last time you attended a worship service? For 40 million of us, the answer is, not in quite some time. Listen to Pastor Jim Davis, co-author of "The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back?" Davis is teaching pastor at Orlando Grace Church. Original air date 10 July 2023. The book will be published on 22 August 2023. Hosted by Simp...

Academy Award winning actor and activist Richard Dreyfuss is now very interested in civics, and is worried that civics is not taught in America much anymore - he joins Michael to talk about his latest book "One Thought Scares Me...: We Teach Our Children What We Wish Them to Know; We Don't Teach Our Children What We Don't Wish Them to Know." Original air date 6 July 2023. The book was published on...

The acclaimed author of An Unquiet Mind considers the age-old quest for relief from psychological pain and the role of the exceptional healer in the journey back to health. Hear Michael's conversation with Kay Redfield Jamison on her book "Fires in the Dark: Healing the Unquiet Mind." Original air date 6 July 2023. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for informati...

"A groundbreaking dive into the role psychedelics have played in the origins of Western civilization, and a real-life quest for the Holy Grail." Michael's conversation with attorney and author Brian Muraresku, on "The Immortality Key: The Secret History of the Religion with No Name." Original air date 9 October 2020. The book was published on 29 September 2020. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz com...

Bill Browder is the man responsible for the Magnitsky Act. With Russia in turmoil in 2023, Michael sits down with Browder on the news of the day of uprisings in Russia, all while the war in Ukraine continues - all themes that bring his 2015 book back to the forefront, "Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice." Original air date 27 June 2023. The book was p...

During a particularly heated week in the news where the dialogue became increasingly harsh, Michael spoke with Georgetown University Professor Christine Porath, on her book "Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace." Original air date 21 June 2018. The book was published on 27 December 2016. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our co...

Longtime journalist and bestselling author Del Quentin Wilber tells the inside story of how a homicide squad - a dedicated, colorful team of detectives just outside Washington, DC in Prince George's County, MD - does its almost impossible job. Listen to his conversation with Michael on "A Good Month for Murder: The Inside Story of a Homicide Squad." Original air date 16 June 2016. The book was pub...

Michael's conversation with bestselling author Kate Andersen Brower on "First in Line: Presidents, Vice Presidents, and the Pursuit of Power." Original air date 15 June 2018. The book was published on 5 June 2018. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael goes in-depth with John A. Gotti Jr, the former head of the Gambino Crime Family in the 1990s, a position he took over when his father, mobster John Gotti Sr was sent to prison. His book is "Shadow of My Father." Original air date 6 March 2015. The book was published on 27 February 2015. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collect...

Michael's conversation with Alexis Coe, author of "You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington." Original air date 11 May 2020. The book was published on 4 February 2020. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This story is the result of incredible reporting, and it is written like a thriller: "A young American lost in Russia. An FBI-cover up. A mystery leading from Washington to the heart of the Kremlin's war in Ukraine." Listen to Michael's conversation with Wall Street Journal National Security Reporter Brett Forrest, author of "Lost Son: An American Family Trapped Inside the FBI's Secret Wars." Orig...

Michael's conversation with Harvard Kennedy School Professor Thomas E. Patterson, author of "Is the Republican Party Destroying Itself? And why it needs to reclaim its conservative ideals." Original air date 10 July 2020. The book was published on 24 January 2020. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for...

New York Times Bestselling Author Lord Jeffrey Archer talks with Michael about his collection of short stories, "Tell Tale: Stories." Listen for a great conversation and learn about the insight into the people he has met, the stories he has come across and the countries he has visited. Original air date 10 November 2017. The book was published on 24 October 2017. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz c...