Books for Men

🎙 In the inaugural episode of "Sh*t I Tell My Friends", Douglas Vigliotti introduces a candid advice format inspired by real conversations with friends, while tackling the very concept of “advice” itself. He discusses the pitfalls of generic advice, emphasizing the importance of understanding who’s giving guidance and why. Vigliotti shares personal insights, highlights the value of vulnerability,...

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti kicks off 2026 by spotlighting Jonathan Lethem’s crime novel "Motherless Brooklyn." Vigliotti explores Lethem’s genre-blending career and the book’s unique and inventive protagonist, Lionel Essrog, a private investigator with Tourette’s syndrome. He discusses the novel’s plot, themes of found family, mentorship, loyalty, reinvention, and embracing differences, sharing favorite...

🎙 In this special year-end episode of "Books for Men," host Douglas Vigliotti shares his pop-up piece "One Plus One Doesn’t Equal Two" and reflects on embracing uncertainty and mystery in life. Vigliotti announces major updates for 2026: the podcast will focus exclusively on fiction, with a new "Advice for Men" series on alternate weeks. He discusses the unique value of fiction in an AI-driven wor...

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti offers an in-depth review of David Foster Wallace’s novel "Infinite Jest,” discussing the book’s complex structure, disparate narratives, and major themes of addiction, isolation, entertainment, and societal critique. Vigliotti shares his personal experience tackling its challenging length, prose, and style, and highlights the novel’s enduring relevance for today, noting that p...

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti discusses Woody Allen’s memoir, “Apropos of Nothing,” exploring Allen’s prolific filmmaking career, signature style, and comedic influences, while also addressing the controversies and allegations that have shaped public perception of Allen. Vigliotti emphasizes the importance of separating art from the artist and highlights the memoir’s humor, creative insights, and behind-the...

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti explores Jonathan Swift’s classic "Gulliver’s Travels." He discusses Swift’s background, his mastery of satire, and the novel’s four-part structure, highlighting its sharp social and political commentary. Vigliotti explains how the book’s original, serious themes are often misunderstood as mere children’s fantasy today. He encourages listeners to tackle the challenging prose fo...

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti reviews “Miles”, the autobiography of jazz legend Miles Davis. Vigliotti explores Davis’s life, musical legacy, and influence on jazz, highlighting key albums like “Birth of the Cool” and “Kind of Blue”, and sharing seven insightful quotes from Davis. He also briefly discusses the biopic “Miles Ahead”, what makes it different, and why he recommends it as a companion watch. As a...

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti compares Elmore Leonard’s novel “Get Shorty” with its film adaptation directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by Scott Frank for another edition of “Novel vs Movie”. Vigliotti shares background information on the author, director, and screenwriter and explores differences in tone, themes, and characterization, highlighting Leonard’s gritty crime writing versus the movie’s come...

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti dives into Pierre Bayard’s book "How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read." Vigliotti explores Bayard’s key ideas, such as the importance of understanding a book’s cultural context over having read it, and discusses concepts like one’s “inner library” and how it mingles with the collective discussion of a book or someone else’s inner library. He shares personal reflections, cri...

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti discusses Raymond Carver’s acclaimed short story collection, “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love”. Vigliotti explores Carver’s literary legacy, the collection’s minimalist style, and its nuanced portrayal of love’s complexities. He reflects on the editing process behind the book, shares personal insights on writing and relationships, and draws parallels to other works....

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti reviews “Phil” by Alan Shipnuck, an unauthorized biography of golfer Phil Mickelson. Vigliotti explores Mickelson’s career, personality, controversies—especially his involvement with LIV Golf—and the book’s blend of fact and interpretation. He discusses the author’s background, shares personal anecdotes, and reflects on themes of talent, risk, and resilience, highlighting Micke...

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti compares David Benioff’s novel "The 25th Hour" with its film adaptation directed by Spike Lee for another edition of “Novel vs Movie”. He explores the story of Monty Brogan, a drug dealer facing his last day of freedom, and discusses themes of regret, nostalgia, relationships, and the consequences of choices. Vigliotti highlights differences between the book’s pre-9/11 setting...

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti discusses “Ghosts of Hiroshima” by Charles Pellegrino, a nonfiction book blending science, history, and personal stories about the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Vigliotti highlights the book’s vivid eyewitness accounts from multiple angles of history, its exploration of the human impact of nuclear war, and why he recommends reading this book. He also shares so...

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti explores Sylvia Plath’s novel "The Bell Jar,” discussing the book’s publication history, Plath’s life, the novel’s semi-autobiographical nature, and its themes of mental illness, depression, identity, and societal pressures on women. Vigliotti highlights the powerful metaphor of “The Bell Jar”, shares personal reflections and meaningful quotes, and recommends related literature...

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti spotlights Darren Hardy’s “The Compound Effect”, a self-help book about the transformative power of small, consistent choices over time. Vigliotti discusses Hardy’s background, the book’s core message of personal agency, and shares how the concept of compounding influenced his own life. He encourages listeners to embrace daily actions for meaningful change, regardless of tradit...

🎙 In this slight tweak on “Novel vs Movie,” Douglas Vigliotti explores David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross”, comparing its original play, the 1992 film adaptation, and the written script. Vigliotti discusses the story’s themes of greed, morality, and self-interest, emphasizing the unique power of Mamet’s dialogue and the story’s lean nature. Spoiler alert: he argues that reading the script offers t...

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti offers an in-depth yet concise review of Larry McMurtry’s “Lonesome Dove,” discussing the novel’s plot, major themes of leaving home for a dream, sacrifice, loss, adventure, aging, and friendship, and explains why it stands as a must-read Western classic. Vigliotti compares the book to its mini-series adaptation, shares favorite quotes, and highlights McMurtry’s literary legacy...

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti dives into “An Actor Prepares” by Constantin Stanislavski, discussing Stanislavski’s lasting influence on acting, especially method acting, and explains why the book is valuable for actors, writers, and anyone interested in personal growth. Vigliotti highlights key concepts like emotional memory and authenticity, sharing how acting principles can enrich everyday life. He also o...

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti explores the horror genre for the first time by discussing Stephen King’s debut novel, “Carrie”. Vigliotti provides background on King’s prolific career, examines the novel’s themes of adolescent cruelty, isolation, and the struggle for power, and shares personal reflections on its emotional impact. He highlights memorable quotes and encourages listeners to revisit literary cla...

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti explores Mason Currey’s “Daily Rituals: How Artists Work”. He discusses Currey’s background, the book’s structure—161 short profiles of creative routines—and its diverse cast of famous artists, writers, and thinkers. Vigliotti highlights the importance of ritual for creatives, the individuality of creative processes, and his fascination with artists’ lives—making this episode a...

🎙 In this Special Edition episode of the "Books for Men” podcast, host Douglas Vigliotti shares his pop-up essay, “What is a Birthday Anyway?” Reflecting on his 39th birthday, he explores the meaning of birthdays, aging, ego, and societal pressure to feel “not enough.” Douglas encourages listeners to celebrate life itself, embrace self-acceptance, and reminds them to keep reading—and living—fully....

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti dives into Haruki Murakami’s acclaimed coming-of-age novel Norwegian Wood. Vigliotti offers a compelling introduction to the book, unpacking its atmospheric exploration of love, loss, mental illness, and the complexities of memory. He highlights Murakami’s life, literary legacy, and signature style, sharing thought-provoking quotes (spoiler-free) and examining why the novel res...

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti explores Hunter S. Thompson’s "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ‘72," spotlighting Thompson’s groundbreaking gonzo journalism and his own admiration for the author. Vigliotti unpacks the book’s sharp, scathing critique of American politics, its timeless relevance, and Thompson’s uncanny ability to get at the truth, along with his growing disillusionment with the politica...

🎙 Douglas Vigliotti discusses Ernest Hemingway’s classic novella, “The Old Man and the Sea”. He explores Hemingway’s life, literary influence, and the novella’s enduring themes of perseverance, luck, and the human condition. Vigliotti shares favorite quotes and reflects on the importance of process over outcome, encouraging listeners to embrace resilience, engage with great literature, and to neve...

🎙 In this Special Edition episode of the "Books for Men” podcast, host Douglas Vigliotti celebrates the podcast’s third anniversary and reflects on the show’s journey since August 2022, sharing gratitude for listeners and highlighting key milestones. He reviews three years of episode types, favorite books, and standout episodes, inviting listeners to reach out with collaboration opportunities and...