Book Club with Michael Smerconish

Was Havana Syndrome the result of a secret weapon, mass hysteria, or a government cover-up? Michael talks with 60 Minutes investigative producers Michael Rey and Oriana Zill about their new book, "The Havana Syndrome: Secret Weapons, a Government Cover-Up, and the Greatest Spy Mystery of Our Time." After nine years of investigating mysterious illnesses affecting American diplomats, intelligence of...

Bestselling author Michael Lewis joins Michael Smerconish to discuss his new book, "Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State", an inside look at the people and forces reshaping the federal government during Trump’s second term. Lewis examines DOGE, Elon Musk’s role, the sidelining of career civil servants, and whether the highly publicized hunt for “waste, fraud and abuse” was ultimately a distraction f...

Michael sits down with bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell to discuss his new book," The American Way of Killing: The Invention of an Epidemic." Gladwell challenges conventional thinking about America’s relationship with guns, the meaning of the Second Amendment, and why lethal violence is so much more common in the United States than in other countries. They explore the difference between crime a...

Gabriel Zucman is Professor of economics at the Paris School of Economics and Ecole normale supérieure – PSL, Summer Research Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and founding Director of the International Tax Observatory. He is the author of articles published in journals such as the Quarterly Journal of Economics, the American Economic Review, the Review of Economic Studies, and...

Is Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear preparing for a presidential run? Michael sits down with Beshear to discuss his memoir, Go and Do Likewise, and the faith and values that shape his approach to politics. From winning as a Democrat in deep-red Kentucky to abortion, LGBTQ+ issues, guns, Trump, democratic socialism and political civility, Beshear explains his governing philosophy—and opens up about t...

Most of what we hear about artificial intelligence is a warning. Josh Tyrangiel went looking for the other side of the story. Michael talks with the author of "AI for Good: How Real People Are Using Artificial Intelligence to Fix Things That Matter" about how AI is already helping teachers, doctors, hospitals, cities, and government agencies solve real-world problems. The key, Tyrangiel argues, is...

CNN Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash joins Michael to discuss her new book, "The Elections That Changed the World: Fifteen Pivotal Moments That Shaped How We Live" co-written with David Fisher. Listen and learn about pivotal elections whose consequences reached far beyond the ballot box—from Winston Churchill’s stunning 1945 defeat and the little-known vote that helped elevate Martin Luther...

Hear Tim Harford discuss his book "The Data Detective" in episode #433. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Michael talks with University of Chicago economist Eric Zwick, co-author of "The Everywhere Millionaire: Who Is Really Rich in America and How They Got There", about the surprising people who hold much of America’s wealth. Zwick explains how Main Street entrepreneurs—from car dealers and contractors to restaurant and franchise owners—are quietly building fortunes across the country, and what their...

Michael Smerconish speaks with Tara Bayne about her memoir, "Evolution of a Heart: From the Darkness of 9/11 to Rebuilding a Life and Finding Joy." Bayne lost her husband, Michael, in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. She shares the painful story of that day, the grief and unanswered questions that followed, and how yoga, ritual, art, and the Garden of Reflection helped her rebuild a l...

Michael Smerconish talks with Axios co-founder Jim VandeHei about "Simplify: Do 50% More With 50% Less", his new book co-authored with Mike Allen and Roy Schwartz. They explore how to cut unnecessary meetings, decisions and distractions, reclaim valuable time, and focus on what really matters—in work and in life. Original air date 8 September 2026. The book publish date is 15 September 2026. Hoste...

Michael Smerconish sits down with Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist James B. Steele to revisit "America: What Went Wrong?", the landmark 1991 bestseller he co-authored with the late Donald Barlett. More than three decades later, Steele explains why their warnings about the hollowing out of the middle class, Wall Street excess, tax policy, lost manufacturing jobs, pensions, and growin...

Michael talks with CNN’s Jake Tapper about The Hellfire Club, Tapper’s bestselling debut novel set in the political intrigue of 1950s Washington. Tapper discusses the real history woven into the thriller, its echoes of modern politics, the secret society that inspired the story, and why writing fiction proved more challenging than nonfiction. Original air date 23 May 2018. The book was published o...

Michael sits down with Boston University religion professor Stephen Prothero to discuss his book "Why Liberals Win the Culture Wars (Even When They Lose Elections)". In this 2016 conversation, Prothero traces America’s long history of cultural conflict and explains why battles over religion, abortion, same-sex marriage, immigration, and the Supreme Court can energize conservatives politically—even...

From the archives, in 2014 Michael spoke with Congressman Paul Ryan to discuss "The Way Forward: Renewing The American Idea." Hear Ryan’s reflections on conservatism, poverty, entitlement reform, and the future of the Republican Party. Ryan also looks back on the 2012 presidential campaign, the influence of Jack Kemp, and, Michael asked him back then about his plans for the 2016 election, before D...

Michael sits down with Frederick J. Ryan Jr., former chief of staff to Ronald Reagan and chair of the Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, to ask whether America can find common ground again. From Reagan and Tip O’Neill to social media outrage, sports, Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart, Ryan shares lessons from the new Civility Handbook on rebuilding connection in a deeply divided country. Ho...

Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen joins Michael to discuss her chilling new book, "Biological War: A Scenario." Drawing on interviews with top military, intelligence, and public health experts, Jacobsen explores how a single lab leak could trigger global catastrophe, the ethics of gain-of-function research, and why the threat of biological warfare may be far more real than most people realize...

Michael Smerconish talks with New York Times White House correspondents Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan about their book "Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump." Drawing on more than 1,000 interviews, they examine how Trump returned to the White House better prepared, more powerful and more willing to test the limits of presidential authority—and what makes his second ter...

Michael Smerconish speaks with Princeton historian Dr. Julian Zelizer about "Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party." Zelizer explores how Gingrich used confrontation, cable television, and talk radio to transform Republican politics—and help set the stage for the Trump era. They also discuss Gingrich’s rapid rise in Washington, his p...

Michael sits down with media scholar Dr. Joseph Turow to discuss his new book, "The Problem with Personalization: How Advertisers Learned to Make and Break Us from Ancient Times to the AI Age." Their conversation explores how AI, advertisers, and tech platforms are reshaping not only our privacy, but our perception of the world. Turow explains how hyper-personalized media and marketing could erode...

Michael speaks with neuroscientist and educator Dr. Jared Horvath about his provocative book, "The Digital Delusion:How Classroom Technology Harms Our Kids' Learning–and How to Help Them Thrive Again." Drawing on cognitive science and classroom data, Horvath argues that the widespread use of laptops, tablets, and other digital devices in schools is harming students' ability to learn, remember, and...

Tad Devine, chief strategist for Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign, joins Michael Smerconish to discuss his book, "How the Democrats Screwed Bernie." Devine argues that the Democratic establishment tilted the primary process against Sanders, examines the role of superdelegates and party leadership, and explains why he believes Bernie could have defeated Donald Trump. It's a candid convers...

Michael Smerconish sits down with veteran pollster Douglas Schoen and political strategist Carly Cooperman to discuss their book, "America: Unite or Die: How to Save Our Democracy." They examine the growing political polarization threatening America's democratic institutions, debate the responsibilities of both the left and the right, and outline practical reforms—including ranked-choice voting, r...

In this 2018 conversation, Michael sits down with journalist Salena Zito to discuss "The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics", her bestselling book exploring the voters who propelled Donald Trump to the White House. Zito explains the seven voter archetypes she identified across key Rust Belt states, why so many political analysts misunderstood Trump's coalition,...

Marine Corps veteran and social entrepreneur Rye Barcott joins Michael to talk about his new book "Courage Can Save Us: Ten Extraordinary Americans and the Fight for Our Future." Hear them discuss why courage, service, and principled leadership are more important than ever. Drawing on the stories of ten veterans who have put country before party, Barcott explains how military service fosters bipar...