The Books We've Discussed ... So Far
Summaries and links for your perusal.
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Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious, by Ross Douthat
The respected Times columnist thinks everyone should be religious. Stan and Doug wish he had taken it a step further.
A Certain Idea of America: Selected Writings, by Peggy Noonan
Peggy waxes eloquent on the country she loves. “With all her harrowing flaws (we have always been a violent country, for instance) she deserves from us a feeling of profound protectiveness. Our great job as citizens is to shine it up a little, make it better, and hand it on, safely, to the generation that follows, and ask them to shine it up and hand it on.”
God on Stage: 15 Plays that Ask the Big Questions, by Peter Kreeft
Stan and Doug review master apologist and philosopher Peter Kreeft's insightful new book.
The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong’s Greatest Dissident, and China’s Most Feared Critic, by Mark L. Clifford
How Hong Kong's Jimmy Lai made a billion dollars, courageously stood against totalitarianism, and (just maybe) saved his soul. Stan and Doug review The Troublemaker.
Living in Wonder: Finding Mystery and Meaning in a Secular Age, by Rod Dreher
Rod Dreher's latest book, Living in Wonder, seeks to combat our culture's arid secularism, encouraging us to embrace the mystery all around us. Stan and Doug endorse the idea in general but suggest some specific cautions.
The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World, by Christine Rosen
Author Christine Rosen, in her book The Extinction of Experience, warns that our passion for digital technology is undermining our ability to live truly human lives.
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, by J.D. Vance
Stan and Doug take a (mostly) nonpolitical look at J.D. Vance's family memoir, Hillbilly Elegy.
The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War, by Erik Larson
Erik Larson's chronicle of the chaotic start of the Civil War raises uncomfortable questions about our own era.
Fundamentalists in the Public Square: Evolution, Alcohol, and Culture Wars after the Scopes Trial, by Madison Trammel
Did American fundamentalists go into a broad cultural retreat following the Scopes trial? Madison Trammel's new book, Fundamentalists in the Public Square: Evolution, Alcohol, and Culture Wars after the Scopes Trial, suggests that we take another look. Stan and Doug do just that in the latest episide.
Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up, by Abigail Shrier
Reviewing Bad Therapy, Stan and Doug ask why there is so much emotional distress in young people despite an ever-expanding therapeutic culture designed to eliminate it.
How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply, and Being Deeply Seen, by David Brooks
Stan and Doug wrestle with, question, and ultimately appreciate David Brooks's earnest new book on how to understand, encourage, and connect with our neighbors.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir, by Matthew Perry
Stan and Doug mine the late Matthew Perry's excruciating memoir and find some sobering lessons for the living.
The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World, by Dan Senor and Saul Singer
Israel, once again, is under attack. But Stan and Doug, looking at the timely new book The Genius of Israel, discuss some of the nation's unique strengths that allow it to weather almost any storm (and enjoy a high level of happiness to boot).
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder, by David Grann
The Wager explores empire, human madness, and really nasty weather, but Stan and Doug wish the book's style had been equal to its meticulous content and research.
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz, by Erik Larson
Stan and Doug rave over Erik Larson's page-turner of a biographical history.
Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain, by Andrew McCarthy
In Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain, Andrew McCarthy attempts to connect with his 19-year-old son, Sam, along the Camino de Santiago. Stan and Doug look at their secular pilgrimage and what it says about our own journeys.
Scalia: Rise to Greatness: 1936 to 1986, by James Rosen
Stan and Doug love Rosen's research and insights about the early life of the "Supreme Court's Pavarotti," but they wish there had been a little more editing on the book.
More Than I Imagined: What a Black Man Discovered About the White Mother He Never Knew, by John Blake
In a previous episode, Stan and Doug responded to John Blake's moving memoir about race and family, More Than I Imagined. In this one, John joins the discussion.
More Than I Imagined: What a Black Man Discovered About the White Mother He Never Knew, by John Blake
Stan and Doug look at John Blake's book, More Than I Imagined, and live to tell the tale!
Broken News: Why the Media Rage Machine Divides America and How to Fight Back, by Chris Stirewalt
Stan Guthrie and Doug LeBlanc explore Chris Stirewalt's critique of the topsy-turvy media landscape.