If Books Could Kill

By: Michael Hobbes & Peter Shamshiri
  • Summary

  • The airport bestsellers that captured our hearts and ruined our minds
    © 2025 If Books Could Kill
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Episodes
  • Of Boys And Men
    Mar 6 2025

    Who's to blame for the crisis of American masculinity? On the right, politicians tell men that they being oppressed by feminists and must reassert their manhood by supporting an authoritarian regime. And on the left, users of social media are often very irritating to people who write airport books.

    Where to find us:

    • Peter's newsletter
    • Peter's other podcast, 5-4
    • Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase

    Sources:

    • Conscientiousness as a Predictor of the Gender Gap in Academic Achievement
    • Gender Differences in Scholastic Achievement: A Meta-Analysis
    • Early Childhood Behavior Problems and the Gender Gap in Educational Attainment in the United States
    • Where The Boys Aren’t
    • The gender achievement gap in grades and standardised tests
    • The State of Gender Equality for U.S. Adolescents
    • Highlights of women’s earnings in 2023
    • The gender gap in educational outcomes in Norway
    • Social Influences And The Gender Gap In Disruptive Behavior
    • Family Disadvantage and the Gender Gap
    • What might interrupt men's suicide?
    • As Women Take Over a Male-Dominated Field, the Pay Drops
    • The Cost of Caring
    • Is Your Child Ready for Kindergarten?
    • Age of Entry to Kindergarten and Children’s Academic Achievement
    • The Effect of Age at School Entry on Reading Achievement Scores
    • Beyond the Pros and Cons of Redshirting
    • Self- Control and the Developing Brain
    • Importance of Sex Differences in Impulse Control and Addictions
    • It is a myth that boys lag behind in brain development

    Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

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    1 hr and 23 mins
  • You Are A Badass
    Jan 23 2025

    Peter and Michael dissect Jen Sincero's "You are a Badass," a book that answers the question: What if "The Secret" was written in the painful, try-hard style of "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck"? Featuring a surprise digression about Sincero's other, even worse books.

    Where to find us:

    • Peter's other podcast, 5-4
    • Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase

    Sources:

    • Savy Writes Books

    Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

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    59 mins
  • What's The Matter With Kansas?
    Dec 6 2024

    In 2004, historian Thomas Frank proposed a theory about the rightward drift of the white working class. Was he a prescient king whose work presaged the rise of Trump — or a bumbling fool with a broken thesis? Unfortunately it turns out he is a secret third thing that takes one hour and six minutes to explain.

    Special thanks to Julia Valdés for her help with this episode!

    Where to find us:

    • Peter's other podcast, 5-4
    • Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase

    Sources:

    • The Thesis That Drove American Politics Crazy: The Emerging Democratic Majority
    • What’s the Matter with What’s the Matter with Kansas?
    • Class is Dismissed
    • The White Working Class and the Democratic Party
    • It’s time to bust the myth: Most Trump voters were not working class.
    • How the diploma divide came to dominate American politics
    • The 'Diploma Divide': Does It Exist for Racial and Ethnic Minorities?
    • Blind Retrospection: Why Shark Attacks Are Bad For Democracy
    • Nationally poor, locally rich: Income and local context in the 2016 presidential election
    • Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government
    • Identity Crisis: The 2016 Presidential Campaign and the Battle for the Meaning of America
    • Political Landscapes of Donald Trump
    • The White Working Class and the 2016 Election
    • Partisanship by family income, home ownership, union membership and veteran status
    • The Elites Had It Coming
    • What Explains Educational Realignment Among White Americans?

    Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 6 mins

What listeners say about If Books Could Kill

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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

Funny and insightful

They critique some of my favorite books and some of my least favorite too. Well-reseached discussion with a side of humor.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Michael shines here doing what he's best at!

This is great content for those looking for a fact based breakdown of this social phenomenon. It even includes a Pierce Brosnan mention!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing podcast

Michael doing an excellent follow-up to his work on You're Wrong About. Warm, friendly, evidence-centric criticism.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Dazzling Book Reviews

Always informative… always fun!! I enjoy listening to and from work. Michael Hobbs, I love you!! You too, Peter!!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic

This made my work days fly by and it was hilarious and engaging with wonderful chemistry between Michael and Peter. Definitely feel like checking out their other podcasts

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    5 out of 5 stars

Great stuff

It doesn't hurt to take a critical look at the books that hold value in our society. Sociology is a really complicated subject and boiling it down to a few statistics in a book doesn't always work, even when it's neatly packaged. The show is funny in addition to educational which is my favorite kind of podcast.

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wow

Love all these podcasts. I know this isn't a podcast regarding reproductive rights but it would have been for Michael to mention that indigenous women are still having forced sterilization as well as other women in the present day here in the US. It isn't a past issue for us or the rest of the world sadly. I love how you guys can make me laugh so hard while learning about the most depressing shit. great work keep it up.

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Well.

I thoroughly enjoy this podcast. I paid for Patreon. Then episodes stopped showing up. I would continue listening and I would restart Patreon, but not if the episodes just stop?!

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.

This is the same superficial tripe they are railing about . Tearing apart a 25 year old book . Pseudo intellectual drivel . Don’t waste your time

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Karen vibe

I like the arguments they bring up on the matter of data analytics as well as the way they fact check the authors. But I can't get personal opinions they demonstrate. It is almost like the authors personally offended them. They give me the impression of a two neck bearded, purple headed Karen's, yelling to see the manager.

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