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If Books Could Kill

If Books Could Kill

By: Michael Hobbes & Peter Shamshiri
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 The airport bestsellers that captured our hearts and ruined our minds© 2026 If Books Could Kill Art Literary History & Criticism Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Bullshit Jobs

    Bullshit Jobs
    Mar 5 2026

    Peter and Michael discuss "Bullshit Jobs" by anarchist anthropologist David Graeber. The result: two professional podcasters debating which jobs are real and which jobs are fake.

    Where to find us:

    • Our Patreon
    • Our merch!
    • Peter's newsletter
    • Peter's other podcast, 5-4
    • Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase

    Sources:

    • On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs: A Work Rant
    • 37% of British workers think their jobs are meaningless
    • Average Annual Hours Worked by Persons Engaged for United States
    • The times they are not changin’: Days and hours of work in Old and New Worlds, 1870–2000
    • ‘Bullshit’ After All? Why People Consider Their Jobs Socially Useless
    • Alienation Is Not ‘Bullshit’: An Empirical Critique of Graeber’s Theory of BS Jobs
    • Many people feel they work in pointless ‘bullshit’ jobs, research confirms
    • The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure
    • Study: Leisure Time Declines
    • USA Consumption as percent of GDP
    • The Significance of Task Significance: Job Performance Effects, Relational Mechanisms, and Boundary Conditions
    • Task significance and meaningful work: A longitudinal study
    • Americans’ job satisfaction in 2024

    Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
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    1 hr
  • The Millionaire Next Door

    The Millionaire Next Door
    Feb 5 2026

    It turns out that the key to wealth is buying the right kind of watch, marrying the right kind of wife and being the right kind of white.

    Where to find us:

    • Our Patreon
    • Our merch!
    • Peter's newsletter
    • Peter's other podcast, 5-4
    • Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase

    Sources:

    • Uneasy Street
    • A Century of Wealth In America
    • Family, Education, and Sources of Wealth among the Richest Americans, 1982–2012
    • Wealth Elite Moralities
    • The insane growth of America’s millionaire class
    • The Extraordinary Rise In The Wealth Of Older American Households
    • Planning & Progress Study 2025
    • Striking Out on Their Own: The Self-Employed in Bankruptcy
    • How Many Households Meet The Net Worth Guidelines Of The Millionaire Next Door?
    • Paying Tribute to Thomas Stanley and His ‘Millionaire Next Door’
    • Pity the Billionaires
    • What Rich Women Want
    • The deserving or undeserving rich?
    • The Evolution of Top Incomes

    Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 11 mins
  • The Worst Takes of 2025 [TEASER]

    The Worst Takes of 2025 [TEASER]
    Dec 29 2025

    The boys catalog the definitive worst takes of the year, from the pundits who misunderstood our political moment to a guy who wants to have sex with a computer.

    To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
All stars
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I don’t normally listen to podcasts but saw a friend recommend this so I gave it a listen and I’m so glad I did! It’s so entertaining and both hosts are hilarious, engaging and very knowledgeable. I just genuinely enjoyed listening to them and learned so much about these books that really shocked and fascinated me. Please keep this series going!

I laughed, I seethed, I learned, I was in awe…

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writing words so I can submit my review without having to think anymore about this

cutting, funny but really insightful

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I love the tone and content of this podcast; the hosts have great chemistry, it's clever, well-researched and hilarious; and even though they have a capital P Position on the works, you genuinely feel they try to be fair in critiquing them. I also love how contemporary the show is (I am sure this will age well). Binge listening at the moment, and discovering works I might not otherwise have considered. Love love it.

Like being on the couch listening to your bestbuds

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Ive made this into an excellent BINGO card w all my pals who listen - Law of attraction? They mention not being qualified to speak on a subject then plow on? Pronunciation nitpickery? Bingo, baby

yummy snarky critical analysis

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