Book Club with Michael Smerconish
Episodes
Andy Webb: "DIANARAMA"
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
British journalist Andy Webb joins Michael to discuss his explosive new book, "Dianarama: Deception, Entrapment, Cover-Up: The Betrayal of Princess Di...
Roger Stone, "The Man Who Killed Kennedy: The Case Against LBJ"
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Political Strategist, Roger Stone, joins Michael to discuss his provocative book, "The Man Who Killed Kennedy: The Case Against LBJ." Stone outlines w...
NEW REVELATIONS: Gerald Posner Revisits 'Case Closed' and 'Killing the Dream'
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK" was first published in 1993."Killing the Dream : James Earl Ray and the Assassination of...
Larry Magid: "The Philadelphia Music Book" and Live Aid 40 Years Ago
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this wide ranging conversation, Larry Magid shares candid reflections about artists at their peak, surprising backstage moments, the rise and fall ...
Chris Matthews: "Lessons From Bobby"
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Robert F. Kennedy’s 100th birthday, Chris Matthews joins Michael for an in-depth conversation on why RFK’s legacy still matters today. With rar...
Codie Sanchez: "Main Street Millionaire"
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael sits down with Codie Sanchez—entrepreneur, investor, and author of "Main Street Millionaire"—to unpack the surprising wealth hidden in “...
Andrew Ross Sorkin: "1929"
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael sits down with NYT's Journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin to discuss his riveting new book, "1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History--...
Alex DeMille: "The Tin Men"
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special Book Club episode, Michael reflects on the life and legacy of his late friend and favorite novelist, Nelson DeMille, the master of the...
Scott Galloway: "Notes on Being a Man"
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What you'll hear in this episode:-Why young men are struggling: friendship decline, school/labor trends, and mental health-The case for “leaving the...
Stephen Dubner: "Freakonomics" (20th Anniversary Special)
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to Michael's original 5-part-series interview with co-author Steven Levitt from 2005 here! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.ad...
Joe Manchin: "Dead Center"
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Former Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) joins Michael to discuss his memoir, "Dead Center: In Defense of Common Sense." Together, they explore the deep divi...
John Malone: "Born To Be Wired"
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this fascinating conversation, Michael Smerconish sits down with legendary media mogul John Malone — Chair of Liberty Media, Liberty Broadband, a...
Nate Soares: "If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies"
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael talks with Nate Soares, co-author of "If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All", about the alarming risks of ad...
Dr. Ben Rein: "Why Brains Need Friends"
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Rein, PhD, is an award-winning neuroscientist, chief science officer of the Mind Science Foundation, adjunct lecturer at Stanford University, clin...
Betty Medsger: "The Burglary"
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael speaks with journalist and author Betty Medsger about her book "The Burglary: The Discovery of J. Edgar Hoover’s Secret FBI." Medsger recoun...
David Paul Kuhn: "The Hardhat Riot"
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Book Club with Michael Smerconish, Michael sits down with journalist and author David Paul Kuhn to discuss his book The Hardhat...
Bill McKibben: "Here Comes the Sun"
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Smerconish invites environmentalist and author Bill McKibben to the program to discuss McKibben's new book "Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance ...
Jeffrey Selingo: "Dream School"
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Together, Michael and Jeffrey unpack the myths of scarcity, the pitfalls of the Common App, and the immense pressure students face in today’s admiss...
David Shimer: "Rigged"
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael speaks with David Shimer, author of "Rigged: America, Russia, and One Hundred Years of Covert Electoral Interference." Shimer traces a century...
Elie Honig: "When You Come At The King"
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael welcomes back CNN senior legal analyst and former federal prosecutor Elie Honig to discuss his brand-new book "When You Come at the King: Insi...
A conversation 18 years in the making: Richard Louv on "Last Child In The Woods"
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to Episode #340 from 2007Richard Louv is co-founder of the Children & Nature Network. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz...
Kevin Flynn: "102 Minutes"
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From the Spring of 2005, Michael's conversation with Kevin Flynn, co-author of "102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin ...
Stephen Starring Grant: "Mailman"
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When the pandemic hit, Stephen Grant — a married father of two recently diagnosed with cancer — lost his corporate job and urgently needed health ...
Dr. Jean Twenge: "10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World"
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Listen here to Episode #27: Michael's 2017 conversation with Dr. Jean Twenge about "iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebelli...
Barton Gellman: "Dark Mirror: Edward Snowden and the American Surveillance State"
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From the archives, Michael’s conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Barton Gellman, on his book “Dark Mirror: Edward Snowden and the Amer...
Michael Bamberger: "The Man Who Heard Voices"
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael's conversation with longtime sportswriter and bestselling author Michael Bamberger, author of "The Man Who Heard Voices: Or, How M. Night Shya...
Gerry Spence: "Bloodthirsty Bitches and Pious Pimps of Power"
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Upon hearing of Gerry Spence's passing away at 96 years old this week, we remembered this conversation from deep in the archives, with the trial attor...
Ray Didinger: "Finished Business"
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael spoke with longtime Philadelphia sports journalist Ray Didinger in a Free Library of Philadelphia event about Didinger's memoir, “Finished B...
Terry McAuliffe: "Beyond Charlottesville"
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael's conversation from five years ago this month with Former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe’s, about his instant bestseller "Beyond Charlott...
Garrett Graff: "The Devil Reached Toward the Sky"
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Smerconish is joined by journalist and bestselling author Garrett Graff to discuss his powerful new oral history, "The Devil Reached Toward th...
Julia Hotz: "The Connection Cure"
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Smerconish talks with journalist Julia Hotz about her debut book, The Connection Cure, which explores the emerging field of social prescribing...
M.W. Craven: "Nobody's Hero"
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Author M.W. Craven joins Michael Smerconish in a discussion about Craven's captivating novel titled "Nobody's Hero." The duo chat about a variety of t...
Barry Levine: "The Spider: Inside the Criminal Web of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell"
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Smerconish sits down with Barry Levine, author of "The Spider: Inside the Criminal Web of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell." They discuss...
Steve Lopez: "The Soloist"
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael's conversation from deep in the archives with with Steve Lopez, author of "The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redempti...
Michael Moss: "Hooked"
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Michael Moss joins Michael to unpack his explosive book "Hooked: Food, Free Will, and How the Food Giants Exploit ...
James Fishkin: "Can Deliberation Cure the Ills of Democracy?"
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Smerconish speaks with Stanford political scientist Dr. James Fishkin about his groundbreaking book "Can Deliberation Cure the Ills of Democra...
Tyler Pager: "2024"
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael welcomes New York Times White House Correspondent Tyler Pager, co-author (with Josh Dawsey and Isaac Arnsdorf) of "2024: How Trump Retook the ...
Carter Sherman: "The Second Coming"
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Carter Sherman, reproductive health reporter at The Guardian joins Michael with her book "The Second Coming: Sex and the Next Generation’s Fight Ove...
Jim Abbott: "Imperfect"
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Watch the "Book Club" special event at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA on June 12, 2012 where Michael and Jim Abbott talk in front of 1,000 pe...
Salena Zito: "Butler"
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Michael Smerconish talks with journalist and author Salena Zito about her new book "Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassinatio...
Kevin Hines: "Cracked, Not Broken"
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kevin Hines attempted suicide in 2000 in San Francisco and fortunately lived to tell about it, and wrote a powerful memoir in 2013. In 2016, there was...
David Litt: "It's Only Drowning"
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Surfing, politics, and...finding common ground! Michael is joined by former Obama speechwriter and author David Litt to discuss his new book "It's Onl...
Sophie Gilbert: "Girl on Girl"
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Smerconish is joined by Atlantic staff writer Sophie Gilbert to discuss her new book, "Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Wo...
Seymour Hersh: "Reporter"
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning, best-selling author and preeminent investigative journalist of our time—a heartfelt, hugely revealing memoir of a d...
David Soucie: "Why Planes Crash"
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There is one reason why planes crash. Michael asks the question to David Soucie in this conversation about his book "Why Planes Crash: An Accident Inv...
Marcus Luttrell: "Lone Survivor"
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Follow along a Navy SEAL's firsthand account of American heroism during a secret military operation in Afghanistan in this true story of survival and ...
Walter Isaacson: "Einstein"
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 2007, Michael welcomed bestselling author Walter Isaacson to talk about "Einstein: His Life and Universe." Listen to the author of the acclaimed be...
Dawn Staley: "Uncommon Favor"
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
An inspiring conversation between Michael and Dawn Staley about her book "Uncommon Favor: Basketball, North Philly, My Mother, and the Life Lessons I ...
Jocelyne & Monique Lamoureux: "Dare To Make History"
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Lamoureux twins—Olympic gold medalists on the historic 2018 US women’s ice hockey team—tell their story of grit and determination, from yout...
Bill Clinton & James Patterson: "The First Gentleman"
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
America has a powerful new president... And her husband's on trial for murder. Former President Bill Clinton and bestselling author James Patterson ar...
Richard Clarke and Robert Knake: "The Fifth Domain"
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Richard A. Clarke is one of the world's leading experts on security, cyberspace, and terrorism. He served in the U.S. government for thirty years, inc...
Jake Tapper: "Original Sin"
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael sits down with CNN anchor and author Jake Tapper to discuss "Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choic...
Keith O'Brien: "Charlie Hustle"
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With the news of Pete Rose, Major League Baseball's career hits leader, being posthumously removed from the league's permanent ineligibility list, Mic...
Suzy Welch: "Becoming You"
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael sits down with Suzy Welch—NYU Stern professor, journalist, and best-selling author—to discuss her transformative new book :Becoming You: T...
Robert Harris: "Conclave"
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This conversation was recorded the morning of the start of the Conclave to replace Pope Francis. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.a...
Graydon Carter: "When the Going Was Good"
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Book Club with Michael Smerconish, Michael sits down with Graydon Carter, legendary former editor of Vanity Fair, to discuss hi...
William McRaven: "Conquering Crisis"
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael welcomes Admiral William McRaven with his book "Conquering Crisis: Ten Lessons to Learn Before You Need Them." The retired Naval officer and b...
John Mearsheimer: "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy"
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From September 2007, Michael's conversation with John Mearsheimer, co-author of "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy." "The Israel Lobby," by Joh...
Jeffrey Selingo: "Who Gets In and Why"
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael speaks with Jeffrey Selingo, author of "Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions." The award-winning higher education journalist ...
John Kasich: "Heaven Help Us"
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael welcomes former Ohio Governor John Kasich, author of "Heaven Help Us: How Faith Communities Inspire Hope, Strengthen Neighborhoods, and Build ...
Ben Sherwood: "The Survivors Club"
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Sherwood's "The Survivors Club: The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life" was so fascinating to Michael that he had him back on for this ...
Tom Garvey: "The Secret Apartment"
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s begin an implausible story with a seemingly simple yet complex question: If you were single, never married with no children or dependents, wou...
Jonathan Allen & Amie Parnes: "Fight"
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael talks to Amie Parnes & Jonathan Allen about "Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House." The authors of the #1 New York Times bests...
25 Books That Have Moved Michael Smerconish
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Admiral James Stavridis appears on the Book Club Podcast four times. Listen to To Risk It All (Episode #116), 2054 (Episode #354), The Restless Wave (...
Benjamin Wallace: "The Mysterious Mr. Nakamoto"
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael interviews New York Times bestselling author Benjamin Wallace about his new book, "The Mysterious Mr. Nakamoto: A Fifteen-Year Quest to Unmask...
Michael Wolff: "All Or Nothing"
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael welcomes New York Times Bestselling author Michael Wolff with his book "All or Nothing: How Trump Recaptured America." In it, Wolff delivers a...
Laura Delano: "Unshrunk"
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Laura Delano is a writer, speaker, and consultant, and the founder of Inner Compass Initiative, a nonprofit organization that helps people make more i...
Admiral James Stavridis: "The Admiral's Bookshelf"
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret.), a leader in international business, national security, and global philanthropy, shares the books that facilitated...
Alex Isenstadt: "Revenge"
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alex Isenstadt is a Senior Political Reporter at Axios. Previously, he was National Political reporter at Politico, where he covered Donald Trump sinc...
Jefferson Fisher: "The Next Conversation"
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael talks to trial lawyer and communication expert Jefferson Fisher about his fascinating new book, "The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More....
Wendy Ruderman & Barbara Laker: "Busted"
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Busted: A Tale of Corruption and Betrayal in the City of Brotherly Love" is the shocking true story of the biggest police corruption scandal in Phila...
Mark Bowden: "Black Hawk Down"
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On October 3, 1993, about a hundred elite U.S. soldiers were dropped by helicopter into the teeming market in the heart of Mogadishu, Somalia. Their m...
Alexander Vindman: "The Folly of Realism"
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, six US presidential administrations of both parties pursued policies for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia that emb...
Vivek Wadhwa: "Your Happiness Was Hacked"
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Technology: your master, or your friend? Do you feel ruled by your smartphone and enslaved by your email or social-network activities? Digital technol...
Sherrod Brown: "Desk 88"
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Since his election to the U.S. Senate in 2006, Ohio’s Sherrod Brown has sat on the Senate floor at a mahogany desk with a proud history. In "Desk 88...
Yoni Appelbaum: "Stuck"
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Yoni Appelbaum is a deputy executive editor of The Atlantic and a social and cultural historian of the United States. Before joining The Atlantic, he ...
Edward Fishman: "Chokepoints"
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The epic story of how America turned the world economy into a weapon, upending decades of globalization to take on a new authoritarian axis—Russia, ...
Craig Fehrman: "Author in Chief"
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Craig Fehrman’s groundbreaking work of history, "Author in Chief: The Untold Story of Our Presidents and the Books They Wrote" opens a rich new w...
Nicholas Carr: "Superbloom"
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael welcomes Nicholas Carr, author of "Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart," a bracing exploration of how social media has wa...
Fredrik Nystrom: "Lighten the load on your shoulders"
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
He doesn't believe in diets, and says we should exercise less. Meet Dr. Fredrik Nystrom, professor of medicine at Linkoping University in Sweden. He j...
Tim Harford: "The Data Detective"
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael talks with Tim Harford, author of "The Data Detective: Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics." Today we think statistics are the enemy, n...
Brad Meltzer: "The JFK Conspiracy"
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From the New York Times bestselling authors of "The Nazi Conspiracy" and "The Lincoln Conspiracy" comes a true, little-known story about the first ass...
Adam Grant: "Think Again"
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Organizational psychologist Adam Grant is an expert on opening other people's minds--and our own. Listen to him discuss "Think Again: The Power of Kno...
Jesse Ventura: "Don't Start the Revolution Without Me!"
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jesse Ventura has had many lives as a Navy SEAL, a star of pro wrestling, an actor, and as governor of Minnesota. Listen to Michael's 2008 conversatio...
William Cohan: "The Price of Silence"
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Michael talks to William Cohan, author of "The Price of Silence: The Duke Lacrosse Scandal, the Power of the Elite, and the Corruption of Our Great Un...
Ralph Cipriano: "Courtroom Cowboy"
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Before he became a full-time talk radio host, Michael worked for a Philadelphia-based trial lawyer, James E. Beasley, who passed away in 2004. Listen ...
Stan Middleman: "Seeing Around Corners"
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Through Stan's life lessons, you'll discover how perseverance, anticipating change, and creating a shared vision for your team can help you build an e...
Louis J. Freeh: "My FBI"
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From the archives, Michael's conversation with Louis J. Freeh, author of "My FBI: Bringing Down the Mafia, Investigating Bill Clinton, and Fighting th...
Peggy Noonan: "A Certain Idea of America"
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For a quarter century, Peggy Noonan has been thinking aloud about America in her much-loved Wall Street Journal column. In this new collection of her ...
Douglas Brinkley: "American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race"
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Michael spoke to historian Douglas Brinkley about the book he wrote the year of the 50th anniversary of the first lunar landing. In the bestselling "A...
Richard Dawkins: "The Greatest Show on Earth"
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From deep in the archives, Michael's conversation with Richard Dawkins, author of "The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution (A Brief His...
John Grogan: "Marley & Me"
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life. Is it possible for h...
Chris Wallace: "Countdown 1960"
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Michael talks to Chris Wallace about his book "Countdown 1960: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of the 312 Days that Changed America's Politics Forever." T...
Bob Woodward: "War"
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Bob Woodward tells the revelatory, behind-the-scenes story of three wars—Ukraine, the Middle East and the struggle fo...
Michael Barone: "How America’s Political Parties Change"
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We have the oldest and third oldest political parties in the world―the Democratic Party founded in 1832 to reelect Andrew Jackson, the Republican Pa...
James B. Stewart: "Deep State"
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Michael's conversation with James B. Stewart, the bestselling author of "Deep State: Trump, the FBI, and the Rule of Law." There are questions that th...
Larry Sabato: "The Kennedy Half Century"
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
UVA Professor Dr. Larry Sabato, author of "The Kennedy Half-Century: The Presidency, Assassination, and Lasting Legacy of John F. Kennedy." Because of...
Julie Hirschfeld Davis: "Border Wars"
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Michael's conversation with Julie Hirschfeld Davis, co-author (with Michael D. Shear) of "Border Wars: Inside Trump's Assault on Immigration." Two New...
Admiral James Stavridis: "The Restless Wave"
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From the New York Times bestselling former NATO commander comes a riveting historical novel that charts the coming-of-age of a gifted but immature you...
Vince Papale: "Invincible"
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Michael's conversation with Vince Papale on his autobiography, "Invincible: My Journey from Fan to NFL Team Captain." The true story of the NFL’s ol...