Book Club with Michael Smerconish

Michael Scheuer: "Imperial Hubris"

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From Michael's archives, his conversation with former CIA official Michael Scheuer, author of "Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terr...

Dr. Marty Makary: "Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong"

27 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From Johns Hopkins medical expert Dr. Marty Makary, the New York Times-bestselling author of 'The Price We Pay'-an eye-opening look at the medical gro...

David Litt: "Democracy in One Book or Less"

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Michael welcomes David Litt with his book "Democracy in One Book or Less: How It Works, Why It Doesn't, and Why Fixing It Is Easier Than You Think." T...

Melissa Fitzgerald & Mary McCormack: "What's Next"

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Michael welcomes Melissa Fitzgerald & Mary McCormack, alumni of NBC's hit series "The West Wing," with their new book "What's Next: A Backstage Pass t...

Bradley Tusk: "Vote With Your Phone"

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Democracy is broken because the way we vote is broken. But there is a solution: Mobile Voting. Listen to Michael speak with Bradley Tusk, author of "V...

Joe Navarro: "What Every BODY Is Saying"

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone is talking about the body language at the ABC News presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Michael gets some expertise fr...

Max Boot: "Reagan"

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Son of the Midwest, movie star, and mesmerizing politician―America’s fortieth president comes to three-dimensional life in this gripping and profo...

Dr. Laura Katz Olson: "Wrinkled Rebels"

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Michael is an alum of Lehigh University, so he was thrilled to have this conversation with Dr. Laura Katz Olson, who has Distinguished Professor of Po...

David Sanger: "New Cold Wars"

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West —the latest from the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist a...

Michael Lewis: "Going Infinite"

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From the best-selling author of The Big Short and Flash Boys, the story of FTX’s spectacular collapse and the enigmatic founder at its center. When ...

Charlotte Shane: "An Honest Woman"

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Through the lens of her years spent as a sex worker, Charlotte Shane offers a provocative and tender reckoning of what it means to be a heterosexual w...

Valerie Bauerlein: "The Devil at His Elbow"

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Power, privilege, and blood—this is the definitive and thrilling true story of Alex Murdaugh’s violent downfall, from a veteran Wall Street Journa...

Chris Matthews: "Tip and the Gipper"

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Listen to Michael's conversation with Chris Matthews about "Tip and the Gipper: When Politics Worked".... a magnificent personal history of a time whe...

Jonathan Turley: The Indispensable Right"

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A timely, revelatory look at freedom of speech—our most basic right and the one that protects all the others. Listen to Michael's conversation with ...

Mark Halperin: "How To Beat Trump"

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Looking back at the 2020 presidential campaign, listen to his conversation Michael had with political analyst Mark Halperin, author of "How To Beat Tr...

Annie Jacobsen: "Nuclear War"

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There is only one scenario other than an asteroid strike that could end the world as we know it in a matter of hours: nuclear war. And one of the trig...

David Maraniss: "Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed the World"

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

An account of the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome reveals the competition's unexpected influence on the modern world, in a narrative synopsis that pays t...

William J. Kole: "The Big 100"

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist William J. Kole, reluctant but newly minted member of AARP, explores the looming era of super-aging—incredibly longer lifespans overall, ...

Nelson DeMille: "Wild Fire"

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille comes a suspenseful new novel featuring Detective John Corey and an all-too-plausible conspir...

Amy Chozik: "Chasing Hillary"

18 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The dishy, rollicking, and deeply personal story of what really happened in the 2016 election, as seen through the eyes of the New York Times reporter...

Joan Williams: "White Working Class: Overcoming Class Cluelessness in America"

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Michael is joined by Joan Williams, Distinguished Professor of Law and Hastings Foundation Chair at University of California, in a chat about her book...

Amy Chua: "Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations"

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Michael invites lawyer and writer Amy Chua to join him in a conversation about Chua's thought-provoking book "Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the...

Adam Buckman: "Jerk: How I Wasted My Life Watching Television"

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Listen to Michael chat with author Adam Buckman in a conversation about his book "Jerk: How I Wasted My Life Watching Television." Original air date 2...

Yair Zivan: "The Centre Must Hold"

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Division in society. The spread of misinformation. The rise of extremism. Centrism holds the answers. Listen to Michael's conversation with Yair Zivan...

Howard Blum: "When the Night Comes Falling"

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The definitive, inside story of the Idaho murders from bestselling author Howard Blum, whose groundbreaking coverage of the story was nominated for a ...

Lanny Davis: "The Unmaking of the President 2016"

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A longtime Washington insider argues that former FBI Director James Comey’s letter to Congress, sent just before the presidential election in 2016 w...

Dr. Anthony Fauci: "On Call"

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Doctor Anthony Stephen Fauci is an American physician-scientist and immunologist who served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and I...

Bakari Sellers: "My Vanishing Country"

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What J. D. Vance did for Appalachia with Hillbilly Elegy, CNN analyst and one of the youngest state representatives in South Carolina history Bakari ...

Courtney Valenti on Jack Valenti's "This Time, This Place"

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jack Valenti, former special assistant to President Lyndon B. Johnson and former President of the Motion Picture Association of America, penned a memo...

Joseph Rodota: "The Watergate"

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Since its opening in 1965, the Watergate complex has been one of Washington's chicest addresses, a home to power brokers from both political parties a...

Garrett Graff: "When the Sea Came Alive"

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Garrett Graff comes the most up-to-date and complete account of D-Day—the largest...

Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr: "The Melting Point"

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the Commander of U.S. Central Command, General Frank McKenzie oversaw some of the most important — and controversial operations in modern U.S. mi...

Tom Steyer: "Cheaper, Faster, Better"

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Michael welcomes climate investor and activist Tom Steyer, author of "Cheaper, Faster, Better: How We’ll Win the Climate War." The climate is changi...

Ken Langone: "I Love Capitalism!"

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Entrepreneur and New York legend Ken Langone tells the compelling story of how a poor boy from Long Island became one of America's most successful bus...

Bernie Kerik: "From Jailer to Jailed"

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Michael's conversation with Bernard Kerik about his book "From Jailer to Jailed: My Journey from Correction and Police Commissioner to Inmate #84888-0...

William McRaven: "Sea Stories"

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Following the success of his #1 New York Times bestseller 'Make Your Bed', Admiral William H. McRaven is back with amazing stories of bravery and hero...

Jeff Greenfield: "If Kennedy Lived"

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From one of the country’s most brilliant political commentators, the bestselling author of Then Everything Changed, an extraordinary, thought-provok...

Mark Bowden: "Hue 1968"

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The first battle book from Mark Bowden since his #1 New York Times bestseller Black Hawk Down, "Hue 1968: A Turning Point of the American War in Vietn...

Greg Kaplan: "The Journey"

10 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rooted in humorous stories distilled with bits of sagely honest advice, The Journey goes beyond the well-chronicled college admissions madness and cut...

James Traub: "True Believer"

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is there "another 1968" full of protests coming our way this year, with Democrats convening in Chicago this summer to nominate their candidate for pre...

Michael Smerconish: "Talk"

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special conversation we like to call a "Reverse Book Club." It is political commentator Mike Barnicle interviewing Michael about his own boo...

Michael Hayden: "The Assault on Intelligence"

03 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Hayden is a retired United States Air Force four-star general and former Director of the National Security Agency, Principal Deputy Director o...

Adam Grant: "Give and Take"

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But today, success is increasingly depend...

Scott Galloway: "The Algebra of Wealth"

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A must-have guide to optimizing your life for wealth and success. Today's workers have more opportunities and mobility than any generation before. The...

Bill Giles: "Pouring Six Beers At A Time"

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A hilarious, fascinating, and revealing view of the national pastime from the 1930's to the present, "Pouring Six Beers at a Time: And Other Stories f...

Dr. Debby Herbenick: "Yes, Your Kid"

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There is a troubling trend happening in teenage sex. Michael talks to Indiana University Professor Dr. Debby Herbenick, Ph.D, co-author of "Yes, Your ...

Charles Murray: "The Curmudgeon's Guide to Getting Ahead"

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For those starting out in their careers—and those who wish to advance more quickly—this is a delightfully fussy guide to the hidden rules of the r...

Brad Wilcox: "Get Married"

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What's the recipe for happiness? If you listen to liberal elites or red pill influencers, you'd say it's making money, living for yourself, and stayin...

Jeffrey Zaslow: "The Last Lecture"

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is a special extended edition of Book Club. In 2008, Michael had the opportunity to speak with Wall Street Journal reporter Jeffrey Zaslow, co-au...

Arianna Huffington: "Thrive"

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Michael talks to "Huffington Post" co-founder Arianna Huffington about her book "Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of...

Julian Zelizer: "The Presidency of Barack Obama"

06 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

An original and engaging account of the Obama years from a group of leading political historians: Barack Obama's election as the first African America...

Pete Dexter: "Paper Trails"

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Former Philadelphia Daily News columnist and National Book Award Winner Pete Dexter ("Paris Trout") speaks with Michael about his book "Paper Trails: ...

Cass Sunstein: "Conspiracy Theories and Other Dangerous Ideas"

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The most controversial essays from the bestselling author once called the most dangerous man in America—collected for the first time. The nation’s...

Jennifer Weiner: "In Her Shoes"

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Looking back at Jennifer Weiner who joined Michael to discuss her book "In Her Shoes." The book tells the story of two women with nothing in common bu...

Jonathan Haidt: "The Anxious Generation"

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-...

Al Gore: "Inconvenient Truth"

22 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Michael had the opportunity to speak with Former Vice President Al Gore on his WPHT radio program in 2006. The interview did not quite go as planned -...

Gabriel Sherman: "The Loudest Voice In The Room"

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

So much has happened in the world surrounding FOX News, Donald Trump, and Roger Ailes since the paperback version of this book by Gabriel Sherman came...

Nathan Raab: "The Hunt For History"

18 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nathan Raab, America’s preeminent rare documents dealer, describes his years as the Sherlock Holmes of historical artifacts—questing after preciou...

Nicholas F. Jacobs & Dan Shea: "The Rural Voter"

15 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The widening gulf between rural and urban America is becoming the most serious political divide of our day. Support for Democrats, up and down the bal...

Admiral James Stavridis: "2054"

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From the acclaimed authors of the runaway New York Times bestseller "2034" comes another explosive work of speculative fiction set twenty years furthe...

David Charter: "Royal Audience"

11 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From the moment she first appeared as a young princess, Queen Elizabeth II fascinated the world. And, the late Queen had a special relationship with t...

Richard Clarke: "Warnings"

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"Warnings: Finding Cassandras to Stop Catastrophes" is the story of the future of national security, threatening technologies, the U.S. economy, and p...

Joe Nocera: "Indentured"

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“How can the NCAA blithely wreck careers without regard to due process or common fairness? How can it act so ruthlessly to enforce rules that are s...

Nick Troiano: "The Primary Solution"

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a divided America, the biggest solvable problem fueling political extremism and dysfunction is hiding in plain sight: party primaries. The Primary ...

Peter Singer: "Ethics In The Real World"

26 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Peter Singer is often described as the world's most influential philosopher. He is also one of its most controversial. Listen to Michael's conversatio...

Patti Davis: "Dear Mom and Dad"

23 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A remarkably poignant writer for our troubled times, Patti Davis writes about love, loss, and the power of redemption in this poetic letter to her lon...

Jeffrey Rosen: "The Pursuit of Happiness"

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A fascinating examination of what “the pursuit of happiness” meant to our nation’s Founders and how that famous phrase defined their lives and b...

Rachel Dolezal: "In Full Color"

16 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What determines your race? Is it your DNA? The community in which you were raised? The way others see you or the way you see yourself? With "In Full C...

Peter Wehner: "The Death of Politics"

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Michael speaks with Peter Wehner about his book "The Death of Politics: How to Heal Our Frayed Republic After Trump." The New York Times opinion write...

Lisa Scottoline: "Lady Killer"

13 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

New York Times Bestselling author Lisa Scottoline joins Michael with her 2008 hit novel "Lady Killer." Mary DiNunzio is a trademark Lisa Scottoline he...

Lenore Skenazy: "Free-Range Kids"

09 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Free Range Kids has become a national movement, sparked by the incredible response to Lenore Skenazy's piece about allowing her 9-year-old ride the su...

Jeffrey Toobin: "American Heiress"

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On February 4, 1974, Patty Hearst, a sophomore in college and heiress to the Hearst Family fortune, was kidnapped by a ragtag group of self-styled rev...

Dr. Carl Hart: "Drug Use For Grown-Ups"

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From one of the world's foremost experts on the subject, a powerful argument that the greatest damage from drugs flows from their being illegal, and a...

Richard Louv: "Last Child in the Woods"

02 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our kids are being raised disconnected from natural outdoor environments, for a variety of reasons like technology addictions, fears and dangers of be...

Kate Andersen Brower: "First Women"

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kate Andersen Brower, New York Times bestselling author, gives us an an intimate, news-making look at the true modern power brokers at 1600 Pennsylvan...

Bob Woodward: "State of Denial"

29 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From the archives, Michael's conversation with journalist Bob Woodward on his #1 New York Times Bestselling book "State of Denial: Bush At War", which...

Ronald Granieri: "The Bondian Cold War"

26 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Michael attended a talk at the Union League of Philadelphia called "James Bond Beyond The Cold War" and so enjoyed what he heard that he welcomed Dr. ...

Sal Paolantonio: "How Football Explains America"

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A fascinating, first-of-its-kind journey through the making of America's most complex, intriguing, and popular game. Michael's conversation with ESPN’...

P.J. O'Rourke: "The Baby Boom"

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Longtime journalist and satirist P.J. O'Rourke with Michael on his book "The Baby Boom: How It Got That Way...And It Wasn't My Fault...And I'll Never ...

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz: "Who Makes the NBA?"

19 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Height? Skill? Wealth? What is the most useful trait when looking to become an NBA player. Seth Stephens-Davidowitz joins Michael to discuss this ques...

Mitt Romney: "No Apology"

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It was just before he decided to run for President in the 2012 cycle: Listen to Michael's conversation with former Governor & Senator Mitt Romney, on ...

Jack Lucas: "Indestructible"

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Veteran Jack Lucas, who served in the Marines during World War 2 joins Michael to discuss his book "Indestructible: The Unforgettable Story of a Marin...

Brad Meltzer: "I Am Ruth Bader Ginsburg"

08 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bestselling author Brad Meltzer joins Michael to discuss his new book "I Am Ruth Bader Ginsburg" which is part of his award-winning 'Ordinary People C...

Annie Duke: "Thinking In Bets"

05 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Decision strategist, professional poker champion and author Annie Duke joins Michael to discuss her life, career, and book "Thinking In Bets: Making S...

Ted Gup: "Nation of Secrets"

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist and bestselling author Ted Gup writes on a broad range of American institutions, exposing how and why they keep secrets from the very peopl...

Maya Angelou: "Letter To My Daughter"

29 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Winding back the clock, today's book club podcast Michael is joined by Maya Angelou an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She discus...

Admiral William McRaven: "The Hero Code"

25 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From the acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Make Your Bed—a short, inspirational book about the qualities of true, everyday heroes. ...

Jane Leavy: "The Big Fella"

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Listen to Michael's conversation with Jane Leavy, the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Boy and Sandy Koufax, author of "Th...

Phil Lesh: "Searching For The Sound"

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Grateful Dead is one of Michael's favorite bands - listen to his conversation with legendary bass player Phil Lesh, on his book "Searching for the...

Liz Cheney: "Oath and Honor"

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Liz Cheney served as a member of Congress from 2017 to 2023, rising to chair the House Republican Conference until her stand against the January 6th ...

Chip Colwell: "Stuff"

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Michael is joined by American anthropologist and author Chip Colwell to discuss his new book "Stuff: Humanity's Epic Journey from Naked Ape to Nonstop...

Melissa Rivers: "Joan Rivers Confidential"

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Comedian Joan Rivers passed away in 2014. In 2018, her daughter published this great book "Joan Rivers Confidential: The Unseen Scrapbooks, Joke Cards...

Buz Teacher: "Among Friends"

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

An incredible homage to the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of the book business in the 20th century. Book publisher Buz Teacher, co-founder of Ru...

Jack Bogle: "The Battle for the Soul of Capitalism"

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How the American financial system lost its way, and how it can right its course...from deep in Michael's archives, a conversation with the founder and...

Angelo Cataldi: "Loud"

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Legendary Philadelphia sports talk radio host Angelo Cataldi, now retired, is out with a great new book and joins Michael to talk about "Angelo Catald...

Arnold Schwarzenegger: "Total Recall"

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From his days on local radio in Philadelphia, Michael spoke with former California Governor and Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger about the news of the day ...

Adam Nagourney: "The Times"

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Michael has to physically touch the New York Times every day. The newsprint in his hands - its the only paper he has a copy of. It's a newspaper that ...

Jimmy Carter: "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid"

24 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Michael's conversation with former President Jimmy Carter on his book "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid." The conversation is followed up by reaction fr...

Jesse Ventura: "They Killed Our President"

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Quite the conversation here from the archives: In October 2013 just before the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy Assassination, Michael hosted former MN...

Brian Stelter: "Network Of Lies"

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Michael is joined by journalist and author, Brian Stelter to discuss his new book "Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the B...