Book Club with Michael Smerconish

Latest Episodes:

David Paul Kuhn: "The Hardhat Riot" Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

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 Riot: Nixon, New York City, and the Dawn of the White Working-Class Revolution. Together, they revisit the dramatic events of May 1970, when construction workers and anti-war protesters clashed in lower Manhattan following the Kent State shootings and President Nixon’s expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia. Kuhn explains how the so-called Hard Hat Riot symbolized a deeper class divide in America—between blue-collar workers and college students—that reshaped the political landscape for decades to come. They explore how this moment foreshadowed today’s polarization, the “diploma divide,” and the shifting loyalties of the American working class from Democrats to Republicans. Kuhn is also producer of the documentary "Hard Hat Riot", now streaming on PBS. Original air date 1 October 2025. The book was published on 1 July 2020. The documentary was released on 30 September 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bill McKibben: "Here Comes the Sun" Sep 26, 2025

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Michael Smerconish invites environmentalist and author Bill McKibben to the program to discuss McKibben's new book "Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization." Michael asks McKibben about climate change, solar power, natural disasters, and other environmental topics. Original air date 25 September 2025. The book was published on 19 August 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jeffrey Selingo: "Dream School" Sep 24, 2025

Show notes

Together, Michael and Jeffrey unpack the myths of scarcity, the pitfalls of the Common App, and the immense pressure students face in today’s admissions arms race.

If you have a student in your life considering college—or if you’ve ever wondered whether chasing elite names is truly worth it—this episode offers a fresh, practical perspective on finding the right fit.

Also listen to Episode #454, on Jeffrey Selingo's book ""Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions." (2021).

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David Shimer: "Rigged" Sep 19, 2025

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Michael speaks with David Shimer, author of "Rigged: America, Russia, and One Hundred Years of Covert Electoral Interference." Shimer traces a century of CIA and KGB election meddling, drawing parallels to Russia’s role in 2016 and beyond. Together, they explore the history, methods, and moral questions behind covert electoral operations—and what it means for the future of democracy. Original air date 30 June 2020. The book was published on 30 June 2020. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elie Honig: "When You Come At The King" Sep 16, 2025

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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: Inside DOJ’s Pursuit of the President from Nixon to Trump." Blending history, analysis, and candid insights from more than 30 on-the-record sources, Honig explores how the Department of Justice has navigated the politically charged task of investigating sitting presidents—and why no prosecutor ever leaves the job unscathed. Along the way, Michael challenges listeners with a spirited round of political trivia, giving callers the chance to test their knowledge of DOJ special counsels and presidential investigations—with signed copies of Honig’s book on the line. Original air date 16 September 2025. The book was published on 16 September 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A conversation 18 years in the making: Richard Louv on "Last Child In The Woods" Sep 12, 2025

Show notes

Listen to Episode #340 from 2007

Richard Louv is co-founder of the Children & Nature Network.

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Kevin Flynn: "102 Minutes" Sep 11, 2025

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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 Towers." This is the dramatic and moving account of the struggle for life inside the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, when every minute counted At 8:46 am on September 11, 2001, 14,000 people were inside the twin towers-reading e-mails, making trades, eating croissants at Windows on the World. Over the next 102 minutes, each would become part of a drama for the ages, one witnessed only by the people who lived it-until now. Of the millions of words written about this wrenching day, most were told from the outside looking in. New York Times reporters Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn have taken the opposite-and far more revealing-approach. Reported from the perspectives of those inside the towers, 102 Minutes captures the little-known stories of ordinary people who took extraordinary steps to save themselves and others. Beyond this stirring panorama stands investigative reporting of the first rank. Original air date March 2005. The book was published in January 2005. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stephen Starring Grant: "Mailman" Sep 05, 2025

Show notes

When the pandemic hit, Stephen Grant — a married father of two recently diagnosed with cancer — lost his corporate job and urgently needed health insurance. So he became a rural mail carrier in Appalachia. In this episode, Michael Smerconish talks with Stephen about his book "Mailman: My Wild Ride Delivering the Mail in Appalachia and Finally Finding Home." They explore the surprising intimacy between mail carriers and their communities, the physical demands of postal work, and what delivering America’s packages revealed about the state of the country. Funny, honest, and deeply human — this conversation delivers! Original air date 4 September 2025. The book was published on 8 July 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Jean Twenge: "10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World" Sep 03, 2025

Show notes

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 Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us"

Listen here to Episode #240: Michael's 2023 conversation with Dr. Jean Twenge about ""Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents—and What They Mean for America's Future."

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Barton Gellman: "Dark Mirror: Edward Snowden and the American Surveillance State" Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

From the archives, Michael’s conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Barton Gellman, on his book “Dark Mirror: Edward Snowden and the American Surveillance State.” In 2013, Edward Snowden’s massive leak of classified files sparked a global reckoning over government surveillance. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Barton Gellman was one of the reporters Snowden trusted with those secrets. In Dark Mirror, Gellman goes beyond the headlines to reveal the inside story—tracking the reach of the surveillance state, dissecting Snowden’s legacy, and exposing the personal risks he faced while reporting. Michael speaks with Gellman about the gripping true-life tale behind the book, national security journalism, and what it all means for our privacy today. Original air date 05-21-20. The book was published on 19 May 2020 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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