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If Books Could Kill

Michael Hobbes & Peter Shamshiri
If Books Could Kill
Latest episode

77 episodes

  • If Books Could Kill

    The Body Keeps The Score

    18/06/2026 | 1h 49 mins.
    You know that book your friend recommended? The one that rigorously describes the science of trauma, de-stigmatizes abuse and promotes effective treatments? Well here’s the thing: It doesn't actually do that.
    Thanks to Emi Nietfield, Keith Cox, Lisa Starr, Kevin McGuire and everyone else who helped us research and fact-check this episode! 
    Where to find us: 
    Our Patreon
    Our merch!
    Peter's newsletter
    Peter's other podcast, 5-4
    Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
    Sources:
    What the Most Famous Book About Trauma Gets Wrong
    Trauma: A Genealogy
    Remembering Trauma
    Advocates of Research-Supported Treatments for PTSD are Losing 
    Tell Me Why It Hurts
    ‘The Body Keeps the Score’ offers uncertain science
    Your Brain Is Not an Onion With a Tiny Reptile Inside  
    PTSD and complex PTSD: a review of reviews
    What Does It Mean When 38% Forget?
    Multiple Identity Enactments and Multiple Personality Disorder: A Sociocognitive Perspective
    The Brain Is Adaptive Not Triune
    Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
    Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
  • If Books Could Kill

    Think And Grow Rich

    21/05/2026 | 1h 3 mins.
    Peter and Michael discuss "Think And Grow Rich," the 1937 classic written by a lifelong fraudster who finds his final mark: You.
    Where to find us: 
    Our Patreon
    Our merch!
    Peter's newsletter
    Peter's other podcast, 5-4
    Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
    Sources:
    The Untold Story of Napoleon Hill, the Greatest Self-Help Scammer of All Time
    A Lifetime of Riches
    How to Lose Friends and Alienate People
    How a Different America Responded to the Great Depression
    The Psychic Scandal
    How Trump Turned The Power of Positive Thinking Into Delusion
    Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
    Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
  • If Books Could Kill

    Grit

    30/04/2026 | 1h 19 mins.
    In 2013, education reformers tried to help poor students the using the best tool at their disposal: The 16th most popular Ted Talk.
    Special thanks to Marcus Credé! 
    Where to find us: 
    Our Patreon
    Our merch!
    Peter's newsletter
    Peter's other podcast, 5-4
    Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
    Sources:
    Much Ado About Grit
    What Shall We Do About Grit?
    Grit under attack
    Teaching “Grit”
    The Problem With Grit
    The Limits of “Grit”
    Grit: The power of passion and perseverance
    Is 'Grit' Doomed To Be The New Self-Esteem?
    Measurement Matters
    Using Psychological Science to Help Children Thrive
    Self-Control and Academic Achievement
    Cognitive and noncognitive predictors of success
    Should non-cognitive skills be included in school accountability systems?
    Measuring Students’ Non-Cognitive Skills and the Impact of Schooling
    Grit: A Short History of a Useful Concept
    Teaching Kids 'Grit' is All the Rage.
    "Grit" Revisited
    Character Education: A Cautionary Note
    What if the Secret to Success Is Failure?
    The Effects of the EITC on Child Achievement
    Academic Performance And Food Stamps
    Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
    Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
  • If Books Could Kill

    CROSSOVER EVENT: Tim Ferriss’s "The 4-Hour Body"

    16/04/2026 | 1h 8 mins.
    Peter went on Mike's other show, Maintenance Phase, to revisit a biohacking diet book for the boys.
    Where to find us: 
    Our Patreon
    Our merch!
    Peter's newsletter
    Peter's other podcast, 5-4
    Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
    Sources:
    The 4-Hour Body
    Does Glycemic Index Matter for Weight Loss? An Examination of the Evidence 
    New! Improved! Shape Up Your Life! 
    The 4-Hour Body: The Real App You Are Working On Is An App Called Yourself
    Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
    Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
  • If Books Could Kill

    Bullshit Jobs

    05/03/2026 | 1h
    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!
    Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
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About If Books Could Kill
The airport bestsellers that captured our hearts and ruined our minds
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