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Book Club with Michael Smerconish

SiriusXM
Donald Trump
Social Media
Ronald Reagan
Mental Health
Covid-19
John F. Kennedy
Vietnam War
Hillary Clinton
United States
2016 Presidential Election
FBI
Barack Obama
CIA
Russia
Free Speech
Nelson Demille
Joe Biden
Artificial Intelligence
Siriusxm
Politics

Reading for Independent Minds. Unlike many author interviews, if Michael didn't actually read the book, you won't hear about it. If he read it, you'll hear it and you'll love it. Insights into a wide range of topics, including many titles you've probably never heard of. The perfect book is just one listen away.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes557Founded5 years ago
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Latest Episodes

Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen joins Michael to discuss her chilling new book, "Biological War: A Scenario." Drawing on interviews with top military, intelligence, and public health experts, Jacobsen explores how a single lab leak could trigg... more

Michael Smerconish talks with New York Times White House correspondents Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan about their book "Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump." Drawing on more than 1,000 interviews, they examine how Trump ... more

Michael Smerconish speaks with Princeton historian Dr. Julian Zelizer about "Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker, and the Rise of the New Republican Party." Zelizer explores how Gingrich used confrontation, cable television, ... more

Michael sits down with media scholar Dr. Joseph Turow to discuss his new book, "The Problem with Personalization: How Advertisers Learned to Make and Break Us from Ancient Times to the AI Age." Their conversation explores how AI, advertisers, and tec... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
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Contact Information
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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Jonathan Swan
White House correspondent for the New York Times
The New York Times
Episode: Maggie Haberman & Jonathan Swan: "Regime Change"
Maggie Haberman
White House correspondent for the New York Times
The New York Times
Episode: Maggie Haberman & Jonathan Swan: "Regime Change"
Joseph Turow
Author of The Problem with Personalization
Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania
Episode: Dr. Joseph Turow: "The Problem With Personalization"
Dr. Jared Horvath
Author of The Digital Delusion, neuroscientist and educator
Author, The Digital Delusion
Episode: Dr. Jared Horvath: "The Digital Delusion"
Tad Devine
Democratic political strategist, chief strategist for Bernie Sanders in 2016
Campaigns for Bernie Sanders; consultant
Episode: Tad Devine: "How The Democrats Screwed Bernie"
Douglas Schoen
Renowned pollster and Democratic political analyst
Schoen Cooperman Research
Episode: Doug Schoen & Carly Cooperman: "America: Unite Or Die"
Carly Cooperman
CEO of Schoen Cooperman Research
Schoen Cooperman Research
Episode: Doug Schoen & Carly Cooperman: "America: Unite Or Die"
Rye Barcott
Author of Courage Can Save Us; Co-founder/CEO of With Honor
With Honor
Episode: Rye Barcott: "Courage Can Save US"
Jeremy Bernard
Former White House Social Secretary (Obama era)
Former White House staff
Episode: Jeremy Bernard: "Treating People Well"

Host

Michael Smerconish
Host of Book Club with Michael Smerconish

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 110 ratings
  • Audio quality

    I like this podcast when I can hear it. Unfortunately, most of the episodes I’ve listened to have had terrible audio quality on the quests. They should have been able to figure out smooth audio by now.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    printedvintage
    Canada6 months ago
  • Interview with a vanLier

    When you choose to interview Tapper it’s the same as playing with pigs. You get muddy and realize you’re playing with a pig.

    Sorry you put yourself in the role of joining Tapper and his lies. Was he lying when he said Biden just had a stutter and was sharp or is he lying now that he wishes he had covered the story?

    Many good books out there with authors who have knowledge, integrity, and have done hard work. This book is the product of none of that.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    moving on-missu
    United Statesa year ago
  • New To Bookclub

    I listen to Michael on SiriusXM, but only recently found the book club podcast. It is great! I put it on while I’m doing things around the house and just let it play one episode to the next. The variety I’m authors and topics is amazing.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    jkguhcdf
    United States3 years ago
  • Too rushed

    Interviews are way too short. When he does actually have an interesting guest it’s over in no time.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Project Pratt
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Audio quality is praised when clear, but several episodes suffer from inconsistent sound.
New listeners enjoy the variety of authors and topics across episodes.
Some feedback notes short interview lengths and desire for deeper dives.
Interviews with strong guests are appreciated, though some listeners feel pacing could be tighter.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#60
Brazil/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#125
Brazil/Arts
Apple Podcasts
#163
Finland/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#181
Israel/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#197
Indonesia/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#207
Singapore/Arts/Books

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Julian Zelizer: "Burning Down The House"
Q: Was Gingrich seriously considered for Trump's running mate, and what does that reveal about his influence at the time?
Yes, Gingrich was on the short list, indicating his continued relevance and the way he positioned himself as a central figure who could bridge different factions within the party during a period of strategic realignments.
Julian Zelizer: "Burning Down The House"
Q: What general subject area would you most want to have discussed with Gingrich?
Zelizer would have preferred a discussion about Gingrich's reflections on the 1980s, potential remorse or regret, and how his actions shaped politics then, with more insight into his perspective on those decisions.
Rye Barcott: "Courage Can Save US"
Q: How did you decide the ten individuals that you'd write about?
The ten were selected from people I've known through With Honor, all of whom embody courage in public service and have demonstrated a willingness to work across party lines; I spent years building trust to tell their stories.
Rye Barcott: "Courage Can Save US"
Q: Hey, Rye, I want to test some data out on you assembled by my Cracker Jack staff that I think is going to make some important points. Does this sound right?
Yes, the data show that veterans tend to be more effective at moving legislation and crossing the aisle, underscoring why veteran leadership matters in government.
Dr. Jared Horvath: "The Digital Delusion"
Q: What's going on cognitively with us when we're looking and learning from a computer versus a book and a lecture and a pencil and a teacher?
Horvath explains that screens alter the reading experience, reducing depth of processing and the memory map we form, which can hinder durable learning compared to reading physical books, lectures, and pencil-and-paper methods.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Gender Skew
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Interests
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Frequently Asked Questions About Book Club

What is Book Club about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The program features in-depth conversations with authors, journalists, and thought leaders who explore politics, civics, history, leadership, and public policy through books and current events. Guests range from notable historians and legal scholars to politicians and business leaders, with regular attention to democracy, free speech, and civic engagement. The host leans into accessible analyses of complex topics, often connecting historical context to contemporary issues, while inviting personal anecdotes and practical takeaways for listeners. A notable pattern is thoughtful, book-centered discourse that pairs rigorous ideas with engaging storytelling, occasionally supplemented by sponsor messages during longer interviews.

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How many listeners does Book Club get?

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What are the audience demographics for Book Club?

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How many subscribers and views does Book Club have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Book Club has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Book Club?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Book Club:

1. The Smerconish Podcast
2. Smerconish on CNN
3. Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt
4. Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta
5. The Best People with Nicolle Wallace

How many episodes of Book Club are there?

Book Club launched 5 years ago and published 557 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Book Club?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Book Club?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Book Club from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on Book Club?

Recent guests on Book Club include:

1. Jonathan Swan
2. Maggie Haberman
3. Joseph Turow
4. Dr. Jared Horvath
5. Tad Devine
6. Douglas Schoen
7. Carly Cooperman
8. Rye Barcott

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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