Book Club with Michael Smerconish

Rooted in humorous stories distilled with bits of sagely honest advice, The Journey goes beyond the well-chronicled college admissions madness and cuts to the core of parental angst with concrete suggestions for preparing children for a competitive and rapidly changing world. Listen to Michael's conversation with college admissions strategist Greg Kaplan, author of "The Journey: How to Prepare Kids for a Competitive and Changing World." Original air date 8 May 2024. The book was published on 7 May 2024.

Is there "another 1968" full of protests coming our way this year, with Democrats convening in Chicago this summer to nominate their candidate for president? Michael talks to Historian James Traub, who recounts Hubert Humphrey’s role as a liberal hero of twentieth-century America in "True Believer: Hubert Humphrey's Quest for a More Just America." Original air date 6 May 2024. The book was published on 13 February 2024.

This is a special conversation we like to call a "Reverse Book Club." It is political commentator Mike Barnicle interviewing Michael about his own book, "Talk: A Novel" in front of a studio audience. The book is The Primary Colors of 2014- an explosive novel exposing the inner workings of conservative talk radio and campaign politics. Original air date 8 May 2014. The book was published on 6 May 2014.

Michael Hayden is a retired United States Air Force four-star general and former Director of the National Security Agency, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He joins the podcast to discuss his book: "The Assault on Intelligence: American National Security in an Age of Lies." Original air date 16 May 2018. The book was published 01 May 2018.

For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But today, success is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others. It turns out that at work, most people operate as either takers, matchers, or givers. Whereas takers strive to get as much as possible from others and matchers aim to trade evenly, givers are the rare breed of people who contribute to others without expecting anything in return. Listen to Michael's conversation with UPenn Wharton Professor Adam Grant, he is the school's youngest professor to ever achieve tenure, is top-rated by his students, and is author of "Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success." Original air date 26 April 2013. The book was published on 9 April 2013.

A must-have guide to optimizing your life for wealth and success. Today's workers have more opportunities and mobility than any generation before. They also face unprecedented challenges, including inflation, labor and housing shortages, and climate volatility. Even the notion of retirement is undergoing a profound rethink, as our life spans extend and our relationship with work evolves. In this environment, the tried-and-true financial advice our parents followed no longer applies. It's time for a new playbook. NYU Professor Scott Galloway joins Michael with his new book, "The Algebra of Wealth: A Simple Formula for Financial Security." Original air date 29 April 2024. The book was published on 23 April 2024.

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 from a Lifetime in Baseball" offers a treasure trove of stories by a man once dubbed the P. T. Barnum of Major League Baseball, Philadelphia Phillies Chairman emeritus Bill Giles. Michael spoke to him when he was chair of the club in 2007. Original air date 18 June 2007. The book was published on 1 April 2007.

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 Kid: What Parents Need to Know About Today's Teens and Sex." Original air date 22 April 2024. The book was published on 14 November 2023.

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 road in the workplace and in life. As bestselling author and social historian Charles Murray explains, at senior levels of an organization there are curmudgeons everywhere, judging your every move. Yet it is their good opinion you need to win if you hope to get ahead. He joins Michael to discuss "The Curmudgeon's Guide to Getting Ahead: Dos and Don'ts of Right Behavior, Tough Thinking, Clear Writing, and Living a Good Life." Original air date 10 April 2014. The book was published on 8 April 2014.

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 staying single without kids—and you'd be wrong. Nothing predicts happiness better than a good marriage. University of Virginia Professor Brad Wilcox joins Michael with his new book "Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization." Original air date 15 April 2024. The book was published on 13 February 2024.