Opinion Today: 62 books to read, recommended by influential people
‘The Ezra Klein Show’ guests shared a list of works meant to intrigue and entertain.
Opinion Today

December 20, 2024

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By Quoctrung Bui

Deputy Editor, Opinion Graphics

The weeks around the holidays are always a quiet time for me. Sure, it’s a time to get together with friends and family, but in my life it is also an opportunity to slow down and catch up on some reading. If you’re like me, and wondering what your next great read will be, we have something that might help: a roundup of 62 books recommended by guests on “The Ezra Klein Show” this year.

The show covers everything from the presidential election to the effects of “Cocomelon” on the attention spans of kids and adults. Ezra always ends the show by asking guests for three books that they would like listeners to know about.

This article is more than a reading list. Even if you don’t read a single book, it offers you a window into the minds of some of the world’s most interesting thinkers, allowing you to trace a small part of their intellectual history.

Some of these books delve into the seemingly intractable problems our society is grappling with, while others offer the historical context that led us here. And if this all sounds too heavy, we have the perfect A.I. science fiction recommendation for you.

See all 62 recommendations here.

Programming note: This newsletter will be off after Saturday, Dec. 21, and return on Monday, Jan. 6.

Here’s what we’re focusing on today:

Editors’ Picks

round table

‘It Will Be a More Robust Check on Trump Than the G.O.P. Congress’: Three Legal Experts on Trump 2.0

Opinion writers discuss potential legal issues and executive power in a second Trump term.

By Kate Shaw, David French and Jack Goldsmith

More From Opinion

The side profile of a woman, Gisèle Pelicot, with her eyes closed.

Guest Essay

France’s Horrifying Rape Trial Has Changed the Country

Gisèle Pelicot has opened up a conversation about sexual violence in a country where a serious reckoning was well overdue.

By Megan Clement

An illustration depicting an empty orange box with open flaps against a brown background.

Frank Bruni

What if Trump Doesn’t Need to Keep Any of His Promises?

For the 47th president, illusion is the new accountability.

By Frank Bruni

In a grainy black and white image, an officer with the word sheriff on his back places his hand on the rear right shoulder of another man. the top of the photo is obscured by a black strip

Guest Essay

It’s a Mistake to Charge Luigi Mangione With Terrorism

It could complicate a simple case and turn it into a political circus.

By Mark Bederow

Harris Dickinson whispers in Nicole Kidman’s ear a still image from “Babygirl.”

Michelle Goldberg

The Surprising Sexual Politics of Nicole Kidman’s Kinky ‘Babygirl’

The film feels like an artifact of a more optimistic feminist moment.

By Michelle Goldberg

A colorful illustration of a man whose casual vacation attire is accessorized with a gold watch, chain, sunglasses, cash and a cocktail, leaning in a lounge chair, cellphone pressed to his ear. The chair is perched on the back of an office worker, wearing a full suit, typing on a laptop.

Guest Essay

Packed Cubicles, Empty Corner Office: Remote Work Is Increasingly a Right of the Rich

Remote work is increasingly a right exclusively enjoyed by the most affluent Americans.

By Rachel Greenley

A large Day-Glo green arrow against the night sky, pointing to a small white smudge.

Guest Essay

The Great Drone Freak Out Is Here

The Drone Age is already upon us and the skies are going to get a lot more crowded.

By Alex Kingsbury

A black-and-white photograph showing the face of a man who is wearing a beret, and whose mouth has been replaced by a separate photograph of someone else’s mouth.

John McWhorter

Why Silent Film Still Speaks Volumes

The old movies have a great deal to say, and linguistics can explain why.

By John McWhorter

a photo of the sun coming through trees

David Brooks

The Shock of Faith: It’s Nothing Like I Thought It Would Be

The word “faith” implies the possession of something, whereas I experience faith as a yearning for something beautiful that I can sense but not fully grasp.

By David Brooks

A white painted bird flanked by colorful paint strokes, superimposed over a black and white photo collage of trees, hands, a home and food.

The Editorial Board

A Legacy of Essential Humanitarian Aid

Catholic Charities provides help to the poor, homeless, hungry and the most vulnerable immigrants.

By The Editorial Board

The Ezra Klein Show

Yes, Biden’s Green Future Can Still Happen Under Trump

Jigar Shah and Robinson Meyer discuss how the decarbonization rollout can continue during the second Trump administration.

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A rolled-up copy of The Des Moines Register sits on the handle of a glass door.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

letters

Calls to the Media: Fight Trump’s Lawsuits

Readers discuss lawsuits against The Des Moines Register and ABC News. Also: Violence in school; a Mideast bridge; cash and the disabled; murder is wrong.

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