Ezra Klein

Ezra Klein

Political Journalist and Podcast Host

Ezra Klein is a political commentator and founder of Vox. He hosts a popular interview podcast exploring ideas in politics, culture, and science.

Journalists

Ezra Klein is a political journalist and commentator who founded Vox in 2014, establishing it as a major outlet for explanatory journalism. He hosts The Ezra Klein Show, a widely-listened podcast featuring long-form conversations with thinkers across politics, science, and culture. His work focuses on making complex policy and cultural issues accessible to general audiences.

39 Books Recommended by Ezra Klein

Ranked by popularity across all reading lists on this site

Creativity, Inc. book cover
#1

Creativity, Inc.

by Ed Catmull

8 people recommendedrecommended 2x

An amazing, amazing book.

An amazing, amazing book.

Buy on Amazon →

Also recommended by: Mark Zuckerberg, Alexis Ohanian, Demis Hassabis, Jason Calacanis, Michael Mauboussin, Patrick Oshaughnessy, Trung Phan

What We Owe the Future book cover
#2

What We Owe the Future

by William MacAskill

8 people recommendedrecommended 2x

Will change your sense of how grand the sweep of human history could be, where you fit into it, and how much you could do to change it for the better.

Will change your sense of how grand the sweep of human history could be, where you fit into it, and how much you could do to change it for the better.

Also recommended by: Elon Musk, Aj Jacobs, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Julia Galef, Liv Boeree, Sam Harris, Stephen Fry

📖
#3

Klara and the Sun

by Kazuo Ishiguro

5 people recommendedrecommended 2x

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Buy on Amazon →

Also recommended by: Ann Patchett, Diane Rehm, Jack Edwards, Jenny Lawson

Stories of Your Life and Others book cover
#4

Stories of Your Life and Others

by Ted Chiang

4 people recommendedrecommended 2x

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Buy on Amazon →

Also recommended by: Naval Ravikant, Patrick Collison, Tim Ferriss

This is How You Lose the Time War book cover
#5

This is How You Lose the Time War

by Amal El-Mohtar

3 people recommendedrecommended 2x

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Buy on Amazon →

Also recommended by: Craig Newmark, Steph Pilavin

The City We Became book cover
#6

The City We Became

by N. K. Jemisin

3 people recommendedrecommended 2x

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Buy on Amazon →

Also recommended by: Craig Newmark, Neil Gaiman

The Ministry for the Future book cover
#7

The Ministry for the Future

by Kim Stanley Robinson

3 people recommendedrecommended 2x

Near-future fiction about the world climate change is creating, and how it will change us, and we will change it.

Near-future fiction about the world climate change is creating, and how it will change us, and we will change it.

Buy on Amazon →

Also recommended by: Bill Gates, Cory Doctorow

The Shallows book cover
#8

The Shallows

by Nicholas Carr

3 people recommendedrecommended 2x

One of the most prescient books of the digital age.

One of the most prescient books of the digital age.

Buy on Amazon →

Also recommended by: Barack Obama, Tara Brach

📖
#9

Children of Time

by Adrian Tchaikovsky

3 people recommendedrecommended 2x

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Buy on Amazon →

Also recommended by: Brian Dean, Pewdiepie

📖
#10

by

3 people recommendedrecommended 2x

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Also recommended by: Marc Andreessen, Sean Carroll

📖
#11

Give People Money

by Annie Lowrey

2 people recommendedrecommended 2x

Brilliant book.

Brilliant book.

Buy on Amazon →

Also recommended by: Mark Manson

Under a White Sky book cover
#12

Under a White Sky

by Elizabeth Kolbert

2 people recommendedrecommended 2x

An incredible book.

An incredible book.

Buy on Amazon →

Also recommended by: Bill Gates

📖
#13

The Price of Peace

by Zachary D. Carter

2 people recommendedrecommended 2x

A brilliant exploration of the question 'what is economics for?' disguised as an excellent biography of John Maynard Keynes.

A brilliant exploration of the question 'what is economics for?' disguised as an excellent biography of John Maynard Keynes.

Buy on Amazon →

Also recommended by: Anthony Scaramucci

📖
#14

Something Deeply Hidden

by Sean Carroll

2 people recommendedrecommended 2x

Great if you like feeling very confused about the nature of reality, which I guess I do.

Great if you like feeling very confused about the nature of reality, which I guess I do.

Buy on Amazon →

Also recommended by: Joe Rogan

How to Do Nothing book cover
#15

How to Do Nothing

by Jenny Odell

2 people recommendedrecommended 2x

Hit me particularly hard.

Hit me particularly hard.

Buy on Amazon →

Also recommended by: Barack Obama

📖
#16

by

2 people recommendedrecommended 2x

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Also recommended by: Bill Gates

📖
#17

The Extended Mind

by Annie Murphy Paul

2 people recommendedrecommended 2x

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Buy on Amazon →

Also recommended by: Keith Rabois

📖
#18

The Book of Form and Emptiness

by Ruth Ozeki

2 people recommendedrecommended 2x

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Buy on Amazon →

Also recommended by: Cheryl Strayed

📖
#19

Matrix

by Lauren Groff

2 people recommendedrecommended 2x

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Buy on Amazon →

Also recommended by: Roxane Gay

📖
#20

Beyond Ideology

by Frances E. Lee

recommended 2x

The book that is probably the most influential for me in thinking about how American politics really works.

The book that is probably the most influential for me in thinking about how American politics really works.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#21

What It Takes

by Stephen A. Schwarzman

recommended 2x

Everybody should read it.

Everybody should read it.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#22

Nothing to See Here

by Kevin Wilson

recommended 2x

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#23

On Deaf Ears

by George C. Edwards III

recommended 2x

Not the friendliest [tour] through American politics but [it is] the most information rich.

Not the friendliest [tour] through American politics but [it is] the most information rich.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#24

Why the Electoral College Is Bad for America

by George C. Edwards III

recommended 2x

Not the friendliest [tour] through American politics but [it is] the most information rich.

Not the friendliest [tour] through American politics but [it is] the most information rich.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#25

Predicting the Presidency

by George C. Edwards III

recommended 2x

Not the friendliest [tour] through American politics but [it is] the most information rich.

Not the friendliest [tour] through American politics but [it is] the most information rich.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#26

Overreach

by George C. Edwards III

recommended 2x

Not the friendliest [tour] through American politics but [it is] the most information rich.

Not the friendliest [tour] through American politics but [it is] the most information rich.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#27

The Polarized Presidency of George W. Bush

by George C. Edwards III

recommended 2x

Not the friendliest [tour] through American politics but [it is] the most information rich.

Not the friendliest [tour] through American politics but [it is] the most information rich.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#28

The Gamble

by John Sides

recommended 2x

A series of political scientists on the 2012 election I think is really helpful.

A series of political scientists on the 2012 election I think is really helpful.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#29

The Gardener and the Carpenter

by Alison Gopnik

recommended 2x

It's life-changing.

It's life-changing.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#30

Let the People Pick the President

by Jesse Wegman

recommended 2x

Great if you want to go deep on the case against the electoral college.

Great if you want to go deep on the case against the electoral college.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#31

Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop

by Lee Drutman

recommended 2x

He's more optimistic than I am about multiparty democracy solving our ills, but he's absolutely right on the structural nature of two-party duopoly.

He's more optimistic than I am about multiparty democracy solving our ills, but he's absolutely right on the structural nature of two-party duopoly.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#32

Stealth Democracy

by John R. Hibbing

recommended 2x

One of the more frustrating dynamics in politics is many voters assume that if something was good or obvious, it'd be bipartisan, and if it's not, that means something is wrong.

One of the more frustrating dynamics in politics is many voters assume that if something was good or obvious, it'd be bipartisan, and if it's not, that means something is wrong.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#33

The Alignment Problem

by Brian Christian

recommended 2x

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#34

The Sabbath World

by Judith Shulevitz

recommended 2x

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#35

Locking Up Our Own

by James Forman, Jr.

recommended 2x

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#36

Bewilderment

by Richard Powers

recommended 2x

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#37

No Bad Kids

by Janet Lansbury

recommended 2x

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#38

Ledger

by Jane Hirshfield

recommended 2x

Something I really loved.

Something I really loved.

Buy on Amazon →
📖
#39

Down Girl

by Kate Manne

recommended 2x

One of a few essential texts for understanding politics (and American life) today.

One of a few essential texts for understanding politics (and American life) today.

Buy on Amazon →