16: Ruth Ben-Ghiat

16: Ruth Ben-Ghiat

Author: Jennifer Taub & Politicon LLC March 12, 2023 Duration: 1:03:49
This week, my guest Professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an expert in authoritarianism, democracy protection, and propaganda and author of the bestelling book, Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present. Ruth is both a professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University. Outside of the classroom, Ruth frequently appears on cable news to discuss the frightening similarities between early fascism in Europe and current movements here in the United States within the Republican party and abroad.

On today’s episode, I speak wth Ruth about our current crop of authoritarian brutes who use corruption, violence, propaganda, and machismo to stay in power and what we can do to stop them. To stay current with Ruth’s thinking, you can subscribe to her substack, Lucid or read her and her insightful opinion column with MSNBC.


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Get More from Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Twitter | Website | LUCID SubstackAuthor of STRONGMEN


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Twitter | Follow the Money substack| Author of BIG DIRTY MONEY 

For anyone who’s ever finished a great book and immediately wanted to dissect it with a smart friend, Booked Up with Jen Taub is that conversation. Hosted by author and legal commentator Jennifer Taub, this podcast digs into the ideas, arguments, and narratives shaping our world, all through the lens of what we’re reading. It’s less a formal book review and more a lively, critical exploration. Episodes weave together themes from politics, culture, and current events, treating books as vital source material for understanding the bigger picture. You’ll hear Taub’s insightful commentary and analysis, often drawing connections between an author’s work and the real-world issues it illuminates. The discussion feels urgent and relevant, whether tackling a new release or a classic with renewed significance. Listening to this podcast is like joining a book club where the conversation is always sharp, informed, and unafraid to challenge conventional wisdom. It’s for readers, thinkers, and anyone curious about the power of stories to explain our complicated present.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 59

Booked Up with Jen Taub
Podcast Episodes
39: Connie Schultz: She’s every genre [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:50
Pulitzer-Prize winning writer Connie Schultz is Jen’s guest today. Connie is the author of two memoirs. Her first Life Happens: And Other Unavoidable Truths and second …And His Lovely Wife: A Memoir from the Woman Beside…
38: A PLACE FOR US with Brandon Wolf [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:57
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37: WHY SINÉAD O'CONNOR MATTERS with Allyson McCabe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:50
Today’s Booked Up guest is Allyson McCabe, author of the deeply felt, carefully researched book, Why Sinéad O’Connor Matters, which was published in May two months before the musician’s passing. Allyson interviewed Sinéa…
36: BARBIE Book club with George Hahn & M.G. Lord [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:47
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35: Ben McKenzie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:22
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34: FANCY BEAR GOES PHISHING: Scott Shapiro [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:27:59
Jen’s guest today is Professor Scott J. Shapiro, author of the new book FANCY BEAR GOES PHISHING. That’s phishing with a PH. But Fancy with an F, as in Fancy Bear, the Russian hack. Subtitled THE DARK HISTORY OF THE INFO…
33: Kathy Griffin is back, bitches! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:04
Kathy Griffin is Jen’s guest today. They cover everything from her life on the D-List to her cameo in Pulp Fiction (while she was dating Quentin Tarantino) to how Donald Trump tried to destroy her, to her SOLD OUT show i…
32:  A MINOR REVOLUTION with Adam Benforado [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:28
This week Jen’s guest is Adam Benforado, author of the compelling new book A Minor Revolution: How Prioritizing Kids Benefits Us All. The Atlantic said A Minor Revolution is “An extremely sympathetic and worthy attempt t…
31: E. Jean Carroll and Mary Trump on their Backstory Serial [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:43
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30: YES, I CAN SAY THAT by Judy Gold [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:07
They kvetched, they kvelled, they talked about Hitler. Naturally. What did you expect? This week Jen’s guest is two-time Emmy-Award winning comedian Judy Gold. Judy fit Booked Up into her busy schedule. This spring she f…