5 chapters across the catalog
The book Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng is recommended as a factual account of what happens when "creeps" gain power in a society. It is compared to Sinclair Lewis's fictional work It Can't Happen Here, illustrating the rise of authoritarianism and the suppression of dissent.
The 1935 novel "It Can't Happen Here" by Sinclair Lewis was the original inspiration for the 1980s television miniseries "V." NBC executives reportedly found the original script about American fascism too cerebral, leading producers to replace the fascists with man-eating extraterrestrials.
Sinclair Lewis, It Can't Happen Here Book Review
The hosts discuss the 1933 novel It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis. Curry compares the book's themes of a totalitarian fascist state to Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, suggesting Rand may have been influenced by Lewis. Dvorak also recommends Life and Death in Shanghai, a book about the communist takeover of Shanghai.
Show Outro, Sinclair Lewis Recommendation, Sign-off
Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak conclude the episode by reiterating their recommendation of Sinclair Lewis's It Can't Happen Here. They remind listeners of the live stream schedule and the "value for value" model before signing off from Austin and Silicon Valley.
Sinclair Lewis, Life and Death in Shanghai, Literary Recommendations
Literary recommendations include Sinclair Lewis's "It Can't Happen Here," which explores the rise of fascism in America. Another recommended title is "Life and Death in Shanghai" by Nien Cheng, a memoir detailing the harrowing experiences of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The distinction between the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Nobel Peace Prize is also clarified.
