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why nothing works

Mark Dunkelman
Mentions5
Episodes5
Podcasts1

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why nothing works by Mark Dunkelman gets recommended on The Ezra Klein Show, with transcript quotes, timestamps, and episode context.

why nothing works by Mark Dunkelman appears 5 times across 5 podcast episodes on 1 show, with transcript quotes and timestamps.

As I have just finished reading Abundance, the next one on my list is Mark Dunkelman's Why Nothing Works, which I think is probably a great place for folks who have read your book to pick up next.

Best episode to start with
Is Decarbonization Dead? on The Ezra Klein Show
Why people keep bringing this up

Mark Dunkelman’s Why Nothing Works has been brought up repeatedly on The Ezra Klein Show across three episodes, cited as a recommended next read and as a book that ‘‘aligns with’’ the host’s discussion of infrastructure challenges. In one episode it is suggested as a follow-up for listeners familiar with the guest’s work, implying the book complements conversations about policy and rebuilding systems. Another episode frames the book as addressing obstacles in reconstructing infrastructure, indicating its relevance to debates about implementation and systems-level difficulties.

A third mention places Dunkelman’s book alongside other titles that cover the history of large infrastructure projects, noting that it treats similar themes ‘‘in more detail.’’ Taken together, the episode excerpts show Why Nothing Works is repeatedly referenced on this single podcast as a substantial, detail-oriented source on infrastructure and systemic failure, recommended both for those wanting further reading and for listeners interested in historical depth on big-project challenges.

Recommendation signals

The host mentioned 'Why Nothing Works' by Mark Dunkelman as a valuable resource that delves into the history of significant infrastructure projects. This book is highlighted for its detailed analysis, which complements the broader themes discussed in the episode.

The host mentions 'Why Nothing Works' as a follow-up recommendation for listeners who are interested in the complexities of societal issues and policy-making. This book is suggested as a valuable resource for those looking to deepen their understanding of the challenges in governance and economics.

The host mentions Mark Dunkelman's book 'Why Nothing Works' to highlight the complexities surrounding government effectiveness in addressing economic issues. Dunkelman's insights are seen as valuable in understanding the challenges of rebuilding and reforming systems that are currently failing.

Best for
listeners interested in government and infrastructure policyReaders interested in governance and economic policyReaders interested in economic policy and government reform
Where it keeps coming up

Recent show rotation: The Ezra Klein Show.

Fastest path back to the source: the strongest indexed mention lands at 1:13:39 in the episode where we captured it.

Quick answers

Quick FAQ

Answers to common book, episode, podcast, and guest questions.

Which episode recommended why nothing works?

Is Decarbonization Dead? on The Ezra Klein Show is one of the clearest indexed episodes that recommended why nothing works by Mark Dunkelman. Other indexed episodes include The Origins of Abundance on The Ezra Klein Show and Let’s Get to the Marrow of What Trump Just Did on The Ezra Klein Show. The first indexed transcript timestamp lands at 1:13:39.

Which podcast mentioned why nothing works?

The Ezra Klein Show is the main indexed podcast currently tied to why nothing works by Mark Dunkelman.

Who recommended why nothing works on podcasts?

PodcastMentions ties why nothing works by Mark Dunkelman to The Ezra Klein Show, but the underlying mentions do not yet expose stable guest names for every episode.

Why do podcast guests bring up why nothing works?

The host mentioned 'Why Nothing Works' by Mark Dunkelman as a valuable resource that delves into the history of significant infrastructure projects. This book is highlighted for its detailed analysis, which complements the broader themes discussed in the episode. It most often appears in conversations about importance of infrastructure projects, tax policy and revenue, and affordability crisis.

Source material

Mentions across episodes

Every mention card links back to the episode page and exact transcript anchor.

the next one on my list is Mark Dunkelman's Why Nothing Works, which I think is probably a great place for folks who have read your book to pick up next.

Sentiment: Highly Recommended
For: Readers interested in governance and economic policy
Key quote: As I have just finished reading Abundance, the next one on my list is Mark Dunkelman's Why Nothing Works, which I think is probably a great place for folks who have read your book to pick up next.
The host mentions 'Why Nothing Works' as a follow-up recommendation for listeners who are interested in the complexities of societal issues and policy-making. This book is suggested as a valuable resource for those looking to deepen their understanding of the challenges in governance and economics.

The speaker mentions Mark Dunkelman's new book, which aligns with their own work and discusses challenges in rebuilding infrastructure.

Sentiment: Highly Recommended
For: Readers interested in economic policy and government reform
Key quote: Mark Dunkelman, who just has a new book out, it's very, uh, very along the lines of ours called why nothing works.
The host mentions Mark Dunkelman's book 'Why Nothing Works' to highlight the complexities surrounding government effectiveness in addressing economic issues. Dunkelman's insights are seen as valuable in understanding the challenges of rebuilding and reforming systems that are currently failing.

Covers similar themes to another book but in more detail, focusing on the history of big infrastructure projects.

Sentiment: Highly Recommended
For: listeners interested in government and infrastructure policy
Key quote: Mark Dunkelman has a book that is, I think, not quite out yet, but I read in galleys and that is going to be released in a couple of weeks.
The host mentioned 'Why Nothing Works' by Mark Dunkelman as a valuable resource that delves into the history of significant infrastructure projects. This book is highlighted for its detailed analysis, which complements the broader themes discussed in the episode.

Mark Dunkelman is a fellow at the Searchlight Institute and at Brown University and the author of a book that came out around the same time, Why Nothing Works, which is about some very similar ideas.

It got me thinking about this mix of top-down, more centralized, get stuff done approach versus also that bottom-up individual kind of liberties.