The Reading Octagon

Episode #681

Gad Saad

· 7 books mentioned

Books mentioned

  1. Darwin's Cathedral

    David Sloan Wilson

    Mentioned by Gad Saad · at 00:25:34 · ▶︎ Watch this moment on YouTube (approximate)

    Amazon (opens in a new tab; affiliate link) Source: Transcript (podscripts.co)

  2. Twilight

    Stephenie Meyer

    Mentioned by Joe Rogan (host) · at 01:13:40 · ▶︎ Watch this moment on YouTube (approximate)

    Amazon (opens in a new tab; affiliate link) Source: Transcript (podscripts.co)

  3. The Bible

    Traditional

    Mentioned by Gad Saad · at 01:50:08 · ▶︎ Watch this moment on YouTube (approximate)

    Amazon (opens in a new tab; affiliate link) Source: Transcript (podscripts.co)

  4. The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross

    John Marco Allegro

    Mentioned by Gad Saad · at 02:11:07 · ▶︎ Watch this moment on YouTube (approximate)

    Amazon (opens in a new tab; affiliate link) Source: Transcript (podscripts.co)

  5. DMT

    Rick Strassman

    Mentioned by Gad Saad · at 02:12:46 · ▶︎ Watch this moment on YouTube (approximate)

    Amazon (opens in a new tab; affiliate link) Source: Transcript (podscripts.co)

  6. The Book of Mormon

    Joseph Smith

    Mentioned by Gad Saad · at 02:02:39 · ▶︎ Watch this moment on YouTube (approximate)

    Amazon (opens in a new tab; affiliate link) Source: Transcript (podscripts.co)

  7. The Consuming Instinct

    Gad Saad

    Mentioned by Gad Saad · at 02:39:35 · ▶︎ Watch this moment on YouTube (approximate)

    Amazon (opens in a new tab; affiliate link) Source: Transcript (podscripts.co)

Timestamps are segment start times from the podscripts.co transcript of the audio release (includes ad reads), so they may differ from the video by a few minutes.

Gad Saad is a Concordia University professor whose research examines evolutionary influences on behavior and consumption. He and Joe Rogan discuss campus free speech, religion and persecution, Islamophobia and ISIS, skepticism toward psychics and astrology, evolutionary explanations of sexuality and preferences, birth order and innovation, and how new media shape public discussion and misinformation.

What they talked about

  • Coddling of the American mind on campus
  • Trigger warnings and free speech restrictions
  • Bernie Sanders interrupted by Black Lives Matter
  • Religious fatalism and feedback loops
  • Pseudoscience and fortune telling
  • Virtual reality and simulation theory
  • Birth order and innovation
  • Evolutionary psychology of sex differences

Data last updated · Report a mistake · How it works: mentions are pulled from public transcripts and episode descriptions, partly with AI-assisted extraction, so details and timestamps can be off.

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