What we're reading on the beach this summer

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Indicator from Planet Money
Episode: What We're Reading on the Beach This Summer
Release Date: August 11, 2025

In the August 11, 2025 episode of The Indicator from Planet Money, NPR delves into the world of summer beach reading, exploring a diverse array of books that intertwine economic insights with gripping narratives. The hosts—Darian, Waylon, and Adrian—share their personal selections, providing listeners with a rich tapestry of literature that not only entertains but also enlightens.

Introduction: Setting the Scene

The episode kicks off with Darian painting a quintessential late summer beach scene: "Stretching out underneath an umbrella, headphones in my favorite books in a cute indicator" (00:01). Waylon humorously emphasizes his sun safety routine, mentioning his "SPF 500 slathered over my alabaster legs" (00:23), to which Darian quips, "Only 500. I think you gotta go four dig" (00:28), setting a lighthearted tone for the discussion ahead.

Waylon’s Choice: Who is Government? by Michael Lewis

Waylon introduces his summer beach read, Who is Government?, an essay collection curated by Michael Lewis, renowned for his work on The Big Short. He remarks, "You might remember him from the Big Short. And I know this is a beach read because I have test read this on several beaches" (02:43). This playful nod underscores the book’s accessibility despite its profound economic themes.

Exploring Unsung Government Heroes

Waylon delves into the book’s core premise: uncovering the "thousands of unsung heroes in the government" who, despite bureaucratic challenges, achieve remarkable feats. A standout example is Christopher Mark, a mine safety official at the Department of Labor. Waylon recounts, "Nearly 100 coal miners would die every year because of roof falls... But then in the late 1980s, Chris came along. He actually was a coal miner once himself... in 2016, there were zero deaths in coal mines from Roof Falls in the US. And that's in large part thanks to Chris" (03:10–03:55). This narrative highlights the tangible impact of dedicated individuals within governmental structures.

The Intersection of Economics and Government

Waylon emphasizes the book's relevance to economic discourse, noting, "Economics and politics are becoming more entwined. And so to truly understand the economy, you need to understand government workers and their motivations, their frustrations and their achievements" (04:13). This insight underscores the intricate relationship between public institutions and economic outcomes, making Who is Government? a valuable read for listeners interested in the structural forces shaping our economy.

Darian’s Selection: El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott

Darian shifts the focus to fiction, presenting El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott as his beach read. He describes it as "a new novel... set in the suburbs of Detroit," centered on three sisters who, despite growing up comfortably due to their father's executive position at General Motors, face economic hardships in adulthood (04:42).

A Gripping Tale of Deception and Economic Decay

The novel explores the sisters' descent into financial instability, leading them to join "the Wheel," a seemingly empowering women's social club that is, in reality, a pyramid scheme. Darian explains, "New members have to bring $5,000 in cash to their first meeting... one woman who gets 25k to take home the big pot. So they take turns being the big prize winner" (05:26). This setup serves as a critique of how economic desperation can drive individuals toward exploitative schemes.

Reflection of Broader Economic Themes

Darian connects the novel's narrative to broader economic issues, stating, "The backdrop for this novel is American economic decay. ... the decline of the auto industry in Detroit has hollowed out the middle class. ... they have debt problems, they have medical bills..." (06:28). Through El Dorado Drive, listeners gain insight into the personal impacts of industrial decline and economic instability, making it not just a captivating story but also a commentary on societal shifts.

Adrian’s Pick: Algo: How Social Media is Transforming the Future of Language by Adam Alexik

Adrian brings a non-fiction perspective with Algo by Adam Alexik, a linguist known on social media as Etymology Nerd. She provides a succinct overview: "This book makes the argument that language is changing at a faster pace than ever before thanks to social media algorithms" (07:38).

The Algorithmic Influence on Language Evolution

Adrian discusses how social media algorithms are not just passive filters but active shapers of language. For instance, to circumvent content suppression, users adopt new terms like "unalive" instead of "kill" (08:28). This adaptation illustrates how digital platforms can drive linguistic innovation, often creating entirely new words.

Impact on Communication Styles

Furthermore, the book explores how algorithms influence not just the words we use but our speaking patterns. Adrian notes, "Influencers on TikTok might speak really fast because if they speak slowly, people are more likely to swipe away" (09:06). This observation highlights how the quest for engagement molds not only content but the very rhythms and tones of our speech, with long-term implications for communication norms.

The Role of Tech Companies

Adrian emphasizes, "These algorithms are ultimately shaped by the companies who own them. And so in a way, these tech companies are really shaping how people talk and communicate and the words that we use" (09:49). This point underscores the significant role that tech conglomerates play in steering linguistic and cultural trends, raising questions about agency and control in the digital age.

Conclusion: Synthesizing Insights

The episode effectively weaves together discussions of government efficacy, economic decline, and the transformative power of technology on language, presenting a multifaceted exploration of how various factors influence and reflect our economic landscape. By selecting books that range from non-fiction analyses to engaging fiction, the hosts provide listeners with a comprehensive view of summer beach reading that is both intellectually stimulating and deeply relevant to contemporary economic and social issues.

Notable quotes from the episode include:

• Waylon on Who is Government?: "There are thousands of unsung heroes in the government. They're doing amazing things, but because of bureaucracies being bureaucracies, we rarely hear those stories" (02:56).

• Darian on El Dorado Drive: "The novel describes how the decline of the auto industry in Detroit has hollowed out the middle class" (06:28).

• Adrian on Algo: "These algorithms are ultimately shaped by the companies who own them. And so in a way, these tech companies are really shaping how people talk and communicate and the words that we use" (09:49).

For listeners seeking to understand the interplay between economics, government, and technology, this episode offers a curated selection of literature that illuminates these complex dynamics through both factual analysis and narrative storytelling.

Transcript

[Darian]

Npr. Ah, gotta love late summer on the beach. Stretching out underneath an umbrella, headphones in my favorite books in a cute indicator.

[Waylon]

Tote, SPF 500 slathered over my alabaster legs.

[Darian]

Only 500. I think you gotta go four dig.

[Adrian]

I brought my ice cold beverage, my little umbrella hat, and I also brought a book to read. What did you guys bring for beach reads?

[Waylon]

Today on the show, our summer reading wrecks. We'll talk about some books we've loved reading this summer. We've got the secret intriguing lives of government workers. Really?

[Darian]

Ooh, we've got a get rich quick scheme gone very wrong and how algorithms.

[Adrian]

Are changing the way we talk. That's all after the break.

[Julia]

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[Darian]

Okay, economic beach reads. Who is up first?

[Waylon]

My econ beach read is called who is Government? It's an essay collection curated by Michael Lewis. You might remember him from the Big Short. And I know this is a beach read because I have test read this on several beaches.

[Darian]

Okay, jet setter, so what is this book about?

[Waylon]

The whole premise of this book is that there are thousands of Unsung heroes in the government. They're doing amazing things, but because of bureaucracies being bureaucracies, we rarely hear those stories.

[Darian]

Oh. So what were some of your favorites?

[Waylon]

One example is the mine safety official, Christopher Mark at the Department of Labor. Several decades ago, nearly 100 coal miners would die every year because of roof falls. And this was seen as an unfortunate reality, really, the cost of doing business. But then in the late 1980s, Chris came along. He actually was a coal miner once himself. He analysed the layouts of mines that had collapsed. He looked at their geography and figured out a system to test how much roof support to use. He also recommended new ways of designing mines that would make them safer. And in 2016, there were zero deaths in coal mines from Roof Falls in the US. And that's in large part thanks to Chris.

[Darian]

Wow.

[Waylon]

One guy, one humble guy who doesn't really capture the headlines until now. And for indicator listeners, there is plenty of economics. One of the unsung heroes is actually an indicator, not a person. The Consumer Price Index, how we measure.

[Adrian]

Inflation, frequently cited on this show.

[Waylon]

Yeah, but I also think because the boundaries between markets and governments have been blurring for some time now, it's also an important read. Since the first Trump term, really, economics and politics are becoming more entwined. And so to truly understand the economy, you need to understand government workers and their motivations, their frustrations and their achievements.

[Adrian]

That is a solid nerdy econ read for the beach. Thank you, Darian. Waylon, you want to go next?

[Darian]

Yes, I would. My summer read is fiction. It's a new novel called El Dorado Drive by the author, Megan Abbott. She is known for her crime novels. I like her writing style a lot. And this book is set in the suburbs of Detroit. There are three sisters who are from the area and they grew up really comfortably because their father was an executive at General Motors. But in adulthood, each sister has fallen into hard times. Then they find what they think is the answer to their money problem.

[Waylon]

Seen some YouTube videos that promise exactly that.

[Darian]

Yeah. So these sisters join something called the Wheel. It's pitched as a women's social club, but it's just a literal pyramid scheme.

[Waylon]

But often they're kind of disguised, aren't they? You don't know exactly. And then you realize, wait, this is just a pyramid scheme.

[Darian]

Exactly. And in the novel, this is how it works. New members have to bring $5,000 in cash to their first meeting. So that's like the price of admission. That money gets pooled. And at each meeting there's one woman who gets 25,000 dol to take home the big pot. So they take turns being the big prize winner. And the only way to get that 25k is to recruit new members.

[Adrian]

I don't know what can go wrong.

[Darian]

Yeah, well, in this novel plenty goes wrong in a very dark and twisted way that will be familiar to anyone who's read a Megan Abbott novel. And I'm recommending it as an econ read because really the backdrop for this novel is American economic decay. The novel describes how the decline of the auto industry in Detroit has hollowed out the middle class. And so the sister in the story have fallen down the social ladder. They have debt problems, they have medical bills, and one of the sisters has this deadbeat ex husband who looted their kids college funds. And that's kind of a narrative engine for the story too.

[Waylon]

Yeah. So you can see why joining a pyramid scheme is tempting.

[Darian]

Yeah. And what's interesting also about this novel is the pyramid scheme is couched in terms of female empowerment. They use all the language of, you know, like rah, rah, girl, boss type stuff. So I think the novel captures that kind of toxic thinking really well and how alluring it is. And it also lays out the lengths people will go to in order to keep up appearances, you know, to like keep performing to the outside world that they're still of a certain social class, even if they're really just like falling down the class ladder.

[Waylon]

That sounds like quite a gripping novel.

[Darian]

Yeah, it is like a great, pulpy, fast paced read. And I don't know, there's like this kind of great sense of dread throughout the start of it when you're like, oh, all these women are gonna be in trouble. And then, oh boy, howdy do they get into a ton of trouble. So.

[Adrian]

Well, my beach read, the book that I read is called Algo How Social Media is Transforming the Future of Language. And just for a bit of background, it's written by Adam Alexik, who is a linguist who also posts on social media under the name Etymology Nerd.

[Darian]

Not to be confused with Entomology Nerd.

[Adrian]

Yes, entomology, that would be the bug channel, Right.

[Waylon]

It really bugs them when they get the confused.

[Darian]

Waylon Darius.

[Adrian]

So. So this book makes the argument that language is changing at a faster pace than ever before thanks to social media algorithms.

[Waylon]

Well, I've passed the age of 30, so my language is fixed in amber. I am not using the word riz, for example.

[Darian]

I mean, as the parent of a tween on the cusp of adolescence who does have, you know, unfettered access to social media, thanks to my bang up parenting skills, that I feel this. I think this is true. There's, you know, words like preppy, which it means something different. It just basically means anything that is cool and anything that is kind of mainstream cool doesn't have to be polo shirts.

[Adrian]

I mean, those are all great examples, right, Preppy Riz of how lesser known slang words can catch on or be reinvented through social media. But the book also, interestingly, goes into examples of, like, how algorithms can actually help create entirely new words. Right. They gave an example in the book of the word unalive, which I hadn't heard of before. But the idea here is that some algorithms might suppress posts that have the word kill in them. So to get around it, users on social media, instead of using the word kill, would use the word unalive.

[Darian]

I see this everywhere on social media.

[Adrian]

Yeah, this is one way that algorithms are, are shaping the way we communicate. But another that he talks about is how algorithms actually shape the way that we talk. Not just the words, but like the tone and the pace of our speech. So, for example, influencers on TikTok might speak really fast because if they speak slowly, people are more likely to swipe away. Right. They're trying to get good with the algorithm. Other people, they'll like, end every sentence with a rising tone, which makes it sound like the sentences aren't quite finished. And so you keep watching to see what comes next.

[Waylon]

It's a cliffhanger, not an up speak.

[Adrian]

What everybody's doing at the end of the day is trying to get engagement in the algorithm. And these algorithms are ultimately shaped by the companies who own them. And so in a way, these tech companies are really shaping how people talk and communicate and the words that we use.

[Waylon]

I know there was a lot of people who imitated Ira Glass after this American Life became famous, including having a nasally voice when they didn't naturally have one.

[Adrian]

The book doesn't really talk about podcasters, but I think in one sense the medium shapes how the message gets communicated. Like the time restrictions of radio or the sort of the lack of visuals on podcasts make us talk in a certain way. And then when you have influential voices in the space, people imitate them too to try and get more attention.

[Waylon]

So podcasters have been doing this for years. Well, thank you very much, Adrian. We're going to have more Econ beach reads in a year, like. And subscribe for more.

[Darian]

This episode of the Indicator was produced by the preppy Julia Richie with engineering by Rizzmaster Kwesi Lee. Any wrong facts were unalived by Sierra Juarez. Kicking Cannon is our elite editor, and the Indicator is a production of nature.

[Sierra]

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