The following resources provide background information and will give context to the stories in the book. Read and watch before reading, or use this list to quickly find a resource when reading for a fuller understanding of the topic. For more information about the book or where to buy it, see the official website at dontburnthisbook.com.
Required Reading and Viewing
Chapter 2
The Young Turks program attacked David Webb, a friend of Dave.
The Young Turks: “Fox News’ Uncle Tom”
Sam Harris appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher and made the distinction between criticizing ideas and criticizing people. That didn’t stop Ben Affleck from ranting that Harris’s remarks were racist. It was an eye-opening exchange.
Real Time with Bill Maher: “Ben Affleck, Sam Harris and Bill Maher Debate Radical Islam”
Chapter 3
The Rubin Report: “What is a Classical Liberal? (ANIMATED)”
Chapter 5
Dave has repeatedly said this was probably his most eye-opening interview.
The Rubin Report: “Conservatives, Black Lives Matter, Racism” with Larry Elder
Chapter 6
PragerU: “Why I Left the Left” by Dave Rubin
Watch the video at https://www.prageru.com/video/why-i-left-the-left.
Chapter 9
The Peterson-Shapiro live debate was an important show, the second-most watched episode of The Rubin Report.
The Rubin Report: “Frontline of Free Speech (LIVE)” with Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan Peterson
Visit the official Jordan Peterson website with links to major bookstores.
Recommended Reading and Viewing
Chapter 2
Medium: “Waking Up is Hard to Do” by Bret Weinstein
Read the article at https://medium.com/@bret.weinstein/waking-up-is-hard-to-do-9afc1c9415ed.
The Rubin Report: “Free Speech Battle with Laurier University” with Lindsay Shepherd
“Google’s Ideological Echo Chamber: How Bias Clouds Our Thinking about Diversity and Inclusion” by James Damore
Read the original Damore letter at https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3914586/Googles-Ideological-Echo-Chamber.pdf.
The Rubin Report: “Why Did Google Fire This Engineer?” with James Damore
Chapter 3
The Rubin Report: “Trans Issues, Gender, and Victimhood” with Blaire White
Dave had repeatedly argued against intervention in Syria on The Young Turks. Here is one example.
The Young Turks: “Syria: Does Obama Need Approval From Congress?”
Chapter 4
The German magazine Der Spiegel published a smear piece on Dave Rubin in July 2017.
Der Spiegel: “The Alt-Right Movement Behind Trump’s Presidency” by Philipp Oehmke
Read the full article at https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/the-alt-right-movement-behind-trump-s-presidency-a-1155901-amp.html.
On the surface, his life looks like that of a model progressive. He lives in a modernist house made of exposed concrete, glass and Scandinavian wood. Inside, an artist friend is at work on a painting on a large canvas. There are framed covers of the New Yorker on the wall in the foyer. This is where Rubin lives with his husband David, who is making coffee with an Italian coffeemaker. From a studio in his converted two-car garage, Rubin broadcasts his “Rubin Report,” in which he, with affected genuine curiosity, often provides other alt-right figures with talking points in the form of suggestive questions.
The Rubin Report: “LIVE: Q&A with Ex Muslims” with Yasmine Mohammed and Faisal Saeed Al Mutar
Progressive journal Mother Jones wrote a smear piece implying that Dave Rubin was part of the far-right.
Mother Jones: “Cashing in on the Rise of the Alt-Right”
Read the article at https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/06/kyle-chapman-based-stickman-alt-right.
Chapter 6
Dave Rubin spoke on Fox News about attacks on free speech the day before Tucker was targeted for statements he had made in the past. This was the time (March 2019) when Dave was beginning to write his book.
Fox News: “Tucker Carlson” (March 12, 2019)
The Daily Caller Shorts: “Tucker Carlson Goes Head to Head With Media Matters” (March 13, 2019)
YouTube: “My Way” by Frank Sinatra
Chapter 7
The Rubin Report: “Terrorism, The Muslim Brotherhood, & Linda Sarsour” with Brigitte Gabriel
The Rubin Report: “On Her Life, Islam and the Regressive Left” with Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Chapter 8
The New York Times wrote a controversial article in June 2019 again implying that Dave Rubin was part of the alt-right by including his photo in the background mosaic.
The New York Times: “The Making of a YouTube Radical” by Kevin Roose
Read the article at https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/06/08/technology/youtube-radical.html.
YouTube: “I’m as mad as hell and I’m not gonna take this anymore!” from Network
Chapter 9
Dave Rubin went on a worldwide speaking tour with Jordan Peterson. Peterson uploaded his talk from Sydney, Australia to watch for free on YouTube.
Jordan B Peterson: “Who Dares Say He Believes in God?” by Jordan Peterson in Sydney
YouTube: Sam Harris and Jordan Peterson Vancouver 1 (Pangburn #1)
YouTube: Sam Harris and Jordan Peterson Vancouver 2 (Pangburn #2)
YouTube: Sam Harris and Jordan Peterson Dublin (Pangburn #3)
Jordan Peterson was interviewed by Cathy Newman from Channel 4 News in the UK. Peterson and Dave Rubin refer to this terrible (and ridiculous) interview frequently.
Channel 4 News: “Jordan Peterson debate on the gender pay gap, campus protests and postmodernism” by Cathy Newman
Read the introduction at https://www.channel4.com/news/jordan-peterson-debate-on-the-gender-pay-gap-campus-protests-and-postmodernism.
Couldn’t Hurt to Watch
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith: “Execute Order 66”
The Golden Girls
Watch full-length episodes at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXergFBzP2rj6GL_4EmPQoA.