Books Recommended by Matt Taibbi

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864), author of The Scarlet Letter, stands as a pillar of American dark romanticism, renowned for his psychological depth and exploration of moral complexity.

Born in Salem, Massachusetts, Hawthorne drew from his Puritan ancestry—including a judge from the Salem Witch Trials—to craft novels and short stories steeped in themes of sin, guilt, and societal hypocrisy.

His body of work, including The House of the Seven Gables and Twice-Told Tales (featuring classics like “Young Goodman Brown”), established him as a master of allegory and symbolism. A contemporary of Herman Melville, who lauded his “power of blackness,” Hawthorne’s writing merges historical nuance with timeless ethical inquiries.

The Scarlet Letter, his most celebrated novel, has been translated into over 50 languages, adapted into numerous films and plays, and remains a staple in literary education worldwide.

1. Scarlet letter symbolizes societal shame and personal artistic defiance.
2. Public hypocrisy masks Puritan leaders' hidden sins and moral corruption.
3. Hester’s scarlet letter evolves from “adultery” to “able” through resilience.
4. Dimmesdale’s private guilt destroys him; Hester’s public shame redeems her.
5. Pearl embodies wild innocence, challenging Puritan rigidity and societal conformity.
6. Chillingworth’s vengeance reflects Puritanism’s destructive obsession with punishment.
7. Scarlet letter becomes Hester’s passport to forbidden wisdom and strength.
8. Hawthorne contrasts Puritan repression with nature’s liberating, untamed wilderness.
9. Societal judgment breeds psychological torment worse than public shunning.
10. Redemption emerges through truth-telling, not Puritanism’s harsh moral codes.
11. Scarlet letter’s gold thread mirrors beauty in flawed human complexity.
12. Hester’s final return reclaims the scarlet letter as self-authored identity.

David Solyomi, bestselling author of The FALCON Method and a leading expert in dividend investing, combines his background as a Hungarian economist, equity analyst, and serial entrepreneur to craft a proven blueprint for financial freedom.

Born in 1982 and based in Budapest, Solyomi’s work focuses on passive income strategies, portfolio management, and evidence-based stock selection—themes shaped by his childhood experiences with financial disparity and his subsequent journey to building wealth through strategic investments.

He founded the institutional-grade FALCON Method newsletter service, teaches sold-out seminars across 33 countries, and authored companion works like Confessions of an Ironman. His actionable frameworks, distilled from decades of market analysis and personal success, empower investors to replace traditional income streams with dividend-driven cash flow.

The FALCON Method’s structured approach has become a cornerstone resource for global audiences seeking to escape the “rat race,” with Solyomi’s courses and books reaching tens of thousands through platforms like Skillshare and his award-nominated blog.

1. The FALCON Method prioritizes productive assets like stocks over unproductive currency-based investments
2. David Solyomi’s system uses a multi-factor ranking to identify top dividend-paying companies
3. Invest in undervalued stocks using the FALCON Method’s objective financial metrics
4. Focuses on companies with 10+ years of consistent dividend growth history
5. Combines Warren Buffett’s value investing principles with a systematic stock selection process
6. Teaches how to build passive income through reliable dividend-paying stocks
7. Avoids emotional investing by using data-driven evaluations and long-term holds
8. Emphasizes buying undervalued stocks when market prices dip below intrinsic value
9. Creates a diversified portfolio using a ranked list of financially stable companies
10. The FALCON Method’s black box analysis simplifies complex company evaluations for investors
11. Leverages P/E ratios and dividend yield as key indicators for stock selection
12. Transforms stock investing into a structured system for wealth-building and early retirement

Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch are #1 New York Times bestselling authors known for their gripping historical narratives that blend meticulous research with thriller-paced storytelling.

Their collaborative work The Lincoln Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill America’s 16th President—and Why It Failed delves into lesser-known chapters of American history, exposing political intrigue and foiled assassination plots. Meltzer, an Emmy-nominated creator of History Channel’s Decoded and Lost History, brings expertise in weaving factual events into compelling prose, while Mensch, a documentary producer, contributes rigorous historical analysis.

Together, they’ve co-authored multiple critically acclaimed titles in their "Conspiracy" series, including The First Conspiracy (George Washington), The Nazi Conspiracy (Roosevelt-Stalin-Churchill), and The JFK Conspiracy (2025), all published by Flatiron Books. Meltzer’s background spans thrillers, comic books, and the Ordinary People Change the World children’s series, while Mensch focuses on historical documentaries for PBS and other networks.

Their books consistently debut on bestseller lists, with The Lincoln Conspiracy reaching #6 on the New York Times list and earning praise for its novelistic suspense.

1. The Baltimore Plot exposed early Confederate assassination threats against Lincoln.
2. Booth’s assassination plot targeted Lincoln, Johnson, and Seward simultaneously.
3. Lincoln’s security team, Pinkerton, foiled multiple pre-inauguration assassination attempts.
4. Mary Surratt’s boarding house served as conspiracy headquarters for Booth.
5. The Lincoln Conspiracy reveals untold networks behind presidential security failures.
6. George Atzerodt’s drunken hesitation spared Vice President Andrew Johnson.
7. Lewis Powell’s knife attack failed due to Seward’s neck brace.
8. Lincoln’s assassination dreams foreshadowed Booth’s Ford’s Theatre attack.
9. Post-assassination manhunt exposed Confederate sympathizers across multiple states.
10. Meltzer uncovers hidden connections between Baltimore Plot and Booth’s conspiracy.
11. The Petersen House autopsy revealed bullet trajectory and brain damage.
12. National mourning rituals after Lincoln’s death unified fractured states.