In this episode Jerry and Stably discussed Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas by Natasha Dow Schüll. The academic ethnography examines how slot machines—once a marginal casino afterthought—now generate most gambling revenue, driven largely by local repeat players rather than tourists. Schüll interviews designers, executives, and addicted gamblers, showing how machines are engineered to induce a self-erasing "zone" akin to flow states, prioritizing extended play over winning. Jerry and Stably debate her capitalism-focused framing, question whether her extreme case studies represent typical gamblers, and connect the addictive "zone" to evolutionary mismatch theory and Schopenhauer's concept of denying the Will. They also touch on Nevada's pre-1969 ownership rules that once limited corporate casino ownership. Despite its dry, jargon-heavy academic style, both hosts found it compelling and recommend it.

This episode covers The Special One: The Secret World of Jose Mourinho by Diego Torres, Jerry's pick timed to Mourinho's appointment as Real Madrid manager. Jerry and Stably discuss the book's chronicle of Mourinho's tumultuous 2010-2013 Madrid tenure, focusing on his combative management style: cultivating an atmosphere of fear and favoritism, sidelining players unrepresented by super-agent Jorge Mendes, and blaming referees for losses. They examine his fraught relationship with president Florentino Perez, the locker-room fractures between Portuguese and Spanish players, and his eventual exit following a player revolt. Both note the book's one-sided framing and oddly literal English translation, while drawing comparisons to authoritarian leadership styles. They recommend it for soccer fans despite its insider assumptions.

In this episode Jerry and Stably discussed Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture by Johan Huizinga. They examined the central thesis that play forms the foundation of human culture and critiqued the author for utilizing vague definitions and romanticizing historical conflict.