The Sabbath

‘This Is Nuts.’ An OpenAI Insider Explains Why He Quit.

The Ezra Klein Show, 7 October 2026. The book comes up at 1 hr 13 min in. Said by David Robinson.

David Robinson names this his top pick — "one of my favorite books ever" — recommending it to anyone regardless of religious tradition (he notes he is Jewish). He quotes its famous line that "the Sabbaths are our great cathedrals," discussing Heschel's idea of stopping and taking a breath as more important than any temple — "cathedrals in time" — and connects that wisdom directly to his concerns about the breakneck pace of AI development.

Listen to this episode ↗︎