Podcast |
Comments |
EconTalk |
If you asked me for the most
consistently rewarding podcast, this is where I would point you. |
Freakonomics |
If you were brand new to podcasts,
this is where I would have you start. |
MRUniversity |
Bite-sized, very well crafted
economics lessons. All are self recommending. Money Skills, Econ Duel, and
Everyday Economics are perhaps my top recommendations for newcomers. Macro
and Micro are excellent introductory courses. |
Cato Daily Podcast |
If you asked for the best briefing
on political topics, this is the one I'd recommend. |
Reason Video Podcast |
Reason has their stuff together.
From humorous, short parodies and commentaries to long-form interviews, this
videocast is well worth it. Trigger warning, they often cover topics that
will leave you mystified if not down right enraged. |
Conversations with Tyler |
He has a wonderful gift for
getting deeply into a deep, impactful thinker's mind. |
The Alton
Browncast |
Would we expect anything less than
gold from the most entertaining chef in history? Terrifically it is generally
not about food; although, it is often loaded with food. |
Free Thoughts |
If you wanted to seriously learn
about libertarian thought, this would be the best podcast source. Even-toned,
intelligent, and accessible. |
The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe |
If you remember the best part of
AM radio, you'll be instantly hooked on this one. If you can't, don't worry.
You'll still be hooked. |
The
Libertarian Podcast |
A well-reasoned, deeply educated,
libertarian take on the issues of the day. I find myself in strong agreement
95% of the time. I listen to podcasts now at 2x speed. This one is usually
the most difficult in that regard even though I know the topic well. Epstein
talks and thinks FAST! |
So you can
probably pick one of these next three (Ferriss, Altucher, Manliness) finding
the one whose style best fits your taste and get most of the same content
since the guests tend to overlap so much. However, I find each rewarding in
its own right. |
The Tim Ferriss Show |
I like how he has a life-hacking
approach to, well, life and how he turns each guest into a teacher revealing
the tools they have used for success. |
The James Altucher Show |
His style lends itself to an
approachable format. The constant interruptions are a feature in that they
provoke a more meaningful conversation. |
The Art of Manliness |
A pretty good way to check up on
and improve upon your personal level of grit. |
Macro Musings |
Macro is the most controversial
part of economics. It is perhaps not surprisingly also one of the most
difficult to understand. David Beckworth does a splendid job illuminating the
sources of controversy and reducing the confusion of the subject. |
Penn's Sunday School |
Entertaining first and foremost. I
find his support for liberty and libertarianism a strong virtue despite my
quibbles here and there with his delivery or details (in his defense he
ALWAYS includes the disclaimer that he is "wrong, wrong, wrong!").
The atheism, which is arguably the point of the podcast, can be a good
challenge to my own religious beliefs as well as a healthy way to learn from
a convicted, intelligent advocate from the other side. |
99% Invisible |
Weekly they manage to make
interesting the details about stuff all around us that we completely ignore. |
Reply All |
This one almost never fails to
bring me new information. I have found quite a few of these episodes very
surprisingly interesting--even after my expectations were elevated. The only
negative is when it makes me feel old. I am basically always in the "No"
category of "Yes, Yes, No". |
Myths and Legends |
Recommended by a Fribrarian. This
one surprised me with how addictive it is. I swear I'm not this big of a
nerd. |
TEDTalks (hd) |
I would guess I make it all the
way through about one third of these with one third skipped altogether just
based on the topic and description. The ones I do select make the
subscription well worth it. |
Revisionist History |
Counter-conventional wisdom from a
wise counter conventional. |
50 Things
That Made the Modern Economy |
Tim Harford--so say no more. Dense
vignettes about . . . well, read the title. |
Cato Event Podcast |
Heavy on the wonk factor, but I
like to go deep. |
More or
Less: Behind the Stats |
Tim Harford, again. While the
circumstances of specific cases in their numbers analyses are compelling, it
is the ubiquitous principals at work where the real learning lies. |
MinuteEarth |
Almost always pretty interesting
(and if not, it is only 1-3 minutes long), these, like their now podcast
dormant forefather MinutePhysics (you can still get it on YouTube (hey, I
need to do a post about what I'm watching on YouTube)), are how primary school
science should be taught. |
Economic Rockstar |
This one gives me exposure to
economists I wouldn't normally be exposed to (getting me outside my bubble). |
Surprisingly Awesome |
They take the mundane and show how
it is actually not so bad and sometimes even quite amazing. |
StartUp Podcast |
Like the Serial podcast, there was
significant drop off between season 1 and season 2, but I still found season
2 rewarding. Season 3 was a step up, and it has gotten better in season 4. |
Tell Me Something I Don't Know |
Since this one is directly about a
common theme in most of my podcasts, it seems obvious that I would follow it.
However, it is new. And while results so far have been rewarding, time will
tell if it has staying power. |
Science Vs |
Overall, a good concept and good
execution. The limits it runs into are symptomatic of the very premise--you
can't let "what does the science say" run your life. It is not so
simple. Science doesn't allow for normative claims. |
The Moment with
Brian Koppelman |
These interviews are an
interesting twist on the traditional 'talk to a famous or important person'.
He is good at evoking the interviewees' source of their personal success. |
StarTalk Radio |
Another Fribrarian recommendation.
Two things about this one make it a draw for me: 1) they cover an area of
interest for which I am a only superficially well informed, and 2) they think
about problems differently than do I which serves to expand my thought
processes. The negative is when they venture into areas they do not know
well; namely economics. They can be astonishingly poor at economic reasoning. |
Heavyweight |
This one has been hit and miss.
The storytelling is compelling, but the content isn't always so. |
Dan Carlin's Hardcore History |
From a friend's recommendation.
Haven't started it yet, but it looks promising. Episodes are looooonnnnggg. |