podcasts worth lending an ear to

I’m a firm believer that what you consume shapes how you think and view the world, and that if you surround yourself with excellence, you will desire excellence. When you desire excellence, you’ll soon find yourself losing patience for vacuous content. Even passive consumption of what then seems like garbage is nothing but a waste of time.

I like to be continually learning whenever and however possible. I’m very fortunate in that I am often able to listen to podcasts or audio books during part of my day job. It still amazes me that I can be enriched daily by these free resources. Seriously, how awesome are podcasts?

So without further ado, here are some of my favorite podcasts which I still deem worthy of my time.

Radiolab: an artfully curated take on the mysteries of science.  It’s a curiosity explored in the form of a story, wrapped in a soundscape. Robert Krulwich and Jad Abumrad do a beautiful job of presenting their latest musings from the science world.

99% Invisible: to call this a podcast about design hardly does it justice. Roman Mars presents stories behind anything you can imagine that was designed, with the understanding that great design is invisible. If something is designed well, users shouldn’t even notice it. From architecture to flags to sound, these peeks into the thought behind everything manmade that surrounds us every day is absolutely fascinating.

The seanwes podcast is an extremely value-rich resource for creatives, entrepreneurs, or anyone looking to step up their game. There are several great podcasts on the seanwes network, including one going behind the scenes on a larger than life goal, a branding podcast, a parenting podcast, and even a podcast about podcasting. I wasn’t even blogging weekly until I started listening to this podcast. It will light a fire under your butt and teach you how unprofessional you’ve been all your life. If you’re ready to challenge your comfort zone and learn how to get things done, listen to every single episode of the seanwes podcast. (Oh yeah, there’s a whole series of videos, too!)

The Allusionist is a short podcast about language. I dare you to listen to this and not want to be best friends with host Helen Zaltzman. She’s delightful and hilarious. It’s the most fun etymology lesson you’ll ever hear.

Lexicon Valley is another podcast about language, but longer format than The Allusionist. The two hosts Mike Vuolo and his spiky but likeable counterpart Bob Garfield take a word or phrase and dive deep into the meaning, cultural context, evolution, and often bastardization of the language. I’m admittedly an etymology nerd, but I don’t think you need to be one to get something out of this podcast. I especially enjoyed the one about trying to translate the show “Seinfeld” for a German audience.

Selected Shorts is, as the name suggests, a selection of short stories read live on stage by actors. It unfortunately hasn’t been quite the same since the original host Isaiah Sheffer passed away, but the content is always great. Guest hosts and live readers often include such actors as B.D. Wong, Stephen Colbert, Cynthia Nixon, Robert Sean Leonard, and Wyatt Cenac. I adore short stories, and this always makes the writer part of my brain very happy.

The Moth is recordings of people telling their own unscripted, true stories live on stage. The fact that anyone is brave enough to do this keeps me coming back to listen to their stories.

This American Life is probably one that anyone who has heard of podcasts is familiar with. It’s another story-driven podcast, this time in three acts. They deliver three, seemingly disparate true stories (journalism style) and weave them masterfully into one cohesive theme.

Freakonomics is about “the hidden side of everything.” You don’t realize how economics really does play into everything until you’ve listened to this podcast.

Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! is yet another great program from NPR. It’s a quiz show on current events with a special guest each week, and is honestly my preferred method of getting the news.

The Splendid Table is one I’m sometimes lucky enough to catch part of on the radio when I’m driving. It’s a long-form show, and I haven’t listened in a while, but is great for anyone remotely interested in food. Lynn Rosetto Casper is one of the warmest-sounding hosts I’ve ever heard, and knows her way around all things culinary. I particularly enjoy when she takes calls from listeners and answers whatever kitchen challenges they have. Sometimes she’ll have someone call in to challenge her as to what they can make with a few strange items they have on hand, and that segment is always fun.

WTF with Marc Maron: I’m a fan of Marc Maron as a person. I had the pleasure of seeing him at the Largo, and it couldn’t have been a more intimate performance. You can’t help but feel like you know him, which makes it all the more enjoyable to hear him interview his guests. I haven’t listened to a ton of this one yet, but he does a good interview, and as you may have heard in the news by now, he can draw some pretty big guests.

 

There are many more on writing that I will save for another post, but here are the ones that have survived many an iTunes purge. I’d love to hear what you are listening to. What are some of your favorites? What keeps you coming back to them?