I've been a podcast addict for about 5 years now. My phone is consistently telling my I'm almost out of space because I'm subscribed to so many. I've thought about cutting back but that doesn't sound fun.
Truth be told I've been listening to the same handful of podcasts for quite a while so I turned to my Facebook tribe last week for some new suggestions. I got a couple of messages wanting more information and episode suggestions so here is my super scientific step-by-step guide on how to be a podcast pro
1. Locate the podcast app on your smart phone or tablet. Don't have one of those? Pull out your music playing device. If you don't have any of those items than I'm sorry, you're a lost cause. Or my grandparents. (Hi Jerry and Margie!)
2.Subscribe to the podcasts you think you'll like. Don't know where to start? Well perfect, I just spent a dumb amount of time locating my favorite episodes and making you a list of suggestions!
3. Supplement mindless tasks (i.e. dishes, laundry, driving, cleaning, cooking, walking, online shopping, catching Pokemon, etc.) with this new content.
4. Absorb all this new knowledge
5. When at brunch with your friends, pretentiously mention that you recently listened to a podcast about the subject at hand and offer your newfound wisdom.
My Recommendations:
THIS AMERICAN LIFE
Hosted by my radio crush, Ira Glass, this is probably one of the more popular podcasts and for good reason. IT ROCKS. Every week they pick a new subject, and then bring 3 stories on that subject. It's brilliant storytelling if you ask me. (<-- nobody asked me)
Episodes I love
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Middle School (I don't know if a podcast episode has ever made me laugh so hard)
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Birds and Bees
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That's One Way to Do it
RADIO WEST
Hosted by my other radio crush, Doug Fabrizio, Radio West is a local Utah production. I love the broad range of topics and guests. Doug is never one to shy away from controversy and always has such high quality questions. Luv u Doug.
Episodes I love
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Why Empathy Matters (Very important)
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How To Raise a Wild Child (Still pretty important)
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Asking for It (Even more so important)
FREAKONOMICS
Isn't there already a book with the same title? How smart of you. There is. Hosted by one of book's authors, Stephen Dubner, this podcast"gets to the hidden side of everything", Random everyday things looked at from an economic perspective. Now, even for someone like me who loves herself some good economic inquiry's I still bore pretty easily. I promise this is a fun one and very easy to understand. I love almost every episode I listen to
Episodes I love
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Are We in a Mattress Store Bubble? (I have been wondering for years why the heck there are so many mattress stores)
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The No-Tipping Point (I can't tip without thinking about this podcast now)
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What's More Dangerous: Marijuana or Alcohol?
ECON TALK
This podcast is the whole reason I started listening to podcasts in the first place. It was recommended to me by my favorite high school teacher, Brennan Gee, when he got tired of all of my questions. It's a more in depth discussion of economics with usually a lot of terms I don't completely understand. understand. The host, Russ Roberts is incredibly smart and if he ever gave me life advice I would not second guess him.
Episodes I love
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Robert Frank on Dinner Table Economics (Start here if you want some basics)
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Michael O'Hare on Art Museums
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Robert Arownowitz on Risky Medicine (Makes you re-think a lot of medical procedures)
STUFF YOU MISSED IN HISTORY CLASS
Hosted by the ever perky and fun Holly Frey and Tracy Wilson, this is the stuff we should stick in every history class
Episodes I love
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Women in the USPS
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Oliver Haugh, Serial Killer (Creepy AF)
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The Cresent Hotel and Norman Baker
ON BEING
The podcast I never knew I wanted until I found it. Listening to On Being is part of my Sunday routine. The topics and guests are always engaging and I always walk away with a new perspective on humanity and spirituality.
Episodes I love
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The Dignity of Difference (Soooooo gooooood)
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Listening as an Act of Love
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Practicing Doubt, Redrawing Faith
SERIAL
THE podcast of 2014-2015. People who had no idea what a podcast was previous to this debut, now are hooked. If you're not sure you'll like this whole podcast thing, start here. This one is addicting. Serial was started by the creators of This American Life, and I wont give any spoilers away. You can find more information about the 2 seasons
here
CRIMINAL
Criminal is something I listen to when I want something short and quick. I found this after I listened to serial and needed more crime podcasts. The episodes are typically no longer than 30 minutes and always highlight the strangest stories about criminal things.
Episodes I love
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Just Mercy
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Ex Libris
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Animal Instincts (This was the very first one I listened too, and then I was watching a crime show where this situation happened and guess who figured it our within the first 20 minutes? this girl. THANKS PODCAST)
MAGIC LESSONS
Based off of her most recent book, Elizabeth Gilbert created this 12 part mini series podcast where helps everyday peasants like us who are wanting to live creative lives. I really enjoyed her book, Big Magic, and have listened to all of these episodes a couple of times. It's my favorite podcast to listen to on road trips with friends because it always creates a good discussion. You can find all of them
here
MORE PERFECT
I just started listening to this podcast... that I found through an interview on another podcast. Typical. Anyways, this is podcast spin off of another podcast, Radio Lab, which I sometimes listen to. It looks into the Who What and Why of the Supreme Court. So far I'm really enjoying
it
Podcasts I'm excited to try: 99% Invisible, Let My People Think, Stuff You Should Know, True Story, The Moth Radio Hour, Unmistakable Creative, Note To Self, School Sucks Podcast, Red Ice Radio, and You Must Remember This.
Pretty please if you have any more podcast suggestions for my list, hit me up.
I am now at the point where I have typed the word 'podcast' so much it's starting to look funny.
