Podcasts: An Introduction

Although podcasts (think “iPod” + “broadcast”) have been around for over a decade, we’re living in a bit of a golden age – or a least a Rennaissance – of the medium. For the uninitiated, here’s a nice video about what podcasts are:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oerm5Q_9u2A

Currently, podcasts are one of my very favorite ways to consume information about a wide variety of topics. Sure, gun to my head, I’ll choose books over podcasts as a way to learn. However, unlike books (or videos), you can easily listen to podcasts while doing other things – whether folding laundry, washing dishes, or going for a run/walk.

(Note: as I mentioned in my list of favorite tools and apps, Overcast is my current favorite podcast player. Although, there are plenty of other worthy podcast players/managers to check out!)

There are no shortage of podcasts, or lists of best podcasts, for that matter. However, here are my current favorites.

My Favorite Podcasts:

Up First (NPR)

This is the first podcast I listen to every weekday while making coffee. I love that it’s short (˜10 minutes) and that it provides some snapshots of important news stories that day. In addition to Up First, I frequently listen to NPR newscasts via their NPR One app, which is worth checking out!

The Art of Manliness

Sure, the egalitarian in me wishes there were a show out there called “The Art of Humanity” – about how to be a Mensch. However, in the meantime, Brett McKay has a solid podcast going about “reviving the lost art of manliness.” I enjoy the podcast (and the Art of Manliness website) because it includes so many helpful how-to guides – for everything from weightlifting to men’s fashion.

Word & Table

I created Rookie Anglican as a way of making Anglicanism more accessible. This podcast, Word & Table, has much the same mission, although it’s focus is not just on Anglicanism, but rather on the rich Christian tradition of liturgical worship. As I wrote about the podcast over at Rookie Anglican:

According to their website, Word & Table “is a weekly podcast about liturgy, sacrament, and the great tradition of Christian worship and why it is vital in our world today.”

The podcast was started back in October 2016, and it’s hosted by Alex Wilgus and Fr. Stephen Gauthier, the Canon Theologian for the Anglican Church in North America’s Diocese of the Upper Midwest.

You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, listen to episodes via the Word & Table website, or simply search for “Word and Table” in your podcast player/manager of choice.

If you’ve got questions about anything related to the Christian tradition, check out the Word & Table podcast to see if they have an episode on the topic!

The Tim Ferriss Show

I’ve become somewhat of a Tim Ferriss junkie in the past two years. In addition to this podcast – which features long-form interviews with “top performers,” in which Tim distils tips, tricks, habits, and practices for the common person – Ferriss’ books are well worth checking out (Affiliate LInks: The 4-Hour Workweek; The 4-Hour Body; The 4-Hour Chef; Tools of Titans) . He’s great at teaching metalearning – how to learn how to learn!

(Note: Tim Ferriss is how I found out about kettlebells – one of my favorite tools for personal fitness.)

Coffee Break German

Sure, Coffee Break German hasn’t taught me the kind of German that I’ll need for my Ph.D. German translation exam. However, it is a very informative introduction to basic/conversational German. It makes a wonderful companion to Duolingo for language learning! Radio Lingua Network offers a whole suite of “Coffee Break” languages, including French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Chinese!

This American Life

In my opinion, no podcast beats This American Life in terms of the quality and variety of storytelling. It’s well worth your time, in addition to the “spinoff” shows Serial and S-Town.

Honorable Mentions:

So tell me, what are your favorite podcasts?