Podcasts and Resources

I like making the most out of my time. Pair that with my insatiable desire for learning and you'll understand why I love podcasts so much. Walking, folding laundry, cooking, commuting - I listen to them constantly. My favorite place for a good podcast? At the beach. Reading at the beach is okay, but you have to stare at the page (or your kindle in my case) instead of the gorgeous ocean. Podcasts let you learn and stare at the sea at the same time. Make the most of out life and check out these podcasts on fun and business topics. Did I miss any great podcasts? Let me know in the comments.

PODCASTS FOR BUSINESS:

HBR Channel and HBR Ideacast. Short (typically 5 mins or less) tidbits on business from Harvard Business Review ranging from "How to Integrate Work and Life" to "Myths about Entrepreneurship."

The Tim Ferris Show. See my previous comments on Tim Ferris. I can't bear to listen to his full-length episodes because they're painfully long and full of grandstanding. But, his "in-between-isodes" are excellent and only about 15 mins long.

TEDTalks Business. Video podcast of TEDTalks on business. Some duds but some good nuggets. Bite-sized format of 15 mins or less.

PODCASTS FOR FUN:

Happier with Gretchen Rubin. Fast 15ish minutes of actionable, fact-based ways to make you happier.  Gretchen used to clerk for a Supreme Court Judge so she's smart and likes things that are proven, she also wrote a book I love that you can learn about here.

Planet Money.  Boring title, fascinating topics. If you like Freakonomics (who doesn't?), you'll like this one.

Dinner Party Download.  Fashioned to follow the pace of a great dinner party, this includes small talk - headlines you may not have heard about this week, dinner party play list - an up-and-coming musician handpicks a playlist they would have for a dinner party, history meets cocktails where a mixologist creates a drink inspired by something that happened this week in history, and then 3 celebs are interviewed as your "dinner guests."

Slate Political Gabfest, Whistlestop and The New Yorker's Political Scene. I'm a politics junkie and these weekly podcasts are my crack.

StoryCorps. Quick 3 minutes-or-less to remind me that humans are incredible and whatever drama or stress I have is nothing compared to what others are going through.

Intelligence Squared Debates. Lots cooler than your high school debate team. These 60 min debates are argued by subject-matter experts and it's legitimately made me question my stance on major topics (affirmative action) and minor topics (is Amazon a friend to readers?).

Freakonomics. Because inquiring minds like mine need to know things like "what is the 'best' exercise?" and "would a big bucket of cash really change your life?"

This American Life and RadioLab Great go-tos for interesting snippets of stories related to a weekly topic. Sounds generic, but both are always engaging.