The Inputs Series

Part 1: Podcasts

At least a couple times a week, people ask me what I’m reading or listening to. Often they mean books and music, but increasingly they ask about newsletters and podcasts. Those inquiries over time prompted me to list – in writing – the inputs I’m taking in these days. For this exercise, I set aside books and music, and focused on newsletters, journals and podcasts. 

The activity of writing down this list helped me in a couple ways. It required me to wrap my arms around all the information coming into my life. So often, one newsletter or podcast references another, and I subscribe to that other one. Over months and years, the tally rises; the sheer volume of newsletters or new podcast episodes gets out of hand. And creating the list forced me to evaluate each one’s fit with my life now. However much I’ve enjoyed or benefitted from it in the past, if it simply doesn’t fit with my needs or wants now, I should and will unsubscribe.

With that, below is the list of podcasts I currently and regularly listen to. I’ve also included a few of my favorite episodes to get you started in case that podcast calls out to you and your needs today. In the coming weeks, I’ll offer my lists of newsletters and journals. Enjoy.

The Emerald, hosted by Josh Schrei

Schrei has created a supremely unique listening extravaganza in his exploration of “myth, story and imagination.” He infuses his mesmerizing storytelling with intricately interwoven audio gems – maybe the hard beat of an African drum, maybe song, maybe chanting, maybe rap. When my friend Rob Hardy introduced me to The Emerald, I binge-listened to every episode. Now I am re-listening to them all again.

Favorite Episodes

• For the Intuitives: Part I and Part II

• Snail Juice & Bear Fat & Werewolf Moons

• The Revolution Will Not Be Psychologized

  ---

Fall of Civilizations, hosted by Paul M.M. Cooper

Each episode lasts three or more hours – a feast of detail and analysis for history lovers. Cooper explores the rise and demise of great civilizations in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. I take away the lesson spoken at the end of the movie Patton: “All glory is fleeting.”

Favorite Episodes

• Egypt – Fall of the Pharaohs

• Byzantium – Last of the Romans

• The Greenland Vikings – Land of the Midnight Sun

  ---

Beginners Only, hosted by Angel City Zen Center

Dave Cuomo runs this Buddhist sangha in Los Angeles. My friend and former ACZC resident Sara Campbell introduced me to ACZC and the podcast last year. I do not practice Buddhism, but I feel enormous respect for its practice and teachings. Dave and the sangha bring out really lovely lessons for living in this complex, often mixed up and yet somehow still beautiful world we inhabit. 

Favorite Episodes

• Clarity, Purpose and Joy with Curtis Fabens

• Dukkha Happens (Patience) with Dave Cuomo

• On the Road With Herman the Worm Boy with Sara Campbell

• An Awesome Group of Weirdos (The Fruits of Zazen) with Sara Campbell

  ---

How to Take Over the World, hosted by Ben Wilson

Longtime readers of Solvitur Ambulando know I have some skepticism when it comes to learning lessons from the all-time greats. Nonetheless, Wilson has created a podcast with more than a cult following: he advises other podcasts hosts, entrepreneurs and financial mavens on the lessons on some of history’s greatest leaders, inventors and mavericks. I think Wilson’s terrific genius is updating the stories of these people for today’s audience – giving updated examples that illustrate the lesson he’s discussing. My oldest daughter Beatrice and I listen whenever just the two of us schlep around. And my wife enjoys the podcast too. And the intro kicks ass. 

Favorite Episodes

• Walt Disney Part 1 and Part 2

• Britain’s Greatest Hero – Horatio Nelson Part 1 and Part 2

• The Wealthiest Family of All Time – The Rothschilds Part 1 and Part 2

  ---

Art of Manliness Podcast, hosted by Brett McKay

My brother and I were talking about the Art of Manliness last week. Brett and his wife Kate do so much work. Surely they have a team supporting them, right? They have the AOM website, with new articles weekly; the podcast, with two new episodes weekly; the store; they’ve written books; and they run a community called The Strenuous Life. Each one of them seems like a huge effort, and they’re running them all simultaneously. It’s impressive. McKay is a fine interviewer of his dazzlingly-wide range of guests. 

Favorite Episodes

• Developing Your Personal Uniform with Michael Williams and David Coggins

• A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling with Stephen Cope

• Thoreau on Making a Living with John Kaag

• Befriending Winter with Micah Mortali

• Jack London’s Literary Code

  ---

Deep Questions, hosted by Cal Newport

Productivity maven Cal Newport addresses challenges and answers inquiries related to living a life of deep focus in a shallow, fast-paced world. Excellent for showing down and pondering: what life do I really want to live?

Favorite Episodes

• Video snippet breakdowns of key topics

---

Central Division, hosted by David Coggins and Michael Williams

A buddy-buddy podcast featuring the whimsy of style and fly fishing writer David Coggins and brand authority Michael Williams. I appreciate their fun and light-hearted banter.

Favorite Episodes

• The Retail Report

• The Scotland Issue

• The Masters Revisited

  ---

The Way Out Is In, hosted by Brother Phap Huu and Jo Confino

Huu and Confino explore answers to modern day quandaries, based on the teachings of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. In this moment, in this breath, during this podcast, all is right with the world.

Favorite Episodes

• The Art of Laziness: Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There!

• Transforming Generational Suffering and Hatred

• Are You Truly There for Your Cup of Tea?

• Spiritual Journey: No Quick Fixes

  ---

Conversations with Tyler, hosted by Tyler Cowen

George Mason University economics professor, and co-author of the daily Marginal Revolutions newsletter, Cowen pointedly has “the conversation I want to have, not necessarily the conversation the audience wants me to have.” Like the Art of Manliness podcast, Cowen invites a huge array of guests – politicians, economists, literary figures, entrepreneurs, religious leaders, citizens of the world, athletes, musicians, and more. Cowen has a well-considered view on nearly every topic under the sun, including how to have a terrific interview podcast. Maybe that’s why I love it. The end of year wrap-up episodes are always highlights, as Cowen and his producer look back on their guests, and look ahead to another year of piercing, fascinating questioning. 

Favorite Episodes

• Marilynne Robinson on Biblical Interpretation, Calvinist Thought and Religion in America

• Tom Holland on History, Christianity and the Value of the Countryside

• Stewart Brand on Starting Things and Staying Curious

• Celebrating Marginal Revolution’s 20th Anniversary

• Emily Wilson on Translations and Language

• Ken Burns on the Complications of History

• Shadi Bartsch on the Classics and China 

• Alexander the Grate on Life as an NFA

• Masaaki Suzuki on Interpreting Bach

  ---

Friends With Big Quit Energy, hosted by L. Vago

My friend L. Vago examines the “workhumper” mindset and the rearguard attack on it. From listening to his podcast, and being interviewed by him, I know L. Vago asks sharp questions, peeling away the guest’s hard shell to find the seed – the seed that bursts into the flame of intellectual and emotional curiosity around how to best live and work in the modern world. 

Favorite Episodes

• You Owe It To Yourself to Make Bad Art with Lorena Sassman

• Will Restaurants’ Chill Moment Last? with Chef Dion

• Suffering Won’t Make Your Art Better with Noam Kroll

• Or What Do I Know? Maybe Suffering Is Art’s Joy with Elspeth Michaels

• The Best Lessons Come From the “Less Remarkable” with Russell Smith

  ---

Rates & Barrels, hosted by Eno Sarris, Derek VanRiper, Trevor May and Britt Ghiroli, of The Athletic

My writer friend Will Edwards suggested this baseball podcast to me recently. Two or three new episodes are released each week, making it a super-up-to-date funhouse of debate, analysis and argument about the National Pastime. I am loving it! Thanks, Will. Go Nationals!

Favorite Episode

• Is the Nationals’ Rebuild Ahead of Schedule?

  ---