This is part of my podcast series of posts. Below is a list of the various podcasts (in alphabetical order) and my thoughts on each of them. The name of the podcast is linked to the feed itself. The “(info)” link will take you to the podcast’s homepage. As for ratings, clearly I like the podcast at least somewhat or I wouldn’t have it on the list at all. So I’m going with a 3-star system. Three stars means I look very forward to the next episode and almost always listen to the entire episode. Two stars are ones I still really enjoy, but I sometimes skip at least parts of the episode, maybe even half. One stars are podcasts that I feel are hit and miss. I will routinely skip sections of the podcast and occasionally skip an entire episode.
Again, let me know if you have any questions, and don’t hesitate to make suggestions for other podcasts I should listen to.
- Freakonomics Radio (info ) - Frequency: weekly
- Avg. Duration: 30–60 minutes
- My Rating: 3 stars
This is a radio show related to and by the authors of the book Freakonomics and sequels. It covers a huge variety of topics in interesting and surprising ways. I really enjoy it.
- NPR Planet Money Podcast (info ) - Frequency: Wednesday & Friday
- Avg. Duration: 20 minutes
- My Rating: 2 stars
This is NPR’s business podcast. It’s usually quite short, but they present some interesting information. They just did a series on the life cycle of a t-shirt from harvesting the cotton, to the people sewing them, to what happens to them after we drop them off at a good-will. They also did a segment about the origin and history of the federal bank. I find a few of the voices to be quite grating, so I sometimes skip episodes, but the vast majority are enjoyable.