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9 Incredible Podcasts (Plus: The Episodes to Fire Up Today)
Between road trips, longer evenings, beautiful weather, and (hopefully) a little extra downtime, summer is ripe with opportunities to get lost in a new story. Our favorite medium right now? Podcasts. Pop in your earbuds and tune in to one of these standout series.
“This American Life”
The details: Arguably the most popular podcast of all time, the weekly show typically centers around one theme—from political issues to the high school prom to fun comedy acts—and shares a few short essays and journalistic stories within that umbrella.
Why we love it: We’re bombarded with stories these days, but when you find an expertly told tale, one on an interesting topic with great characters, solid reporting, and thoughtful storytelling, it stands apart. This American Life is truly in a league of its own.
Start here: Three Miles, an episode tracing a program that brings students from two very different schools (one public in the country’s poorest congressional district, one private costing $43,000 per year), just down the road from one another, together.
“Dear Sugar”
The details: Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild, and short-story writer Steve Almond field questions from listeners on everything related to love. Readers write in with questions and topics, and the duo offers “radical empathy” in return.
Why we love it: Inclusive, understanding, and forgiving, the weekly show illustrates that sometimes, you just need to talk things out. (And we could listen to Cheryl Strayed all day.)
Start here: Powerful Women and The Men Who Love Them. Another great one from the archives: The Two Stories We Tell, in which Cheryl opens up about how she felt when Vogue photoshopped her photo to the point where she didn’t even look like herself.
“Modern Love”
The details: An audio spin-off of The New York Times’ column of the same name, this podcast is relatively new to the scene, but lets us listen to the delightfully warm, funny, and emotional essays.
Why we love it: The topics touch on every aspect of love, from significant others, to family members, to being true to ourselves. Each episode, generally 20 minutes or less, is narrated by a different person, with stories read by celebrities like Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Connie Britton.
Start here: How I Got Here, Katie Couric reads Leslie Lehr’s essay on a love story that goes beyond feeling, and being, beautiful. (Have a few tissues handy!)
“Burnt Toast”
The details: The team behind Food52 began publishing their very own bimonthly podcast, as a way to share the conversations, debates, and mishaps (hence, that great name) that happened behind the scenes. They go deep on self-referential topics like “What Really Makes a Genius Recipe Genius?” and what food editors cook when they don’t feel like cooking (hint: tacos, eggs, and beans).
Why we love it: We didn’t know we needed another way to consume this fantastic food site until they rolled out this platform.
Start here: In Fat Isn’t Bad, Stupid is Bad, food writer Michael Ruhlman walks through the importance of knowing exactly what’s in our food and cooking it ourselves.
“Invisibilia”
The details: This podcast covers the invisible forces that shape human behavior. (Think thoughts, emotions, and assumptions). The second season premiered in June.
Why we love it: The trio of award-winning hosts, Lulu Miller, Hanna Rosin, and Alix Spiegel, work fascinating scientific research into fantastic storytelling. You’ll walk away from each episode with a new understanding, or at least interest in, how you and those around you behave.
Start here: Our Computers, Ourselves, delves into the question that keeps coming up again and again: Is technology changing us?
“Fresh Air”
The details: Another NPR standout, this podcast has been on the airwaves since 1987 and includes a different subject—politicians, actors, authors, and more—on each show.
Why we love it: We could listen to host Terry Grose interview almost anybody. She asks fantastic questions and guides honest, intimate conversations but also sheds light on issues we might not have heard of.
Start here: Though this episode has a guest host, the title speaks for itself: Is Yellowstone National Park In Danger of Being ‘Loved to Death’?
“How to Do Everything”
The details: Think of this podcast as a totally modern survival guide. Hosts Mike Danforth and Ian Chillag answer questions from readers, and they say no questions are too big or too small.
Why we love it: They more than live up to that mantra: In a single episode, they cover how to get the best seat on the airplane, how to improve the most awkward moment of your day, and how to “get back” at misbehaving Facebookers.
Start here: Among dealing with how to end an online chat gracefully and how to survive a mob trial, the episode titles Burritos, Mobsters, and Texts shares how best to transport stinky clothes when you need to go about your day post-workout.
“Surprisingly Awesome”
The details: Adam Davidson, a writer a co-founder of NPR’s Planet Money, and Adam McKay, a film jack-of-all trades who worked on Anchorman and SNL, among others, challenge each other to prove that boring topics are, well, surprisingly awesome.
Why we love it: We’d never have guessed it either, but mold, that one-hit wonder from Chumbawamba, and interest rates are actually riveting. Seriously.
Start here: Broccoli
“The Splendid Table”
The details: Hosted by award-winning food journalist Lynne Rossetto Kasper, The Splendid Table might not the best podcast to fire up if you’re hungry. Through conversations with recipe developers, chefs, and more, Kasper covers not just what’s on the table, but the cultural and political implications of everything we eat.
Why we love it: Launched in 1997, long before eating locally and responsibly was a widespread trend, this show’s been on the cutting edge of all things food (but it’s not just for foodies).
Start here: Learn the best way to cut an onion, how to make homemade tortillas, and more in Biodiversity.
What are your go-to podcasts? Tell us in the comments below.
Between road trips, longer evenings, beautiful weather, and (hopefully) a little extra downtime, summer is ripe with opportunities to get lost in a new story. Our favorite medium right now? Podcasts. Pop in your earbuds and tune in to one of these standout series.
“This American Life”
The details: Arguably the most popular podcast of all time, the weekly show typically centers around one theme—from political issues to the high school prom to fun comedy acts—and shares a few short essays and journalistic stories within that umbrella.
Why we love it: We’re bombarded with stories these days, but when you find an expertly told tale, one on an interesting topic with great characters, solid reporting, and thoughtful storytelling, it stands apart. This American Life is truly in a league of its own.
Start here: Three Miles, an episode tracing a program that brings students from two very different schools (one public in the country’s poorest congressional district, one private costing $43,000 per year), just down the road from one another, together.
“Dear Sugar”
The details: Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild, and short-story writer Steve Almond field questions from listeners on everything related to love. Readers write in with questions and topics, and the duo offers “radical empathy” in return.
Why we love it: Inclusive, understanding, and forgiving, the weekly show illustrates that sometimes, you just need to talk things out. (And we could listen to Cheryl Strayed all day.)
Start here: Powerful Women and The Men Who Love Them. Another great one from the archives: The Two Stories We Tell, in which Cheryl opens up about how she felt when Vogue photoshopped her photo to the point where she didn’t even look like herself.
“Modern Love”
The details: An audio spin-off of The New York Times’ column of the same name, this podcast is relatively new to the scene, but lets us listen to the delightfully warm, funny, and emotional essays.
Why we love it: The topics touch on every aspect of love, from significant others, to family members, to being true to ourselves. Each episode, generally 20 minutes or less, is narrated by a different person, with stories read by celebrities like Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Connie Britton.
Start here: How I Got Here, Katie Couric reads Leslie Lehr’s essay on a love story that goes beyond feeling, and being, beautiful. (Have a few tissues handy!)
“Burnt Toast”
The details: The team behind Food52 began publishing their very own bimonthly podcast, as a way to share the conversations, debates, and mishaps (hence, that great name) that happened behind the scenes. They go deep on self-referential topics like “What Really Makes a Genius Recipe Genius?” and what food editors cook when they don’t feel like cooking (hint: tacos, eggs, and beans).
Why we love it: We didn’t know we needed another way to consume this fantastic food site until they rolled out this platform.
Start here: In Fat Isn’t Bad, Stupid is Bad, food writer Michael Ruhlman walks through the importance of knowing exactly what’s in our food and cooking it ourselves.
“Invisibilia”
The details: This podcast covers the invisible forces that shape human behavior. (Think thoughts, emotions, and assumptions). The second season premiered in June.
Why we love it: The trio of award-winning hosts, Lulu Miller, Hanna Rosin, and Alix Spiegel, work fascinating scientific research into fantastic storytelling. You’ll walk away from each episode with a new understanding, or at least interest in, how you and those around you behave.
Start here: Our Computers, Ourselves, delves into the question that keeps coming up again and again: Is technology changing us?
“Fresh Air”
The details: Another NPR standout, this podcast has been on the airwaves since 1987 and includes a different subject—politicians, actors, authors, and more—on each show.
Why we love it: We could listen to host Terry Grose interview almost anybody. She asks fantastic questions and guides honest, intimate conversations but also sheds light on issues we might not have heard of.
Start here: Though this episode has a guest host, the title speaks for itself: Is Yellowstone National Park In Danger of Being ‘Loved to Death’?
“How to Do Everything”
The details: Think of this podcast as a totally modern survival guide. Hosts Mike Danforth and Ian Chillag answer questions from readers, and they say no questions are too big or too small.
Why we love it: They more than live up to that mantra: In a single episode, they cover how to get the best seat on the airplane, how to improve the most awkward moment of your day, and how to “get back” at misbehaving Facebookers.
Start here: Among dealing with how to end an online chat gracefully and how to survive a mob trial, the episode titles Burritos, Mobsters, and Texts shares how best to transport stinky clothes when you need to go about your day post-workout.
“Surprisingly Awesome”
The details: Adam Davidson, a writer a co-founder of NPR’s Planet Money, and Adam McKay, a film jack-of-all trades who worked on Anchorman and SNL, among others, challenge each other to prove that boring topics are, well, surprisingly awesome.
Why we love it: We’d never have guessed it either, but mold, that one-hit wonder from Chumbawamba, and interest rates are actually riveting. Seriously.
Start here: Broccoli
“The Splendid Table”
The details: Hosted by award-winning food journalist Lynne Rossetto Kasper, The Splendid Table might not the best podcast to fire up if you’re hungry. Through conversations with recipe developers, chefs, and more, Kasper covers not just what’s on the table, but the cultural and political implications of everything we eat.
Why we love it: Launched in 1997, long before eating locally and responsibly was a widespread trend, this show’s been on the cutting edge of all things food (but it’s not just for foodies).
Start here: Learn the best way to cut an onion, how to make homemade tortillas, and more in Biodiversity.
What are your go-to podcasts? Tell us in the comments below.
