David Shaywitz
It’s time for my annual feature: recommended podcasts (and a few books) for TR readers to consider. As usual, these suggestions generally steer clear of politics; they also aren’t the only podcasts I listen to, but they’re the ones I’m least likely to skip.
Biotech and Health Care
Of course, everyone in biotech should listen to Luke’s interview series, The Long Run – that’s always been a given.
For regular updates on the state of the industry, my quirky favorite is BioCentury This Week – it’s unpretentious, well-informed, and has a distinct personality.
I also appreciate the quality of the conversations Dr. Eric Topol has on his Ground Truths podcast; his insights offer a reliable window into the part of the biomedical establishment that is rigorous and cautious yet still forward-leaning and innovation-curious, and how it makes sense of our rapidly evolving landscape.
Perhaps my favorite health podcast is Dr. Lisa Rosenbaum’s Not Otherwise Specified (from the NEJM), driven entirely by the strength of Rosenbaum’s insights, the candor of her questions, and the capacity of her heart. This season she focuses on the challenges of primary care, and every episode has been brilliant.
Also worthwhile, engaging and from the NEJM: the monthly NEJM-AI Grand Rounds podcast, hosted by Raj Manrai and Andrew Beam, addressing issues at the intersection of AI innovation and clinical medicine.
Two other podcasts in this category you should know about: first is Carl Zimmer’s limited-run, characteristically thoughtful series about aging. Second is an upcoming series I’m excited about from journalist and writer Thomas Goetz, called Drug Story – preview here.
Business
My favorite daily business podcast, for a long time, has been The Journal, from (wait for it) The Wall Street Journal, and featuring a close, accessible look at a major business story in the news.
Another must is the less frequent and far longer podcast Acquired, described by the WSJ as the show “the smartest people in the room are all listening to.” It offers a detailed look at the evolution of a prominent company; TR readers should check out the April episode on Epic.
I continue to enjoy episodes of Patrick O’Shaughnessy’s Invest Like the Best and Harry Stebbings’s Twenty Minute VC. Regrettably, I’ve largely stopped listening to podcasts from a16z once it started to feel as if they’d adopted a “flood the zone” approach to content domination.
In contrast, I’ve really enjoyed the first few episodes I’ve heard of the recently launched Business History podcast (clearly inspired by Acquired, but fun-sized rather than family-sized).
History
I love learning about history. While most of my listening here has been through audiobooks, I’ve also been really enjoying The Rest Is History, with Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, and Breaking History, with Eli Lake. Both offer context and narrative verve in an engaging and appealing manner.
Psychology
There’s no shortage of podcasts focused on psychology and behavioral health; over the past year I’ve especially enjoyed (and frequently cited) excellence, actually, hosted by Steve Magness, Brad Stulberg, and Clay Skipper.
The Glue Guys podcast has also offered some quality content here, exploring the overlap between sports, leadership, and “the subtle art of making other people better.”
Fun
Not surprisingly, some of my favorite shows from previous years have remained regular parts of my line-up. These include 99% Invisible, with Roman Mars; Across the Movie Aisle, with Sonny Bunch, Peter Suderman, and Alyssa Rosenberg; and The Bulwark Goes To Hollywood, hosted by Sonny Bunch.
Finally, while perhaps politics-adjacent, I continue to love The Focus Group podcast hosted by Sarah Longwell, which each week features extended clips from voters representing a range of demographics.
Books
I’ve been unusually fortunate this year in having the opportunity to review a number of books, and enjoyed aspects of many of them. Particular recommendations include the Bill Gates autobiography Source Code and Sam Arbesman’s charming The Magic of Code.
Related to my interest in health and flourishing, I’d suggest Super Agers by Eric Topol, Why Brains Need Friends by Ben Rein, and Food Intelligence by Kevin Hall and Julia Belluz.
For readers keen to explore more on health and flourishing, this resource page at KindWellHealth might be of interest.
Happy Thanksgiving!
