As much as this website encourages people to disconnect, podcasts are one of those things that are an exception to that rule. They’re incredible. And they can make the mundane (doing laundry, riding the bus, ironing or shining shoes) nothing short of extraordinary. Each month our resident podcast connoisseur, Dave I., finds three podcasts worth your time and ears. 

 

The Art of Manliness

As stated by host Brett McKay, The Art of Manliness podcast (derived from the website of the same name) is a podcast that aims to help men become better men. Through interviews with authors, television personalities, philosophers and creative minds, each episode imparts some wisdom on living a more fulfilling life. With over 500+ episodes, and counting, The Art of Manliness podcast has definitely found a niche for listeners. Looking to up your fitness game? Episode #504 focuses on how an Olympic marathon runner trains. Philosophy more your thing? Give episode #496 a listen, dealing with Plato’s Republic. Or maybe you’re more of a Bruce Lee fan? If that’s the case, episode #428 is for you. Whatever the topic, Brett interviews his guests with patience and probing questions in an informative and friendly manner. Think more fireside chat and less 20/20.

 

Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History

If history is something that’s been of interest to you, but thoughts of learning history take you back to grade 10 and memorizing dates and places, then fear not. Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History is not straight up academic history. Instead podcast host Dan Carlin infuses excitement in the telling of historical fact by interspersing it with drama, excellent narration, and plot twists that keep the listener interested. New to the podcast? Check out the three part series King of Kings, episodes 56 through 58. Unfortunately, not all of the episodes are freely available for download. As of writing, only episodes from 50 – Blueprint for Armageddon – and forward are available.  Earlier episodes can be downloaded from the website for a small fee.

 

Stuff You Should Know

Are you the type of person who is curious about history, pop culture, and has a love of trivia and facts? And do you like to learn in a fun and informative way? If so, then Stuff You Should Know is the podcast for you. Each week podcast hosts Josh Clark and Charles W. “Chuck” Bryant delve in to a wide range of topics, with shows running in time anywhere from 13 minutes to an hour. Episodes are rarely chronological so you can pick and choose topics that fit your interest and free time. New to the show? Why not ease in with an episode from November 14, 2018 focusing on where lemonade came from. Or perhaps law and order is more your thing, in which case an episode from September 4, 2018 titled “How Police Lineups Work” will be of interest. With over 1,000 episodes available for free, the chances are good there is one that will be of interest to you.