Best Eclectic Minimalist Podcasts (2025)

1
Why Christianity Needs to Help Save Democracy (with Jonathan Rauch) 1:20:08

2d ago1:20:08

1:20:08

How does a nice Jewish boy who is also a gay atheist have the chutzpah to lecture Christianity on its obligations to democracy? Listen to author Jonathan Rauch talk about his book Cross Purposes with EconTalk's Russ Roberts as Rauch makes the case for what he calls a thicker Christianity.By EconTalk: Russ Roberts

1
Rational and Religious (with Ross Douthat) 1:17:31

9d ago1:17:31

1:17:31

How can we explain the world's underlying order? How does consciousness emerge? And why do people from such different cultures have such similar near-death experiences? Listen as Ross Douthat, New York Times columnist and author of the new book Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious, argues that these and other unanswerable questions underscore …

1
The Music and Magic of John and Paul (with Ian Leslie) 1:17:48

16d ago1:17:48

1:17:48

At the heart of the success of the Beatles was the creative chemistry and volatile friendship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Listen as author Ian Leslie discusses his book, John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs with EconTalk's Russ Roberts. It's a deep dive into music and friendship as well as a revisionist history about how John and Paul cre…

1
Do All Creatures, Great and Small, and Made From Silicon, Have Rights? (with Jeff Sebo) 1:16:13

25d ago1:16:13

1:16:13

Should monkeys have the same rights as humans? What about elephants, ants, or invertebrates? NYU philosopher Jeff Sebo makes the case for expanding your moral circle to many more beings than you might expect, including those based on silicon chips. Listen as Sebo and EconTalk's Russ Roberts discuss to whom and what we owe moral consideration, how w…

1
Bird Brains, Bird Sex, and All Kinds of Beauty (with Matt Ridley) 1:16:45

1M ago1:16:45

1:16:45

Bright colors, long tails, and dances of seduction: they may hurt a bird's chances of survival in the wild, but they seem to increase the chances of reproduction. Is this all part of natural selection or is sexual selection its own force in the bird world? Is there such a thing as beauty for beauty's sake? What can we learn from birds about the hum…

1
How Better Feedback Can Revolutionize Education (with Daisy Christodoulou) 1:27:32

1M ago1:27:32

1:27:32

Feedback on exams and papers--grades and comments--should be more than an assessment. It should point the way to improvement. So argues educational consultant Daisy Christodoulou, emphasizing that actionable feedback has to be more than comments scribbled in the margins of a paper or at its end. Listen as she speaks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts abo…

1
Will Guidara on Unreasonable Hospitality 58:13

1M ago58:13

58:13

What can the restaurant business teach us about leadership and management? Listen as Will Guidara, the former owner of Eleven Madison Park, explains to EconTalk's Russ Roberts how his restaurant became good enough to be named the best restaurant in the world. Foodies will enjoy a look behind the scenes of a restaurant at the very top of its game, b…

1
The Unusual World of Israeli Democracy (with Rachel Gur) 1:09:10

2M ago1:09:10

1:09:10

Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East but it seems a lot more alien and chaotic than many of the older democracies of the West. Hear Rachel Gur of Reichman University explain to EconTalk's Russ Roberts how the Israeli political system works and sometimes, doesn't work. The conversation brings into relief the challenges all democracies fac…

1
The Struggle That Shaped the Middle East (with James Barr) 1:18:24

2M ago1:18:24

1:18:24

Until the end of WWI, the Middle East as we know it didn't exist. No Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, or Iraq. Instead, there was the Ottoman Empire, whose dissolution using an arbitrary line on a map set the region on a course of upheaval that's still with us. Listen as historian James Barr speaks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about the 1916 Sykes-P…

1
Who Won the Socialist Calculation Debate (with Peter Boettke) 1:21:17

2M ago1:21:17

1:21:17

For more than a century, some economists have insisted that central planning can outperform markets. Economists like Mises, Hayek, and Friedman disagreed. Who won this debate? Is it over? Does AI change how we should think about the power of planning? Listen as economist Peter Boettke of George Mason University discusses what is known as the "socia…

1
Minimalists and Hoarders (with Michael Easter) 55:05

2M ago55:05

55:05

Why do we buy stuff we don't need? Maybe for the same reason that some people can't stand stuff at all. Listen as author Michael Easter speaks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about how two seemingly opposed approaches to our possessions--minimalism and hoarding--may stem from the same impulse to cope with uncertainty. They also discuss the downsides o…

1
Coase, the Rules of the Game, and the Costs of Perfection (with Daisy Christodoulou) 1:10:25

3M ago1:10:25

1:10:25

Surely perfection is better than imperfection. But applying technology to improve decision-making can backfire. Listen as ed-tech innovator Daisy Christodoulou and EconTalk's Russ Roberts talk about the costs of seeking perfection when technology is used to improve refereeing in sports. They also talk about ways to embrace imperfection and how the …

1
Why AI Is Good for Humans (with Reid Hoffman) 1:21:03

3M ago1:21:03

1:21:03

Should we worry about the human future in a world of AI? Reid Hoffman is unafraid and even optimistic. He argues that the brave new world that awaits is going to be great for humanity. Listen as he talks about his book Superagency with EconTalk's Russ Roberts and argues that the future is bright not just for AI, but for the people who remake the wo…

1
Weep, Shudder, Die: The Secret of Opera Revealed (with Dana Gioia) 1:18:46

3M ago1:18:46

1:18:46

How can opera, with words we rarely understand, make us cry? Why does opera, filled with melodrama, move us? Listen as poet and librettist Dana Gioia explains to EconTalk's Russ Roberts why words matter more than we think, in both opera and on Broadway.By EconTalk: Russ Roberts

1
Will DOGE and Musk Make a Difference? (with Michael Munger) 1:04:21

3M ago1:04:21

1:04:21

Can Musk use DOGE to reduce the size and power of the bureaucracy and big government? Michael Munger of Duke University thinks not, but EconTalk's Russ Roberts isn't so sure. Listen as they discuss the risks of empowering bureaucrats to rein in other bureaucrats and whether change can really happen given the power of the political forces operating …

1
Understanding the Settler Colonialism Movement (with Adam Kirsch) 59:07

4M ago59:07

59:07

Under settler colonialism, you're either a settler or indigenous and the sin of the founding of America, Australia, and Israel, for example, is not just a past injustice but a perpetuating mistake that explains the present. Listen as poet, author, and literary critic Adam Kirsch explains how an academic theory helps us understand the protests again…

1
The Power of Nuance: Lessons for Public Health (with Emily Oster) 56:16

4M ago56:16

56:16

Public health officials should tell the truth, even when it's complicated. Even when some people might misunderstand. Otherwise, says economist Emily Oster of Brown University, the public will come to distrust the people we need to trust if we are to make good decisions both personally and publicly. Listen as Oster talks with EconTalk host Russ Rob…

1
Fixing Sick Cities (with Alain Bertaud) 1:10:44

4M ago1:10:44

1:10:44

Why are European cities charming and American cities often so charmless? Simple, says urbanist Alain Bertaud: most American cities are zoned for single-family housing. The result is not enough customers within walking distance of a business, and not enough parking for the customers who drive. Why American cities are zoned that way is related to cul…

1
Is This War With Lebanon Different? (with Matti Friedman) 1:10:27

4M ago1:10:27

1:10:27

Is Israel's war with Lebanon going to end differently from past attempts to secure Israel's northern border? Journalist Matti Friedman, who recounted his experience as a soldier in Lebanon in his book Pumpkinflowers, reflects on that experience in light of current events and looks to the future in this conversation with EconTalk's Russ Roberts.…

1
Why Industrial Policy Is (Almost) Always a Bad Idea (with Scott Sumner) 1:29:13

5M ago1:29:13

1:29:13

Tariffs are in the air. Will they help or hurt Americans? Listen as economist Scott Sumner makes the case against tariffs and various other forms of government intervention that go by the name of industrial policy. Along the way he looks at some of the history of worrying about the economic and military dangers posed by foreign countries.…

1
Translating Life and Fate (with Robert Chandler) 1:18:12

5M ago1:18:12

1:18:12

What does it take to translate a 900-page Russian novel written before the fall of the Soviet Union? For Robert Chandler it meant living in a seaside cottage for four months to immerse himself completely in the characters' lives and to meet his publisher's deadline. Listen as Chandler, the translator of Vasily Grossman's masterpiece Life and Fate a…

1
Tyler Cowen on Life and Fate 1:07:56

5M ago1:07:56

1:07:56

Life and Fate might be the greatest novel of the 20th century or maybe ever. Tyler Cowen talks about this sprawling masterpiece and its author, Vasily Grossman, with EconTalk's Russ Roberts.By EconTalk: Russ Roberts

1
Terrorism, Israel, and Dreams of Peace (with Haviv Rettig Gur) 2:05:50

5M ago2:05:50

2:05:50

Over the last 30 years, the Israeli public has moved to the right on the question of how to deal with the Palestinians. Why did this happen? How has this changed Israeli politics and the strategy of the Palestinians? Listen, as journalist Haviv Rettig Gur explores the political and military history of the last three decades in Israel with EconTalk'…

1
Who Needs Miracles? On Nature and the Miraculous (with Alan Lightman) 1:09:56

5M ago1:09:56

1:09:56

How can we cultivate a sense of awe in our lives? Easy, says physicist and author Alan Lightman: Pay more attention. When we take the time to examine the world around us, from shooting stars to soap bubbles to everything in between, we can feel a sense of wonder and appreciation akin to spirituality. And the best part is, you can take your scientif…

1
Give Away a Kidney? Are You Crazy? (with filmmaker Penny Lane) 1:21:37

6M ago1:21:37

1:21:37

After filmmaker Penny Lane decided to donate a kidney to a stranger, it took three years and a complex, often infuriating, sometimes terrifying process to make it happen. Along the way, being a filmmaker, she eventually decided to chronicle her experience and explore the question: How can a choice that seems so obvious to the donor seem so strange …

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Eclectic Minimalist Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
EconTalk

Russ Roberts

1
Eclectic minimalist

Eclectic minimalist

1
Why Christianity Needs to Help Save Democracy (with Jonathan Rauch) 1:20:08

1
Rational and Religious (with Ross Douthat) 1:17:31

1
The Music and Magic of John and Paul (with Ian Leslie) 1:17:48

1
Do All Creatures, Great and Small, and Made From Silicon, Have Rights? (with Jeff Sebo) 1:16:13

1
Bird Brains, Bird Sex, and All Kinds of Beauty (with Matt Ridley) 1:16:45

1
How Better Feedback Can Revolutionize Education (with Daisy Christodoulou) 1:27:32

1
Will Guidara on Unreasonable Hospitality 58:13

1
The Unusual World of Israeli Democracy (with Rachel Gur) 1:09:10

1
The Struggle That Shaped the Middle East (with James Barr) 1:18:24

1
Who Won the Socialist Calculation Debate (with Peter Boettke) 1:21:17

1
Minimalists and Hoarders (with Michael Easter) 55:05

1
Coase, the Rules of the Game, and the Costs of Perfection (with Daisy Christodoulou) 1:10:25

1
Why AI Is Good for Humans (with Reid Hoffman) 1:21:03

1
Weep, Shudder, Die: The Secret of Opera Revealed (with Dana Gioia) 1:18:46

1
Will DOGE and Musk Make a Difference? (with Michael Munger) 1:04:21

1
Understanding the Settler Colonialism Movement (with Adam Kirsch) 59:07

1
The Power of Nuance: Lessons for Public Health (with Emily Oster) 56:16

1
Fixing Sick Cities (with Alain Bertaud) 1:10:44

1
Is This War With Lebanon Different? (with Matti Friedman) 1:10:27

1
Why Industrial Policy Is (Almost) Always a Bad Idea (with Scott Sumner) 1:29:13

1
Translating Life and Fate (with Robert Chandler) 1:18:12

1
Tyler Cowen on Life and Fate 1:07:56

1
Terrorism, Israel, and Dreams of Peace (with Haviv Rettig Gur) 2:05:50

1
Who Needs Miracles? On Nature and the Miraculous (with Alan Lightman) 1:09:56

1
Give Away a Kidney? Are You Crazy? (with filmmaker Penny Lane) 1:21:37

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