Essential Listening: Paying Attention
Podcasting wouldn’t be what it is today were it not for the early support it received from National Public Radio (NPR). A quick glance at the most-listened-to podcasts on iTunes shows a healthy dose of NPR-backed content. That said, NPR is still facing a rocky future. Leon Neyfakh at Slate takes an in-depth look at the challenges confronting NPR. Despite its head start in podcasting, NPR is still at risk due to increased competition and an aging demographic.
Without any further ado let’s check out some new podcasts. For an even wider array of selections, you can access earlier installments of Essential Listening.
- Barry Ritholtz talks with Philip E. Tetlock, co-author of Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction, about the relatively poor record of political forecasters and the lessons Tetlock has learned about making better forecasts. (The Big Picture)
- Jake Taylor and Edward Chancellor, author of the great Devil Takes the Hindmost: A History of Financial Speculation, discuss capital cycle theory and how one can get a handle on the quality of management. (Five Good Questions)
- Charlie Munger has been the source of a great deal of wisdom over the years. Gary Carmell, who recently wrote The Philosophical Investor: Transforming Wisdom Into Wealth, tells what he has gleaned from Munger and considers the current state of the real estate market in a conversation with Charley Wright. (Strategic Investor Radio)
- In the United States we like to focus on the impact the financial crisis and Great Recession had on our economy. But overseas it had an even bigger impact. Tracy Alloway and Joe Weisenthal explore how Iceland’s economy imploded and why the country is still not fully recovered from the meltdown of its financial sector. (Bloomberg)
- Tesla made a big splash by taking so many pre-orders for its forthcoming Model 3. John Paul MacDuffie and Wesley R. Hartmann examine the crucial role that the Model 3 will play in the future of the electric car market and of Tesla in particular. (Knowledge@Wharton)
- Experiment, pay attention, experiment. Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business author Charles Duhigg chats with James Altucher about the power of experimentation: Without it we can’t learn, and if we don’t learn, we stagnate. (James Altucher)
- Luck. Successful people don’t like to acknowledge the role (good) luck plays in their achievements. Russ Roberts interviews Robert Frank, author of Success and Luck: Good Fortune and the Myth of Meritocracy, about the personal and macroeconomic lessons we can take from a world where luck is an important differentiator. (EconTalk)
- Payday loans have a bad reputation. They charge high interest and are used primarily by workers struggling to get by. But are they really that bad? Stephen Dubner looks at efforts by activists to essentially shut down payday lending. (Freakonomics)
- The financial markets are not the only places where conventional wisdom drives behavior. Pregnancy is another area where it also plays a big role. Emily Oster, an economics professor and author of Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom is Wrong — and What You Really Need to Know, explores what new evidence is out there on prenatal care in an interview with Shannon Bond. (Financial Times)
Did I miss anything? If you know of a podcast that EI readers might enjoy, let me know in the comments section below. I may highlight it in the next installment.
You can read more from Tadas Viskanta on his blog Abnormal Returns or follow him on Twitter @abnormalreturns.
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All posts are the opinion of the author. As such, they should not be construed as investment advice, nor do the opinions expressed necessarily reflect the views of CFA Institute or the author’s employer.
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