My Five Favorite (gotta pay attention) Podcasts
- James B.
- Oct 15, 2025
- 2 min read
Earlier this year, I shared My Five Favorite (play in the background) Podcasts, podcasts that you could listen to while doing other things. Today, I'm sharing my five favorite podcasts that deserve (if not require) your full attention.
Hidden Brain
Visit Site: https://www.hiddenbrain.org/
Hosted by Shakar Vedantam, Hidden Brain explores the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior and questions that lie at the heart of our complex and changing world. Vedantam describes the inspiration behind the podcast as, “There are two kinds of explorers. One travels to exotic lands, ventures where no one has gone before. The other kind of explorer revels in discovering the surprising and the extraordinary in the mundane and everyday. For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by this second kind of exploration. Nothing delights me more than to hear an insight that transforms what I think I know already, that reshapes how I see the world, that shows me the extraordinary in the ordinary."
Armchair Expert
Visit Site: https://armchairexpertpod.com/
I've been an Armcherrie (a loyal listener of the Armchair Expert podcast) since episode one. Hosted by Dax Shepherd and Monica Padman, the podcast streams every Monday (the original Armchair Experts podcast), Wednesday (Experts on Experts) and Friday (Armchair Anonymous).
Insightful, educational, inspiring and funny, the podcast is my number one listen three days a week.
Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me
Wait, Wait is NPR's weekly quiz game show, where you can play against the brightest and funniest in news and entertainment. Recorded before a live audience, the show is a great recap of that week's news and gossip.
Hosted by Peter Sagal since 1998, the podcast is an NPR favorite, and one of mine as well.
The Grand Scheme: Snatching Sinatra
Hosted by John Stamos, The Grand Scheme follows the circuitous and unbelievable true crime story of Barry Keenan in his own words. Broke, deep in his addiction and in a personal and familial crisis, Keenan needed a miracle. And he found one: the voice God over the radio, outlining a scheme he would eventually be arrested for: Kidnapping Frank Sinatra, Jr.
A limited series with ten episodes.
Hamlet
You've never heard Shakespear's tragic tale of Hamlet quite like this. Released in 2025 with sound by Tony Award-winning Mikhail Fiksel and starring Daniel Kyri, the podcast is Hamlet as you've never heard it.
Another limited series with only six episodes.
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