recommendations

1. 1 January 2022

   Books I enjoyed in 2021

   Happy new year! As with previous years, I'm starting with a list of books I enjoyed in 2021 and would recommend widely. This year's list is shorter — partly because I read less non-fiction, partly bec…

2. 8 January 2021

   Read some of these fiction books in 2021

   As with 2020, I’m starting the year with fiction I’m delighted to recommend. I’ve deliberately avoided the obvious names — no Lee Child or Malcolm Gladwell — and leaned into books many readers may not…

3. 1 January 2021

   Read some of these non-fiction books in 2021

   Starting the year with non-fiction recommendations. My filter: books most people won't already have seen on the usual lists — so nothing from Lee Child or Malcolm Gladwell, just good books. Richard Me…

4. 17 July 2020

   38 great podcasts (2020)

   I love podcasts! If you bump into me in person, there's a good chance I'll be wearing headphones, listening to a podcast at 1.8x. Here are 38 podcasts I've been enjoying lately, drawn from my current…

5. 17 January 2020

   Get lit! (with these non-fiction books)

   When kids say something is "lit", it means something gives them satisfaction in the same way good literature gives them satisfaction. Right?!? Right???!! At the request of readers and friends, here's…

6. 10 January 2020

   Get lit! (with these fiction books)

   When kids say something is "lit", it means it gives them satisfaction in the same way good literature gives them satisfaction. Right?!? Right???!! At the request of readers and friends, here's a small…

7. 21 June 2019

   Three great podcasts for your earballs

   Three limited-run podcast series I highly recommend: Against the Rules by Michael Lewis (on referees and fairness), Ponzi Supernova (on Bernie Madoff and the people who enabled him), and The End of th…

8. 23 May 2017

   Time travel movies and books

   Fiction that plays with time seems to stick with me. Whether it's because I tend to think of the future in pluralistic terms, I'm not sure. All I know is I like 'em. A personal list of time travel boo…

9. 25 November 2014

   Podcasts

   If you haven't listened to a podcast before, I recommend giving it a go. Podcasting has improved the quality of my life in the past couple of years — it's become one of my dominant forms for consuming…