8 Faculty Members Recommend Their Favorite Podcasts

Maybe you’re taking a long-awaited road trip and need something to pass the time. Or perhaps you’re opting for a staycation and want something to listen to as you relax at home. As summer kicks off and schedules (hopefully) slow down, we asked Stanford GSB faculty members to recommend shows they listen to in their free time.

Here are some of their favorites:

Two Guys on Your Head

“One podcast I enjoy is Two Guys on Your Head. Art Markman was a faculty member on my dissertation committee 10 years ago (so I’m biased!). I’ve always enjoyed hearing their perspectives — especially how they apply behavioral science and psychology to timely topics and debates.”
— Szu-chi Huang, professor of marketing

Age of Napoleon and Know Your Enemy

“A couple of podcasts I like are Age of Napoleon, a history podcast about the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars that is structured as a biography of Napoleon, but ranges pretty broadly throughout that era. I also enjoy Know Your Enemy, which is about the U.S. conservative movement. Although they are known for doing close reading of influential conservative intellectuals from the 20th century, it’s really illuminating about present-day U.S. politics.”
— Gregory Martin, assistant professor of political economy

Culture Happens and Make It Thrive: The Company Culture Podcast

“I have a long-standing interest in organizational culture. Here are two podcasts I enjoy that keep you in touch with both current developments and conversations about culture: Culture Happens and Lizzie Benton’s Make It Thrive: The Company Culture Podcast.
— Glenn Carroll, professor of organizational behavior

Century Lives

“I recommend Century Lives. I love it and I’m learning a lot. I direct the Stanford Center on Longevity, so I may be biased, but the response we’re getting to the podcast suggests I’m not alone. In the first season, we asked how COVID-19 was changing the way we live and how that impacts our longevity. Then we moved on to the world of education, work, and healthcare to see how our future as a population of centenarians has already started.”
— Lauren Carstensen, professor of psychology and director of Stanford Center on Longevity

Hang Up and Listen

“I am a regular listener of Hang Up and Listen, Slate’s sports podcast. It’s about sports but it touches on politics and societal issues, too.”
— Paul Oyer, professor of economics and senior associate dean

Grit and Growth

“I recommend Grit and Growth. The Stanford Seed team does a great job tackling issues directly relevant to founders and CEOs working in Africa and South Asia, and along the way sheds light on the amazing work these entrepreneurs are doing under challenging circumstances. Even though I am deeply engaged with Seed myself, I always learn something inspiring or insightful — or both.”
— Jesper Sørenson, professor of organizational behavior and senior associate dean

Acquired, TSMC, and Taylor Swift

“I recommend Acquired. A particular episode that I found quite striking is on TSMC (the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company). My teenage daughter really enjoyed the episode with Taylor Swift. One of the hosts, David Rosenthal, is a GSB alum from the Class of 2014.”
— Michael Ostrovsky, professor of economics

Huberman Lab

“I like Huberman Lab, a podcast hosted by Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and professor at the Stanford School of Medicine. He has the ability to make complex ideas accessible and provides really insightful background and advice that I find helpful and actionable.”
— Matt Abrahams, lecturer in organizational behavior and host of the podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart