Recommended Podcasts

I thought I might share the podcasts that I am currently subscribed to.


Sunday Night Safran:
Comedian John Safran and Catholic Priest Father Bob Maguire present a blend of religion, politics, cultural issues and such from a range of different perspectives, always presented in a very humorous way. Great stuff.



Background Briefing:
"Radio National's agenda-setting current affairs radio documentary program. It varies from week to week in style and content, sometimes doing straight investigative journalism, sometimes exploring important ideas or social issues in on-the-road documentary style. You will find profiles of politicians, analysis of behind-the-scenes issues that shape society, and sometimes an exploration of an idea – or perhaps a murder."



Big Ideas:
"Brings you lectures, conversations, features and special series from Australia and around the world.

Every year Big Ideas broadcasts the Boyer Lectures – where the ABC invites a prominent Australian, or group of Australians to present the results of their thinking on major social, cultural, scientific or political issues in a series of six radio talks – and, via the BBC, the Reith Lectures."



Philosopher's Zone:
"At its heart, philosophy is about asking simple, even silly, questions: the sort of questions you probably asked when you were a kid. What's it all about? Why is there something rather than nothing? Does time stretch infinitely backwards as well as infinitely forward? Sometimes, these simple questions have complex answers, and The Philosopher's Zone is your guide through the strange thickets of logic, metaphysics and ethics.

But as well as looking at the world of philosophy, The Philosopher's Zone will also look at the world through philosophy. Today fundamental and perplexing issues - risk assessment, bio-technology, our relations with animals, relations between cultures, the question whether a society can be open, tolerant and, at the same time, secure and the Zone will look at what philosophical analysis can contribute to our understanding of these issues."



First Person:
"First Person is our serialised reading of a published autobiography, broadcast every weekday. We aim to broadcast the best of current and classic personal narratives - including memoirs, travel writing, diaries and letters. We choose books for fine writing that communicates the author's individual life experience, and for their personal voice - the "I" or first person pronoun."

The two First Person serials that I would strongly recommend are "American Journeys" by Don Watson and "Dirt Cheap" by Elizabeth Wynhausen.