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Azeem Azhar’s Exponential View. Long, deep discussions about technology’s impact on business and society. Spotify Apple

Death, Sex & Money addresses the three topics we’re most uncomfortable talking about. Spotify Apple

Decoder Ring explores cultural questions, objects or habits to figure out what they mean and why they matter. From Slate magazine. Spotify Apple

History Extra Podcast. Produced by BBC History Magazine. Interviews with historians. Multiple episodes each week. Spotify Apple

History Unplugged. Produced by historian Scott Rank with more than 400 episodes. Spotify Apple

The Next Big Idea. About books and ideas in the social sciences. Spotify Apple

Hard Fork. Smart, witty, informative conversation and interviews about tech. Spotify Apple

Posts published in “Life”

My childhood crush on Scrooge McDuck

My childhood crush on Scrooge McDuck

By Emily Toth on December 9, 2021

I adored Scrooge McDuck. He dressed like a tycoon and never pretended to be good.

Christmas break, 1961

Christmas break, 1961

By Max Badger on December 7, 2021

The joy of frittering

The joy of frittering

By Emily Toth on December 5, 2021

A not-so-vintage Christmas tradition

A not-so-vintage Christmas tradition

By Liz Reardon Gauger on December 3, 2021

‘About 558,000,000 results’

‘About 558,000,000 results’

By Jeff Gauger on December 1, 2021

A ‘bad boy’ gets cheap thrills

A ‘bad boy’ gets cheap thrills

By Jeff Gauger on November 29, 2021

I’ll take ‘Ugly’ for $200

I’ll take ‘Ugly’ for $200

By Emily Toth on November 27, 2021

Happy Give Thanks Day

Happy Give Thanks Day

By Jeff Gauger on November 25, 2021

Confessions of a Thanksgiving hater

Confessions of a Thanksgiving hater

By Emily Toth on November 23, 2021

Seeing clearly now

Seeing clearly now

By Liz Reardon Gauger on November 21, 2021

Old Mrs. M strikes a bargain

Old Mrs. M strikes a bargain

By Max Badger on November 19, 2021

Dial up the blanket

Dial up the blanket

By Jeff Gauger on November 17, 2021

Sweater weather

Sweater weather

By Liz Reardon Gauger on November 15, 2021

More craft than art: “11 tips to improve your writing,” from 30-Second Read. With both text and video.

Your first editor: “How to Edit Your Own Writing,” by Harry Guinness for The New York Times.

The best writing advice I ever got and a few pieces of my own: Pithy and spot-on tips from long-time scribbler Daniel Finney at his website, The Paragraph Stacker.

Word nerd delight: Jeremy Butterfield’s deep, rich, smart blog about grammar, word use, word histories, confusing words, more. Loads of fun word arcana.

Ellen is at the Grammar Table: Twitter account devoted to grammar questions and philosophy. Daily quizzes.

How to fix bad sentences: Confused by dangling modifiers? Stumped by passive voice? Author June Casagrande offers precise advice.

Role model: “What I learned about writing from reading Greta Thunberg’s speech to the U.N.,” by Roy Peter Clark for the Poynter Institute.

Writing tips: From Lexico.com, the Oxford Dictionary web site, for writing letters, speeches, job applications, more.

The hardest part of writing . . .: Advice for starting, delivered in cartoons by Grant Snider in The New York Times.

Priceless lessons: A sixth-grade English teacher offered advice about writing and life that Catherine Rampell remembers still. Practical and inspirational.

Apostrophe Protection Society. It’s for real, and it’s both serious and fun. Based in the United Kingdom.