I kept shaking my head listening to this episode. Two of our local grocery stores are having trouble getting product. Restaurants are cutting workforce hours by half. Our air conditioner needed repair. Lucky it was the part they have that needed to be replaced otherwise a broken compressor would have forced us to replace the whole system as the compressor is now among many components not available. I don’t understand this talk of things aren’t so bad. Things are very uncomfortable right now and more costly.

Please go back to covering less political topics.

I thought this episode was particularly interesting. I coach the local high school swim team. There seem to be a ton of injuries in all the sports…when I was swimming in college, hardly anyone got injured. I wonder if another part of it is that kids aren’t having the sort of free range childhood that my generation (x) had….just running around, biking places, making up games…tag….

Good podcast with a smart host.

This show used to be fairly apolitical and interesting. But Derek has a bad case of TDS so now he's just platforming the far left.

Looking for some new material to listen to during my business travel, I came across Plain English. It didn’t take me long to figure out that the host is nothing more than your typical leftist intellectual. Looks great on paper, but never works out in the real world.

Your interview with him provided no valuable information from him. He was so evasive and refused to give any helpful guidance. The conclusion I came to is that so little information is known that no useful guidance is available to us looking for answers! I’m other words, the episode was a waste of MY time and you should consider who you interview in the future with more care.

AW S

Thank God you can turn his babble into plain English

Derek engages with material conditions in a manner thats perfect for people whose politics are a total cipher. Where you only true conviction is being in the center where you can never be wrong, enlightened as you are, instead can only be wronged by others to your right and left. Than youll love Derek. If you want to hear a defender of thr status quo that never comes into conflict with the interests of capital holding class, but you want it presented in a heterodox manner. Well thab is ur guy. Steven Pinker for Vox readers. I bet The 23 people under 50 that dont work for DNC and like ritchie Torres listen.

From a scientist dependent on federal funding. I would love you dig even deeper and address how the “publish or perish” mentality contributes to increasing lack of innovation.

I liked this one originally, but now it has become too political. I do not find it objective at all but very clearly leaning to one side of the median.

Wonderful way to stay informed on issues that matter!

Tried listening to the big pharma episode but couldn't even make it through to the end. Host lobbed the guest soft ball questions allowing him to excuse one of the greatest travesties in modern life: pharmaceutical pricing. A true investigatory analysis would have dug into the key claim by the pundit: that reducing the price of branded prescription drugs would result in fewer drugs being produced. A true journalist would have investigated gross profit margins in pharma, and questioned whether the companies could continue to turn a profit with lower costs for branded prescriptions. Further, one would question the mechanisms of the cited Rand study — its funding, data, etc — and look to find competing studies. I made it halfway through the episode without any such critical analysis. Do better.

I encourage everyone to listen to this podcast because Derek is the best host and uses a balanced, fair, curious viewpoint in every episode that makes it appealing no matter what ideological differences there may be.

Plain English easily ranks in my top five podcasts, and Derek Thompson is an absolute delight to observe in action. He skillfully captures the zeitgeist by bringing on interesting guests with whom he conversationally jazzes, and consistently comes prepared with thoughtful, provocative questions. Appreciate that he presents complex ideas in a clear, accessible way - but his energy, intellect, and hunger for the truth are anything but plain.

Derek is just the best. Every episode is interesting and informative.

Look forward to this every week. Derek has a great perspective that is such a thought provoking change of pace from the highly divided word of news and information. Hope this continues for a long time!

Really enjoyed the Plain History.

This is one of the best podcasts of all time. Derek is a treasure, akin to Malcolm Gladwell but with a youthful vigor. A pitch perfect blend of current events, sociology, and modern life told in interview and monologue form. The opening monologue is the best piece of media going right now. It can be too lefty for me at times but that’s fine and we should all be willing to stray from our orthodoxy. Plus, Derek is the most fair liberal to contrary viewpoints. Best wishes Derek, thank you and best of luck going forward from someone on the political right of center.

More Plain History!

Please continue with Plain history! When you return to 2 episodes per week perhaps you could do 1 plain history each month? Love it!

Really revolting to join Hanania’s platform, a racist bigot who has called black people “animals.”

This is one of my top 3 podcasts I go to every week, right up there with Ezra and Sam.

Sometimes Derek insists on data and sometimes he doesn’t. To accept the statement on his most recent show that we haven’t been teaching reading right for a long time without evidence is wrong. Show me the evidence that phonics isn’t being taught in every elementary school every day.

We loved the two podcasts with a podcast about James Garfield and James Cape Polk. Please keep these coming!! Great great shows!--both substance-wise and presentation-wise

This episodes started out super informative and then I felt like never touched on probably the single biggest reason housing isn’t built… resources!!! Disappointing. Many communities in California aren’t building because we don’t have. A lot of water. Arizona will feel that soon enough. Also transport and parking. The strain of more people on the roads there. The history of zoning was very cool though!

Derek offers the most well researched and considered points of view on a wide range of topics. A weekly must listen.

Great job pinning down the most interesting issues to talk about. Love how the podcast finds big ideas to discuss that are connected to current events.

It’s hilarious to me that a guy who basically prayed at th altar of Fauci, and Covid vaccines and boosters, thinks he has any right anymore to come across as anything other than a left wing echo chamber / radical. I love to see him now parroting the line going across all left wing outlets “ok, we admit, government needs to be cut… it’s jus the way musk is doing I that’s the problem “ 😂😂 coming from the group of people who had no problem how govern was operating, are only pivoting Now that their hand has been caught u. Cookie jar and most of America hates them. Derek Thompson would be better served wearing a mask, social distancing and getting his 9th covid booster rather than lecturing anyone about pretty much anything. He’s a perfect example of why the dems have never been less relatable, less popular, and less trustworthy than they are right now. Bye

Facts aren’t facts because you say them out loud or have an expert on - still some opinion or assumptions there. Don’t do an episode on “facts we know” and give nothing but speculation. Listen back to older episodes and see how misses have been stated. Add another to the list. Stay in your lane.

This is one of my regular listens. Derek is one of the most rational and thoughtful interviews on the left, and like other great interviewers he is at his best interviewing ideological opponents and asking probing questions. Unlike many podcasts, he gives listeners a serious interview that avoids strawman arguments and hysteria. Coming from a more conservative perspective, I can hear serious challenges to my ideas and enjoy listening.

Thompson is among the better podcast hosts out there now, which speaks as much to the bleak landscape as much as to his own modest talents. He’s at his best when he’s interviewing a legitimate expert about something in science or history. Unfortunately he’s really credulous about tech and politics adjacent to it. I hope he loses that credulousness, but I’m not optimistic given the current incentives and culture. It’s worth listening to when you’ve run out of episodes of better versions of his show, like Ezra Klein’s.

A podcast filled with incredible insights, thoughtful commentary, smart guests, and timely topics. I listen to many podcasts but Plain English is my only never-miss must-listen. Thanks!

Today’s episode about GLP-1 drugs with Al-Aly has been super interesting to listen to and your guest is wonderful but I really think he needs a bit of coaching on podcast speaking. I had to turn it off midway because it was making me too anxious - he is so excited to be talking about this that he’s losing his breath, tripping over his words and shouting. It both makes me happy there’s someone like him talking about this subject but also wanting him to calm down!

Always love these episodes. Really enjoyed first episode of Plain History series. Looking forward to more!!!

Loved the conversation with Candice Millard. Looking forward to more of this ilk.

As a wine drinker as always a great job.

I normally find Derek’s podcast Plain English to be very informative and enjoyable. But the latest episode regarding healthcare was so out of touch with real people that it was offensive. Try talking to regular people and collect their stories in addition to experts. While the episode was informative it lacks the average persons insight. That is true of most episodes in my opinion but was more prominent on this topic. No Derek you do not represent the average Joe well. Your guest would be found to be very condescending to many. The conversation lacked empathy to many people’s struggles and concerns with the state of US healthcare today. Step out of your ivory tower more often. Recent podcast on LA fires was heavily focused on Palisades fire ignoring the Easton fire. Also facts about SoCal fire history was just plain wrong. Next time interview some folks in SoCal with knowledge of the real situation instead of a former. Atlantic colleague. Recall just poorly informed on this topic. I am sadly unfollowing a podcast I use to enjoy.

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Generally think this is a very smart show. But nothing in that crypto episode sounds legit. Really, the Biden DOJ is closing the personal bank accounts of DraftKings employees because they work for a betting site? I’ve heard nothing about this in the mainstream press, and I think this would be a huge news story if true. Come on, do better with the fact checking. Lost a listener.

Hands down the smartest and most densely informative podcast out there. I can't recommend it enough.

Good premise and nice to have guests who are well versed in the topic. However their selection and the stats chosen assuredly have bias towards an agenda.

I have to admit to finally dropping this podcast after hearing the Burkeman “interview.” Three BIG reasons: Johnson barely interviews Burkeman, instead talking a lot about himself and how much he knows. Second, he is not self-aware enough to realize that he is not the first overwhelmed/enamored new parent in the planet. Ad nauseum kid talk is alienating. Third, Burkeman barely gets a word in, unless it to be made to forcibly agree with Johnson. Burkeman’s writing is wonderful, gently insightful, full of practical and thoughtful wisdom. It’s a shame Johnson failed to share that and actively squashed every opportunity for the listener to be engaged.

There's quite a few episodes I really enjoyed like the episode on GLP-1s as well as the episode on how breathing techniques affect mood and immune response. But anytime there is a discussion about economics or politics the capitalist realism and the ideological commitment to the status quo, comes in full force to ruin the discourse. Perhaps I should have done more research into Derek's beliefs instead of just casually consuming the podcast. And perhaps we'll find someone as articulate and intellectually curious as Derek without all of the neoliberal baggage. To all my leftists this is not for you!

From Ravi Sahay You missed it completely. Allopathic medicine which ignores lifestyle, diet and other modes of healing is the REAL problem. Every One needs a crash course on Microbiome incl the Gut Brain connection!

Excellently curated topics, content, and guests. The host is concise and leans into what he knows; and acknowledges what he may not. Overall, just a great show.

J gruber is a failed academic who wrote a horrible health care law and he is not a reliable source of info anymore than the average united healthcare customer. Truly grotesque and violent speech by uninformed effective altruists straight from the weather underground Genuinely started kinda interesting when talking tech… genuinely lost all interest when this became a NY times propaganda outlet. Really a hateful, regressive and very poorly conceived podcast now. Tried listening again and still mostly James clapper level propaganda

Used to be my favorite podcast until this fall with politics - very biased, hateful, dismissive, and plainly rude regarding anything center or center/right. I don’t trust his objectivity or rationality on any topic anymore. Plus, the pretentious rants are annoying. He barely lets his guests speak. How can a person hosting a podcast talk too much?? Not sure how it’s possible but he does. Very sad to be unsubscribing. Hopefully he’ll get the show back on track in the future.

The left-wing propaganda you’ve been vomiting for the last two months didn’t work, did it? America has spoken. Furthermore, the majority is clearly more smart than you are. Look at the market the day after Trump was elected. And that’s all I care to say, because I have better things to do. Not even worth it. Do some more homework about what the current administration did to the middle class ( the class that made this country what it was, mind you ), get a better understanding of economics, and lastly, get yourself together. Unsubscribed.