The Intelligence from The Economist

Battle of the texts: which books changed the world?

So many books are published each year; few stand the test of time. Today we devote our whole show to asking which works have shaped the way we behave and how we think. Picks include “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen, “A Suitable Boy” by Vikram Seth and “Lord of the Rings” by JRR Tolkien. Full list of books mentioned in the show: The Bible The Koran “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen  “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins “On the Origin of Species” by Charles Darwin “Il Saggiatore” by Galileo Galilei “Two New Sciences” by Galileo Galilei “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” by Thomas Piketty “Amusing Ourselves to Death” by Neil Postman The novels of Philip Pullman The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling “The Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley “A Suitable Boy” by Vikram Seth  “Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien  “A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

So this is quizmas: our inaugural holiday face-off

Join our editors and correspondents in a gripping test of recall and reflexes. There are questions on business and politics of course—but also news noises to identify, one saucy limerick and quotes from “The Real Housewives” franchise that frankly no one expected. Which team will take the trophy? Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ [https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus]. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page [https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts] or watch our video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY] explaining how to link your account. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Growing pains: a recession in recessions

Recessions are, in their way, bad news. But so, paradoxically, is a lasting dearth of them. We explain the dangers [https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2025/11/10/recessions-have-become-ultra-rare-that-is-storing-up-trouble?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners] that lie beneath the current run of continuous growth. Our correspondent looks into the hidden economics of online reviews [https://www.economist.com/business/2025/08/14/should-you-trust-that-five-star-rating-on-airbnb?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners], and whether to trust them. And a turkey-industry exposé that you’ll just gobble up.  Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ [https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus]. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page [https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts] or watch our video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY] explaining how to link your account. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Slop stars: why AI-generated content could help creators

In a world of infinite content, who wins and who loses? Our correspondent explains what the proliferation of AI-generated art means for human artists. What the prevalence of male-female friendships tell us about a society. And why you should propose with a yellow-gold ring.   Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ [https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus] For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page [https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts] or watch our video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY] explaining how to link your account. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Country of the year: The Economist’s pick for 2025

Each year, The Economist tries to identify which country has improved [https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/12/18/the-economists-country-of-the-year-for-2025?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners] the most, whether economically, politically or in other ways. In a turbulent year, the choice was tricky. We unveil the result. And The Economist Educational Foundation helps kids worldwide be more news-savvy. We invite you to donate [https://economistfoundation.org/donate/] and support its work: https://economistfoundation.org/donate/ [https://economistfoundation.org/donate/]. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ [https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus] For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page [https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts] or watch our video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY] explaining how to link your account. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.