The Endless Knot

Fascinating conversation leading down unexpected paths. In depth exploration of history and language. Erudite but fun. Guaranteed you’ll learn something every episode.

I enjoy this podcast quite a bit and enjoy the bits of history and etymology that I glean from it. A piece of hopefully constructive criticism I can impart is that Aven seems a little condescending to Mark on occasion, which can be a little uncomfortable for the audience, but which is something that could be fixed easily. Also - and I understand this is a point of personal preference - while I understand that contemporary topics will inevitably work their way into discussions of history, it would be absolutely splendid if the audience could never guess which direction a host leaned politically (for example) or how they felt about the cause du jour. I know it’s a fun show and you guys get into cocktails, and certainly nobody should censor themselves, but I feel uncomfortable listening to someone I disagree with if I’m just listening in for the etymology. It has become harder and harder to escape cultural and political tensions in media and this podcast was one of my cubbies away from the chaos. As a suggested remedy, if you do broach a sensitive topic try and be fair to all sides - maybe before the gin comes out ;)

Aven and Mark's conversations are wide-ranging, intelligent, well-researched, and well-informed. Definitely worth a listen.

I never thought I would be fascinated by an hour long discussion on beef - but I was. The hosts are smart and very well-read, which sometimes makes it hard to keep up with their literary references. All the same I’m glad they don’t dumb it down. I felt smarter at the end of every episode and I couldn’t stop listening.