Best of Wondery

How did Meghan Markle go from a game-show hostess to the fiancee of a prince, and then decide “Nah, not for me”? Harry and Meghan’s decision to step back as royals took the world — and their family — by complete surprise. In our first four-episode series, we ask: Was the writing on the wall? And what did everyone wear along the way?Listen to the full season: wondery.fm/bestofwondery_ETR.

Eight-year-old Tali Shapiro is abducted on her way to school. At the crime scene, LAPD officer Chris Camacho finds her attacker’s student ID. His name: Rodney Alcala.Listen to the full series: wondery.fm/bestofwondery_DGK.

In 1993, a massive conflict erupts in rural Texas. The federal government launches a siege against the Branch Davidians, a religious group based in the outskirts of Waco. What follows is the longest firefight in the history of American law enforcement. And it’s a battle that ends in tragedy. But the standoff has its genesis years before. It’s then that Vernon Howell comes looking for a new religious community to call home. He finds it with the Branch Davidians, and soon, he begins working to seize power.Listen to the full season: wondery.fm/bestofwondery_AS.

A supertanker carrying 53 million gallons of crude oil runs aground in Prince William Sound sparking the worst man-made ecological catastrophe in the country’s history at the time. As Exxon struggles to get the cleanup underway, fishermen worry that this is the end of life as they know it.Listen to the full season: wondery.fm/bestofwondery_AS.

Blasts. Jacks. Moonshots. Grand salamis. Nothing's quite so mythical as baseball's home run. In 1998, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa reminded the nation of that as they tried to smash into the record books. They thought they were going to save baseball. Instead, they destroyed their reputations.Listen to the full season: wondery.fm/bestofwondery_SW.

You've been given a huge responsibility. A test you never expected. But to succeed, you'll have to win over all your doubters—and fend off your most vicious opponents.Listen to more episodes of Imagined Life: wondery.fm/bestofwondery_IL.

You are going to fight tooth and nail until you're famous. But as you struggle for recognition, you’ll have to face something that's tormented you throughout your whole life.Listen to more episodes of Imagined Life: wondery.fm/bestofwondery_IL.

You spent your childhood bouncing between homes, with only the beats in your head to keep you company. Now, you have to choose between living the life you want and staying true to the life you’ve had. If only you could find a way to do both. Listen to more episodes of Imagined Life: wondery.fm/bestofwondery_IL.

Joe Exotic throws a most unusual wedding that includes monkeys, lions, tigers, and bears. But someone is killing his animals, and he is determined to put an end to it.A listener note: this episode contains descriptions of mistreatment of animals.Listen to the full series: wondery.fm/bestofwonderyJE.

In 1916 a killer shark terrorized the New Jersey shore in one of the inspirations for the movie JAWS. Cut to: Phoenix, AZ in the 1960’s, where a young Steven Spielberg is an outsider struggling to fit in. He’s ashamed of his heritage, bad at school, bad at sports, bad at everything. And then he discovers the magic of moving images on an oversized screen. It turns out he’s good at something after all.Listen to the full series: wondery.fm/bestofwonderyIJ.

In the mid 1990s, Enron Corporation solidifies its position as the number one energy company in America. Investment manager Sherron Watkins lands a dream job there, but quickly learns that Enron's office culture and accounting practices make it a treacherous place to work. Listen to the full series: wondery.fm/bestofwonderyAS.

Remember Werner von Braun? We talked a little bit about him in our Cold War series. He was in charge of the German rocket program in World War II. First used to lob missiles and bombs all over Europe, von Braun always dreamed of something better for his rockets. As the Soviet and American forces were closing in on Germany to end the war, von Braun saw only one way out: surrender to the American forces and get to the States.Amid the wreckage of the Third Reich, the first leg of the Space Race would be a sprint to locate von Braun.Listen to the full series: wondery.fm/bestofwonderyAHT.

Artificial Intelligence is no longer the stuff of science fiction. And it’s about to get much more powerful: machines that can reason, create, predict the future, even dream. AI is likely to be one of the most transformative technologies of the 21st-century.This is the first in our four-episode series about the rise of artificial intelligence and humanity's quest to breathe intellectual life into computers. In this episode, we're going to meet the mavericks who first dreamed of a world where machines capable of being smarter than the people who created them.And what better way for smart machines and their creators to face off in a battle of wits -- than by playing chess?

In 2015, Kanye West turned his back on Nike, an all out battle in the ongoing war for sneaker supremacy. Nike and Adidas are two multinational companies worth billions in an industry estimated to be valued at $220 Billion by 2020 (which is double the GDP of Ukraine) but that begs the question - Why are companies sinking so much money into mesh and rubber for your feet?In this series of Business Wars, we'll find out. This is Episode 1 of a 7-part series on the brutal business battle between Nike and Adidas.Listen to the full season at wondery.fm/bestofwonderyBW.

Blasts. Jacks. Moonshots. Grand salamis. Nothing's quite so mythical as baseball's home run. In 1998, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa reminded the nation of that as they tried to smash into the record books. They thought they were going to save baseball. Instead, they destroyed their reputations.Listen to the full season: wondery.fm/bestofwonderySW.

What makes a good marriage? Dan is smitten when he meets Wendi. But after a lavish wedding and a move to Tallahassee for Dan’s job, cracks in their relationship start to appear. Dan is blindsided when he comes home from a work trip and Wendi is gone. Maybe he should have read her novel.“Where the Enemy Sleeps” is performed by Scott Mackay featuring Lucette.Listen to the full season at wondery.fm/bestofwonderyOMDB.

Kat Boogaard, staff writer at The Muse, joins us to talk about the surprisingly challenging aspects of working from home, plus she gives us her tips on how to tell if you’re the kind of person who could responsibly handle working remotely (if you have a predilection for watching Vine compilations on Youtube, working in an office might be better for you). Then, Liz and Rico help listeners Samantha, whose new job is being ruined by major changes at her company, and Amanda, who’s struggling to connect with her coworkers at her office in China. And we debate company cards, staying late, and calling your boss on vacation in today’s Mind the Gap.You can read more of Kat’s writing on freelancing, working remote, and all sorts of topics at her website: https://katboogaard.com.Listen to the full season: wondery.fm/bestofwonderySFW.

We’ve talked a lot on the show about ways to stay sane as a remote worker, but managing a remote team is a whole different animal. So we’ve called on David Deacon, author of “The Self Determined Manager: A Manifesto for Exceptional People Managers,” to shed light on how bosses can help their employees feel like part of the team, even from halfway around the world.Then, Liz and Rico will chat with listener Jenn, who just stepped into a new role at her company, but can’t escape her terrible boss. And we hear from listener Stephanie, who’s been building up her side hustle and wants some advice on how to inject that gig into her resume.Finally, Liz and Rico talk to listener Sarah, who wants to know how to get job security at a cannabis startup where she’s been dubbed “Wonder Woman” for her impressive job skills.Listen to the full season: wondery.fm/bestofwonderySFW.

All physicians are taught, “First do no harm.” But what happens when a doctor does harm his patients?Dr. Robert Henderson was a veteran spinal surgeon in Dallas when he got an unusual phone call from a local hospital: a new surgeon had operated so poorly that a patient who’d walked in on her own two feet now couldn’t even wiggle her toes. Dr. Henderson had seen a lot, but he wasn't prepared for this. The surgery was so bad, in fact, he asked himself whether this person possibly be an impostor impersonating a physician?“Death Don’t Have No Mercy” performed by Delaney Davidson and Marlon Williams, courtesy of Rough Diamond Records.Listen to the full season: wondery.fm/bestofwonderyDD.

There’s no place like the Caribbean for the holidays. But then the storm hits.Listen to the full season: wondery.fm/bestofwonderyBT.

“Let’s build the largest networking community on the planet.” That was the email Adam Neumann sent at 1am to one of WeWork’s very first employees, before they had even a single tenant. So how do you turn a scrappy startup into a global empire? If you’re WeWork's CEO, you rely on charm, chutzpah, and a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black.To listen to stories of the biggest corporate rivalries ever, subscribe to Business Wars. And listen to Business Wars Daily every weekday for a brief dose of entertaining business news.Listen to the full season: wondery.fm/bestofwonderyWC.

Molly and Nikki are best friends, and they can laugh about anything — even cancer. They call it “gallows humor.” When Molly receives her diagnosis, she begins her sexual exploration by learning how to take a different kind of “selfie.” And she lets a massage go all the way.Visit https://secure.metavivor.org/page/contribute/dying-for-sex for more information about metastatic breast cancer research, support, and awareness.Listen to the full season: wondery.fm/bestofwonderyDFS.

A summer party. A stormy night. And a shocking revelation about Joe’s neighbor next door.Listen to the full season: wondery.fm/bestofwonderySND.

You’ve spent your whole life building: a large family, a beautiful home, a successful career. But there's still something missing. And once you find it, you'll risk everything to keep it.Listen to the full season: wondery.fm/bestofwonderyIL.

You travel the world to find your place. You dare to do many things. But the biggest thing you’ll need to dare is to share your secret with the world.Listen to the full season: wondery.fm/bestofwonderyIL.

Episode 1: Debra Newell, an interior designer in Southern California, meets John Meehan on an over-50 dating site. His profile looks exciting: Anesthesiologist, divorced, Christian. She falls in love fast. But her children dislike him and warn her that his stories don’t add up. A psychologist advises Debra to set firmer boundaries with her kids, saying she has a right to be happy.Listen to the full season: wondery.fm/bestofwonderyDJ.