In his book, Seven Games, Oliver Roeder says that games are a “slice of life.”

This hour we look at three games: chess, Scrabble, and Monopoly.

We investigate why these games have endured in popularity through history, and we discuss what each one of them can teach us about life.

GUESTS:
Jenny Adams: Author of Power Play: The Literature and Politics of Chess in the Late Middle Ages
Mary Pilon: A journalist and screenwriter and the author of The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World’s Favorite Board Game
Oliver Roeder: A journalist and the author of Seven Games: A Human History
Lindsay Shin: A competitive Scrabble player; she organizes an annual tournament in New Orleans

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired March 15, 2022.

In his book, Seven Games, Oliver Roeder says that games are a “slice of life.”
This hour we look at three games: chess, Scrabble, and Monopoly.
We investigate why these games have endured in popularity through history, and we discuss what each one of them can teach us about life.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Jenny Adams: Author of <a href="https://www.upenn.edu/pennpress/book/14222.html">Power Play: The Literature and Politics of Chess in the Late Middle Ages</a></li>
<li>Mary Pilon: A journalist and screenwriter and the author of <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/monopolists-9781620405710/">The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World’s Favorite Board Game</a></li>
<li>Oliver Roeder: A journalist and the author of <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/Seven-Games">Seven Games: A Human History</a></li>
<li>Lindsay Shin: A competitive Scrabble player; she organizes an annual tournament in New Orleans</li>
</ul>
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p?si=89RJodkWRsOo1dck5BCdMA&amp;nd=1">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cub21ueWNvbnRlbnQuY29tL2QvcGxheWxpc3QvYWMwYmU5NjktZDdkZi00NjBjLWE2NmMtYTZmOTAwZTFlYmQxLzcxZGM0YTBmLWU4Y2EtNDAyMS1hZWM5LWFhMDMwMDI2MDQyZC9iNjk1Y2I4Ny1mNmE5LTRjNzYtOGYxMS1hYTAzMDAyNjA0M2IvcG9kY2FzdC5yc3M">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/show/colin-mcenroe-show-rsspodcast">Stitcher</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
Join the conversation on <a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/wnprcolin">Twitter</a>.
Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired March 15, 2022.

The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/about">The Colin McEnroe Show</a> is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/tags/the-nose">The Nose</a> for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

The Colin McEnroe Show

What chess, Scrabble, and Monopoly can teach us about life

Touch, grip, read, dance, gesture — what can’t they do? Our fingers are so vital to our everyday life, sometimes it seems they have minds of their own.

This hour, a look at the hidden language of finger gestures, the future of Braille, and the joys and challenges of animating fingers for the movies.

GUESTS:
Kensy Cooperrider: Cognitive scientist, writer, and host of the Many Minds podcast
Jonathan McNicol: Producer of The Colin McEnroe Show
Sile O’Modhrain: Professor at the University of Michigan studying sound and touch and the ways in which they interact
Carlos Fernandez Puertolas: Animator with DreamWorks

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired May 31, 2022.

Touch, grip, read, dance, gesture &mdash; what can&rsquo;t they do? Our fingers are so vital to our everyday life, sometimes it seems they have minds of their own.
This hour, a look at the hidden language of finger gestures, the future of Braille, and the joys and challenges of animating fingers for the movies.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Kensy Cooperrider: Cognitive scientist, writer, and host of the&nbsp;<a href="https://manyminds.libsyn.com/">Many Minds</a>&nbsp;podcast</li>
<li>Jonathan McNicol: Producer of The Colin McEnroe Show</li>
<li>Sile O&rsquo;Modhrain: Professor at the University of Michigan studying sound and touch and the ways in which they interact</li>
<li>Carlos Fernandez Puertolas: Animator with DreamWorks</li>
</ul>
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.
Join the conversation on <a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow">Twitter</a>.
Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired May 31, 2022.

Two thumbs up: A show all about fingers

All calls: Boomy babers are the ones who worry about the mail

What is the status of expertise in our world? This hour we look at the so called "death of expertise." We talk about the role of experts throughout society. Plus, we learn how to master a skill, and the joy of trying.

GUESTS: 


Tom Nichols: Staff writer at The Atlantic. He is the author of The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters. He is also a professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, and a five-time undefeated Jeopardy champion


Alan Dove:Science journalist and co-host of the podcast This Week in Virology


Adam Gopnik: Staff writer for The New Yorker. He is the author of The Real Work: On The Mystery of Mastery,among other books

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.

Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on May 22, 2025.

What is the status of expertise in our world? This hour we look at the so called "death of expertise." We talk about the role of experts throughout society. Plus, we learn how to master a skill, and the joy of trying.
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
Tom Nichols: Staff writer at The Atlantic. He is the author of <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-death-of-expertise-9780197763834?cc=us&amp;lang=en&amp;">The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters</a>. He is also a professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, and a five-time undefeated Jeopardy champion
</li>
<li>
Alan Dove: <a href="https://alandove.com/pages/about/">Science journalist</a> and co-host of the podcast <a href="https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/">This Week in Virology</a>
</li>
<li>
Adam Gopnik: Staff writer for <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/adam-gopnik">The New Yorker</a>. He is the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Real-Work-Mystery-Mastery/dp/1324090758">The Real Work: On The Mystery of Mastery</a>, among other books
</li>
</ul>
Join the conversation on&nbsp;<a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow">Twitter</a>.
The Colin McEnroe Show&nbsp;is available as a podcast on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to&nbsp;The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by&nbsp;The Colin McEnroe Show.
Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on May 22, 2025.

What chess, Scrabble, and Monopoly can teach us about life

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