The Dispatch Podcast The Best of 2025 | Roundtable
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Dec 30, 2025 
Join Jonah Goldberg, a savvy conservative commentator; Megan McArdle, a perceptive journalist; and Mike Warren, a culture commentator from The Dispatch, as they share their standout favorites from 2025. They dive into intriguing books like Neal Stephenson's 'The Diamond Age' and Helena Rosenblatt's exploration of liberalism. The guests recommend binge-worthy shows like 'Andor' and 'Severance.' Foodies will enjoy the duo's best meals, from Jonah's ambitious cassoulet to Megan's holiday classics, along with their favorite product finds like a robot vacuum mop!
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Revisiting The Diamond Age
- Megan McArdle reread Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age after cramming for a podcast interview and loved it again.
- She found its themes about AI-driven personalized education and resilience especially relevant today.
Liberalism Is A Contested Term
- Jonah Goldberg highlighted Helena Rosenblatt's approach of tracing the word 'liberalism' through history to reveal shifting meanings.
- He argued that the idea of a single 'classical liberal' golden age never really existed.
A History Told Through Rum
- Mike Warren reread the revised And a Bottle of Rum and tried several historical rum cocktails while researching tiki culture.
- He enjoyed the book's structure: telling New World history through ten cocktails and distinct chapters.