The Upgrade by Lifehacker

Nell Scovell is a comedy writer and the author of JUST THE FUNNY PARTS: And a Few Hard Truths About Sneaking Into the Hollywood Boy’s Club. Nell’s written for The Simpsons, Newhart, The Late Show with David Letterman, and a ton of other shows. We’re going to find out how she managed to excel as a woman in a field that’s so male-dominated. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Vicki Robin is the co-author of the bestseller YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE and the godmother of a financial movement that’s becoming increasingly popular among millennials: FIRE, which stands for Financially Independent, Retire Early. Vicki talks to us about changing our relationship with money and redefining what a rich, full life actually means. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Stephane Garnier is a French author whose book, HOW TO THINK LIKE A CAT, extols the many virtues of adopting a feline mindset. Obviously, when we saw this title, we had to talk to him. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

James J. Sexton is a divorce lawyer who has spent his career working with couples whose marriages are dissolving. He’s learned a lot throughout the years about what sours a good marriage (or ends a relationship that's already in trouble), and now he’s using that knowledge to help the rest of us. His new book is “If You’re In My Office It’s Already Too Late: A Divorce Lawyer’s Guide to Staying Together." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guests Brian Lewis and Seth Scott join us this week to talk about games. Game nights, it seems, are having a moment. We’ll find out why, and get some great game-night ideas, from Seth Scott, a video game designer who frequently hosts his own game night (and promises to invite us one of these days). Then Lifehacker staff writer Nick Douglas and Upgrade producer Levi Sharpe talk with Brian Lewis, aka “The Professor,” about how (and why) to get into Magic: The Gathering. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we talk to Stephen Snyder, a sex and couples therapist, and the author of Love Worth Making: How to Have Ridiculously Great Sex in a Long-Lasting Relationship. We’ll discuss why you should be sexually selfish, how the idea of “desire” can mess up your sex life, and why Stephen is against cuddling. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest this week is Outside magazine columnist Alex Hutchinson, author of Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance. We discuss how endurance is a skill that involves drive and belief just as much as muscle--and how we all have the potential to go farther, push harder, and achieve more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we’re talking about the lost art of conversation-making. Joining us is podcaster and raconteur Ken Plume, who has conducted extensive interviews with the likes of Mel Brooks and John Cleese. We discuss how Ken got his start feeling comfortable talking to just about anyone, how he handles the awkwardness of a cocktail party (hint: it involves a fern)—and then we invent an acronym that will help you handle any conversational challenge. (Sort of.) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on the Upgrade, we spoke in front of a live audience at On Air Fest with journalist Jill Abramson, the first female executive editor of the New York Times, and the co-author of Strange Justice: The Selling of Clarence Thomas. We covered a wide range of topics, including: how journalists are affected by social media, how to keep up to date with the news while maintaining your sanity, and where the “Me Too” movement is (or should be) taking us. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Author and psychiatrist Mark Epstein's books include Thoughts Without a Thinker, and Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart.  His latest book, Advice Not Given, uses Buddhism's Noble Eightfold Path as a roadmap for spiritual and psychological growth. According to Mark, Buddhism and psychotherapy arrive at the same conclusion: when we give the ego free rein, we suffer, but when the ego learns to let go, we are free. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.