The Upgrade by Lifehacker

Michael Pollan has been writing about the intersection of nature and culture for over 30 years. He may be best known as the guy who summed up his principles for eating thusly: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." He is the author of several books, including In Defense of Food, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and The Botany of Desire. His latest book is How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're speaking with the ever-inspiring Anne Lamott—progressive political activist, writer, and bestselling author of such books as Bird by Bird, Traveling Mercies, and Operating Instructions. Anne's latest book is called Dusk, Night, Dawn: On Revival and Courage, and she joins us this week to talk about how we can find hope, even in the most challenging times.Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at upgrade@lifehacker.com. We want to hear from you!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're fine-tuning our instruments with help from Hollywood vocal coach, Denise Woods. Denise has been a professional vocal and dialect coach for over 20 years and has worked with stars like Will Smith, Halle Berry, Rachel Weisz, Jessica Chastain, and Mahershala Ali. Listen to hear Denise gives tips on how to nix the bad habits of the “ums,” “ahs,” and “likes,” figure out your unique voice print, and learn to harness the power of your breath when speaking. Denise's new book is called The Power of Voice: A Guide to Making Yourself Heard.Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at upgrade@lifehacker.com. We want to hear from you!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're learning how to tackle the notorious challenge of dating with help from Logan Ury—Director of Relationship Science at Hinge and author of the new book, How to Not Die Alone: The Surprising Science That Will Help You Find Love. Listen to hear Logan talk about what we so often get wrong about what makes someone a good match, how we're sabotaging ourselves when setting up our dating profiles, and what we can do to increase our odds of finding that special someone.Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at upgrade@lifehacker.com. We want to hear from you!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It goes without saying that this pandemic has had a huge impact on our mental health. So this week, we sit down with The Happiness Lab's Dr. Laurie Santos to learn some of the science-backed strategies we can use to help us cope, and even find some happiness. Dr. Santos is a Professor of Psychology and Head of Silliman College at Yale University. She is an expert on human cognition and the cognitive biases that impede better choices.Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at upgrade@lifehacker.com. We want to hear from you!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're learning how to land a new job in a challenging economy, with personal finance expert (and friend of The Upgrade) Ramit Sethi. Listen to hear Ramit's tips on writing a great resume and cover letter, how to get clear on what your dream job actually is, and how to negotiate even when you don't think you have leverage. Ramit is the author of the New York Times bestseller, I Will Teach You To Be Rich, and his website, www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com is now offering a new Dream Job course.Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at upgrade@lifehacker.com. We want to hear from you!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're learning about the tools and tech we need to upgrade our lives in 2021. Helping us are Mark Frauenfelder and Kevin Kelly—hosts of the Cool Tools podcast and the Cool Tools blog. Listen to hear Mark and Kevin's recommendations for what to get for the best work from home experience, their favorite new tech from 2020, and what they expect the future of work to look like post-pandemic.Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at upgrade@lifehacker.com. We want to hear from you!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're learning about hypnosis, the placebo effect, and the ways we can use the power of suggestion to our advantage with help from science journalist Erik Vance. Listen to hear Erik discuss how the placebo effect works, the ways in which we may be able to use hypnosis to help us with various ailments and issues, and why the power of suggestion is a uniquely understudied area of research.Erik is a staff editor for the New York Times' Well section, and is the author of the book Suggestible You: The Curious Science of Your Brain's Ability o Deceive, Transform, and Heal.Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at upgrade@lifehacker.com. We want to hear from you!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gretchen Rubin practically invented the concept of hacking your happiness. She's the author of The Happiness Project, host of the podcast Happier with Grethen Rubin, and for years has been exploring the good habits that bring joy to everyday life. She's here to chat about how we can get happy and stay that way. You can find the show notes and all episodes at http://lifehacker.com/theshowSee 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.Have an idea for a future episode? Call us at 347-687-8109 and leave a voicemail, or write to us at upgrade@lifehacker.com. We want to hear from you!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.