
Back to Work
Back to Work is an award winning talk show with Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin discussing productivity, communication, work, barriers, constraints, tools, and more.
Latest episodes

Jan 19, 2021 • 1h 2min
Episode 514: Chicken Wipe
DISCUSSED: Dan continues to explore the exciting possibilities of his latest hardware acquisition.
Links for this episode:Wisdom From MerlinOr: “Everybody likes being given a glass of water.”
It's only advice for you because it had to be advice for me.
Paperlike, the iPad Screen Protector: write and draw like on paper

Jan 13, 2021 • 1h 16min
Episode 513: A Preferred Testicle
DISCUSSED: life's relentlessness continues apace; Cash enjoyed Dan's modified Godfather trilogy; celebrating Lil' Inappropriate Books; a terrific recent use of "Layla"; some Inside Baseball talk about a recommended app segment; then, for the balance of the episode, your hosts start diving into Dan's exciting new acquisition and how best to put to good use.
Links for this episode:‘Y’all don’t wanna hear me, you just wanna dance’: A cognitive approach to listener attention in OutKast’s ‘Hey Ya!’ - Matthew Voice, Sara Whiteley, 2019Toolbox ProJohn Cazale - WikipediaSolfège - WikipediaMusic That Sounds Like The Lyrics - YouTubeiPad Pro - AppleGoodfellas Proud Boys"As far back as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a patriot."
I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale (2009) - Reference View - IMDbHomeDash | The Ultimate HomeKit AppThe HomeKit App for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
Home+Home 4 is the most advanced iOS app to control and automate your HomeKit accessories.
RoomScan LiDAR — Locometric®Jay J. Armes - Wikipediathe double amputee you can play with: J. J. ARMES - YouTubeCool Stuff: Pixar Artist Josh Cooley's Lil' Inappropriate Golden Book Movies R Fun – /FilmMovies R Fun!: A Collection of Cinematic Classics for the Pre-(Film) School Cinephile (Lil' Inappropriate Books): Cooley, Josh: 9781452122335: Amazon.com: BooksVelvet Crush - Teenage Symphonies To God - Amazon.com Music

Jan 5, 2021 • 1h 13min
Episode 512: You Have a Mustard Fetish
DISCUSSED: Merlin looks at a shelf and then, for some reason, discusses it; walls and Japanese beds and jokey-sized dishwashers all benefit from wheels; life is different when you live on a boat; it's important to find the right tool for the job; some people see forests, while others see trees; Merlin performs his very good Gordon Ramsey impression; Merlin also performs his very good David Lynch impression; in Follow-Up, we learn the extremely unsatisfying reason Personal Requests weren't working on a HomePod; there is discussion of the power of Siri alongside frustrations with its poor documentation; interesting bugs are discussed; your hosts explore the similarities between good documentation and good recipes; weird comic book feet are explored; tips on good media your hosts are enjoying; and, finally, there's some rapid-fire app and scripting recommendations.
Links for this episode:Personal Requests not working : HomePod"Turn off hey siri recognition on your iphone and set it up again."
How To Control Your Apple TV with the HomePod – Shane WhatleyMy favorite shortcuts to use with my Apple TV | iMoreThese shortcuts and automations are great to use with your Apple TV.
Siri Shortcuts plus HomePod is amazing! : appletvConversational Siri Shortcuts for the Smart Home! | HomeKit Siri Shortcuts for the Apple HomePod - YouTubeMaster and Commander: The Far Side of the World - WikipediaNoodlesoft – Noodlesoft – Simply Useful SoftwareAmerican Gods (TV series) - WikipediaOrder of operations - WikipediaIn mathematics and computer programming, the order of operations (or operator precedence) is a collection of rules that reflect conventions about which procedures to perform first in order to evaluate a given mathematical expression.
simple machine | Examples, List, & Facts | BritannicaSimple machine, any of several devices with few or no moving parts that are used to modify motion and the magnitude of a force in order to perform work. They are the simplest mechanisms known that can use leverage (or mechanical advantage) to increase force. The simple machines are the inclined plane, lever, wedge, wheel and axle, pulley, and screw.
Garner's Quotations: A Modern Miscellany - Kindle edition by Garner, Dwight. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ AmazonSmile.Coach John Wooden - Pyramid of Success - UCLACoach Wooden's 'Pyramid of Success' is his 15 building block initiative in the form of a pyramid. The cornerstones were Industriousness and Enthusiasm, climbing to such strived-for human traits as Intentness, Team Spirit, Poise and Confidence, all leading to the top of the pyramid to reach the ultimate goal of Competitive Greatness.
AmazonSmile: Cover Run: The Dc Comics Art of Adam Hughes (Adam Hughes Cover to Cover) (9781401227821): Hughes, Adam: BooksDreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style - Kindle edition by Dreyer, Benjamin. Reference Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.The 40 Worst Rob Liefeld DrawingsBut he doesn't "draw" comics. Oh God, no. Just…ugh, just let me show you.
Craft - Create Amazing DocumentsBuilt for digital devices from the ground up, Craft brings back the joy to writing.

Dec 29, 2020 • 47min
Episode 511: One Ringy-Dingy
DISCUSSED: Making a problem go away is not the same thing as solving the problem.
Links for this episode:Craft - Create Amazing DocumentsBuilt for digital devices from the ground up, Craft brings back the joy to writing.
Craft Review: A Powerful, Native Notes and Collaboration App - MacStoriesCraft is the strongest 1.0 note-taking app I’ve ever used. It offers a thoroughly native experience, taking advantage of all the best system features across its respective platforms, while also retaining the power and versatility of modern web-based services like Notion.
MacStories Selects 2020: Recognizing the Best Apps of the Year - MacStoriesCraft, a note-taking app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, is the kind of new experience that not only singlehandledly redefines a category, but it’s so exquisitely well thought-out, so elegantly designed, it pushed me to reconsider the very basics of my note-taking workflow.
XY problem - WikipediaThe XY problem is a communication problem encountered in help desk and similar situations in which the person asking for help obscures the real issue, X, because instead of asking directly about issue X, they ask how to solve a secondary issue, Y, which they believe will allow them to resolve issue X.
Air quality matters but don’t trust Foobot on it | by DHH | MediumSo in summary: There’s nothing wrong, and even if there was, it would be too expensive to do it right!

Dec 22, 2020 • 1h 37min
Episode 510: I Cannot Afford Your Loyalty
DISCUSSED: The generational struggle to understand things we can't understand, dealing with other people, and Star Wars.
Links for this episode:Craft - Create Amazing DocumentsCraft Review: A Powerful, Native Notes and Collaboration App - MacStoriesMacStories Selects 2020: Recognizing the Best Apps of the Year - MacStoriesUltimate Fakebook - Far Far Away - YouTubeBlank Check with Griffin & David — OvercastNot just another bad movie podcast, Blank Check reviews directors’ complete filmographies episode to episode.
In A Galaxy Far Far Away… - The Phantom Podcast — Blank Check with Griffin & David — OvercastSkullcrusher Mountain - YouTube

Dec 15, 2020 • 1h 3min
Episode 509: The End of the River
Sometimes, no one can see the ball—let alone reach the ball.

Dec 8, 2020 • 53min
Episode 508: Oscarbation
DISCUSSED: Habits, cycles, and patterns of thinking. Why it's difficult to rehearse success—but surprisingly easy to rehearse failure.
Links for this episode:Linky Linky - This has to become a regular thing.Brought to you by:
Backblaze(Get a 15-day free trial at Backblaze.com/backtowork).
Squarespace (Start your free trial site today, at Squarespace.com and when you sign up make sure to use the offer code ITSYOURSHOW to get 10% off your first purchase).

Dec 1, 2020 • 43min
Episode 507: Voltron of Luck
Discussed: the paths of thought and emerging from a rut the size of the Grand Canyon.

Nov 24, 2020 • 1h 27min
Episode 505: Everything is Everything
DISCUSSED: From Jerry Lewis to a drinking bird in a scant 80 minutes.
Links for this episode:Opinion | Your Brain Is Not for Thinking - The New York TimesHook – Find without searchingHook’s nimble context-sensitive navigator is loved by people who need to focus on project info, such as professors, researchers, lawyers, software developers
King of Comedy: The Life and Art of Jerry Lewis: Levy, Shawn: 9780312132484: Amazon.com: BooksJonah Hill 'hospitalised' after snorting so much fake cocaine on Wolf of Wall Street | The Independent | The IndependentJerry Lewis and Dean Martin Reunion 1976 MDA Telethon - YouTubeTop 100 | Project Gutenberg5 Hours of The Shipping Forecast on BBC Radio 4! - YouTubeThe Evening ReadDan Benjamin - YouTube

Nov 17, 2020 • 1h 27min
Episode 504: Double Wrong
DISCUSSED: lot of projects going on!; praise for Nicki Minaj; some recent TV shows that are important to your hosts; Merlin is a little obsessed with a new Mac productivity app; interrogating problems with deliveries and porch pirates; vehicle theft can be very confusing; and, finally, some insight nobody asked for into Merlin's ambitious new hardware project.
Links for this episode:The Omni Show: How Dr. Luc P. Beaudoin Creates “Cognitive Productivity” Software - The Omni GroupHook – Find without searchingLink
NetflixHBO MaxBillions (TV series) - WikipediaHow 'Jeopardy!' host Alex Trebek became America's most beloved TV icon, as told by contestants - The Washington PostThe Woke Oracle | Do By FridayThis week's challenge:draft your Diamond Dogs from Ted Lasso.
"Monster" - Kanye West, ft. Nicki Minaj, et al. - YouTube
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