“Quarantivities” Recommendations from the Whitman Community

While we all would rather be at the Whitman School, there is so much business content out there that can keep you entertained and engaged during the COVID-19 quarantine. From podcasts to movies, we have a collection of recommendations from the Whitman community on how to keep things professional at home.

Books

As for books, “Liar’s Poker” by Michael Lewis and “The Ride of a Lifetime” by Robert Iger were the most popular recommendations.

“Liar’s Poker” is a semi-autobiographical tale of Wall Street in the 1980s, during the time in which Lewis worked at a premier investment bank. This is just one of Lewis’s successful books– his other titles include “The Blind Side,” “Moneyball” and “The Big Short,” all of which have been made into hugely successful films.

Iger’s “The Ride of Lifetime,” which was published only last year, is a collection of lessons he learned during his time as CEO of the Walt Disney Company and takes a look at what is necessary to be a great leader. In addition to its commercial success, the book was also named as one of the best of 2019 by NPR.

Whitman community members also recommended these titles:

Television Shows

In terms of television shows, the most common response was “Dirty Money,” which is a Netflix original series. The documentary-style series investigates cases of fraud, corruption or other wrongdoing in business, from the Volkswagen emissions scandal to the business behind large amounts of gold coming into the United States. There are two seasons totaling 12 episodes, all of which are about an hour long and available on Netflix.

Also recommended were “The Profit,” which is about CEO Marcus Lemonis who finds small companies to invest in and work with, “Rotten,” a Netflix show investigating the supply chain in the food industry, and “American Greed,” a documentary series investigating cases of fraud and corruption.

As for fictitious shows, “Billions” was recommended. This show, which is made by Showtime, centers around the brewing conflict between the leader of a hugely successful hedge fund and the U.S. attorney searching for information to confirm his hunch about the mysterious billionaire. 

Movies

Whitman community members also had many recommendations when it came to movies. The most popular choice was “The Big Short,” a 2015 film that centers around the events leading up to the 2008 financial crisis. It had great commercial success and was nominated for five Oscars, including best picture. Though it didn’t win that category, it did win the Academy Award for Best Writing Adapted Screenplay.

Also mentioned were other movies based on true events, like “The Founder,” which is about the success of the McDonald’s franchise, and “The Laundromat,” which is a Netflix original film concerning the Panama Papers scandal.

Other movies recommended by Whitman faculty, staff, students and alumni are:

Podcasts

Another great way to pass the time during quarantine is listening to podcasts. The most popular recommendation in this category was NPR’s “How I Built This,” which takes a look at different companies and entrepreneurs and their experiences.

A second podcast with multiple mentions was “WorkLife with Adam Grant,” a TEDTalk original podcast in which organizational psychologist Adam Grant interviews professionals with unusual or interesting perspectives.

Another choice is “The Broad Experience,” which is centered around the discussion of women in business.

Other podcast recommendations include:

During this period of quarantine, do not forget to stay connected. Follow us on social media – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – and let us know what content you would like to see.

Mallory Carlson
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