After the housing crisis last year, Chicago Public Radio’s This American Life took an in-depth look at how it came to be in their episode The Giant Pool of Money. They explained mortgages, foreclosures, and the global economic system in a way even a former English major with limited financial-sector knowledge could understand (although, I must admit, I had to listen to it twice). Now TAL is breaking down another complex issue that impacts all of us, but few fully understand: the American health care system. Their main focus is on the rising cost of health care and how all of the players—patients, doctors, insurance companies, and the pharmaceutical industry—fit in. No matter who is at fault though, it’s clear the system is in dire need of reform to stop skyrocketing costs and profit-driven practices (read more about our stance on health care reform). The two-part series was broadcast earlier this month, but you can download both podcasts from This American Life’s website: Episode 391, More is Less, gives an overview of the American health care system and rising costs. Episode 392, Someone Else's Money, offers a more detailed look at the health care system, including prescription drugs, the history of employer-based health insurance, and the growing pet health insurance industry.