A watercolor of a harbor? A black-and-white photo of a pile of rocks? Some hotels are trying to do better. Zachary Crockett unpacks.

• SOURCES:
  • Melanie Kettring, director of studio design at Best Western Hotels.
  • Jessica Poundstone, visual artist.
  • Gavi Wolf, founder and C.E.O. of Indiewalls.

• RESOURCES:
  • Indiewalls.
  • Best Western.

• EXTRAS:
  • "Used Hotel Soaps," by The Economics of Everyday Things (2023).
  • "The Hidden Side of the Art Market," series by Freakonomics Radio (2021).

Before beef ends up at your favorite steakhouse, it passes through the hands of a trained specialist with an encyclopedic knowledge of bovine anatomy. Zachary Crockett chews the fat.

• SOURCES:
  • Bryan Flannery, co-owner of Flannery Beef.
  • Katie Flannery, co-owner of Flannery Beef.

• RESOURCES:
  • "National Weekly Boxed Beef Cutout And Boxed Beef Cuts — Negotiated Sales," U.S.D.A. Agricultural Marketing Service (U.S.D.A. Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, 2025).
  • "Understanding Beef Carcass Yields and Losses During Processing," (Penn State Extension Articles, 2022).
  • "Beef Cow-Calf Production," by Cheryl A. Fairbairn, Lynn F. Kime, Jayson K. Harper, and John W. Comerford (Penn State Extension Articles, 2020).
  • "Major Supermarket Chains Changed How They Label Meat, Surprising Customers and USDA," by Roberto A. Ferdman (The Washington Post, 2014).
  • "What’s Your Beef — Prime, Choice or Select?" by Larry Meadows (U.S.D.A Blog, 2013).
  • "From Calf to Kitchen: The Journey of a Beef Cow," by Dave Eames and Mike McGraw (The Kansas City Star, 2012).

• EXTRAS:
  • "The Future of Meat," by Freakonomics Radio (2019).

How did a little green nut become a billion-dollar product, lauded by celebrities in Super Bowl ads? Zachary Crockett cracks open the story.

• SOURCES:
  • Sawyer Clark, director of asset management at Gold Leaf Farming.
  • Diana Salsa, vice president of marketing for Wonderful Pistachios.

• RESOURCES:
  • "Almond Acreage Decline Prompts Industry Introspection," by Mitch Lies (West Coast Nut, 2023).
  • American Pistachio Industry 2021 Annual Report, by American Pistachio Growers (2023).
  • "California’s Agricultural Water Policies Are Nuts," by Douglas R. Noble (The Gainesville Sun, 2021).
  • "Amid Drought, Billionaires Control a Critical California Water Bank," by Chloe Sorvino (Forbes, 2021).
  • "Wonderful Pistachios Achieves Billion-Dollar Brand Milestone," press release by The Wonderful Company (2020).
  • "Pistachios: The Quirks of Agricultural Trade in a Nutshell," by Andrea Durkin (Global Trade, 2020).
  • "California Pistachios With Perfect Timing," by Mark Blackburn (The New York Times, 1979).