The pandemic has been good for food-delivery apps. Uber Eats, Postmates, Grubhub, and DoorDash have more than doubled their combined profits since the pandemic took hold, in March 2020. But the rise of these apps pre-dates the lockdown. Vox and Recode’s Land of the Giants, a podcast about big tech, takes that rise as the subject of its newest mini-season, Delivery Wars. In each of the four episodes, food writer Ahmed Ali Akbar examines the food-app industry and the restaurants and workers it relies on. From the bagel place by Tompkins Square Park that led a vocal rebellion against these apps to the delivery drivers who are struggling to make enough money, the reporting is rigorous and wide-ranging—and, at times, even humorous. Delivery Wars forces us to consider our reliance on these apps while reminding us that there are always hidden costs to convenience. —Jacob Robbins

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