Stephen J. Dubner is an award-winning author, journalist, and radio and TV personality. He is best-known for writing, along with the economist Steven D. Levitt, Freakonomics (2005) and SuperFreakonomics (2009), which have sold more than 5 million copies in 35 languages.
Dubner is also the author of Turbulent Souls/Choosing My Religion (1998), Confessions of a Hero-Worshiper (2003), and the children's book The Boy With Two Belly Buttons (2007). His journalism has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Time, and elsewhere, and has been anthologized in The Best American Sports Writing, The Best American Crime Writing, and others.
Freakonomics, published in April 2005, was an instant international best-seller and cultural phenomenon. It made numerous "books of the year" lists, a few "books of the decade" lists, and won a variety of awards, including the inaugural Quill Award, a BookSense Book of the Year Award, and a Visionary Award from the National Council on Economic Education. It was also named a Notable Book by the New York Times. SuperFreakonomics, published in 2009, was published to similar acclaim, and also became an international best-seller.
The Freakonomics enterprise also includes an award-winning blog, a high-profile documentary film, and a public-radio project called Freakonomics Radio, which Dubner hosts. He has also appeared widely on television, including a three-year stint on ABC News as a Freakonomics contributor. He also appeared on the reality show Beauty and the Geek. Alas, he played neither beauty nor geek.
Dubner's first book, Turbulent Souls, was also named a Notable Book, and was a finalist for the Koret National Jewish Book Award. It was republished in 2006 under a new title, Choosing My Religion, and is currently being developed as a film.
The eighth and last child of an upstate New York newspaperman, Dubner has been writing since he was a child. (His first published work appeared in Highlights magazine.) As an undergraduate at Appalachian State University, he started a rock band that was signed to Arista Records, which landed him in New York City. He ultimately quit playing music to earn an M.F.A. in writing at Columbia University, where he also taught in the English Department. He was an editor and writer at New York magazine and The New York Times before quitting to write books. He is happy he did so.
He lives in New York with his wife, the documentary photographer Ellen Binder, and their two delicious children.
Shows:
Stephen J. Dubner appears in the following:
Freakonomics: Knowledge is Power?
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Stephen J. Dubner, host of Freakonomics Radio, talks about the program's new season and this week's episode, which explores why being well-informed doesn't necessarily change what we believe.
The Election's $3 Billion Price Tag
Tuesday, November 06, 2012
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan, independent research group that tracks money in campaigns and elections, Obama and Romney's spending, in conjunction with the nearly $1 billion spent by super PACs, will likely add up to $3 billion by the time the polls close today. What have the American people gained from the seventeen month, $3 billion campaign? Stephen Dubner, author and host of "Freakonomics," explains.
Freakonomics: Lottery for Savings
Friday, April 06, 2012
Stephen J. Dubner, host of Freakonomics Radio, talks about the latest edition of Freakonomics Radio and whether America's enthusiasm for lotteries can translate into a higher savings rate.
Freakonomics: Hitchhiking
Friday, March 23, 2012
Stephen J. Dubner, host of Freakonomics Radio and author, with Steven Levitt, of Freakononomics and SuperFreakonomics, explains how hitchhiking fell out of favor in America and why we should bring it back.
The Decline and Fall of Violence
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
The world is a more peaceful place today that at any time in history -- by a long, long shot.
The Upside of Quitting
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
You know the saying: a winner never quits and a quitter never wins. To which Freakonomics Radio says … Are you sure?
The Suicide Paradox
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
There are more than twice as many suicides as murders in the U.S., but suicide attracts far less scrutiny. Freakonomics Radio digs through the numbers and finds all kinds of surprises.
Skin in the Game
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Writer Eric Simons gets the ball rolling this episode with an embarrassing admission about a beautiful night, a hockey game, and an overwhelming, outsized feeling of rage that overtook his senses.
What is it about being a fan that causes such intense reactions? How can the outcome of a game ...
Games
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Winners, losers, underdogs--what can games tell us about who we really are?
The Economist’s Guide to Parenting
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Think you know how much parents matter? Think again. Economists crunch the numbers to learn the ROI on child-rearing.
Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics
Friday, August 12, 2011
How much do parents really matter? And are we sure winners never quit and quitters never win? Stephen J. Dubner, host of Freakonomics Radio and co-author, with Steven D. Levitt, of Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics, talks about the unexpected economics behind issues like parenthood and quitting.
The Church of "Scionology"
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
We worship the tradition of handing off a family business to the next generation. But is that really such a good idea?
Freakonomics Week
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
How much do parents really matter? And are we sure winners never quit and quitters never win? Stephen J. Dubner, host of Freakonomics Radio and co-author, with Steven D. Levitt, of Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics, talks about the unexpected economics behind issues like parenthood and quitting.
Live From St. Paul!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Freakonomics Radio hits the road, and plays some Quiz Bowl
Things Our Fathers Gave Us
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
What did Levitt and Dubner learn as kids from their dads?
Freakonomics Radio: All in the Family
Monday, June 06, 2011
Host of Freakonomics Radio (produced by American Public Media’s Marketplace, WNYC, and Dubner Productions) and the co-author, with Steven D. Levitt, of Freakonomics (2005) and SuperFreakonomics (2009), Stephen J. Dubner talks about the launch of the new radio specials with a look at the economics of family business succession.
The Health of Nations
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
For decades, GDP has been the yardstick for measuring living standards around the world. Martha Nussbaum would rather use something that actually works.
Is Twitter a Two-Way Street?
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
To get a lot of followers on Twitter, do you need to follow a lot of other Tweeps? And if not, why not?
The Power of Poop
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Since the beginning of civilization, we’ve thought that human waste was worthless and dangerous. What if we were wrong?
Millionaires vs. Billionaires
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Five things you don’t know about the NFL labor standoff
