Stephen Dubner

EXCLUSIVE
  • Bestselling & Award-Winning Author, 'Freakonomics' Series
  • Host, 'Freakonomics Radio' Podcast - 8M downloads a month
  • Co-star, Freakonomics Documentary
  • Author of "the most readable economics blog in the universe"



Stephen J. Dubner is an award-winning author, journalist, and radio and TV personality. He is best-known as co-author of the New York Times bestselling Freakonomics series. They have sold more than 7 million copies in more than 40 countries. Dubner is also the host of the Freakonomics Radio podcast, which gets 5 million downloads a month, and he maintains the popular Freakonomics blog, which has been called “the most readable economics blog in the universe.”

Freakonomics, published in 2005, was an instant international bestseller and cultural phenomenon. Hailed by critics and readers alike, it still appears regularly on The New York Times bestseller list. SuperFreakonomics followed in 2009, to similar acclaim, and in 2010 a documentary film version of Freakonomics was chosen as the closing film of the Tribeca Film Festival.

The most recent successes in the series include Think Like A Freak (2014), which became an instant New York Times bestseller, and  When to Rob a Bank (2015), which is a collection of the best Freakonomics.com blog posts.

 

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Rave Reviews About Stephen Dubner
Everything went absolutely amazing with Stephen's appearance! HWA was invaluable to the success of this event. Stephen was well aware of what we wanted and was able to cater to our event to the last detail. At lunch, he was the center of attention and was a captivating conversationalist. He was particularly talented at relating to each individual's personal ambitions. During the speech, everyone was enthralled by his accounts of how incentives can motivate and direct society and social behavior, his accounts of a Japanese hot dog-eating champion, the lack of hand-washing at airport bathrooms and major U.S. hospitals, and the developing monkey economy at a Yale research lab. He elicited boisterous laughter, some gasps and generally commanded the stage to perfection. He was very gracious during our Q&A period and the book-signing/reception. I believe the students really enjoyed this personal interaction with him. Everyone who attended this event left happy!

A Sample of the Groups That Have Hosted Stephen Dubner
  • DataRobot
  • DataRobot
  • Acxiom
  • Xerox
  • BNP PARIBAS
  • Institute Of Management Accountants
  • University of Cincinnati
  • American Airlines
  • The National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers
  • Michigan State University
Virtual Discussion - A Freakonomics Take on 2020 | Innovative Entertainment [58:06] - Get Sharable Link
Explore Talks By Stephen Dubner
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Business & Management Lessons from Freakonomics & SuperFreakonomics

In this engaging presentation, Dubner addresses the fact that the old rules of business just don’t apply and therefore the ideas he and co-author Steven Levitt have presented in Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics make even more sense now than they did a few years ago. It’s a new world, and that dema ...

In this engaging presentation, Dubner addresses the fact that the old rules of business just don’t apply and therefore the ideas he and co-author Steven Levitt have presented in Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics make even more sense now than they did a few years ago. It’s a new world, and that demands a new way of thinking. He offers audiences a way of getting beneath the surface of modern business practices. Using humor and first-rate storytelling he discusses the sort of topics that are on every business person’s mind these days: the ways to create behavior change, the incentives that work and don’t work, and the value of asking unpopular questions. The difference between the Freakonomics presentation and other "economic" presentations is that while most economics presentations present great tools for coming up with answers, they don’t come up with the interesting questions. This presentation offers both. Here is a sample of additional questions that Dubner addresses:

- Why is behavior change so difficult? How can I change the behavior of my employees? Why are our incentive programs not working?

- How can I capture more customers from my competitors? How can I influence current customers to increase loyalty?

- Why am I not getting the project outcomes I expected? How do I keep the tyranny of emotion, opinion and anecdote out of my project plan?

- Why is consensus building often a waste of time and resources?

Freakonomics and the Power of Incentives

No matter what your program theme, consider bringing Dubner to put a unique spin on any topic as incentives are key to all of them. His presentations are as entertaining as they are illuminating as he offers data-based stories that show audiences how to inspire change in their own company and commun ...

No matter what your program theme, consider bringing Dubner to put a unique spin on any topic as incentives are key to all of them. His presentations are as entertaining as they are illuminating as he offers data-based stories that show audiences how to inspire change in their own company and community. But in order to change aspects of our world, we first have to understand it. Believe it or not, if we can understand the incentives that lead a schoolteacher to cheat, we can understand how the global economic crisis has come to pass.

Think Like A Freak

The third installment of the highly successful series and another New York Times bestseller, Think Like A Freak is Levitt and Dubner’s latest—and most revolutionary—book.  Taking their successful Freakonomics ideas to the next level, Levitt and Dubner offer an engaging and innovative new program sur ...

The third installment of the highly successful series and another New York Times bestseller, Think Like A Freak is Levitt and Dubner’s latest—and most revolutionary—book.  Taking their successful Freakonomics ideas to the next level, Levitt and Dubner offer an engaging and innovative new program sure to inspire and enlighten audiences. Each idea presented by Levitt and Dubner will be illustrated by a story or example, in their ever-popular counterintuitive style, that will provide your audience with illuminating thoughts for profitable thinking. With their trademark blend of captivating storytelling and unconventional analysis, they take us inside their thought process and teach us all to think a bit more productively, more creatively, more rationally—to think, that is, like a Freak. 

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Rave Reviews: Stephen Dubner delivers beyond audience expectations at every speech, where he discusses the "hidden side of everything" 

In virtual and in-person talks, STEPHEN DUBNER, bestselling author of the Freakonomics series - which sold more than 7 million copies in over 40 countries - and host of Freakonomics Radio, uncovers “the hidden side of everything.” We can go on and on about him but why would we when others already have: "Thank you for the amazing discussion!" (DataRobot) "He was a huge hit with the entire audience!" (Acxiom) “Dubner was great and our attendees thoroughly enjoyed his keynote." (University of Cincinnati) "It was the best-attended keynote we’ve ever held." (Media Group) "Stephen was an absolute delight and did an amazing job!" (Texas A&M) "Stephen was amazing. He possesses this great quality of delivering complex concepts with humor and relevancy." (LiveRamp) "We would highly recommend him to anyone looking to engage business professionals in a unique and fun evening/session. Stephen could provide thoughtful insight on just about anything." (Financial Services Firm) "All the attendees (and employees) really loved his talk." (Xero) "We were absolutely blown away." (iProspect) "Stephen was fantastic. It was funny, full of stories, and on target for our audience. He was also very engaging, approachable and insightful." (Adaptive Insight) "Stephen was fantastic. (HealthEdge) "It was awesome. Literally he was perfect." (Qualtrics) "We loved him! What a nice man and a great speaker too!" (YPO) "Stephen was amazing! We wanted him to stay all day! ... He truly was the perfect fit for us and kicked off our summit with a bang!" (Blue Man Group) "As expected, Stephen was a hit." (AQR) "Stephen was extraordinary yesterday. Stephen was incredibly engaging and the audience was completely mesmerized for 45 minutes. In my experience, it is a feat to get this digitally-inclined crowd to put down their smart devices for an extended period of time and simply listen...and that is a testament to Stephen's storytelling abilities. I received such great feedback from attendees and many remarks on the impression that Stephen's stories left on them." (Tapad) ...and this is just from page one of his reviews.

<p>Stephen Dubner's Freakonomics Radio explores the impacts of the coronavirus</p>

Stephen Dubner's Freakonomics Radio explores the impacts of the coronavirus

Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, journalist, and radio and TV personality STEPHEN DUBNER's  hit Freakonomics Radio podcast, is exploring the many surprising and complicated impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on society and the economy. With recent episodes including "What Happens When Everyone Stays Home to Eat?," "Is $2 Trillion the Right Medicine for a Sick Economy?,"  "What Does Covid-19 Mean for Cities (and Marriages)?," and more, Dubner provides eye-opening, substantive and witty insight into the implications of this current moment. Globally renowned as co-author of the Freakonomics series, which has sold more than 7 million copies in over 40 countries, and behind the popular Freakonomics blog-- which has not only been called “the most readable economics blog in the universe,” but was sold to The New York Times in one of the most profitable blog sales of all time-- Dubner's podcast gets 15 million global monthly downloads, and is heard by millions more on NPR and other radio outlets. Dubner's hosting is a mix of just the kind of wit, in-depth research, and out-of-the-box thinking he's heralded for at each of his speaking engagement. Sought-out to speak everywhere from top universities, to leading festivals like Aspen Ideas and SXSW, to major companies like American Airlines and Xerox, Dubner is hailed as "a huge hit" (Acxiom), "entertaining and informative," (Staffing Industry Analysts), and "captivating" (University of Pennsylvania). He leaves audiences buzzing after every event, and organizations with instantly implementable ways to revamp their thinking and processes (to astounding results).  

 

<p>Speaker Spotlight: Stephen Dubner </p>

Speaker Spotlight: Stephen Dubner 

Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, journalist, and radio and TV personality STEPHEN DUBNER is globally renowned as co-author of the Freakonomics series, which has sold more than 7 million copies in over 40 countries. Dubner is also behind the popular Freakonomics blog-- which has not only been called “the most readable economics blog in the universe,” but was sold to The New York Times in one of the most profitable blog sales of all time-- and host of the Freakonomics Radio podcast, which gets 5 million downloads a month. In his hit podcast, Dubner shares all the things you always thought you knew (but didn’t) and things you never thought you wanted to know (but do) — from the economics of sleep to how to become great at just about anything. It's a mix of just the kind of wit, in-depth research, and out-of-the-box thinking Dubner's heralded for at each of his speaking engagement. Sought-out to speak everywhere from top universities, to leading festivals like Aspen Ideas and SXSW, to major companies like American Airlines and Xerox, Dubner is hailed as "a huge hit" (Acxiom), "entertaining and informative," (Staffing Industry Analysts), and "captivating" (University of Pennsylvania). He leaves audiences buzzing after every event, and organizations with instantly implementable ways to revamp their thinking and processes (to astounding results).  

Dubner and Freakonomics Radio have regularly been programming on Covid-19 and related issues. You can hear them all here >>   

<p>Stephen Dubner of <em>Freakonomics</em> fame hosts smash hit podcast</p>

Stephen Dubner of Freakonomics fame hosts smash hit podcast

Bestselling author of the Freakonomics series STEPHEN DUBNER is the host of a hit podcast: Tell Me Something I Don’t Know (TMSIDK). Part fast-paced game show, part razor-sharp talk show, The Guardian hailed TMSIDK as the “essential new inside-out gameshow” that “will make you smarter and make you laugh.” TMSIDK debuted at Number 1 on the iTunes podcast chart and its second season premier generated buzz across media platforms. A pro host possessing equal parts smarts, humor, and wit, Stephen Dubner’s seamless ability to intertwine both factual journalism and entertaining repartee shines in every episode. Dubner brings the same energy, passion, and skill to each of his engagements, shining illuminating light on how to "think like a freak" and translate his research and experience into actionable business lessons that make your organizer smarter. 

Check out the latest episode of Dubner’s Tell Me Something I Don’t Know >>
Books by Stephen Dubner
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Stephen J. Dubner is an award-winning author, journalist, and radio and TV personality. He is best-known as co-author of the Freakonomics book series, which have sold more than 7 million copies in over 40 countries. He is also the host of Freakonomics Radio, which gets 8 million monthly downloads and airs on NPR stations and elsewhere. 

Freakonomics, published in 2005, was an instant international bestseller and cultural phenomenon. SuperFreakonomics followed to similar acclaim in 2009, and in 2010 a documentary film version of Freakonomics was chosen as the closing film of the Tribeca Film Festival. Think Like a Freak, published in 2014, immediately took up a long residency atop the international bestseller lists, and was followed by When to Rob a Bank, a collection of posts from the Freakonomics blog, which has been called “the most readable economics blog in the universe.”

Dubner has appeared widely on television, including as a regular contributor to ABC News and as host of the NFL Network's Football Freakonomics, which was nominated for an Emmy.

His other books include Turbulent Souls (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. 

The eighth and last child of an upstate New York newspaperman, Dubner has been writing for a long time. (His first published work appeared, at age 11, 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 worked at New York Magazine and The New York Times before launching his book and radio career.

He lives in New York with his wife, the documentary photographer Ellen Binder, and their two children.