Nobel laureate, bestselling author, and groundbreaking psychologist Daniel Kahneman died in March. In 2021 he talked with Steve Levitt — his friend and former business partner — about his book Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment (cowritten with Oli

21. Are We Living Through the Most Revolutionary Period in History?

16 days ago 1h 2m

Fareed Zakaria says yes. But it’s not just political revolution — it’s economic, technological, even emotional. He doesn’t offer easy solutions but he does offer some hope. SOURCES:Fareed Zakaria, journalist and author. RESOURCES:Age of Revolut

20. Why Are People So Mad at Michael Lewis?

Dec 14th, 2023 1h

Lewis got incredible access to Sam Bankman-Fried, the billionaire behind the spectacular FTX fraud. His book is a bestseller, but some critics say he went too easy on S.B.F. Lewis tells us why the critics are wrong — and what it’s like to watch

19. The Facts Are In: Two Parents Are Better Than One

Sep 21st, 2023 1h 4m

In her new book The Two-Parent Privilege, the economist Melissa Kearney says it’s time for liberals to face the facts: U.S. marriage rates have plummeted but the babies keep coming, and the U.S. now leads the world in single-parent households.

18. “Insurance Is Sexy.” Discuss.

Mar 23rd, 2023 52m 32s

The economist Amy Finkelstein explains why insurance markets are broken and how to fix them. Also: why can’t you buy divorce insurance?

17. Samin Nosrat Always Wanted to Be Famous

Jan 16th, 2023 38m 12s

And with her book "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat," she succeeded. Now she's not so sure how to feel about all the attention.

16. Did Michael Lewis Just Get Lucky with “Moneyball”?

Nov 24th, 2022 52m 58s

No — but he does have a knack for stumbling into the perfect moment, including the recent FTX debacle. In this installment of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, we revisit the book that launched the analytics revolution.

15. Does Philosophy Still Matter?

Jul 28th, 2022 49m 52s

It used to be at the center of our conversations about politics and society. Scott Hershovitz is the author of Nasty, Brutish, and Short, in which he argues that philosophy still has a lot to say about work, justice, and parenthood.

14. Why Do Most Ideas Fail to Scale?

Feb 24th, 2022 48m 54s

In a new book called The Voltage Effect, the economist John List — who has already revolutionized how his profession does research — is trying to start a scaling revolution. In this installment of the Freakonomics Radio Book Club, List teaches

13. What’s Wrong With Shortcuts?

Nov 18th, 2021 43m 20s

You know the saying: “There are no shortcuts in life.” What if that saying is just wrong? In his new book Thinking Better: The Art of the Shortcut in Math and Life, the mathematician Marcus du Sautoy argues that shortcuts can be applied to prac

12. “This Didn't End the Way It’s Supposed to End.”

Sep 27th, 2021 32m 38s

The N.B.A. superstar Chris Bosh was still competing at the highest level when a blood clot abruptly ended his career. In his new book, Letters to a Young Athlete, Bosh covers the highlights and the struggles. In this installment of the Freakono

11. The Mom Who Stole the Blueprints for the Atomic Bomb

Sep 25th, 2021 43m 34s

To her neighbors in the English countryside, the woman known as Mrs. Burton was a cake-baking mother of three. To the Soviet Union, she was an invaluable Cold War operative. Ben Macintyre, author of Agent Sonya: Moscow’s Most Daring Wartime Spy

10. Check the Data: It’s a Man’s World

Sep 25th, 2021 41m 51s

Do you think public bathrooms are too small, smartphones are too big, and public transit just wasn’t made for you? Then you’re probably a woman. In her book Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, Caroline Criado Perez argues th

9. All You Need Is Nudge

Sep 9th, 2021 56m 51s

When Richard Thaler published Nudge in 2008 (with co-author Cass Sunstein), the world was just starting to believe in his brand of behavioral economics. How did nudge theory hold up in the face of a global financial meltdown, a pandemic, and ot

All You Need Is Nudge

Sep 9th, 2021 56m 51s

8. Is the Future of Farming in the Ocean?

Jun 24th, 2021 42m 55s

Bren Smith, who grew up fishing and fighting, is now part of a movement that seeks to feed the planet while putting less environmental stress on it. He makes his argument in a book called Eat Like a Fish; his secret ingredient: kelp. But don’t

7. How to Get Anyone to Do Anything

1 May 27th, 2021 58m 3s

The social psychologist Robert Cialdini is a pioneer in the science of persuasion. His 1984 book Influence is a classic, and he has just published an expanded and revised edition. In this episode, he gives a master class in the seven psychologi

6. How Does New York City Keep Reinventing Itself?

May 21st, 2021 52m 28s

In a word: networks. Once it embraced information as its main currency, New York was able to climb out of a deep fiscal (and psychic) pit. Will that magic trick still work after Covid? In this episode, hear Thomas Dyja, author of New York, New

5. A Rescue Plan for Black America

May 21st, 2021 56m 47s

New York Times columnist Charles Blow argues that white supremacy in America will never fully recede, and that it’s time for Black people to do something radical about it. In his new book, The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto, he urges a

4. How to Be Better at Death

May 21st, 2021 57m 38s

Caitlin Doughty is a mortician who would like to put herself out of business. Our corporate funeral industry, she argues, has made us forget how to offer our loved ones an authentic sendoff. In this episode, Doughty shares insights from her boo

3. Forget Everything You Know About Your Dog

May 21st, 2021 57m 37s

As beloved and familiar as they are, we rarely stop to consider life from the dog’s point of view. That stops now. In this episode, we discuss the book Inside of a Dog with author and cognitive scientist (and dog devotee) Alexandra Horowitz. Ho

2. What if Your Company Had No Rules?

May 21st, 2021 55m 6s

Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings came to believe that corporate rules can kill creativity and innovation. In this episode, Hastings talks about his new book, No Rules Rules, and why for some companies the greatest risk is taking no risks at all

1. How to Make Your Own Luck

May 21st, 2021 1h

Before she decided to become a poker pro, Maria Konnikova didn’t know how many cards are in a deck. But she did have a Ph.D. in psychology, a brilliant coach, and a burning desire to know whether life is driven more by skill or chance. She foun

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