Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

Born in 1967, Professor Steven Levitt is an award-winning professor of economics at the University of Chicago. A graduate of Harvard and MIT, he has garnered controversy and a lawsuit through his research into the economics of crime, but in 2011 he also was the fourth-most-popular economist among economics professors. (Davis, William L., et al. “Economics Professors’ Favorite Economic Thinkers, Journals, and Blogs (along with Party and Policy Views).” Econ Journal Watch, vol. 8, no. 2, May 2011, pp. 126-46)

Levitt also has studied incentives in sports, the effects of distinctly Black names among African Americans, and discrimination on game shows. He has collaborated with co-author Stephen Dubner on book sequels, including SuperFreakonomics, and on a weekly podcast, Freakonomics Radio. Levitt is married and has four children.

A 1984 graduate of Appalachian State University, Stephen Dubner earned an MFA in writing at Columbia University, where he also taught. He has published several books, including Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics, both co-authored with Steven Levitt; his articles have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, and elsewhere. Dubner is the producer and host of the podcast Freakonomics Radio, which continues the “hidden side of everything” in the spirit of Freakonomics, exploring the often-surprising choices people make.