Stephen Dubner: "Freakonomics" (20th Anniversary Special)

What this episode covers

On this special edition of Book Club, Michael sits down with author and journalist Stephen Dubner, co-author of 'Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything', to mark the 20th anniversary of the groundbreaking bestseller that changed the way we see the world. Together, they revisit the book’s origins, its unlikely rise to more than five million copies sold, and the enduring lessons behind its most talked-about stories. Dubner reflects on his partnership with economist Steven Levitt, the early days of the “Freakonomics” phenomenon, and how a quirky data-driven approach became a lens for understanding human behavior. It’s a fascinating look back at a book that proved economics could be anything but dull — and the friendship and curiosity that continue to fuel its legacy. Original air date 3 November 2025. The book was published in 2005.

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