Episode 199: Stephen Dubner
Short Summary
Tim Ferriss interviews Steven Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics book series and creator of the top-ranked Freakonomics radio podcast
Dubner has a new podcast called "Tell Me Something I Don't Know," which is a combination of a game show, talk show, and brain teaser
Dubner covers a range of topics including podcasting, economics, personal development, and book-related questions
Dubner discusses the three books that most shaped him and his thoughts on taking on Malcolm Gladwell in a fist fight
Dubner also covers topics such as South Korea and digital currency, the influence of the president on the economy, and the potential impact of VR on education
Dubner offers advice on teaching kids critical thinking and ideas for projects to get kids excited about economics
Tips for editing podcasts include finding out how to pronounce things and using primary sources for information
It is important to consider whether each element of the podcast is advancing the story, telling the listener something new, not redundant, and interesting
The producer of a podcast should work hard to make the time the listener spends on the podcast worthwhile
When editing a podcast, it can be helpful to consider whether the listener's attention might drift and if so, the podcast may need to be shorter
For every 30 minutes of a finished podcast, there may be 3-5 hours of tape that doesn't make the final cut
Editing a podcast can be like writing, with the first version usually not being the best and requiring editing to improve it
It is important to listen to oneself and a circle of trusted people when creating a podcast, rather than trying to please everyone
The optimal length for a podcast will depend on the content and the audience
It is important to consider the audience's attention span and to avoid overloading them with too much information
It is also important to consider the form and structure of the podcast, as well as the pacing and flow of the content
Long Summary
Tim Ferriss is hosting Steven J. Dubner for a repeat appearance on his podcast
Dubner is the co-author of the Freakonomics book series and creator of the top ranked Freakonomics radio podcast
Dubner has a new podcast called "Tell Me Something I Don't Know" that is a blend of game show, talk show, and brain teaser
Dubner will be answering a variety of questions submitted by listeners, including those about podcasting, economics, virtual reality, and personal development
Dubner is a fan of Tim Ferriss and appreciates the blend of empirical and inspirational content in his work
Questions for Dubner were solicited through a call for submissions
Dubner will be answering a variety of questions including those about cats, golf, books, and fist fighting
Dubner will also be discussing topics such as South Korea, digital currency, the influence of the president on the economy, virtual reality, and teaching critical thinking to kids.
Podcast editing involves trying to pronounce names and places correctly
It is important to consider whether every element of a podcast is necessary and adds value to the story
It is also important to pay attention to whether one's own attention is drifting while listening to a rough cut
For every 30 minutes of a finished Freakonomics Radio podcast, there is usually 3-5 hours of tape that does not make the final cut
Editing involves trimming down to the most essential and interesting parts
It is important to listen to oneself and a circle of trusted advisors when creating something, rather than trying to please everyone
It is important to consider the listener's time when creating a podcast and to make the content as worthwhile as possible
Podcasts should be as long as they need to be to cover the necessary content, rather than trying to fit into a certain time frame.
Tim Ferriss interviews Steven Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics book series and creator of the top-ranked Freakonomics radio podcast
Dubner has a new podcast called "Tell Me Something I Don't Know," which is a combination of a game show, talk show, and brain teaser
Dubner covers a range of topics, including podcasting and radio journalism, economics, and personal and book-related questions
Dubner discusses the three books that most shaped him and his thoughts on taking on Malcolm Gladwell in a fist fight
Dubner also covers topics such as South Korea and digital currency, the influence of the president on the economy, and the potential impact of VR on education
Dubner offers advice on teaching kids critical thinking and ideas for projects to get kids excited about economics
Tips for editing podcasts include finding out how to pronounce things and using primary sources for information
It is important to consider whether each element of the podcast is advancing the story, telling the listener something new, not redundant, and interesting
The producer of a podcast should work hard to make the time the listener spends on the podcast worthwhile
When editing a podcast, it can be helpful to consider whether the listener's attention might drift and if so, the podcast may need to be shorter
For every 30 minutes of a finished podcast, there may be 3-5 hours of tape that doesn't make the final cut
Editing a podcast can be like writing, with the first version usually not being the best and requiring editing to improve it
It is important to listen to oneself and a circle of trusted people when creating a podcast, rather than trying to please everyone
The optimal length for a podcast will depend on the content and the audience
It is important to consider the audience's attention span and to avoid overloading them with too much information
It is also important to consider the form and structure of the podcast, as well as the pacing and flow of the content
The first book that significantly influenced the speaker was A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
The second book that significantly influenced the speaker was a biography of Ring Lardner
The third book that significantly influenced the speaker was Freakonomics, which resulted in a collaboration with Steve Leavitt and a successful podcast
The speaker enjoys learning and finding out information, and sharing it with others
The speaker values honesty and transparency in writing, and tries to be open about the challenges and struggles of being a writer
The speaker believes in the importance of persistence and overcoming failure
The speaker values the ability to ask good questions and to challenge one's assumptions
The speaker believes in the importance of being able to explain complex ideas in a clear and understandable way
The podcast episode discusses the power of the presidency in the US
The Constitution and Congress do not constrain the president as much as is commonly thought
The main constraints on the president come from the fact that they represent three different groups with different interests and values: the public, their political party, and the executive branch
The president has more influence over certain sectors of the economy than is commonly thought, which can have a trickle-down effect on individuals
There is a debate over whether the presidency has too much or too little power
The episode features an interview with legal scholar Eric Posner, who has written about the evolution of the presidency's power
The guest on this podcast episode is Stephen Dubner, co-author of Freakonomics and host of the Freakonomics Radio podcast
Dubner discusses his new podcast, Tell Me Something I Don't Know, and his passion for finding and sharing interesting information and ideas
He emphasizes the importance of aligning one's passion and energy in order to be successful and achieve goals
Dubner suggests following his work on the Freakonomics Twitter and Facebook pages, and invites listeners to tune in to Tell Me Something I Don't Know.