Turbulent Souls: A Catholic Son's Return to His Jewish Family
Best starting point for Dubner's memoir and early solo writing.
Author guide
Stephen J. Dubner Books in Order
Stephen J. Dubner is an American author, journalist, and podcast host. He is the co-author of the Freakonomics books with economist Steven D. Levitt and the host of Freakonomics Radio. His other books include the memoir Turbulent Souls, the nonfiction work Confessions of a Hero-Worshiper, and the children's book The Boy With Two Belly Buttons.
nonfictioneconomicsmemoirchildren's literatureessay collection
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
Best starting point for the co-authored Freakonomics series.
Read in order
Books by series
book series · ongoing
Freakonomics
A series of popular nonfiction books by Stephen J. Dubner and Steven D. Levitt applying economic reasoning to unexpected questions about everyday life and society.
- 1 Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
Book 1 · nonfiction · 2005
*A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything* Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? How much do parents…
- 2 SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance
Book 2 · nonfiction · 2009
The New York Times bestselling Freakonomics was a worldwide sensation, selling more than four million copies in thirty-five languages and changing the way we look at the world.Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner return with…
- 3 Think Like a Freak: The Authors of Freakonomics Offer to Retrain Your Brain
Book 3 · nonfiction · 2014
- 4 When to Rob a Bank: And 131 More Warped Suggestions and Well-Intended Rants
Book 4 · nonfiction collection · 2015
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (1)
- Confessions of a Hero-Worshiper
nonfiction · 2003
As a boy, Stephen J. Dubner's hero was Franco Harris, the famed and mysterious running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers. When Dubner's father died, he became obsessed—he dreamed of his hero every night; he signed his school papers "Franco…
Nonfiction (1)
Children's books (1)
- The Boy With Two Belly Buttons
children's fiction · 2007
Solomon, a little boy with two belly buttons, discovers that being different can be a good thing.
Frequently asked questions about Stephen J. Dubner
Who is Stephen J. Dubner?
Stephen J. Dubner is an American author, journalist, and podcast host. He is best known as the co-author of Freakonomics with economist Steven D. Levitt and the host of Freakonomics Radio.
Sources: freakonomics.com (opens in a new tab)wgbh.org (opens in a new tab)
Where did Stephen J. Dubner grow up and study?
He grew up as the youngest of eight children in rural upstate New York. He earned his undergraduate degree at Appalachian State University and later completed Columbia University’s MFA program in fiction.
What religious background influenced Stephen J. Dubner’s writing?
Dubner was raised in a Roman Catholic family whose parents had been brought up in Jewish households and converted to Catholicism. He later returned to Judaism, an experience that shaped his early family-focused writing.
What awards has Stephen J. Dubner received?
For Freakonomics, Dubner received the inaugural Quill Award for best business book, a Visionary Award from the National Council on Economic Education, and a BookSense Book of the Year Award. The New York Times also selected both Turbulent Souls and Freakonomics as Notable Books of the Year.
Source: wgbh.org (opens in a new tab)
What is Stephen J. Dubner’s legacy?
Dubner helped bring economic research about everyday life to a broad general audience through accessible journalism, books, and audio storytelling. His collaboration with Steven Levitt expanded into a major podcast and media network built around rigorous but entertaining explanations of familiar phenomena.
Sources: news.uchicago.edu (opens in a new tab)freakonomics.com (opens in a new tab)