THE UNDERCOVER ECONOMIST MEETS
THE NAKED ECONOMIST

Tim Harford, Author, Economist, and Columnist, Financial Times
Charles Wheelan, Senior Lecturer, Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago

According to Tim Harford, also known as the Undercover Economist, success starts with failure. So, given the catastrophes of the past few years, from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, to the collapse of Lehman Brothers, to the continuing disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, is success just on the horizon? Join The Chicago Council for a Young Professionals discussion with Tim Harford and Charles Wheelan, also known as the Naked Economist, on what we can learn from failures—market or otherwise.

Tim HartfordTim Harford is the Undercover Economist and Dear Economist columnist for the Financial Times. His writing has also appeared in Esquire, Forbes, New York Magazine, WIRED, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. He is the author of The Undercover Economist and The Logic of Life. Harford presents the popular BBC radio show More or Less and is a visiting fellow at London’s Cass Business School. He is the winner of the 2006 Bastiat Prize for economic journalism and the 2010 Royal Statistical Society Award for excellence in journalism. Harford received his B.A. and M.Phil. from Oxford University.  

Charles Wheelan is a senior lecturer in the Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago. He also teaches at Dartmouth College and is the author of Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science. Wheelan is a monthly columnist for Yahoo! Finance and a correspondent for WBEZ Chicago Public Radio. Previously, he worked for ChicagoMetropolis 2020 and the Economist. Wheelan, a member of The Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ Emerging Leaders Program, received his B.A. from Dartmouth College, his M.P.A. from Princeton University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Harford’s latest book, Adapt: Why Success Always Starts with Failure, and the updated edition of Wheelan’s book, Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science, will be available for purchase and signing after the program.

Additional Resources:


Tim Harford

  • Read Harford’s recent article, “The Art of Economic Complexity” from The New York Times’ Magazine.
    Check out an interview with Harford in The New York Times about his new book.
  • Learn more about Harford’s upcoming book Adapt
  • Explore Harford’s weekly column, “Undercover Economist,” in the Financial Times Magazine
    Find out what Harford thinks we can learn from a nuclear reactor by reading one of his favorite long-form articles – Financial Times, January 14, 2011
  • Follow Harford as he unravels the ubiquitous world of numbers in his BBC Program “More or Less

Charles Wheelan

*The Young Professionals (YP) series is designed to engage people under the age of 40 in discussions on world affairs. YP programs offer young Chicagoans the opportunity to hear from influential experts and policymakers while networking with others who share their international interests. Chicago Council programs for Young Professionals are generously supported by the John E. Rielly Fund.


MONDAY, MAY 23, 2011

Young Professionals Logo

Audio from this program is not yet available.

Not a YP member? Attend this program and join for $75 ($95 value)

Printable version of this pageE-mail this page to a friend
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs; 332 S. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1100; Chicago, Illinois 60604-4416
Phone: 312.726.3860   Fax: 312.821.7555
Connect with us: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube