Micheal Lewis, Bestselling Author of 'The Big Short', 'Liar's Poker' & 'Moneyball' - Full Interview

In this episode, we have a different conversation. Michael Lewis and Simon Brewer go back to graduating from the LSE in 1985, when they were both seeking a place on the fabled Salomon Brothers training programme. Michael’s success in securing that job allowed the world to have the enduring classic, ‘Liar’s Poker’, and from there to write 16 best sellers (three of which have been made into major Hollywood films).

His new book, ‘Premonition: A Pandemic Story’, tells the enthralling tale of the US pandemic preparations that started under President Bush, but which failed when COVID-19 struck, thanks to a mixture of institutional and political failings.

Michael brings the cumulative missteps to life by narrating the story of the real people involved, their extraordinary decisions, and what went wrong.

He continues this fascinating conversation by discussing two of his other books, ‘The Undoing Project’, and ‘Moneyball’, and explains how decision making is driven by varying degrees of data and/or human interactions - from sport to finance – resulting in unpredictable consequences.

Also available on all major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

TOPICS:
0:00 - Introduction
2:31 - Michael's Upbringing
7:17 - University & Finance Career
15:27 - Becoming a Writer
20:06 - Creative Process
23:18 - Premonition: A Pandemic Story
39:49 - Writing Style
42:29 - The Undoing Project
53:15 - Moneyball & Decision Making
55:42 - Podcasts as a Medium
59:35 - Michael's Personal Investments
1:01:45 - Thoughts on US Politics
1:04:00 - Future Book Projects
1:05:52 - Writing Career Advice
1:08:43 - Recommended Books
1:10:10 - Concluding Thoughts

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