Episode · Freakonomics Radio · 2015-07-30
Books mentioned on 214. How to Create Suspense
Why is soccer the best sport? How has Harlan Coben sold 70 million books?
Harlan Coben discussed The Stranger by Harlan Coben. Stephen Dubner discussed A Curious Mind by Brian Grazer and others.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Stranger
The Stranger by Harlan Coben is a gripping psychological thriller that explores secrets, blackmail, and the sudden unraveling of seemingly perfect suburban lives.
Discussed“That's Harlan Coben reading the beginning of his latest thriller, The Stranger. I'm all about suspense, trying to make you turn that next page. I want you to start The Stranger at 11 o'clock at night, think, I'll read 10 or 15 minutes, and the next thing you know, it's four in the morning.”
Where to get it
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A Curious Mind
A Curious Mind is a non-fiction book by Hollywood and television producer Brian Grazer and co-writer Charles Fishman that explores the transformative power of personal inquisitiveness.
Discussed“For starters, there's the title that Grazer has given the book he just published, A Curious Mind. In this book, Grazer writes about his habit of arranging conversations with people he admires. Curiosity conversations, he calls them.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“Every time someone has tried to explain the rules of Quidditch to me, I have not read the Harry Potter books, I should say. Oh, well, that's got to be step one.”