Speaker
Tim Harford
Tim Harford is a world renowned behavioural economist and award-winning Financial Times columnist. He is also a best selling author and, broadcaster presenting Radio 4’s 'More or Less'. He is also the author of the 'Logic of Life' and the 'Undercover Economist' which has recorded nearly a million sales in almost 30 languages. His unique style provides a witty touch to his speeches.
About Tim Harford
Drawing on the frontiers of economic research, Tim’s speeches cover everything from theories on how to save the world from Armageddon to how we can match odd socks, lose weight and find happiness. He might also reveal the hidden logic of the world around us: when a teenager commits a burglary or a smoker lights a cigarette we seem to be a million miles from common sense – or are we? Weaving evidence from sources like casinos and speed-dating, Tim shows that human behaviour is actually surprisingly logical.
Whilst he’s a ‘serious’ economist with a career spanning Oxford, Shell and the World Bank, Tim’s FT columns dwell on the economics of daily life and offer tongue-in-cheek solutions to readers’ problems. He used a similar, highly accessible style as presenter of the BBC2 series ‘Trust Me, I’m an Economist’.
From November 2016 he presents an economic history documentary radio and podcast series called ’50 Things That Made The Modern Economy’. Furthermore he also presents ‘More or Less’ on BBC R4
Tim Harford’s Books
Tim’s book is ‘ADAPT: Why Success Always Starts With Failure’. It shows how the challenges we face today can’t be solved with simple ready-made solutions; we must learn to improvise rather than plan.
Drawing on psychology, evolutionary biology, physics, maths and economics, Tim shows how adaptive, trial-and-error processes can help tackle everything from innovation to financial crises. Gillian Tett describes it as “required reading for anyone trying to navigate an increasingly complex world.”
Tim is frequently described as ‘Britain’s Malcolm Gladwell,’. And ‘The Logic of Life’ and ‘The Undercover Economist’, have been translated into 30 languages too.
Testimonials
"Everybody loved your talk"
Sir Richard Branson
