Freakonomics Radio
Another war in the Middle East. A retreat from the international order. A presidency built on self-dealing and arbitrary power. It’s enough to make you think the U.S. is in a steep decline — but Fareed Zakaria thinks otherwise.
- SOURCES:
- Fareed Zakaria, journalist and author.
- RESOURCES:
- “Iran is an imperial trap. America walked right in.” by Fareed Zakaria (The Washington Post, 2026).
- “‘Bomb and hope’ is not a strategy,” by Fareed Zakaria (The Washington Post, 2026).
- Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present, by Fareed Zakaria (2024).
- The Accidental Superpower: The Next Generation of American Preeminence and the Coming Global Disorder, by Peter Zeihan (2014).
- The Affluent Society, by Jonathan Galbraith (1958).
- EXTRAS:
- “Fareed Zakaria on What Just Happened, and What Comes Next,” by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
- “Are We Living Through the Most Revolutionary Period in History?” by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
- “The Folly of Prediction,” by Freakonomics Radio (2011).
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354. How to Be Creative
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353. How to Optimize Your Apology
You said, “I’m sorry,” but somehow you haven’t been forgiven. Why? Because you’re doing it wrong! A report from the front lines of apology science.
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352. Can This Man Stop a Trade War?
The World Trade Organization is the referee for 164 trading partners, each with their own political and economic agendas. Lately, those agendas have gotten more complicated — especially with President Trump’s tariff blitz. Roberto Azevêdo,…
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Extra: Shawn Johnson Full Interview
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351. Here’s Why You’re Not an Elite Athlete
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Extra: Full Interviews With Jimmy Garoppolo, Joe Staley, Mike McGlinchey, and Kyle Juszczyk
Stephen Dubner’s conversations with members of the San Francisco 49ers offense, recorded for Freakonomics Radio episode No. 350, part of the “Hidden Side of Sports” series.
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350. How to Stop Being a Loser
The San Francisco 49ers, one of the most valuable sports franchises in the world, also used to be one of the best. But they’ve been losing lately — a lot — and one of their…
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349. How Sports Became Us
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348. Is the Government More Entrepreneurial Than You Think?
We all know the standard story: our economy would be more dynamic if only the government would get out of the way. The economist Mariana Mazzucato says we’ve got that story backward. She argues that…
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347. Why You Shouldn’t Open a Restaurant
Kenji Lopez-Alt became a rock star of the food world by bringing science into the kitchen in a way that everyday cooks can appreciate. Then he dared to start his own restaurant — and discovered…