While attending Appalachian State University, Stephen J. Dubner started a rock band that was signed to Arista Records. He eventually stopped playing music to earn an M.F.A. in writing at Columbia University, where he also taught in the English Department. He was an editor and writer at New York magazine and The New York Times before leaving to focus on writing books. He is the coauthor, with Steven D. Levitt, of Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. It won the inaugural Quill Award for best business book and a Visionary Award from the National Council on Economic Education. He also wrote SuperFreakonomics and Think Like a Freak with Steven D. Levitt. His… other works include Turbulent Souls: A Catholic Son's Return to His Jewish Family, Confessions of a Hero-Worshiper, and The Boy with Two Belly Buttons.