Jump to content

Maria Konnikova: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
m Fixed punctuation. Fixed sentence clarity.
Line 41: Line 41:
}}
}}


'''Maria Konnikova''' is a [[Russians|Russia]]n-[[Americans|America]]n writer with a Ph.D. in [[psychology]] from [[Columbia University]]. Konnikova has worked as a television producer, written for several magazines and online publications, and written three ''[[New York Times]]'' best-selling books. She primarily writes about psychology and its application to real life situations.
'''Maria Konnikova''' is a [[Russians|Russia]]n-[[Americans|America]]n writer with a Ph.D. in [[psychology]] from [[Columbia University]]. Konnikova has worked as a television producer, written for several magazines and online publications, and written three ''[[New York Times]]'' best-selling books. She primarily writes about psychology and its application to real-life situations.


==Early life==
==Early life==


Maria Konnikova was born in [[Moscow]], [[Russia]] in 1984 to Jewish parents.<ref name="TEDx">{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0pib5DLXrw|publisher=TEDx|date=9 August 2014|time=0:00 to 1:30|website=youtube.com|last1=Konnikova|first1=Maria|title=Maria Konnikova:TEDxColumbiaCollege|access-date=6 June 2017}}</ref> She was four years old when her family immigrated to the United States and settled in [[Massachusetts]], outside of [[Boston]].<ref name="the-scientist">{{cite web|title=It's Elementary|url=http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/33945/title/It-s-Elementary/|work=The Scientist|publisher=LabX Media Group|accessdate=30 March 2014|author=Joss Fong|date=10 January 2013}}</ref>
Maria Konnikova was born in [[Moscow]], [[Russia]] in, 1984 to Jewish parents.<ref name="TEDx">{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0pib5DLXrw|publisher=TEDx|date=9 August 2014|time=0:00 to 1:30|website=youtube.com|last1=Konnikova|first1=Maria|title=Maria Konnikova:TEDxColumbiaCollege|access-date=6 June 2017}}</ref> She was four years old when her family immigrated to the United States and settled in [[Massachusetts]], outside of [[Boston]].<ref name="the-scientist">{{cite web|title=It's Elementary|url=http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/33945/title/It-s-Elementary/|work=The Scientist|publisher=LabX Media Group|accessdate=30 March 2014|author=Joss Fong|date=10 January 2013}}</ref>


==Education==
==Education==
Line 58: Line 58:
=== Writing ===
=== Writing ===
Following her B.A., she worked as a producer for the ''[[Charlie Rose (TV series)|Charlie Rose Show]],'' where she helped set up the segment "Brain Series".<ref Name="the-scientist"/><ref name="CRose">{{cite AV media|url=https://charlierose.com/videos/23308|title=Konnikova - Charlie Rose (video and transcript)|time=0:00 to 3:00|date=24 February 2016|website=charlierose.com|access-date=4 June 2017}}</ref>
Following her B.A., she worked as a producer for the ''[[Charlie Rose (TV series)|Charlie Rose Show]],'' where she helped set up the segment "Brain Series".<ref Name="the-scientist"/><ref name="CRose">{{cite AV media|url=https://charlierose.com/videos/23308|title=Konnikova - Charlie Rose (video and transcript)|time=0:00 to 3:00|date=24 February 2016|website=charlierose.com|access-date=4 June 2017}}</ref>
While working there, she also wrote the "Literally Psyched" column for ''[[Scientific American]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/author/maria-konnikova/|title=Stories by Maria Konnikova|website=scientificamerican.com|access-date=4 June 2017}}</ref> and the psychology blog "Artful Choice" for Big Think,<ref name="BigT">{{cite web|url=http://bigthink.com/experts/mariakonnikova|title=Maria Konnikova|website=bigthink.com|access-date=4 June 2017}}</ref> both of which she is no longer involved with.<ref name="shelf-awareness">{{cite web|title=Book Brahmin: Maria Konnikova|url=http://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=1902#m18552|work=Shelf Awareness|publisher=Shelf Awareness|accessdate=30 March 2014|year=2014}}</ref> In April 2013 she had an article published in ''[[The New Yorker]]'' for the first time;<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/why-we-need-answers|title=Why we need answers|magazine=The New Yorker|date=30 April 2013|access-date=7 June 2017}}</ref> she continues to contribute regularly with articles about psychology and science.<ref name="HwdSXSW">{{cite web|url=http://www.harvardwood.org/sxsw_maria_konnikova|title=Harvardwood Heads To... SXSW: The Confidence Game - The Power (and Price) of Stories with Maria Konnikova AB '05|website=harvardwood.org|access-date=31 May 2017}}</ref><ref name="NewYorker">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.newyorker.com/contributors/maria-konnikova|title=Contributors, Maria Konnikova|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|access-date=4 June 2017}}</ref> She took a leave of absence to work on her third book.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Ho|first=Karen K.|date=July 12, 2018|title=New Yorker writer Maria Konnikova keeps winning at poker|url=https://www.cjr.org/the_profile/new-yorker-writer-maria-konnikova-keeps-winning-at-poker.php|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-07-31|website=Columbia Journalism Review|language=en}}</ref>
While working there, she also wrote the "Literally Psyched" column for ''[[Scientific American]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/author/maria-konnikova/|title=Stories by Maria Konnikova|website=scientificamerican.com|access-date=4 June 2017}}</ref> and the psychology blog "Artful Choice" for Big Think,<ref name="BigT">{{cite web|url=http://bigthink.com/experts/mariakonnikova|title=Maria Konnikova|website=bigthink.com|access-date=4 June 2017}}</ref> both of which she is no longer involved with.<ref name="shelf-awareness">{{cite web|title=Book Brahmin: Maria Konnikova|url=http://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=1902#m18552|work=Shelf Awareness|publisher=Shelf Awareness|accessdate=30 March 2014|year=2014}}</ref> In April 2013, she had an article published in ''[[The New Yorker]]'' for the first time;<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/why-we-need-answers|title=Why we need answers|magazine=The New Yorker|date=30 April 2013|access-date=7 June 2017}}</ref> she continues to contribute regularly with articles about psychology and science.<ref name="HwdSXSW">{{cite web|url=http://www.harvardwood.org/sxsw_maria_konnikova|title=Harvardwood Heads To... SXSW: The Confidence Game - The Power (and Price) of Stories with Maria Konnikova AB '05|website=harvardwood.org|access-date=31 May 2017}}</ref><ref name="NewYorker">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.newyorker.com/contributors/maria-konnikova|title=Contributors, Maria Konnikova|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|access-date=4 June 2017}}</ref> She took a leave of absence to work on her third book.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Ho|first=Karen K.|date=July 12, 2018|title=New Yorker writer Maria Konnikova keeps winning at poker|url=https://www.cjr.org/the_profile/new-yorker-writer-maria-konnikova-keeps-winning-at-poker.php|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-07-31|website=Columbia Journalism Review|language=en}}</ref>


Konnikova's first book, ''[[Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes]]'', was published in January 2013 by [[Viking Press]]/[[Penguin Group]], became a ''New York Times'' bestseller, and has been translated into 17 languages.<ref>{{cite news|title=Become a 'Mastermind' with Sherlock Holmes' help|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/11/living/books-mastermind/index.html|accessdate=30 March 2014|newspaper=CNN|date=11 January 2013|author=Christian DuChateau}}</ref><ref name="HwdSXSW" /> She was introduced to the [[Sherlock Holmes]] character at a young age, when her father read [[Arthur Conan Doyle]]’s stories to her.<ref name="Scot">{{cite news|title=Interview: Psychologist Maria Konnikova on how we can all learn to think like Sherlock Holmes|url=http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/books/interview-psychologist-maria-konnikova-on-how-we-can-all-learn-to-think-like-sherlock-holmes-1-2733215|accessdate=30 March 2014|newspaper=The Scotsman|date=12 January 2013|author=Chitra Ramaswamy}}</ref>
Konnikova's first book, ''[[Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes]]'', was published in January 2013 by [[Viking Press]]/[[Penguin Group]], became a ''New York Times'' bestseller, and has been translated into 17 languages.<ref>{{cite news|title=Become a 'Mastermind' with Sherlock Holmes' help|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/11/living/books-mastermind/index.html|accessdate=30 March 2014|newspaper=CNN|date=11 January 2013|author=Christian DuChateau}}</ref><ref name="HwdSXSW" /> She was introduced to the [[Sherlock Holmes]] character at a young age, when her father read [[Arthur Conan Doyle]]’s stories to her.<ref name="Scot">{{cite news|title=Interview: Psychologist Maria Konnikova on how we can all learn to think like Sherlock Holmes|url=http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/books/interview-psychologist-maria-konnikova-on-how-we-can-all-learn-to-think-like-sherlock-holmes-1-2733215|accessdate=30 March 2014|newspaper=The Scotsman|date=12 January 2013|author=Chitra Ramaswamy}}</ref>


Her second book, ''The Confidence Game'', also published by Viking Press/Penguin Group, made the ''New York Times'' best-seller list for February 2016 in the crime and punishment category,<ref>
Her second book, ''The Confidence Game'', also published by Viking Press/Penguin Group, made the ''New York Times'' best-seller list for February 2016 in the crime and punishment category<ref>
{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2016/02/14/crime-and-punishment/?action=click&contentCollection=Books&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fbackend.710302.xyz%3A443%2Fhttps%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fbooks%2Fbest-sellers%2F2016%2F02%2F21%2Fpaperback-nonfiction%2F&region=Footer&module=MonthlyListsIndex&version=MonthlyLists&pgtype=Reference|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170531022553/https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2016/02/14/crime-and-punishment/?action=click&contentCollection=Books&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fbackend.710302.xyz%3A443%2Fhttps%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fbooks%2Fbest-sellers%2F2016%2F02%2F21%2Fpaperback-nonfiction%2F&region=Footer&module=MonthlyListsIndex&version=MonthlyLists&pgtype=Reference&mtrref=undefined&gwh=D403FDCB84A2C45AD3DD381A55A2DB9A&gwt=pay|archivedate=31 May 2017|title=Best Sellers, Crime and Punishment|website=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=31 May 2017}}</ref> and the Canadian Best-Sellers List for non-fiction for the weeks ending 26 January<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.macleans.ca/culture/books/the-macleans-bestsellers-list-week-of-jan-26/|title=The MacLean's Best Seller list :week of Jan 26th|first=Brian|last=Bethune|website=macleans.ca|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref> and 2 February<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.macleans.ca/culture/books/the-macleans-bestsellers-list-week-of-feb-2/|title=The MacLean's Best Seller list :week of Feb 2nd|first=Brian|last=Bethune|website=macleans.ca|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref>
{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2016/02/14/crime-and-punishment/?action=click&contentCollection=Books&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fbackend.710302.xyz%3A443%2Fhttps%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fbooks%2Fbest-sellers%2F2016%2F02%2F21%2Fpaperback-nonfiction%2F&region=Footer&module=MonthlyListsIndex&version=MonthlyLists&pgtype=Reference|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170531022553/https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/2016/02/14/crime-and-punishment/?action=click&contentCollection=Books&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fbackend.710302.xyz%3A443%2Fhttps%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fbooks%2Fbest-sellers%2F2016%2F02%2F21%2Fpaperback-nonfiction%2F&region=Footer&module=MonthlyListsIndex&version=MonthlyLists&pgtype=Reference&mtrref=undefined&gwh=D403FDCB84A2C45AD3DD381A55A2DB9A&gwt=pay|archivedate=31 May 2017|title=Best Sellers, Crime and Punishment|website=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=31 May 2017}}</ref> and the Canadian Best-Sellers List for non-fiction for the weeks ending 26 January<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.macleans.ca/culture/books/the-macleans-bestsellers-list-week-of-jan-26/|title=The MacLean's Best Seller list :week of Jan 26th|first=Brian|last=Bethune|website=macleans.ca|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref> and 2 February<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.macleans.ca/culture/books/the-macleans-bestsellers-list-week-of-feb-2/|title=The MacLean's Best Seller list :week of Feb 2nd|first=Brian|last=Bethune|website=macleans.ca|access-date=1 June 2017}}</ref>


Her third book, ''The Biggest Bluff'', was published on June 23, 2020, by Penguin Press; she had signed the book deal in March 2017<ref name=":1" /> and submitted the manuscript in October 2019.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Newell|first=Jennifer|date=November 26, 2019|title=Maria Konnikova Finishes Poker Book and Leaves PokerStars|url=https://www.legaluspokersites.com/news/konnikova-leaves-pokerstars/19767/|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-07-31|website=www.legaluspokersites.com}}</ref> The book follows her immersion into the world of poker and explores the role of chance in our everyday lives.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Biggest Bluff {{!}}|url=https://www.mariakonnikova.com/books/the-biggest-bluff/|access-date=2020-06-24|website=www.mariakonnikova.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Hill|first=Kashmir|date=2020-09-01|title=To Play Poker in a Pandemic, Americans Flee the U.S.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/sports/coronavirus-world-series-of-poker.html|access-date=2020-09-04|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
Her third book, ''The Biggest Bluff'', was published on June 23, 2020, by Penguin Press; she signed the book deal in March 2017<ref name=":1" /> and submitted the manuscript in October 2019.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Newell|first=Jennifer|date=November 26, 2019|title=Maria Konnikova Finishes Poker Book and Leaves PokerStars|url=https://www.legaluspokersites.com/news/konnikova-leaves-pokerstars/19767/|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-07-31|website=www.legaluspokersites.com}}</ref> The book follows her immersion into the world of poker and explores the role of chance in our everyday lives.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Biggest Bluff {{!}}|url=https://www.mariakonnikova.com/books/the-biggest-bluff/|access-date=2020-06-24|website=www.mariakonnikova.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Hill|first=Kashmir|date=2020-09-01|title=To Play Poker in a Pandemic, Americans Flee the U.S.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/sports/coronavirus-world-series-of-poker.html|access-date=2020-09-04|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>


Konnikova makes regular appearances on ''[[The Gist (podcast)|The Gist]]'' podcast in her own segment called "Is that bullshit?". In early 2017, she published a 10-part [[podcast]] about con-artists and the lives they ruin, called ''The Grift.''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.panoply.fm/podcasts/thegrift|title=The Grift|website=panoply.fm|access-date=31 May 2017}}</ref>
Konnikova makes regular appearances on ''[[The Gist (podcast)|The Gist]]'' podcast in her own segment, "Is that bullshit?". In early 2017, she published a 10-part [[podcast]] about con-artists and the lives they ruin, called ''The Grift.''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.panoply.fm/podcasts/thegrift|title=The Grift|website=panoply.fm|access-date=31 May 2017}}</ref>


=== Poker ===
=== Poker ===


Konnikova has said that she became interested in poker after reading [[John von Neumann]]’s work on game theory. She described it as a way to examine the mind’s responses to conditions that involve both skill and chance. Konnikova told ''The New York Times'' that "When I started this, I didn’t know how many cards were in a deck. I hate casinos. I have zero interest in gambling."<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Dreifus|first=Claudia|date=August 10, 2018|title=Maria Konnikova Shows Her Cards|language=en|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/10/science/maria-konnikova-poker.html|url-status=live|access-date=13 August 2018}}</ref>
Konnikova has said that she became interested in poker after reading [[John von Neumann]]’s work on game theory. She described it as a way to examine the mind’s responses to conditions that involve both skill and chance. Konnikova told ''The New York Times,'' "When I started this, I didn’t know how many cards were in a deck. I hate casinos. I have zero interest in gambling."<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Dreifus|first=Claudia|date=August 10, 2018|title=Maria Konnikova Shows Her Cards|language=en|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/10/science/maria-konnikova-poker.html|url-status=live|access-date=13 August 2018}}</ref>


In the late summer of 2016, she made contact with [[Erik Seidel]], who agreed to become her coach for her goal of spending a year as a competitive poker player.<ref name="Nuwwarah2018">{{cite web|last1=Nuwwarah|first1=Mo|title=Konnikova Changes Plans, Delays Book After Incredible Poker Success|url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2018/05/maria-konnikova-poker-30637.htm|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20180701211651/https://www.pokernews.com/news/2018/05/maria-konnikova-poker-30637.htm|archivedate=1 July 2018|accessdate=1 July 2018|website=PokerNews.com|publisher=PokerNews}}</ref>
In the late summer of 2016, she made contact with [[Erik Seidel]], who agreed to become her coach for her goal of spending a year as a competitive poker player.<ref name="Nuwwarah2018">{{cite web|last1=Nuwwarah|first1=Mo|title=Konnikova Changes Plans, Delays Book After Incredible Poker Success|url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2018/05/maria-konnikova-poker-30637.htm|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20180701211651/https://www.pokernews.com/news/2018/05/maria-konnikova-poker-30637.htm|archivedate=1 July 2018|accessdate=1 July 2018|website=PokerNews.com|publisher=PokerNews}}</ref>
Line 77: Line 77:
Her first major tournament, in April 2017, was the PokerStars tournament 2017 in [[Monte Carlo]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=April 30, 2017|title=Konnikova's High Stakes Adventure Ends|url=https://www.pokernews.com/tours/pokerstars-championship/2017-pokerstars-championship-presented-by-monte-ca/main-event/chips.158809.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-07-31|website=www.pokernews.com|language=en}}</ref> In January 2018, she won the PCA National event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure No-Limit Hold'em Championship, winning $84,600.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Lamers|first=Adam|date=January 9, 2018|title=Friend of PokerStars Maria Konnikova Wins PCA Nat'l Championship|url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2018/01/maria-konnikova-wins-pca-national-championship-29679.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-07-31|website=www.pokernews.com|language=en}}</ref> The win also came with a Platinum Pass worth $30,000 to the PokerStars Players Championship in January 2019.<ref name=":1" /> Her total earnings prior to the event were about $30,000.<ref name=":3" />
Her first major tournament, in April 2017, was the PokerStars tournament 2017 in [[Monte Carlo]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=April 30, 2017|title=Konnikova's High Stakes Adventure Ends|url=https://www.pokernews.com/tours/pokerstars-championship/2017-pokerstars-championship-presented-by-monte-ca/main-event/chips.158809.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-07-31|website=www.pokernews.com|language=en}}</ref> In January 2018, she won the PCA National event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure No-Limit Hold'em Championship, winning $84,600.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Lamers|first=Adam|date=January 9, 2018|title=Friend of PokerStars Maria Konnikova Wins PCA Nat'l Championship|url=https://www.pokernews.com/news/2018/01/maria-konnikova-wins-pca-national-championship-29679.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-07-31|website=www.pokernews.com|language=en}}</ref> The win also came with a Platinum Pass worth $30,000 to the PokerStars Players Championship in January 2019.<ref name=":1" /> Her total earnings prior to the event were about $30,000.<ref name=":3" />


After that 2018 win, Konnikova decided to delay work on her book, ''The Biggest Bluff'', to compete in more tournaments with higher stakes<ref name="Nuwwarah2018" /> She took up professional poker playing full-time. Beginning in the summer of 2018, she became affiliated with [[PokerStars]], an online gaming site; in June 2018, she became a PokerStars "Ambassador",<ref>{{Cite web|last=Newell|first=Jennifer|date=June 25, 2018|title=Maria Konnikova Signs on as PokerStars Ambassador|url=https://www.legaluspokersites.com/news/konnikova-and-pokerstars-make-it-official/11372/|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-07-31|website=www.legaluspokersites.com}}</ref> with PokerStars sponsoring her in professional tournaments.<ref name=":0" />
After that 2018 win, Konnikova decided to delay work on her book, ''The Biggest Bluff'', to compete in more tournaments with higher stakes.<ref name="Nuwwarah2018" /> She took up professional poker playing full-time. Beginning in the summer of 2018, she became affiliated with [[PokerStars]], an online gaming site; in June 2018, she became a PokerStars "Ambassador"<ref>{{Cite web|last=Newell|first=Jennifer|date=June 25, 2018|title=Maria Konnikova Signs on as PokerStars Ambassador|url=https://www.legaluspokersites.com/news/konnikova-and-pokerstars-make-it-official/11372/|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-07-31|website=www.legaluspokersites.com}}</ref> with PokerStars sponsoring her in professional tournaments.<ref name=":0" />
In November 2019, Konnikova and PokerStars “parted ways”.<ref name=":2" />
In November 2019, Konnikova and PokerStars “parted ways”.<ref name=":2" />

Revision as of 23:31, 1 January 2023

Maria Konnikova
Maria_Konnikova_in_2013.jpg
Born1984 (age 39–40)
Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
OccupationAuthor (non-fiction)
NationalityAmerican
Genre
Notable worksThe Biggest Bluff
Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes
The Confidence Game[1]
Scientific career
ThesisThe Limits of Self-Control: Self-Control, Illusory Control, and Risky Financial Decision Making (2013)
Doctoral advisorWalter Mischel
Website
www.mariakonnikova.com

Maria Konnikova is a Russian-American writer with a Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia University. Konnikova has worked as a television producer, written for several magazines and online publications, and written three New York Times best-selling books. She primarily writes about psychology and its application to real-life situations.

Early life

Maria Konnikova was born in Moscow, Russia in, 1984 to Jewish parents.[2] She was four years old when her family immigrated to the United States and settled in Massachusetts, outside of Boston.[3]

Education

Konnikova attended Acton-Boxborough Regional High School in Massachusetts.[4][better source needed] After graduating from high school, Konnikova attended Harvard University, where she graduated with a B.A. in psychology and creative writing. While studying at Harvard, Konnikova was mentored by psychologist and popular author Steven Pinker.[5]

She earned her Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia University in 2013.[3][6] under Walter Mischel.[3]

Career

Konnikova at IdeaFestival 2013

Writing

Following her B.A., she worked as a producer for the Charlie Rose Show, where she helped set up the segment "Brain Series".[3][7] While working there, she also wrote the "Literally Psyched" column for Scientific American[8] and the psychology blog "Artful Choice" for Big Think,[9] both of which she is no longer involved with.[10] In April 2013, she had an article published in The New Yorker for the first time;[11] she continues to contribute regularly with articles about psychology and science.[12][13] She took a leave of absence to work on her third book.[14]

Konnikova's first book, Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, was published in January 2013 by Viking Press/Penguin Group, became a New York Times bestseller, and has been translated into 17 languages.[15][12] She was introduced to the Sherlock Holmes character at a young age, when her father read Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories to her.[16]

Her second book, The Confidence Game, also published by Viking Press/Penguin Group, made the New York Times best-seller list for February 2016 in the crime and punishment category[17] and the Canadian Best-Sellers List for non-fiction for the weeks ending 26 January[18] and 2 February[19]

Her third book, The Biggest Bluff, was published on June 23, 2020, by Penguin Press; she signed the book deal in March 2017[14] and submitted the manuscript in October 2019.[20] The book follows her immersion into the world of poker and explores the role of chance in our everyday lives.[21][22]

Konnikova makes regular appearances on The Gist podcast in her own segment, "Is that bullshit?". In early 2017, she published a 10-part podcast about con-artists and the lives they ruin, called The Grift.[23]

Poker

Konnikova has said that she became interested in poker after reading John von Neumann’s work on game theory. She described it as a way to examine the mind’s responses to conditions that involve both skill and chance. Konnikova told The New York Times, "When I started this, I didn’t know how many cards were in a deck. I hate casinos. I have zero interest in gambling."[24]

In the late summer of 2016, she made contact with Erik Seidel, who agreed to become her coach for her goal of spending a year as a competitive poker player.[25]

Her first major tournament, in April 2017, was the PokerStars tournament 2017 in Monte Carlo.[26] In January 2018, she won the PCA National event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure No-Limit Hold'em Championship, winning $84,600.[27] The win also came with a Platinum Pass worth $30,000 to the PokerStars Players Championship in January 2019.[14] Her total earnings prior to the event were about $30,000.[27]

After that 2018 win, Konnikova decided to delay work on her book, The Biggest Bluff, to compete in more tournaments with higher stakes.[25] She took up professional poker playing full-time. Beginning in the summer of 2018, she became affiliated with PokerStars, an online gaming site; in June 2018, she became a PokerStars "Ambassador"[28] with PokerStars sponsoring her in professional tournaments.[24]

In November 2019, Konnikova and PokerStars “parted ways”.[20]

Awards

"Confidence Games" CSICon 2016

Bibliography

  • Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, Viking, 3 January 2013, ISBN 978-0670026579
  • The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It . . . Every Time, Viking, 12 January 2016, ISBN 978-0525427414
  • The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win, Penguin Press, 23 June 2020, ISBN 978-0525522621

References

  1. ^ a b "Maria Konnikova Wins Critical Thinking Prize from CSI for "The Confidence Game"". CSICOP.ORG. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  2. ^ Konnikova, Maria (9 August 2014). Maria Konnikova:TEDxColumbiaCollege. youtube.com. TEDx. Event occurs at 0:00 to 1:30. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d Joss Fong (10 January 2013). "It's Elementary". The Scientist. LabX Media Group. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  4. ^ Maria Konnikova (7 January 2014). "The Open-Office Trap". The New Yorker. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  5. ^ Thompson, Nicholas (21 April 2014). "The New Yorker Out Loud(Podcast): Maria Konnikova on her approach to writing and the psychology of yawns". soundcloud.com (Podcast). The New Yorker. Event occurs at 11:40 to 14:40. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  6. ^ Konnikova, Maria (2013). The Limits of Self-Control: Self-Control, Illusory Control, and Risky Financial Decision Making. columbia.edu (Thesis). doi:10.7916/D8QR54B5. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  7. ^ Konnikova - Charlie Rose (video and transcript). charlierose.com. 24 February 2016. Event occurs at 0:00 to 3:00. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  8. ^ "Stories by Maria Konnikova". scientificamerican.com. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  9. ^ "Maria Konnikova". bigthink.com. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  10. ^ "Book Brahmin: Maria Konnikova". Shelf Awareness. Shelf Awareness. 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  11. ^ "Why we need answers". The New Yorker. 30 April 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  12. ^ a b "Harvardwood Heads To... SXSW: The Confidence Game - The Power (and Price) of Stories with Maria Konnikova AB '05". harvardwood.org. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  13. ^ "Contributors, Maria Konnikova". The New Yorker. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  14. ^ a b c Ho, Karen K. (12 July 2018). "New Yorker writer Maria Konnikova keeps winning at poker". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 31 July 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ Christian DuChateau (11 January 2013). "Become a 'Mastermind' with Sherlock Holmes' help". CNN. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  16. ^ Chitra Ramaswamy (12 January 2013). "Interview: Psychologist Maria Konnikova on how we can all learn to think like Sherlock Holmes". The Scotsman. Retrieved 30 March 2014.
  17. ^ "Best Sellers, Crime and Punishment". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 31 May 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  18. ^ Bethune, Brian. "The MacLean's Best Seller list :week of Jan 26th". macleans.ca. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  19. ^ Bethune, Brian. "The MacLean's Best Seller list :week of Feb 2nd". macleans.ca. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
  20. ^ a b Newell, Jennifer (26 November 2019). "Maria Konnikova Finishes Poker Book and Leaves PokerStars". www.legaluspokersites.com. Retrieved 31 July 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ "The Biggest Bluff |". www.mariakonnikova.com. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  22. ^ Hill, Kashmir (1 September 2020). "To Play Poker in a Pandemic, Americans Flee the U.S." The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  23. ^ "The Grift". panoply.fm. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  24. ^ a b Dreifus, Claudia (10 August 2018). "Maria Konnikova Shows Her Cards". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 August 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. ^ a b Nuwwarah, Mo. "Konnikova Changes Plans, Delays Book After Incredible Poker Success". PokerNews.com. PokerNews. Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  26. ^ "Konnikova's High Stakes Adventure Ends". www.pokernews.com. 30 April 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ^ a b Lamers, Adam (9 January 2018). "Friend of PokerStars Maria Konnikova Wins PCA Nat'l Championship". www.pokernews.com. Retrieved 31 July 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ^ Newell, Jennifer (25 June 2018). "Maria Konnikova Signs on as PokerStars Ambassador". www.legaluspokersites.com. Retrieved 31 July 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  29. ^ Jahren, Hope (3 October 2017). The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2017. Mariner Books. ISBN 978-1-328-71551-7.
  30. ^ "The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2017". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 7 October 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maria Konnikova.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maria_Konnikova&oldid=1130978371"