John Tierney (journalist)
Encyclopedia
John Marion Tierney is a journalist
and author who has worked for the New York Times since 1990.
Tierney previously wrote the TierneyLab blog
for the Times. The TierneyLab took a contrarian
view about science and society:
In 2005 and 2006, he was a columnist on the Times Op-Ed page, before which he wrote a column about New York
, "The Big City", that ran in the New York Times Magazine and the Metro section from 1994 to 2002.
Tierney identifies himself as a libertarian
, and has become increasingly identified with libertarianism. His columns have been critical of rent stabilization, the war on drugs
, Amtrak
and compulsory recycling
. His 1996 article "Recycling Is Garbage" broke the New York Times Magazines hate mail record.
Joseph J. Romm
has written that Tierney is one of the "influential but misinformed" skeptics
who have helped prevent the U.S. from taking action on Climate Change. In his 2007 book, Hell and High Water
, Romm cites, and claims to refute, what he calls Tierney's "misinformation".
In 2007 Tierney wrote a column describing Silent Spring
— Rachel Carson
's 1962 book on the detrimental effects of pesticides on the environment — as a "hodgepodge of science and junk science" whose rhetoric still "drowns out real science," such as the work of agricultural bacteriologist I. L. Baldwin. Among those who have criticized the column for (according to the critics) errors of fact and misrepresentation are Tim Lambert, Erik M. Conway
, Naomi Oreskes
, and Merrill Goozner
.
Tierney started his journalism career as an undergraduate at Yale University
, where he was editor of the Yale Daily News
. He went on to work for the Bergen Record and the Washington Star
, and has written for magazines such as Science 86, Health and Discover.
In collaboration with novelist Christopher Buckley, Tierney co-wrote the comic novel, God Is My Broker
, in parody of financial and spiritual self-help book
s. He also wrote The Best-Case Scenario Handbook, a parody
of the popular Worst-Case Scenario Handbook series.
psychologist Roy F. Baumeister the book Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength. They state that self-control and willpower function analogously to muscles. Thus, they write that willpower can be exhausted from overuse but generally speaking is strengthened through exercise (exercise that modern people tend to disregard). Publisher's Weekly praised the book as "a very fine work" that is "clear and succinct" as well as "based on solid research".
In a September 8th interview, he half-jokingly stated that while writing, he was motivated to lose a full ten pounds.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and author who has worked for the New York Times since 1990.
Career and background
Tierney writes a science column, Findings, for the Times. He is the co-author, with the social psychologist Roy F. Baumeister, of "Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength" (Penguin Press, 2011), a New York Times Best-Seller that was named one of Amazon's Best Books of 2011. Steven Pinker, the Harvard psychologist, writing in the New York Times Book Review, called it "an immensely rewarding book, filled with ingenious research, wise advice and insightful reflections on the human condition."Tierney previously wrote the TierneyLab blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
for the Times. The TierneyLab took a contrarian
Contrarian
In finance, a contrarian is one who attempts to profit by investing in a manner that differs from the conventional wisdom, when the consensus opinion appears to be wrong....
view about science and society:
In 2005 and 2006, he was a columnist on the Times Op-Ed page, before which he wrote a column about New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, "The Big City", that ran in the New York Times Magazine and the Metro section from 1994 to 2002.
Tierney identifies himself as a libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
, and has become increasingly identified with libertarianism. His columns have been critical of rent stabilization, the war on drugs
War on Drugs
The War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...
, Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
and compulsory recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
. His 1996 article "Recycling Is Garbage" broke the New York Times Magazines hate mail record.
Joseph J. Romm
Joseph J. Romm
Joseph J. Romm is an American author, blogger, physicist and climate expert who concentrates on methods of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and global warming and increasing energy security through energy efficiency, green energy technologies and green transportation technologies...
has written that Tierney is one of the "influential but misinformed" skeptics
Climate change denial
Climate change denial is a term used to describe organized attempts to downplay, deny or dismiss the scientific consensus on the extent of global warming, its significance, and its connection to human behavior, especially for commercial or ideological reasons...
who have helped prevent the U.S. from taking action on Climate Change. In his 2007 book, Hell and High Water
Hell and High Water (book)
Hell and High Water: Global Warming — the Solution and the Politics — and What We Should Do is a book by author, scientist, and former U.S. Department of Energy official Joseph J. Romm, published December 26, 2006...
, Romm cites, and claims to refute, what he calls Tierney's "misinformation".
In 2007 Tierney wrote a column describing Silent Spring
Silent Spring
Silent Spring is a book written by Rachel Carson and published by Houghton Mifflin on 27 September 1962. The book is widely credited with helping launch the environmental movement....
— Rachel Carson
Rachel Carson
Rachel Louise Carson was an American marine biologist and conservationist whose writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement....
's 1962 book on the detrimental effects of pesticides on the environment — as a "hodgepodge of science and junk science" whose rhetoric still "drowns out real science," such as the work of agricultural bacteriologist I. L. Baldwin. Among those who have criticized the column for (according to the critics) errors of fact and misrepresentation are Tim Lambert, Erik M. Conway
Erik M. Conway
Erik M. Conway is the historian at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He is the author of several books....
, Naomi Oreskes
Naomi Oreskes
Naomi Oreskes is an American science historian, and Professor of History and Science Studies at the University of California San Diego. She has worked on studies of geophysics, environmental issues such as global warming, and the history of science...
, and Merrill Goozner
Merrill Goozner
Merrill Goozner, an independent author and writer, formerly directed the Integrity in Science project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest . He is a former chief Asia, chief financial, and chief economics correspondent for the Chicago Tribune. He was a professor of journalism at New...
.
Tierney started his journalism career as an undergraduate at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, where he was editor of the Yale Daily News
Yale Daily News
The Yale Daily News is an independent student newspaper published by Yale University students in New Haven, Connecticut since January 28, 1878...
. He went on to work for the Bergen Record and the Washington Star
Washington Star
The Washington Star, previously known as the Washington Star-News and the Washington Evening Star, was a daily afternoon newspaper published in Washington, D.C. between 1852 and 1981. For most of that time, it was the city's newspaper of record, and the longtime home to columnist Mary McGrory and...
, and has written for magazines such as Science 86, Health and Discover.
In collaboration with novelist Christopher Buckley, Tierney co-wrote the comic novel, God Is My Broker
God is my broker
God Is My Broker is a satirical book written by Christopher Buckley and John Tierney, published in 1998 by Random House which parodies self-help books, such as those of Deepak Chopra, whose works are particularly singled out....
, in parody of financial and spiritual self-help book
Self-help book
Self-help books are books written with the stated intention to instruct any readers on a number of personal problems. They take their name from Self-Help, the Victorian best-seller, but are also known and classified under "self-improvement", a term that is a modernized version of self-help...
s. He also wrote The Best-Case Scenario Handbook, a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of the popular Worst-Case Scenario Handbook series.
Book
In 2011, he co-wrote along with Florida State UniversityFlorida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
psychologist Roy F. Baumeister the book Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength. They state that self-control and willpower function analogously to muscles. Thus, they write that willpower can be exhausted from overuse but generally speaking is strengthened through exercise (exercise that modern people tend to disregard). Publisher's Weekly praised the book as "a very fine work" that is "clear and succinct" as well as "based on solid research".
In a September 8th interview, he half-jokingly stated that while writing, he was motivated to lose a full ten pounds.
Awards
- 1998-99 , New York News Publishers Association http://www.nynpa.com/awards.html Distinguished Column Writing Award.
- 1988, American Association for the Advancement of ScienceAmerican Association for the Advancement of ScienceThe American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
/Westinghouse Science Journalism Award, for a cover story in NewsweekNewsweekNewsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, "The Search for Adam and Eve." - 1983, American Institute of PhysicsAmerican Institute of PhysicsThe American Institute of Physics promotes science, the profession of physics, publishes physics journals, and produces publications for scientific and engineering societies. The AIP is made up of various member societies...
-United States Steel Foundation Science Writing Award.
External links
- Recent Tierney columns at the New York Times
- "Meet John Tierney", New York Times biographical video interview