Eric Klinenberg

“Wow. A comprehensive, entertaining, and compelling argument for how rebuilding social infrastructure can help heal divisions in our society and move us forward.”—Jon Stewart, former host of The Daily Show

Eric Klinenberg is a bestselling author, renowned sociologist, and Helen Gould Shepard Professor of Social Science and Director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University.

His latest book, 2020, is a “gripping, deeply moving account of a signal year in modern history” (Siddhartha Mukherjee, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies). 2020 follows seven ordinary New Yorkers and their communities in a year marked by crisis, and is a vital addition to Eric’s work on democracy, solidarity, wellbeing, infrastructure, and more. MSNBC’s Chris Hayes calls it “a masterful piece of rigorous journalism, rigorous sociology, and incredible story-telling.” In a starred review, Booklist calls it simply “superb.”

In his previous book, Palaces for the People, Eric argues that social infrastructure, “the physical places and organizations that shape the way people interact,” is the surprisingly simple key to building a democracy that works for everyone. Our ability to live and work together depends on rebuilding our libraries, parks, churches and schools—all the places that strangers and familiars alike mingle and cross paths. Palaces for the People is “an engrossing, timely, hopeful read, nothing less than a new lens through which to view the world” (Booklist starred review). It was named one of NPR’s Best Books of the Year, as well as a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice.

An innovative and optimistic speaker, Eric sheds light on demographic, social, and environmental transformations. A professor of Sociology and Director of the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University, his body of work includes Heat Wave, where he looked at the future of cities in the age of climate change, and Going Solo, where he charted the societal impact of people who live alone. All together, he offers audiences a spectrum of human life; how we live, and how we live together.

“[In Palaces for the People ], Klinenberg persuasively illustrates the vital role [space plays] in repairing civic life ‘in an era characterized by urgent social needs and gridlock stemming from political polarization.’”— Publisher’s Weekly

Eric is a lively presence on stage, with a knack for finding humor and spontaneous insight. He has appeared on TV programs and podcasts (like This American Life) and has written for The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The New York Times Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal, among others.