Po Bronson
Encyclopedia
Po Bronson is an American
journalist
and author
who lives in San Francisco, California
.
. After attending Lakeside School
in Seattle, he graduated from Stanford University
in 1986 and briefly worked as an assistant bond salesman in San Francisco. He abandoned finance to pursue writing, publishing short stories and eventually a comedic novel based upon his bond trading experiences. This first novel, Bombardiers (1995), was an international best seller.
Then, during the rise of the internet/high tech in the late 1990s, Bronson became a leading chronicler of Silicon Valley
in its heyday, writing two more best sellers. The first, The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest, was a novel sending up technology start-ups. The second, The Nudist on the Late Shift, was a nonfiction portrayal of those who had followed the modern day gold rush to Silicon Valley
.
With the collapse of the internet bubble in 2000, and after creating The $treet, a short-lived television drama for Fox again drawing upon his bond trading days, Bronson began searching for a new direction for his career. Realizing he was not alone in this quest, he began to focus on others in similar quandaries.
Bronson spent the next two years working on a new nonfiction book, What Should I Do With My Life? which profiles about 50 people, exploring how each had confronted the question. The hardcover release of the book was a New York Times #1 bestseller
. It remained on the bestseller list for 22 weeks, and a dozen more in paperback.
Bronson's follow-up to What Should I Do With My Life? is Why Do I Love These People? For that book, Bronson spent three years researching and interviewing over 700 families. The book tells the stories of about 20 people who have had extraordinary experiences with their families.
Partly as a result of the research Bronson did for these two books, he became a columnist for TIME
online. His columns frequently draw on his research data to challenge arguments that American society is on a moral decline. For example, he argues against the idea that the institution of marriage has disintegrated from an ideal past filled with stable nuclear families. He also argues that most young adults who live with their parents are not slacker
s, but are working, attending school, and volunteering full time.
With co-author Ashley Merryman, he released a book in September 2009 entitled NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children. The book discusses theories and scientific aspects of parenting.
, was released in 2002. It cost almost $20 million to make, but was released only in two theaters, then sent to DVD. The script was written by Jon Favreau
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist
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
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
who lives in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
Personal history
Bronson was born in Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. After attending Lakeside School
Lakeside School
Lakeside School is a private/independent school located in the Haller Lake neighborhood at the north city limits of Seattle, Washington, USA, for grades 5–12....
in Seattle, he graduated from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1986 and briefly worked as an assistant bond salesman in San Francisco. He abandoned finance to pursue writing, publishing short stories and eventually a comedic novel based upon his bond trading experiences. This first novel, Bombardiers (1995), was an international best seller.
Writing
Bronson went on to write articles for the New York Times Magazine and others, but perhaps became best known for his work in Wired magazine and other technology-related publications.Then, during the rise of the internet/high tech in the late 1990s, Bronson became a leading chronicler of Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
in its heyday, writing two more best sellers. The first, The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest, was a novel sending up technology start-ups. The second, The Nudist on the Late Shift, was a nonfiction portrayal of those who had followed the modern day gold rush to Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
.
With the collapse of the internet bubble in 2000, and after creating The $treet, a short-lived television drama for Fox again drawing upon his bond trading days, Bronson began searching for a new direction for his career. Realizing he was not alone in this quest, he began to focus on others in similar quandaries.
Bronson spent the next two years working on a new nonfiction book, What Should I Do With My Life? which profiles about 50 people, exploring how each had confronted the question. The hardcover release of the book was a New York Times #1 bestseller
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
. It remained on the bestseller list for 22 weeks, and a dozen more in paperback.
Bronson's follow-up to What Should I Do With My Life? is Why Do I Love These People? For that book, Bronson spent three years researching and interviewing over 700 families. The book tells the stories of about 20 people who have had extraordinary experiences with their families.
Partly as a result of the research Bronson did for these two books, he became a columnist for TIME
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
online. His columns frequently draw on his research data to challenge arguments that American society is on a moral decline. For example, he argues against the idea that the institution of marriage has disintegrated from an ideal past filled with stable nuclear families. He also argues that most young adults who live with their parents are not slacker
Slacker
The term "slacker" is used to refer to a person who habitually avoids work. Slackers may be regarded as belonging to an antimaterialistic counterculture, though in some cases their behavior may be due to other causes ....
s, but are working, attending school, and volunteering full time.
With co-author Ashley Merryman, he released a book in September 2009 entitled NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children. The book discusses theories and scientific aspects of parenting.
Published works
- Bombardiers (1995)
- The First $20 Million Is Always the HardestThe First $20 Million Is Always the HardestThe First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest is a 2002 film based on a novel by technology-culture writer Po Bronson. The film stars Adam Garcia.- Plot :...
(1997) - The Nudist on the Late ShiftThe Nudist on the Late ShiftThe Nudist on the Late Shift and Other True Tales of Silicon Valley is a book by Po Bronson.- External links :* at pobronson.com...
(1999) - What Should I Do With My Life? (2002)
- Why Do I Love These People? (2005)
- NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children (2009) (with Ashley Merryman) ISBN 978-0446504126
Film adaptation
A film loosely based on his second novel, entitled The First $20 Million Is Always the HardestThe First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest
The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest is a 2002 film based on a novel by technology-culture writer Po Bronson. The film stars Adam Garcia.- Plot :...
, was released in 2002. It cost almost $20 million to make, but was released only in two theaters, then sent to DVD. The script was written by Jon Favreau
Jon Favreau
Jonathan Kolia "Jon" Favreau is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and comedian. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in Rudy, Swingers , Very Bad Things, and The Break-Up. His notable directorial efforts include Elf, Iron Man and its sequel, and Cowboys & Aliens...
.