About Ted
Ted C. Fishman is a bestselling author, veteran journalist, and former commodities trader whose work transforms complex global trends into compelling narratives that reveal how the world's biggest forces shape everyday life.
His groundbreaking books have explored the rise of China as a global superpower and the profound implications of worldwide population aging. Now, Fishman is working on his most ambitious project yet: a book for W.W. Norton that examines concrete's central role in modern civilization, exploring how this ubiquitous material both shelters humanity and threatens our planet's future.
Speaker
An accomplished speaker, Fishman has addressed hundreds of audiences worldwide as a keynote speaker, panelist, and moderator. His presentations combine engaging storytelling with deep knowledge of global economics, making complex trends accessible and relevant to diverse audiences. Organizations that have hosted him include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Aspen Institute Congressional Program, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, The Economist, Yale School of Management, Kellogg School of Business, and numerous Fortune 500 companies and trade associations.
Bestselling Author
Fishman's first book, China, Inc.: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the World (2005, revised 2009), became an international bestseller translated into twenty-five languages and published in 40 international editions. The book offered a prescient look at China's economic emergence and its effects on businesses and individuals worldwide.
His second book, Shock of Gray: The Aging of the World's Population and How it Pits Young Against Old, Child Against Parent, Worker Against Boss, Company Against Rival, and Nation Against Nation (2010), examined how global demographic shifts drive economic change and reshape fundamental human relationships across families, workplaces, and nations.
The Concrete Book
Fishman's forthcoming book delves into what he considers possibly the single most important and connecting foundational resource for the world. His recent reporting on concrete has appeared in Fast Company, National Geographic, and other leading publications, examining everything from sustainable cement innovations to the architectural marvels that concrete has made possible. Through extensive research and on-the-ground reporting, Fishman reveals the paradox at concrete's core: the same material that has profoundly improved human life is now central to the climate crisis we must solve.
Journalist and Commentator
Fishman's essays, features, and reviews have appeared in The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, Fast Company, National Geographic, The Atlantic, Harper's Magazine (where he served as Contributing Editor, 1994-2005), Esquire, Gentleman's Quarterly, IEEE Spectrum, Chicago Magazine, and many other prominent publications.
From 1994 to 2019, he served on USA Today's Board of Contributors, writing regular opinion pieces on economics, globalization, and social trends.
His media appearances include ABC, CNN, Fox, BBC, CNBC, PBS, NPR, Public Radio International, Sky News (UK), and the Canadian and Australian broadcast corporations. He has been a regular commentator on Public Radio International's Marketplace Radio.
Former Trader
From 1985 to 1992, Fishman was a member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, where he traded currencies, cattle, and equity stock indexes. He ran his own trading firm during this period, bringing real-world financial market experience to his later journalism and writing.
Education and Fellowships
Fishman graduated from Princeton University in 1980 with an A.B. in Philosophy. He studied creative writing for three years with Joyce Carol Oates.
Currently a fellow with the Indonesian Scholarship and Research Support Foundation (ISRSF) a Jakarta-based non-profit, his fellowships include Neubauer Visiting Fellow (2018-19) at the Neubauer Collegium, University of Chicago; Stanford Center on Longevity (2008-2009); U.S. Chamber Foundation (2010-2013); and the Foundation for American Communications (1995). He also received support from the Rockefeller Foundation and Princeton-in-Asia Foundation for teaching in Indonesia (1980-1983).
Teaching and Volunteer Work
From 2006 to 2010, Fishman designed, implemented, and lectured at an intensive course in Shanghai for top executives at global corporations at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business.
He has served as a founding board member of Young Chicago Authors and the Indonesia America Innovation Exchange Foundation, as well as a board member of Music Theater Works. He is a songwriter (lyricist) for The University of Chicago Revels and serves as an alumnus interviewer for Princeton University.
Fishman has lived and worked in Japan and Indonesia. He currently lives in Chicago.
Ted's Photography
Biltong shank jerky pancetta. Ham picanha swine t-bone. Cupim tail kevin shoulder sausage.
Press & Media
Ted C. Fishman is available for interviews, commentary, and speaking engagements on topics including concrete and the built environment, global demographics and aging, China's economic influence, and the intersection of economics and everyday life.
As a veteran journalist and bestselling author, Ted brings deep expertise and engaging storytelling to media appearances. He has been featured on ABC, CNN, Fox, BBC, CNBC, PBS, NPR, Public Radio International, Sky News (UK), and the Canadian and Australian broadcast corporations, among many others.
His current work focuses on concrete's paradoxical role in modern civilization: how this ubiquitous material has profoundly improved human life while accelerating climate change. He's also an expert on China's rise as a global superpower and the economic and social implications of worldwide population aging.
For press inquiries, interview requests, or speaking opportunities, please reach out directly.