Joshua Foer is an independent journalist living in Brooklyn, Massachusetts, with an emphasis on science and technology. Earlier this year, he was named a U.S. Teenage Science winner for his work as a reporter focusing on space, astronomy, and space research. He has also won several honors for his writing, including a National Geographic Traveler award. In his book, Moonwalk with Einstein, he shared some of the most stunning and unforgettable photographs of Earth from space.
Joshua Foer is an award-winning writer who covers many topics from astronomy to nature to culture and from politics to celebrity gossip. As a journalist, he has covered everything from child care to baseball to business to travel. At first glance, it would be easy to mistake Joshua Foer for a cub reporter, but in fact, he is an accomplished writer whose reporting is often breathtaking and thought-provoking.
Award-winning author Joshua Foer began his journey as a cubicle-bound cubicle drone in a major metropolitan city. Like many writers before him, he found the freedom and strength of writing when he left his cubicle and ventured out into the world. It was not an easy transition. After earning a bachelor’s degree in English at Vassar College, he struggled for months to find a job. Finally, he landed a position as a staff writer for a New York magazine, where he gained experience in copywriting and researching stories. After nine years, he was ready to break free, but only had the courage to move forward with his entrepreneurial dream.
Foer’s path has taken him to some of the world’s most inspiring places. He has been to the Red Planet and has covered space, astronomy, and space launches. He has contributed articles to periodicals from Vanity Fair to The New Yorker and wrote a book about his life. In his recent book, “The Nasty Bits: How the New York Times Carries Out Business Segmental Editing,” he shares his insights on the news business. Additionally, he serves as a staff writer for Discover magazine.
Joshua Foer’s writing style is conversational. He employs simple language, usually in humorous vein, as he describes people, places, and things. For example, in one article, he writes, “At precisely eight o’clock in the morning, three hundred and sixty-two Chinese student nurses went to the hospital, complaining that the food they ate wasn’t good enough.” As he speaks, it is obvious what the purpose of this article is; the humor is directed at nurses. The same style of writing can also be found in other articles.
Joshua Foer’s multimedia background also shines through in his writing. He has used video interviews, theatrical production, music, and even dancing in his reporting. As a news producer, he was responsible for the production of a live news broadcast from Washington, D.C. that resulted in the arrest of Dick Cheney for obstruction of justice. Also, in the case of the Cheney coverage, he produced the video and served as an anchor during the arrest. These various efforts have helped him develop a body of work that can be considered well beyond traditional media.
While most coverage of business is negative, Joshua Foer’s writing tends to be more positive. He has written about mergers and acquisitions that are viewed as excellent opportunities by stockholders. He has also written favorably about restructuring plans and debt restructuring, again, these pieces of positive coverage tend to be bullish on the companies that are undergoing such changes. However, he does warn readers that such positive reporting may be short lived and the companies in question may not survive the challenges Foer lists. Similarly, he has pointed out that there is inherent risk in business ventures, and thus he has explained why he recommends only using financial experts for complicated, and possibly sensitive, matters.
In addition to his focus on business, Joshua Foer writes about education, home-based business, and the role of the Internet in our lives. As an online article writer, he has also contributed articles to online publications like Slate. Like other business writers, he is often invited to write for newspapers, magazines, radio shows, and web sites.