People like Maria Konnikova

Maria Konnikova is a Russian-American writer and psychologist. She has a B.A. in psychology and creative writing from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia University. She has worked as a television producer, written for several magazines and online publications, and authored two New York Times best selling books. She primarily writes about psychology and its application to real life situations.

Maria Konnikova was born in Moscow, Russia in 1984 to Jewish parents. Konnikova was 4 years old when her family migrated to the United States after the Soviet Union opened its borders to allow Jews to move to Israel. The Konnikovs chose to settle in the state of Massachusetts, outside Boston. Affected by the propaganda experienced in the Soviet Union, Konnikova's parents decided to live without a television.