Gary Rivlin: podcast appearances and interviews

Gary Rivlin, born on June 20, 1958, is an American journalist and author known for his diverse body of work across numerous publications including the Chicago Reader, the Industry Standard, and the New York Times. He grew up in North Woodmere, New York, and after graduating from George W. Hewlett High School and Northwestern University, he established a career in journalism that spans several decades. Rivlin has authored nine books addressing topics from politics and youth violence to technology and economic issues. His first book, Fire on the Prairie, published in 1992, focused on Chicago politics and earned the Carl Sandburg Award for best non-fiction book of the year. His subsequent works include Drive By, inspired by a drive-by shooting in Oakland, and two books about technology, The Plot to Get Bill Gates and The Godfather of Silicon Valley. Rivlin has received two Gerald Loeb Awards for excellence in business journalism, notably for stories on AOL's executives and the end of a tech era. His 2010 book Broke, USA explored economic exploitation faced by the working poor in the United States. In 2015, he authored Katrina: After the Flood, examining the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. More recently, his 2025 publication, AI Valley, investigates the rapid growth of generative artificial intelligence, highlighting both its opportunities and risks associated with autonomous agents.