WHY, IN THESE CHALLENGING ECONOMIC TIMES,
BEN STEIN SHOULD
BE YOUR NEXT SPEAKER.
Ben
Stein is and/or has been:
ü
An award winning commentator on economics and finance in The New
York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Barrons,
Fortune, on CBS News, on CNN, on Fox News, and CNBC.
ü
He is also an Emmy winning game show host for his long running
game show on Comedy Central, “Win Ben Stein’s Money.” The show won 7 Emmies in 5 seasons.
ü
He has been a speech writer, lawyer, and economic advisor to
Presidents Nixon and Ford.
ü
He is also one of the cult movie figures of the postwar era for
his iconic role in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”. His
main scene in that movie has been ranked as one of the 50 most famous scenes in
movie history.
ü
He has taught law and economics for many years at Pepperdine
University in Malibu, California.
ü
He is the co-author, often with Phil DeMuth,
of a dozen books on finance, including the groundbreaking, “Yes, You Can Time
The Market,” which is a text in major business schools.
ü
When the government allowed Lehman to fail, he predicted it would
lead to an economic and financial morass. He helped bust the Drexel/Milken junk
bond scam and The WorldCom scheme in his articles in Barrons.
He is one of the most sought after speakers in the country,
because:
1) He has been following the economy and social organization and politics
closely since the mid sixties and studied economics and at Columbia and Yale
with some of the most renowned names in the field, such as Friedman, Wallich, Tobin and Harriss.
2) His work on the economics of financial fraud was used by
the federal government in some of the biggest lawsuits ever undertaken to
protect investors–and was cited by the Nobelist
George Akerlof as a source for him.
3) He understands the swamp we are in and has a plan–mostly
involving government taking its boot off the oxygen tube of free enterprise–to
get the US back to work.
He is deeply alarmed by the deficits of recent vintage and speaks knowledgeably
about what their effects will be.
4) He presents what he knows in an amusing and empathic way without
boring charts or graphs and with a great deal of sympathy and humor. Audiences
learn while laughing and smiling in many cases.
5) He brings his comedic skill, his humanity and his
knowledge of the world together to uplift and entertain and educate his
audiences.
6) He loves people and mingles easily and for a long time.
He works with all lecture bureaus or can be contacted directly
through his agent, Marcia Hurwitz, at marcia@iala.com or 310-656-5171.
* * *
Herewith
a few recent letters about Ben Stein's speaking.
Dear Mr. Stein,
I am writing you today in response to an article you wrote for CBS.com
entitled, "Oh, No, It's College Acceptance Letter Time". I
vividly remember the days I received the letters denying my acceptance to the
schools of mine and my parent's dreams. Today, a few years later, I am on
track to graduate from our local community college with a degree in business
administration with wide eyes set on applying to graduate school in the
future. What I'm trying to say is that had it not been for the rejection
letters of yesterday I would not possess the determination I have to
fulfill my dreams regardless of where I attended school. I have learned
to take full advantage of any and all opportunities that come my way.
Which takes me back to you.
A handful of years ago I was visiting a few friends of mine that had been
accepted to their "college of choice". It so happened that you
were giving a speech that week at a nearby college in St. Cloud,
Minnesota. Long story short, we attended your lecture and still to this
day talk about how much we learned from your presentation. Aside from
your deep resevoir of political and economic
knowledge, we were stunned by your sense of humor and wit. We walked out
of the auditorium different from how we walked in. We were more confident
of our paths and curious as to our futures - them on their track and me on
mine.
Reading your article took me back to your speech in St. Cloud, and I couldn't
be more proud to be writing you today to say 'Thank you'. Thank you for
continuing to express your knowledge and opinions to young people like myself:
students of the world ready to take on our dreams no matter the obstacles and
naysayers along the way.
I look forward to taking my son to see you speak one day when he's
'staying in the game' until he 'gets over the goal line.'
All the best,
Jeff
* * *
Dear Mr. Stein,
I had the unbelievable thrill of hearing you speak at the Reagan
Library last week. Now, I have been going to events there for years. I have
seen Prime Ministers and Senators and Speakers of the House. But I have never
seen anyone who channeled the true spirit of Ronald Reagan the way you did. You
do not look like Reagan, but when you spoke, I could have sworn that was
Ronald Reagan up there talking about freedom and the God given rights of the
individual. I truly was tearing up at how much you reminded me of the Gipper.
Best of all, I brought my grandson, Brandon, who usually has no
interest at all in politics but wanted to hear you because he loves your acting
roles so much. He said to me after your remarks, "Granddad, I think I
finally get it about you and Reagan. I finally get why you loved him so
much." He will go back to UC, Davis, a better American.
So, from a retired San Bernardino fire fighter to a modern
incarnation of Ronald Reagan, thank you.
Sincere best wishes,
Todd Raddemacher
* * *
Dear Ben Stein,
My name is Kenneth Livingston Kent. I know. Unusual name. I know.
I am a retired FedEx pilot. I get an excellent pension but I am
restless and I want to try to do better at trading. I live in Louisville, Ky.
Last week I attended the "Better Trades" conference in Columbus.
Frankly, I could not care less about what a former First Lady says about
trading or the economy. I could not give a damn about what a football player or
coach says about finance. But when you talk about investing, people listen, and
I listened.
Generally speaking, I think you know this stuff and are about as
skeptical about it as anyone. If you think Better Trades will work, I am going
to give it some serious thought. If you think it can be done, it's worth some
of my money and time to pursue it.
I trust you. Please stay in touch and I will let you know how it
works out.
Best,
Ken
( P.S. I am ex-AF and I am really grateful for what you say about the men and
women in uniform and so are millions of other Americans.)
* * *
Dear Mr Stein,
How are you, sir? I had the pleasure of speaking to you
about a week ago at the "Better Trades" meeting in Columbus,
Ohio.
You may recall we talked for a long time in the lobby while you
were signing my copy of your book as you were leaving.. I captained a guided
missile frigate during Gulf Storm and you were--as you always are--extremely
complimentary about the men and women in uniform.
I have to say that I was too cautious to give my name to the people
at the seminar because I had heard there was very high pressure follow up and I
know that I am too polite to deal with it if I don't want to sign up. But I
have to tell you sincerely that you are about the only person in this
country I have any confidence in about money. If you think it's a
good idea to learn to follow market sentiment and flows of money to buy and
sell, I will give it a whirl.
I understand from reading about you on line that you have a
lot of family in Ohio. May I please take you to lunch the next time you
are in Cleveland. You are a patriot and a funny guy. You are probably the
only man in this world who can make me laugh at a speech about economics.
Anchors away!
Capt. George Rourke, USN, Ret.
* * *
Ben Stein loves to speak... and audiences love to hear him.
Ben Stein
is either the world’s funniest economist, or the most economically well-trained
funny man… and he’s definitely one of the busiest, most well-received
speakers in the world. Ben Stein knows markets and theories and keeps
totally up-to-date, hour by hour. He speaks to colleges and universities,
businesses, private organizations, and at special events—even parties. Ben can
talk about economics, finance, current events and, of course, Hollywood and his
experiences there. And any size group is the perfect size. In May 2009, Ben
spoke at an audience of 23,000 at a university commencement, and one week later
spoke to a gathering of 35 private-equity players. Ben’s speeches
are always funny, insightful, and loaded with lessons everyone needs to
know. He always leaves audiences deeply thoughtful. Most of all Ben
loves people. He stays with the group for a long time after his
speeches... and he’s there before for them, too.
Ben Stein works through all lecture agencies. Ben’s personal speaking agent is Marcia Hurwitz. Call her at 310-656-5171, or email her at MARCIA@IALA.COM.
Reviews
of Ben's Speeches:
Praise
for Ben's Speeches:
"You were just magnificent today! Your speech was strong, touching, funny, perceptive, interesting, and, most of all, from the heart. You don't just phone it in. You believe it and convey it in such a way that you teach, reveal truths that we don't think about often enough or hear enough, and you leave a lasting impression on everyone in the room. Not only that, but you stoically and cheerfully endure being mobbed, photographed, kissed, importuned, hand-shook, book-thrust, and generally mauled and slurped.You are a wonderful, valuable, lovable and generous human being. I kind of want to vote for you for something! I'm glad you talked of Col. Denman. Your article on him is, I think, one of the most beautiful you've ever written, and I've saved it. People in LA forget, or never knew, of people like him, and like your father, both of blessed memory. They had more class than the richest "star" ever will. And, so do you." Lorraine Stalberg
"I just wanted to thank you once more for the terrific time that we had with you last Monday up here in Marquette. You were a genuinely interesting person to converse with and that cannot be said of a lot of the speakers we've had up here. Some have had massive egos or a total lack of personality; can't say that with you. You were a total class act." Thomas Brown, Northern Michigan University
"My wife Sylvia, son Mark (16) and daughter, Grace (14) were just wandering around New Orleans that day, and I took them to see Tulane. That's when we saw the poster for your lecture. Instead of carousing the French Quarter, we chose to head back up on the trolley that evening to hear you speak. I can't tell you what a joy it was, and it turned out to be the surprising highlight of our brief New Orleans visit. In your humorous and approachable way, you conveyed so much wisdom to all of us, especially the kids. You really gave voice to a set of values and an approach to life that I would very much like to see all of us follow. You were also thoroughly entertaining. Do you know Dennis Prager? I have become a devoted listener of his radio show, and your talk very much reminded me of his wise, principled, and warm-hearted world view. I am so pleased that your message is being heard in the halls of academe, where there are so few sane voices today. Keep up the great work, and god bless you." Mark Farrar, Potomac, MD
"I have
been to many conferences over my 20+ year career, and
your speech at the Broadmoor was the best after
dinner speech I have ever heard – entertaining and educational – particularly
on a personal level." Jim Harrington, Rydex
Investment Advisors' Conference, Colorado Springs, CO
"I just
wanted to write to let you know that while we probably don't share one ounce of
political persuasion (except apparently we agree that the Arctic should be
protected from drilling - I'm holding you to your promise to communicate that
to Karl Rove!), I don't think I have ever been more moved by a speech than I
was last night.
"The messages that you conveyed -- about loving, honoring and being loyal
to one's family, about inclusion, about prejudice, and about the power of
naturally beautiful places like Williamstown -- are messages that transcend our
political differences. At least I hope they do." Lydia Weiss,
Williams College Alumni Association
"On behalf of Lamar State College-Orange, Texas, I want to thank you for making last night a special occasion. Your lecture presentation went well beyond our expectations—it struck just the right balance between humor and serious reflection. I have had numerous positive comments this morning from students, faculty, and staff. I especially want to express my appreciation for your willingness to visit with our guests and sign autographs. Your warmth and 'approachability' impressed everyone." Mike Shahan, President, Lamar State College
"I have never done this before – but I wanted to send you a thank you for the inspiring speech you made at the FPA conference. Thank you for sharing your personal information and for making me realize - how human we all are. I look forward to getting to hear you speak again - someday!" Velda Eugenias, Cedarholm & Eugenias, LLC
"I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your presentation during FPA Denver 2004 this past Sunday. I found your talk equally humorous, insightful, and inspiring. It was a terrific way to kick off a first class convention." Gary Storie, Financial Planning Association, Denver
"You were a joy to work with, a total pleasure, and I hope you enjoyed your stay with us. Thank you for speaking to our clients, for being so lovely to work with, for being such a gentleman, for being so kind and accommodating and just for being you." Susie Findell, Suntrust, Orlando, FL
"We
could not have asked for a better speaker or a better event. Everything
was just wonderful. All of us on the Lecture Board had a great time and
the reaction to your speech on campus was overwhelmingly positive. I can
only hope that our experiences next year will be similar." Nicholas
Goldberg, Co-chair Brown Lecture Board
"Thank you so much for speaking at the YPU on Wednesday. I enjoyed
your speech very much, as it had much relevance to my personal life and I
thought you were the best speaker we’ve had all year." Yassmin
Sadeghi, Yale Political Union
"Thanks so much for making the time for us to work with us at the Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Sales Conference. The brief time we spent on-site preparing for, and your on-stage performance could not have been better. All the executives and those attendees I've spoken to truly appreciated your wit and charm. Again Ben, thanks for all you did to make things roll so smoothly in Orlando, you are a real pro!" Jon Buckland
"Your appearance at Bucknell will forever be a night to remember. The students were enthralled and the 'buzz' was electric, universally positive and, you'll be pleased to hear, even including some 'gratitude.' Only one other time, in 1996 on the occasion of our televised live national presidential campaign debate, have I seen the Weiss Center so packed." Ben Bennett
"Actor,
columnist, scriptwriter and novelist Ben Stein wowed attendees of yesterday's
show opening general session with his presentation, 'Everything You Need to
Know About Life & Promotional Products' Stein, who is probably best
known as a teacher in the movie, 'Ferris Bueller's
Day Off,' managed teach the crowd a few things about life.
"After beginning with a series of amusing anecdotes, Stein elaborated on
why he personally valued promotion products. He explained how they affect
his life and why promotional products are so important. 'Give a person a
unique gift -- in the sense that he or she needs or wants it that day -- and
you are saving someone valuable time,' he says. The trained economist
then launched into his assessment of the economy, which he believes is
recovering. But regardless of the economy, Stein says there is always
going to be a demand for the best. If that's true, then it looks like
he's going to be a very busy man. " From The Promotional Products Journal,
regarding a presentation to the Promotional Products Association
"Thank you so much for coming to speak to us at UNC. The students cannot stop talking about your presentations and “Win Ben Stein’s Money” in the pit was definitely a huge hit with everyone." Hunter Scott
"It was a pleasure to have the chance to meet you and get to know you a little bit. As I said several times during the course of the afternoon, you are an 'eclectic renaissance.' You notice I did not say 'eclectic renaissance man.' You create an ambiance that represents more than a single individual. Rather, you actually create a 'renaissance environment.' The more than 2,000 people (every seat in the gymnasium was filled) enjoyed your every word, both serious and humorous at the beginning which I experienced in full measure." Al Simone, President, Rochester Institute of Technology
"This weekend I had the pleasure of hearing you speak at Rochester Institute of Technology. I did not have the opportunity to say "thank you." I wanted to tell you what an amazing time I had. Your speech was entertaining, insightful and inspirational. Your story about your mother and father opened my eyes to how precious my family is to me and how important it is to cherish every moment, not only with them, but with everyone that touches my life."
"I
would like to convey my sincere gratitude for your time spent at Denison this
week. We both worked hard to make this happen and nothing could have gone
better....Your speech was so sincere. I doubt if there was a person there who
was not touched by what you said....Your celebrity brought them in, and your
message kept them there and has undoubtedly spurred much thought.
"The students absolutely loved you. I am still hearing people say they
could not believe you were just walking around campus mixing with them. They
greatly appreciated your generosity--moreso than I
can convey." Eric Bates, Denison University, Granville, Ohio
"You were the most accessible, fun, and easy to work with speaker we have ever had here at SMSU, and everyone who heard you loved you." Katherine Keller, Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield, Ohio
"Ben
Stein was phenomenal. His address touched every graduate, every family member,
everyone present....His remarks completed the perfect graduation day."
Krista Willim, Chair, Speakers' Committee, Washington
& Lee University Law School
"It was a pleasure working with you. Your rating for Lotusphere
attendees was the highest they have ever received. I'm recommending you to all
of my peers." Steve Zink, Lotus
"I was at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium where you were a speaker for the
Distinguished Speaker Series. You were by far the best speaker I have ever had
the pleasure of listening to...and you were a replacement, I believe!"
Tina Brown
"Your session on ‘Ethics: A Serious Look at a Sound Investment Practice"
was such a valuable contribution to the conference. The audience rated you as
one of the elite speakers for the event." Craig Ruff, V.P. Association for
Investment Management and Research (AIMR)
"Ben Stein has twice as much personality as our last five speakers put
together. Pay attention to this guy." R. Hering,
CEO, Covance
"I truly believe that when God made Ben
Stein as a speaker, He broke the mold. Ben walked into a room of three thousand
strangers at noon and by one p.m., they were all his friends and did not want
him to ever leave. We have never had a more successful speaker in terms of
interesting and motivating our members. Ben made me look so good as organizer
of the event that I am now a hero. He did not just come and talk. He learned
about the group and became a part of us." Suzanne Devane,
Chicago Women's Center
"THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for going above and beyond at
Java One After Dark. You were perfect. You exceeded all of our expectations and
helped make Java One an extraordinary success. The whole crowd was thrilled to
be with you all three nights." Molly McDaneld
after Java One conference for Sun Microsystems
"I must tell you what an incredible job Ben did as our Master of
Ceremonies at the Starz Encore 10th Anniversary Celebration last night....Ben
took the lead and tied the whole evening together with great finesse and
laughter...I would be honored to work with him again...I hope that many other
people get to know the man we did–hilarious, great heart, high integrity, and a
team player." Jim Janicek, Starz Encore Media
Group
"You gave the best speech I have heard at The University of Pennsylvania
or anywhere else I have heard in many years. It was our best night at Penn
ever." Professor David Eisenhower, Dept of History, University of
Pennsylvania
"What a privilege to hear your take on the economy and on life–not to
mention going head to head with you in a mock game of ‘Win Ben Stein's
Money.'...We were all very impressed with your poetic talents–especially your
taking the time to write a poem about our company. Your works are a
personal treasure for us." Chad Dreier, CEO, Ryland Homes
"I have heard many graduation speeches. Yours was clearly the best I have
ever heard." Benjamin Getler, Trustee,
University of Cincinnati
"The sales force loved you. You're a pleasure to work with. When can you
come back?" (after entertaining Oracle national sales conference) Janet
Moore, Oracle
"The responses we have had from our guests about meeting you have been
overwhelming....Your address was extremely powerful." Teri Wilfong, US Sensor
"You stirred interest on our campus unlike any other event in recent
years....Our students are quoting from you constantly now. We are all so
impressed at the time and effort you took to get to know us and stay for hours
signing autographs and taking photos." Amanda Kale, Baldwin-Wallace
College Republicans
"Hope College has never had a speaker who affected the campus community as
much and as positively as you did." Matt Scogin,
Chair, Student Government, Hope College
"Thank
you, Ben. That was the best graduation speech I have ever heard."
Matthew Spitzer, Dean, University of Southern California Law School re:
Graduation Speech at USC Law School
"I have never heard a more courageous, amusing and insightful speaker at
any financial conference than Ben Stein. He not only knows finance like a
business school professor, but made us laugh while he told us what we needed to
know. If there is a perfect combination of finance pro, humorist, and inspirer
of men and women, he's Ben Stein. We did not want him to leave." Barron
Thomas, re: Merrill Lynch High Net Worth Conference
Ben Stein is probably the closest any man comes these days to being a true
renaissance man. His financial and economics work was cited in the efforts of
the recent Nobel prize winner in Economics, George Akerlof.
He is also the host of the long running comedy quiz show on Comedy Central, Win
Ben Stein's Money, a show that has won seven Emmies.
He has written hundreds of thousands of words about financial fraud and
investment policy, but two words made him a household name: "Bueller" and "Anyone, Anyone." ( From his
iconic role in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off.")
He has written novels that the New York Times describes as
"stunning," but what you have probably heard him talk about recently
are "dry eyes, red eyes, and clear eyes." He worked and demonstrated
and struggled for voting rights for African Americans, and he also was a speech
writer for Richard Nixon and for Gerald Ford. He introduced the world to
complex concepts of the politics of culture, but he also introduced the world
to Jimmy Kimmel and made possible The Man Show. Lawyer, teacher, actor, comic,
economist, father, novelist, essayist, expert on finance, meet Ben Stein!
(Photos courtesy of Inc. Magazine)
Want Ben to speak for you?
1) Call your lecture
agency.
OR
2) E-mail Ben Stein
at benstein99@aol.com.
OR
3) Contact Marcia Hurwitz, Ben's agent, via e-mail at marcia@iala.com or via phone at (310) 656-5171.