About Eric

Journalist, leader, author of Saying No to New: Why New Things Are Stealing Your Time, Money, and Happiness—And How to Take Back Your Life

Hi, I'm Eric.

I'm an editor at the New York Times, where I help journalists learn new tools and skills they can use to tell stories. I've spent my career in journalism. I've worked as an editor at the Times since 2016. Before that, I worked at NPR and the Washington Post. My writing has been published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, and the Nieman Journalism Lab.

For years, I wouldn't think twice about acquiring the newest gizmo or seeking out the latest trend. But I started to realize that new isn't always better. In fact, it's often less useful. Less convenient. Less fulfilling. New stuff was overwhelming my life, pulling me from valuable resources, cluttering my home, filling my closets, and occupying far too much space in my mind.

I set out to make a change—and understand why we're drawn to new things and how we can break the spell of needless novelty. The result is my first book, Saying No to New: Why New Things Are Stealing Your Time, Money, and Happiness—And How to Take Back Your Life.

The book, which comes out September 15, shows us how to rewire our impulse to consume new things and reclaim control of our time, money and attention. I draw upon my experiences and the latest research, as well as interviews I did with scientists, philosophers, tech insiders, happiness gurus, decision-making experts, and even an Academy Award–winning actor.

The book helped me reshape my relationship with new things. I hope it can do the same for you.