Joel Achenbach

Joel Achenbach
BornJoel Leroy Achenbach
(1960-12-31) December 31, 1960 (age 63)
Gainesville, Florida, U.S.
OccupationAmerican staff writer for The Washington Post and the author of seven books
LanguageEnglish
EducationPrinceton University (AB)
Notable works
  • Why Things Are (1991)
  • It Looks Like a President Only Smaller: Trailing Campaign 2000 (2001)
  • Captured by Aliens: The Search for Life and Truth in a Very Large Universe (2003)
  • The Grand Idea: George Washington's Potomac and the Race to the West (2005)
  • A Hole at the Bottom of the Sea: The Race to Kill the BP Oil Gusher (2011)
Notable awardsPhilip J. Klass Award by National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS) in 2011
Children3

Joel LeRoy Achenbach (/ˈɑːkənbɑːk/; born December 31, 1960) is an American staff writer for The Washington Post and the author of seven books, including A Hole at the Bottom of the Sea, The Grand Idea, Captured by Aliens, It Looks Like a President only Smaller, and three compilations of his former syndicated newspaper column "Why Things Are". He is a contributor to many publications, including Slate and National Geographic, where he is a former monthly columnist. Achenbach has been a commentator on National Public Radio's Morning Edition, and does occasional lectures and other speaking engagements. In addition to his work in the print version of The Washington Post, Achenbach was one of the first Post writers to have a significant presence on the Internet and formerly wrote the popular Post blog, "The Achenblog," which ended in March 2017.[1]

  1. ^ "The Achenblog" from The Washington Post