Alfie Kohn Biography

Alfie Kohn writes and speaks widely on human behavior, education, and parenting. The most recent of his 14 books are "Schooling Beyond Measure…And Other Unorthodox Essays About Education," and "The Myth Of The Spoiled Child: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom About Children and Parenting." He has also authored impactful works such as "Punished by Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes" and "The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing."

Kohn has been described in Time magazine as “perhaps the country’s most outspoken critic of education’s fixation on grades [and] test scores.” His criticisms of competition and rewards have helped to shape the thinking of educators — as well as parents and managers — across the country and abroad. His work has been featured on hundreds of TV and radio programs, including the “Today” show and two appearances on “Oprah”; he has been profiled in the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, while his work has been described and debated in many other leading publications including the New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, and Psychology Today.

Kohn lectures widely at universities and to school faculties, parent groups, and corporations. In addition to speaking at staff development seminars and keynoting national education conferences on a regular basis, he conducts workshops for teachers and administrators on various topics. Among them: “Motivation from the Inside Out: Rethinking Rewards, Assessment, and Learning” and “Beyond Bribes and Threats: Realistic Alternatives to Controlling Students’ Behavior.” The latter corresponds to his book "Beyond Discipline: From Compliance to Community," which he describes as “a modest attempt to overthrow the entire field of classroom management.”

Kohn’s various books have been translated into more than two dozen languages. He has also contributed to publications ranging from the Journal of Education to Ladies Home Journal, and from the Nation to the Harvard Business Review (“Why Incentive Plans Cannot Work”). His efforts to make research in human behavior accessible to a general audience have also been published widely.

Kohn, the father of two grown children, lives in the Boston area and frequently travels. His work continues to challenge traditional educational methodologies and practices, advocating for a more collaborative and inclusive approach to learning and parenting.

BOOK Alfie Kohn

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 11/10/2025.

Alfie Kohn Speaking Topics

  • Beyond Bribes and Threats: Realistic Alternatives to Controlling Students’ Behavior

  • Motivation from the Inside Out: Rethinking Rewards, Assessment, and Learning

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Alfie Kohn Videos

Alfie Kohn FULL INTERVIEW

Alfie Kohn FULL INTERVIEW

Alfie Kohn and Meghan Ashburn discuss behaviorism, neurodiversity, unconditional parenting, reward systems, ABA, and so much more in this interview...

Interview with Alfie Kohn | From Peter Joseph's Revolution Now! Podcast Ep. 54

Interview with Alfie Kohn | From Peter Joseph's Revolution Now! Podcast Ep. 54

Peter Joseph interviews renowned author and educator Alfie Kohn about the pervasive role of competition in society. Kohn challenges the widely...

Alfie Kohn - Symposium On Our Youngest Citizens

Alfie Kohn - Symposium On Our Youngest Citizens

Alife Kohn at Children's Museum of Tacoma's Symposium On Our Youngest Citizens, April 19 2019 at University of Washington Tacoma.

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Alfie Kohn is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Beyond Bribes and Threats: Realistic Alternatives to Controlling Students’ Behavior, Motivation from the Inside Out: Rethinking Rewards, Assessment, and Learning, Pushed Too Hard: Parenting in an Achievement-Crazy Culture, Unconditional Parenting: Beyond Bribes & Threats, The (Progressive) Schools Our Children Deserve and Teaching Children to Care. The estimated speaking fee range to book Alfie Kohn for your event is available upon request. Alfie Kohn generally travels from Boston, MA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Gever Tulley, Anthony Rao, Chandra Ghosh Ippen, Maureen Healy and Erin Gruwell. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Alfie Kohn for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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