James Surowiecki: The Luck of Having 'A Good Face'br The New Yorker - SVA Theatre 2br James Surowiecki has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2000 and writes the magazine's Financial Page. His book, "The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies, and Nations," was published in 2004.