Matt Cook, PhD, is an economist, bestselling author, and magician. Among his works are the thriller novel Sabotage and entrepreneurial success book The Startup Star, which he wrote at Stanford University.

Trained at the world-famous Magic Castle, he has performed across the globe and enjoys infusing talks and lectures with sleight of hand. He cofounded U.S. Common Sense, the country's premiere government data and transparency organization.

For his support of the military, he was honored by President George W. Bush with the Call to Service Award. He is an accomplished pianist and musical composer, has executive produced for film, and earned his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania.