Simon Johnson came to MIT for grad school and never left. A professor of entrepreneurship, Johnson initially thought that he would study history, math, or physics. “Somebody told me, and I internalized, that there is no money in history,” he said. “I learned that economics has a combination of historical narrative, math, and physics. I was well advised.” Below, Johnson, co-author of 13 Bankers, tells us more about himself.

Q. What do you consider to be the greatest simple pleasure?

A. Reading.

Q. What is the last habit you tried to kick.

A. Coffee. I drink too much. I’m drinking it now. I have tried to switch to decaf when it’s available.

Q. Who was your childhood hero?

A. I didn’t have any. I’ve often wondered why. For whatever reason I don’t find myself categorizing people like that.

Q. Where would we find you at 10 a.m. on a Saturday?

A. On the way to a soccer game, or a gymnastics class. Saturday is family activity day.

Q. What do you wish you had the nerve to do?

A. Jump out of a plane. I was in the army a long time ago, but I was not particularly adventurous. I left quickly. But a good friend of mine has jumped out of an aircraft something like 90 times, and I’ve never done it once. I wouldn’t do it now, not with kids, and not with my knees in their current state.

Q. What is your favorite word?

A. I run a blog, and I find myself using certain words too much, especially words of emphasis, like “very.” I overemphasize things.

Q. If you could take only one more journey, where would you go?

A. Home.

Q. What profession would you like to practice in your next life?

A. This one. I don’t have any objections.

Q. What teacher or professor changed your life?

A. I had an economics teacher when I was an undergraduate. He was a Marxist, but he didn’t impose his views on anyone. If you talked to him about it, of course, he was very knowledgeable, but he taught us conventional economics. He encouraged us to think critically.

Q. Who is the one person living or dead you would most like to meet for dinner?

A. This is presumptuous of me, but I’d like to meet President Obama. I think he could very easily change some of the policies his administration is pursuing and make the world a better place. If he’s not available, then, Chris Dodd, chair of the Senate Banking Committee. And if he’s not available, I’ll work my way down the list of other senators.

To read more about Johnson’s talk, click here.

*Photo by Aaron Salcido.