That wasn't so much a question as a kind of cranky old man observation, so decranca find me.

I want to be cranky with you if that's okay.

I'm Antelda Duckworth.

I'm Stephen Dubner.

And you're listening to no stupid questions.

Today on the show, how much of your life is in your control?

My teacher's unfair, the role's picking on me and I get all these marks on my record

and then I can't go on the field trip.

Also, why do we procrastinate and how can we stop?

I don't want to do that.

Really, really don't want to do that.

Angela, my question for you today is, I think, really hard, but perhaps important enough

to wrestle with. Are you up for it?

Of course.

Okay. This question arose when I was reading Maria Conocova's new book, The Biggest Bluff.

So Maria, like you, has a PhD in psychology, but she's not an academic.

She's a writer.

And this book is about her quest to become a professional poker player, starting from scratch.

So we made a Frekenomics Radio episode about her book that was called How to Make Your Own

Luck.

And really what Maria is wrestling with throughout that book is the relationship between

luck and skill.

...