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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
Meh. I kinda agreed with the gist of the book but the marketing gimmick led me to believe it has more substance.
*ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this one. The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity is, essentially, an essay that was originally written in 1976, in English, that has never been published in the United States until now. Based on the description, I wasn't sure if I was going to be reading a serious non-fiction essay or a piece of satire. Either way, being over forty years old, I didn't know how relevant it would be to today's society.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that it's a little bit of both - a serious essay written in the form of satire to appeal to a wider audience; and I found it just as relevant today as the author must have found it when he wrote it almost half a century ago!
The author delves into the human condition and lays out five laws that demonstrate, albeit in a non-scientific way, there is a percentage of "stupid people" throughout all societies, regardless of age, ethnicity, education, or status, and that this percentage remains fairly consistent. He points out that, more often than not, "[s]tupid people cause losses to other people with no counterpart of gains on their own account [and] [t]hus the society as a whole is impoverished."
It's both eye-opening and frightening to realize, based on the laws laid out in this essay, how many stupid people are in positions of power and influence in the world. As the first law says, "always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation."
The essay can be summed up by the Fifth Basic Law: "[a] stupid person is the most dangerous type of person," which the author effectively demonstrates by plotting the degrees of human stupidity on an X-Y axis. There is also an appendix which includes graph templates for the reader to use in their own interactions to find the level of stupidity he or she is dealing with and then plan the most rational course of action to take.
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this one. The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity is, essentially, an essay that was originally written in 1976, in English, that has never been published in the United States until now. Based on the description, I wasn't sure if I was going to be reading a serious non-fiction essay or a piece of satire. Either way, being over forty years old, I didn't know how relevant it would be to today's society.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that it's a little bit of both - a serious essay written in the form of satire to appeal to a wider audience; and I found it just as relevant today as the author must have found it when he wrote it almost half a century ago!
The author delves into the human condition and lays out five laws that demonstrate, albeit in a non-scientific way, there is a percentage of "stupid people" throughout all societies, regardless of age, ethnicity, education, or status, and that this percentage remains fairly consistent. He points out that, more often than not, "[s]tupid people cause losses to other people with no counterpart of gains on their own account [and] [t]hus the society as a whole is impoverished."
It's both eye-opening and frightening to realize, based on the laws laid out in this essay, how many stupid people are in positions of power and influence in the world. As the first law says, "always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation."
The essay can be summed up by the Fifth Basic Law: "[a] stupid person is the most dangerous type of person," which the author effectively demonstrates by plotting the degrees of human stupidity on an X-Y axis. There is also an appendix which includes graph templates for the reader to use in their own interactions to find the level of stupidity he or she is dealing with and then plan the most rational course of action to take.
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Taleb really nails the spirit of this book in the introduction - spot on satire, but also incredibly insightful.
This book was quite short and enjoyable. I recommend.
This book was quite short and enjoyable. I recommend.
This is one of those books that should be read in school, instead of much other literature imposed on the students by tradition and history.
The lessons that can be learned from this little bunch of pages are numerous: from a first glimpse of what macroeconomics means, to a good example of a proper categorization, passing through the derivation of a practice from the study of a phenomenon.
Highly suggested read, at all ages, many times in a lifetime!
The lessons that can be learned from this little bunch of pages are numerous: from a first glimpse of what macroeconomics means, to a good example of a proper categorization, passing through the derivation of a practice from the study of a phenomenon.
Highly suggested read, at all ages, many times in a lifetime!
Would have welcomed some suggestions on how to deal with the S part of the population. Easy, quick and entertaining read with an interesting view on our societies
informative
medium-paced
A short quick read which is logical and funny at times.