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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
I could argue with a few things, but the amount and the quantity of the material for thought make me deeply thankful to the author.
I've read Nassim Nicholas Taleb's book "Fooled by Randomness" and was quickly reminded about how difficult I finding reading him is. He's very academic in his expertise in randomness. He'll take you through charts and empirical data and then rant on long-dead philosopher's ideas that contrast / support his own ideas. He's long winded at times and I found some chapters excruciatingly difficult to get through.
However, once you get going, Nicholas Taleb has an immense amount of things to say that I believe are incredibly important for people to hear. This book isn't so much about randomness as his philosophy on life and how to strengthen those areas of our society that are weak (fragile). He touches on everything ranging from Politics, Religion, Academia, Ethics, The Housing Crisis, Markets, Options, Minimalism, etc. etc. And personally, I think he's probably right on a good majority of it.
He purports that the more information we have at our disposal, the more complex those systems are that utilize that information and in turn make us more fragile at making the right decisions. Maybe that is where his book is a bit fragile - while he always makes his point, with so much information in varying topics, I found it difficult to absorb everything that he was trying to get across. That's why I give the book 4 stars instead of 5.
However, once you get going, Nicholas Taleb has an immense amount of things to say that I believe are incredibly important for people to hear. This book isn't so much about randomness as his philosophy on life and how to strengthen those areas of our society that are weak (fragile). He touches on everything ranging from Politics, Religion, Academia, Ethics, The Housing Crisis, Markets, Options, Minimalism, etc. etc. And personally, I think he's probably right on a good majority of it.
He purports that the more information we have at our disposal, the more complex those systems are that utilize that information and in turn make us more fragile at making the right decisions. Maybe that is where his book is a bit fragile - while he always makes his point, with so much information in varying topics, I found it difficult to absorb everything that he was trying to get across. That's why I give the book 4 stars instead of 5.
informative
slow-paced
challenging
informative
slow-paced
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
My husband loves this book and so I decided to read it. It's not really my kind of book, but it is full of interesting ideas and I'm glad I read it.
I would say the biggest drawback is that it can be hard to follow because of the new terms he comes up with (and then uses throughout the rest of the book). The author is also quite the character; for me, it made the book more enjoy but I could see some people not looking his writing style.
I would say the biggest drawback is that it can be hard to follow because of the new terms he comes up with (and then uses throughout the rest of the book). The author is also quite the character; for me, it made the book more enjoy but I could see some people not looking his writing style.
The unexpected is going to happen eventually. No matter what tragedy happens, someone always profits. This book is about positioning yourself to withstand — and even gain from — the unexpected. There are tons of really cool ideas in here, but I kept getting distracted by the fact that the author is an asshole. It’s still worth reading.
I had great hope for this book. While there are some moments of true clarity, the majority of the writing is simply a collection of rants. Pompous and arrogant, the author is in love with his own voice. He would be terrible in social situations.
I really wanted to apply the bar bell technique and simultaneously rate this a 1 and a 5 but alas, Goodreads only allows for the average.
Was recommended by a friend but the author is so arrogant I can’t stand him and the book reads like a textbook, dense and dry and boring. Dnf