Read this one

Awesome book with thought provoking insights. Well read with clear audio. I enjoyed listening to this book but then went out and bought a hard copy. Each aphorism is captivating in its own way. Each sentence is its own story. To plow through them in a non-stop narrative means that a lot will be missed. To truly benefit from this work, you need to read it slowly. The optimal way to absorb this book would be to have a hard copy at the bedside and read just a few aphorisms each night.

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Buy the BOOK

While this a good listen and full of little wisdoms, you'll want the hard bound book near your desk as a reference piece. I can see using many of these aphorisms as quotes in presentations. Lots of great stuff hear but better in book form.

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Big Taleb fan? You'll like it. Otherwise, pass.

Where does The Bed of Procrustes rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Somewhere in the middle. It's a short listen, so I don't feel like I wasted my time or money, but I have to admit that it's my least favorite of his three books. *That said, I loved his other two books, and only like this one. So saying it's my least favorite isn't a harsh indictment of it.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The entire book is aphorisms. Just short, little, sentences about observations Taleb has made. Some are really insightful, some are pretty stupid.

Which scene was your favorite?

Really insightful:
"For the robust, an error is information; for the fragile, an error is an error."

Pretty stupid:
"Never say 'no' twice."

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

Check out the preview. If you like it, there's lots more just like it. If you don't, then save your credit. I think this book will divide between "like it a lot" and "wow that's dumb." I am in the first camp; my wife in the latter.

6 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Buy the BOOK

While this a good listen and full of little wisdoms, you'll want the hard bound book near your desk as a reference piece. I can see using many of these aphorisms as quotes in presentations. Lots of great stuff hear but better in book form.

6 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Nassim Nicholas Taleb, I love this guys no BS outlook on life, and admire the Genius. My only complaint is that it was not narrated by Mr. Taleb. It's not the Black Swan, but almost equally entertaining, if he had read it.

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what was the point of this?

I loved the black swan but there was no point to this...just a list of aphorisms. i hoped he would at least comment on them.

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Taleb is a polarizer. I'll will love or hate him.

I can understand why some people just don't get what Taleb is talking about.

He is most known for preaching about the dangers if black swans. But in opposition to modern writings about risk management or economy, he doesn't offer any complex mathematical models (he doesn't offer any equations by the way), and he does not present the reader with a quick guide about how NOT the get in a big mess you will regret.

Taleb on the other hand takes a very philosophical posture, advising the reader to think about the problem how it really is, and not how we wish it to be (platonicity). And I'm sure many people find disturbing that they won't find straight answers in his books.

stick it to the Man: He is one of the few authors I've read that defies the system and authorities openly says what he thinks are wrong with the whole, in a healthy way. If that is even possible. As himself puts in The Black Swan, When someone asks him does he manage to cross a street being so much risk adverse,he replies that everyone must cross dangerous streets sometimes, but at least he won't do it BLINDFOLDED.

After re-reading my review I realize that my review is not just about this book but all his books as a whole. I recommend reading them all, the Bed of Proscrutes being a good summary of his ideas of the Black Swan and Fooled by Randomness

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Excellent

This book has some words of wisdom that will make you think and perhaps make you a little bit wiser as well. We try to make complex situations fit in some of our pre concieved notions and in our arrogance and lack of humility leads use to chaotic results.

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Sounds deep, but isn't

It's like he spent years getting high and writing down the pseudo-profound revelations that wafted through. The appearance of depth without its presence is pure intellectual junk food, and nauseating after a while.

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One of the best books in the heuristics genre.

If you want to tune up your thoughts, read this book. Each heuristic is a brain bomb unto itself. An invaluable resource.

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