Risking One's Skin. The Hidden Asymmetry of Everyday Life

In his sharply provocative and at the same time extremely pragmatic book, the incomparable Nassim Taleb discusses how important it is to identify and filter out nonsense, to distinguish theory from practice, superficial competence from the real thing. You will learn what rationality means in complex systems and the real world, symmetry and asymmetry, and what the logic of taking risks consists of. By imbuing familiar concepts such as "fair society," "professional success," and "personal responsibility" with new meaning, and unafraid to offend the egos of recognized idols, Taleb debunks the hypocrisy of the ideologists of military interventions in Iraq and Libya; the failures of Nobel laureates in economics who bankrupted banks and investment funds; and deceitful religious preachers. Through examples of Hammurabi and Jesus Christ, Roman and Byzantine emperors, Stoic philosophers, and modern successful businessmen, Taleb shows that the main quality that unites them all is the willingness to "bet one's skin and soul," rather than transferring risk to others.