Nassim Nicholas Taleb has devoted his life to problems of uncertainty, probability, and knowledge. He spent nearly two decades as a businessman and quantitative trader before becoming a full-time philosophical essayist and academic researcher in 2006. Although he spends most of his time in the intense seclusion of his study, or as a flaneur meditating in cafes, he is currently Distinguished Professor of Risk Engineering at New York University's Polytechnic Institute. His main subject matter is decision making under opacity --that is, a map and a protocol on how we should live in a world we don't understand. <br> Taleb's books have been published in thirty-three languages.
Ambitious and thought-provoking . . . highly entertaining. --The Economist A bold book explaining how and why we should embrace uncertainty, randomness, and error . . . It may just change our lives. --Newsweek Revelatory . . . [Taleb] pulls the reader along with the logic of a Socrates. --Chicago Tribune Startling . . . richly crammed with insights, stories, fine phrases and intriguing asides . . . I will have to read it again. And again. --Matt Ridley, The Wall Street Journal Trenchant and persuasive . . . Taleb's insatiable polymathic curiosity knows no bounds. . . . You finish the book feeling braver and uplifted. --New Statesman Antifragility isn't just sound economic and political doctrine. It's also the key to a good life. --Fortune At once thought-provoking and brilliant. --Los Angeles Times [Taleb] writes as if he were the illegitimate spawn of David Hume and Rev. Bayes, with some DNA mixed in from Norbert Weiner and Laurence Sterne. . . . Taleb is writing original stuff--not only within the management space but for readers of any literature--and . . . you will learn more about more things from this book and be challenged in more ways than by any other book you have read this year. Trust me on this. --Harvard Business Review By far my favorite book among several good ones published in 2012. In addition to being an enjoyable and interesting read, Taleb's new book advances general understanding of how different systems operate, the great variation in how they respond to unthinkables, and how to make them more adaptable and agile. His systemic insights extend very well to company-specific operational issues--from ensuring that mistakes provide a learning process to the importance of ensuring sufficient transparency to the myriad of specific risk issues. --Mohamed El-Erian, CEO of PIMCO, Bloomberg -Ambitious and thought-provoking . . . highly entertaining.---The Economist -A bold book explaining how and why we should embrace uncertainty, randomness, and error . . . It may just change our lives.---Newsweek -Revelatory . . . [Taleb] pulls the reader along with the logic of a Socrates.---Chicago Tribune -Startling . . . richly crammed with insights, stories, fine phrases and intriguing asides . . . I will have to read it again. And again.---Matt Ridley, The Wall Street Journal -Trenchant and persuasive . . . Taleb's insatiable polymathic curiosity knows no bounds. . . . You finish the book feeling braver and uplifted.---New Statesman -Antifragility isn't just sound economic and political doctrine. It's also the key to a good life.---Fortune -At once thought-provoking and brilliant.---Los Angeles Times -[Taleb] writes as if he were the illegitimate spawn of David Hume and Rev. Bayes, with some DNA mixed in from Norbert Weiner and Laurence Sterne. . . . Taleb is writing original stuff--not only within the management space but for readers of any literature--and . . . you will learn more about more things from this book and be challenged in more ways than by any other book you have read this year. Trust me on this.---Harvard Business Review -By far my favorite book among several good ones published in 2012. In addition to being an enjoyable and interesting read, Taleb's new book advances general understanding of how different systems operate, the great variation in how they respond to unthinkables, and how to make them more adaptable and agile. His systemic insights extend very well to company-specific operational issues--from ensuring that mistakes provide a learning process to the importance of ensuring sufficient transparency to the myriad of specific risk issues.---Mohamed El-Erian, CEO of PIMCO, Bloomberg Ambitious and thought-provoking . . . highly entertaining. The Economist A bold book explaining how and why we should embrace uncertainty, randomness, and error . . . It may just change our lives. Newsweek Revelatory . . . [Taleb] pulls the reader along with the logic of a Socrates. Chicago Tribune Startling . . . richly crammed with insights, stories, fine phrases and intriguing asides . . . I will have to read it again. And again. Matt Ridley, The Wall Street Journal Trenchant and persuasive . . . Taleb s insatiable polymathic curiosity knows no bounds. . . . You finish the book feeling braver and uplifted. New Statesman Antifragility isn t just sound economic and political doctrine. It s also the key to a good life. Fortune At once thought-provoking and brilliant. Los Angeles Times [Taleb] writes as if he were the illegitimate spawn of David Hume and Rev. Bayes, with some DNA mixed in from Norbert Weiner and Laurence Sterne. . . . Taleb is writing original stuff not only within the management space but for readers of any literature and . . . you will learn more about more things from this book and be challenged in more ways than by any other book you have read this year. Trust me on this. Harvard Business Review By far my favorite book among several good ones published in 2012. In addition to being an enjoyable and interesting read, Taleb s new book advances general understanding of how different systems operate, the great variation in how they respond to unthinkables, and how to make them more adaptable and agile. His systemic insights extend very well to company-specific operational issues from ensuring that mistakes provide a learning process to the importance of ensuring sufficient transparency to the myriad of specific risk issues. Mohamed El-Erian, CEO of PIMCO, Bloomberg Praise for Antifragile Taleb takes on everything from the mistakes of modern architecture to the dangers of meddlesome doctors and how overrated formal education is. . . . An ambitious and thought-provoking read . . . highly entertaining. -- The Economist This is a bold, entertaining, clever book, richly crammed with insights, stories, fine phrases and intriguing asides. . . . I will have to read it again. And again. -- The Wall Street Journal [Taleb] writes as if he were the illegitimate spawn of David Hume and Rev. Bayes, with some DNA mixed in from Norbert Weiner and Laurence Sterne. . . . Taleb is writing original stuff--not only within the management space but for readers of any literature--and . . . you will learn more about more things from this book and be challenged in more ways than by any other book you have read this year. Trust me on this. -- Harvard Business Review By far my favorite book among several good ones published in 2012. In addition to being an enjoyable and interesting read, Taleb's new book advances general understanding of how different systems operate, the great variation in how they respond to unthinkables, and how to make them more adaptable and agile. His systemic insights extend very well to company-specific operational issues--from ensuring that mistakes provide a learning process to the importance of ensuring sufficient transparency to the myriad of specific risk issues. --Mohamed El-Erian, CEO of PIMCO, Bloomberg What sometimes goes unsaid about Taleb is that he's a very funny writer. Taleb has a finely tuned BS detector, which he wields throughout the book to debunk pervasive yet pernicious ideas. . . . Antifragility isn't just sound economic and political doctrine. It's also the key to a good life. -- Fortune Praise for Nicholas Nassim Taleb [Taleb writes] in a style that owes as much to Stephen Colbert as it does to Michel de Montaigne. -- The Wall Street Journal Praise for Antifragile Taleb takes on everything from the mistakes of modern architecture to the dangers of meddlesome doctors and how overrated formal education is. . . . An ambitious and thought-provoking read . . . highly entertaining. -- The Economist This is a bold, entertaining, clever book, richly crammed with insights, stories, fine phrases and intriguing asides. . . . I will have to read it again. And again. -- The Wall Street Journal [Taleb] writes as if he were the illegitimate spawn of David Hume and Rev. Bayes, with some DNA mixed in from Norbert Weiner and Laurence Sterne. . . . Taleb is writing original stuff--not only within the management space but for readers of any literature--and . . . you will learn more about more things from this book and be challenged in more ways than by any other book you have read this year. Trust me on this. -- Harvard Business Review Praise for Nicholas Nassim Taleb [Taleb writes] in a style that owes as much to Stephen Colbert as it does to Michel de Montaigne. -- The Wall Street Journal The most prophetic voice of all . . . [Taleb is] a genuinely significant philosopher . . . someone who is able to change the way we view the structure of the world through the strength, originality and veracity of his ideas alone. --GQ Changed my view of how the world works. --Daniel Kahneman, Nobel laureate Altered modern thinking. --The Times (London) Praise for Nicholas Nassim Taleb [Taleb writes] in a style that owes as much to Stephen Colbert as it does to Michel de Montaigne. -- The Wall Street Journal The most prophetic voice of all . . . [Taleb is] a genuinely significant philosopher . . . someone who is able to change the way we view the structure of the world through the strength, originality and veracity of his ideas alone. --GQ Changed my view of how the world works. --Daniel Kahneman, Nobel laureate Altered modern thinking. --The Times (London)