The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable Audiobook

" Many things happen without formula. We cannot arrange the formula to achive it. We only culd propose the systematic thinking about it after the things happen. Such as 11 september at 2001. Black Swan are about those things. "

" I liked the ideas that were presented. Taleb makes you think and shows you the thought habits you have fallen into. However, to me the book felt as an accusation of scientist/academics, who allegedly think too highly of themselves, ignore common sense and do research that is not useful in practice. In my perspective, that is a very exagorated, limited and unnuanced view of academia . Taleb might want to update as well, e.g. He might want to discuss evolutionary economics, which solves a lot of his critique on neoclassical economics. "

" Only read this book if you love math and statistics. Otherwise I think it would be a boring read. "

" Not so clear. The author has his own ideas about randomness, information etc. but he isn't a good teacher, he's not able to demonstrate his thesys, only to show them. If you are not convinced he won't convince you. "

" This is a must read book. Don't agree with everything but it is quite a nice take on a lot of important topics. "

" The Black Swan changed the way I think. If there is one sure-fire way to improve your thinking, it is to identify and disassemble your own cognitive biases. Taleb arms the reader with the tools to do so. "

" Although this book could do with some editing, it was quite informative about randomness and probability. "

" Un livre qui donne l'impression de devenir un peu plus intelligent "

" I liked that Taleb questioned assumptions. I disliked his broad generalizations. I had a hard time finishing this book, but forced myself to because it challenged my view of statistics and the world. "

" I'd say, author uses a lot of qualitative approaches to mathematical terms. However I share his main approach: everything could happened and nobody could predict that! The only way to survive and be succesfull is to get use out of stochastic events, which he called Black Swans. "

" I got the point early on in this book and finally put it down. "

" Fooled by Randomness was better. It's been well over a year since I read this one though and I do recall being immensely impressed. "

" Premise is very good. Unfortunately with the sweeping, unsupported statements insulting just about everyone, and an author who doesn't come across as very likeable, I can't recommend reading the whole thing. Read the intro, skim the middle, read the conclusion. "

" it makes you rethink your certainties about knoledge "

" This is the most important piece of nonfiction I know of being published this decade. It's thesis offers new insights into eveything from economics to literature to molecular biology. All thinking people should read it. "

" After reading the book I feel like an animal better adapted to the modern complex society: being lazy most of the time and working hard for very short periods. What remains is just to know how to create valuable systems functioning like that. "

" So... how do we catch the improbable? Be the improbable. "

" I feel that many non-fiction "idea" books could be better summarized in a lengthy essay; The Black Swan is no exception. While the idea is fantastic and important, Taleb's writing would benefit greatly from the editors he so deplores. Read for the ideas, not the writing. "

" What we don't know can hurt us. and we dont know jack shit and jacl left town before 2012 "

" Interesting, but hard to get into. "

" Awesome book. My whole life I wondered how people knew all this stuff - turns out they don't. "

" I like Taleb's contrarian attitude, and his ideas are compelling, but I felt he spent too much time attacking or vaunting other minds. I enjoyed his Fooled By Randomness more than this selection. "

" Eye-opening--challenges perceptions of risk vs. volatility.Interesting remarks on Fannie Mae [written 4-7 years prior to the housing bust] and the overwhelming faith pension fund management. "

" The events are seen in a different perspective altogether. "

" Gave up, was not going any where "

" This book provides you an alternative understanding of the world, other than standard economic statistics. By now everyone knows that those do not work in the real world, just look at LTCM. Anyone with an interest in their investments should read this book. "

" Excellent book. 4 out if 5 stars. Nassim always told me that "five star reviews are bullshit. The real review has some criticism. The 4-star reviews are more influential anyway." "

" The writer is abrasive at times, like any trader from the 80s, but lots of great info and stories and by the finish he had finally convinced me of his primary point- that the Gaussian curve does not apply where human behavior is involved. "

" Verbose. Great concept, but I'm not sure it needs a whole book. My opinion is that his point could be made with a New Yorker article. The rest of his book is just him ranting on various topics. Some of the topics are interesting, some are not. "