Antifragile

Things That Gain from Disorder

By: Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Narrated by: Joe Ochman

Length: 16 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

From the best-selling author of The Black Swan and one of the foremost thinkers of our time, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, a book on how some things actually benefit from disorder.

In The Black Swan Taleb outlined a problem, and in Antifragile he offers a definitive solution: how to gain from disorder and chaos while being protected from fragilities and adverse events. For what Taleb calls the "antifragile" is actually beyond the robust, because it benefits from shocks, uncertainty, and stressors, just as human bones get stronger when subjected to stress and tension. The antifragile needs disorder in order to survive and flourish.

Taleb stands uncertainty on its head, making it desirable, even necessary, and proposes that things be built in an antifragile manner. The antifragile is immune to prediction errors. Why is the city-state better than the nation-state, why is debt bad for you, and why is everything that is both modern and complicated bound to fail? The audiobook spans innovation by trial and error, health, biology, medicine, life decisions, politics, foreign policy, urban planning, war, personal finance, and economic systems. And throughout, in addition to the street wisdom of Fat Tony of Brooklyn, the voices and recipes of ancient wisdom, from Roman, Greek, Semitic, and medieval sources, are heard loud and clear.

Extremely ambitious and multidisciplinary, Antifragile provides a blueprint for how to behave - and thrive - in a world we don't understand, and which is too uncertain for us to even try to understand and predict. Erudite and witty, Taleb’s message is revolutionary: What is not antifragile will surely perish.

Please note: The bleeps in the audio are intentional and are as written by the author. No material is censored, and no audio content is missing.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2012 Nassim Nicholas Taleb (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"[This] is the lesson of Taleb...and also the lesson of our volatile times. There is more courage and heroism in defying the human impulse, in taking the purposeful and painful steps to prepare for the unimaginable." (Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point)

"[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)

Great Book

NNT does it again Great commentary and life lessons with just the right amount of jabs and sarcasm to keep your interest

Great book must read!!

it is a very great books with ideas that open my mind I disagree with some and agree with most, but I thank the author as he added so much value to the world with his great work !

All of Taleb's main ideas pieced toghter

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Ever since i read fooled by randomness, I've read and recommended all of Taleb's books. He is the master of anti bulls*h*i*t.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Antifragile?

The most memorable moment of Taleb's books are as usual his conclusions and afterwords. It is like listening to the wise Grandfather I never had.

When he explains his ideas on antifragility is also very interresting because the concept has been around all his previous books, but it is the first time he explains in a way I feel like I really get his point.

Any additional comments?

Taleb writes about what he wants to write about, he does not just say it as you listen his book you can feel he is not constrain about anything because he really say what is on his mind and curses very often

A few times it's gets boring when he rumbles on and on about the same subject, but his message is so universal that this could even be a philosophy book though I'm sure the author woudn't agree to that.

Life perspective you've may not thought about

It gives absolutely new perspective on life and decision making process. I've honestly never thought about it this way before. So, for me it was mind blowing, in a good way. It's definitely one of my favorite books now and advice everyone to read it. No matter what stage of life you are in.

Changes the way you view the world

Great book that changed the way I view many things! Innovative and thought provoking. On the downside: not easy to digest, especially if you have any distraction. Definitely not an “easy listen” but an absolutely great book if you plan your listening time accordingly!

Genius!

It's a book about a porcelain cup, but it's more complex than that. Pure genius.

Worth the pain?

I find myself listening to books that have value at least three times:
1st) Content familiarity / first impressions
2nd) Deeper grasp
3rd) Application to life or work.

Most books don't make it past the first listen, up until book 6 of Antifragile it was a one listen as well (blame Nassim if this seems confusing).

I struggled with Nassim's injection of personality into the information in the book. My initial thought was Nassim was probably that guy at the coffee house talking loudly about his inflated opinions. That "guy" that sways you to change your order: "make that to go instead." In the end, the value of the information far out weighted me questioning why I need to know so much about the author to understand the concepts.

On my second read, I found myself excited to see Nassim at the coffee house maybe he would find time to explain why I am so fragile, one more time... I look forward to a third read.

If you are a fan of system thinking books written by academic hating, Greenspan hating, Obama hating, Ralph Nader loving(?) quantitative analyst then this book is perfect for you, everyone else should listen at least twice its worth the pain.

Probably Most Important Book I've Ever Read.

Book filled with truth and simple ideas. No boring parts. Will re-read soon. Thanks Taleb.

Incredible philosophy lesson

Kept my attention straight through and truly thought provoking in many areas of life. I'll listen to this one again in the near future!

French citations

Overall good, too bad that the narrator didn't have any basic French pronunciation... Almost impossible to understand him when he reades from French sources.