The Bed of Procrustes

Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms

By: Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Narrated by: Sean Pratt

Length: 1 hr and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

By the author of the modern classic The Black Swan, this collection of aphorisms and meditations expresses his major ideas in ways you least expect.

The Bed of Procrustes takes its title from Greek mythology: the story of a man who made his visitors fit his bed to perfection by either stretching them or cutting their limbs. It represents Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s view of modern civilization’s hubristic side effects - modifying humans to satisfy technology, blaming reality for not fitting economic models, inventing diseases to sell drugs, defining intelligence as what can be tested in a classroom, and convincing people that employment is not slavery.

Playful and irreverent, these aphorisms will surprise you by exposing self-delusions you have been living with but never recognized. With a rare combination of pointed wit and potent wisdom, Taleb plows through human illusions, contrasting the classical values of courage, elegance, and erudition against the modern diseases of nerdiness, philistinism, and phoniness.

©2010 Nassim Nicholas Taleb (P)2010 Gildan Media Corp

Critic reviews

“[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.” ( GQ)

"Idiosyncratically brilliant.” ( Los Angeles Times)

A Great Intro Book

This is a great intro book to Nassim Nicholas Taleb. I really enjoyed this book as I have all of his other books.

It’s like another chapter of proverbs

Pretty good stuff
I enjoyed it
It’s like a new chapter of proverbs was released
&
Maybe over rated ;0)

Another Great work by Taleb

Would you listen to The Bed of Procrustes again? Why?

i would listen to it again and again to gain a better insight into my own life and the lifes of the people around me

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Bed of Procrustes?

the idea that we are changing our children to fit the educational system instead of changing the educational system to fit our children!!!

Which character – as performed by Sean Pratt – was your favorite?

Procrustes!! violent murderer!

What did you learn from The Bed of Procrustes that you would use in your daily life?

to be a epidemiologist! a skeptic!

Any additional comments?

thanks Taleb... you have made me a better options trader, friend, and element of society!

Another great work

A gold mine of wisdom that will take many reads to fully appreciate. Thank you Nassim.

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.

taleb aphorisms

loved it. taleb is a genius. definitely listening to it again. truly words to live by.

Great book

Would you listen to The Bed of Procrustes again? Why?

Great listen. Would not recommend listening to it all in one sitting. It's better to listen to it in short burst. .

What did you like best about this story?

The insights from the

Have you listened to any of Sean Pratt’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Not a typical book

The book does not read like prose or a story--think of it as a collection of thought provoking statements that require a pause.

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.

Better than 'reading' the book!

Having read the book, 'hearing' these parables is far more interesting. Thoughtful ideas, highly recommended.