Framers

Human Advantage in an Age of Technology and Turmoil

By: Kenneth Cukier, Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, Francis de Véricourt

Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith

“Cukier and his co-authors have a more ambitious project than Kahneman and Harari. They don’t want to just point out how powerfully we are influenced by our perspectives and prejudices—our frames. They want to show us that these frames are tools, and that we can optimise their use.”
—Forbes

From pandemics to populism, AI to ISIS, wealth inequity to climate change, humanity faces unprecedented challenges that threaten our very existence. The essential tool that will enable humanity to find the best way foward is defined in Framers by internationally renowned authors Kenneth Cukier, Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, and Francis de Véricourt.

To frame is to make a mental model that enables us to make sense of new situations. Frames guide the decisions we make and the results we attain. People have long focused on traits like memory and reasoning, leaving framing all but ignored. But with computers becoming better at some of those cognitive tasks, framing stands out as a critical function—and only humans can do it. This book is the first guide to mastering this human ability.

Illustrating their case with compelling examples and the latest research, authors Cukier, Mayer-Schönberger, and de Véricourt examine:

· Why advice to “think outside the box” is useless
· How Spotify beat Apple by reframing music as an experience
· How the #MeToo twitter hashtag reframed the perception of sexual assault
· The disaster of framing Covid-19 as equivalent to seasonal flu, and how framing it akin to SARS delivered New Zealand from the pandemic

Framers shows how framing is not just a way to improve how we make decisions in the era of algorithms—but why it will be a matter of survival for humanity in a time of societal upheaval and machine prosperity.

it's a good book with a different perspective on important subject

Framers: Human Advantage in an Age of Technology and Turmoil by Kenneth Cukier, Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, and Francis de Véricourt is an insightful exploration of how the uniquely human ability to frame problems sets us apart in an era dominated by technology. The authors argue that framing—recasting situations to consider alternate perspectives—is a crucial skill for navigating uncertainty and fostering innovation.

The book blends accessible storytelling with academic rigor, offert highlights the limitations of AI, which relies on fixed parameters, compared to humans’ flexible thinking. The authors also delve into practical applications, showing how framing can enhance decision-making in fields ranging from policy-making to business strategy.

At times, the book leans heavily on optimism about humanity's resilience, which may feel overly idealistic to some. Nonetheless, Framers provides a thought-provoking framework for readers interested in understanding and sharpening their creative and critical thinking skills in a rapidly changing world.

a lot of the same, repeated

it's got one good lesson or idea, but repeated over and over until it feels kind of meaningless and unhelpful.

a good article in HBR doesn't always need to be expanded into a book length.

Some part maybe good some part maybe shit

A couple good ideas and novel perspectives and then other parts where it feels like a blended up smoothie of the other top 20 books from the genre. I oscillated between liking it and wondering if I should return it before finishing it.

Great non-fiction

Pulls together interdisciplinary research with real-world examples and insights in a fun and thoughtful way.

good but could have been shorter

this was a pretty good book. A lot of good examples and stories. Good points about shifting your paradigm or frame. but it could have been a lot shorter towards the end. I felt like it was just saying in the same thing over and over. but all in all pretty good stuff 🙂