Rethink
The Surprising History of New Ideas
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Rethink
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Narrated by:
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Simon Mattacks
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By:
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Steven Poole
About this listen
A brilliant and groundbreaking argument that innovation and progress are often achieved by revisiting and retooling ideas from the past rather than starting from scratch - from The Guardian columnist and contributor to The Atlantic.
Innovation is not always as innovative as it may seem. This is the story of how old ideas that were mocked or ignored for centuries are now storming back to the cutting edge of science and technology, informing the way we lead our lives. This is the story of Lamarck and the modern-day epigeneticist whose research vindicated his mocked 200-year-old theory of evolution; of the return of cavalry use in the war in Afghanistan; of Tesla's bringing back the electric car; and of the cognitive scientists who made breakthroughs by turning to ancient Greek philosophy.
Drawing on examples from business to philosophy to science, Rethink shows what we can learn by revisiting old, discarded ideas and considering them from a novel perspective. From within all these rich anecdotes of overlooked ideas come good ones, helping us find new ways to think about ideas in our own time - from out-of-the-box proposals in the boardroom to grand projects for social and political change.
Armed with this picture of the surprising evolution of ideas and their triumphant second lives, Rethink helps you see the world differently. In the best-selling tradition of Malcolm Gladwell, Poole's new approach to a familiar topic is fun, convincing, and brilliant - and offers a clear takeaway: if you want to affect the future, start by taking a look at the past.
©2016 Steven Poole (P)2016 Brilliance AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Audiobook review (just a podcast collection)
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5 out of 5 stars
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Dear Science: Put up or shut up.
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A black swan is a highly improbable event with three principal characteristics: It is unpredictable; it carries a massive impact; and, after the fact, we concoct an explanation that makes it appear less random, and more predictable, than it was. The astonishing success of Google was a black swan; so was 9/11. For Nassim Nicholas Taleb, black swans underlie almost everything about our world, from the rise of religions to events in our own personal lives. Elegant, startling, and universal in its applications, The Black Swan will change the way you look at the world.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Interesting, but over the top
- By Anonymous User on 08-08-19
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Rationality: From AI to Zombies
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- Length: 49 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 185
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 157
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 153
What does it actually mean to be rational? Not Hollywood-style "rational", where you forsake all human feeling to embrace Cold Hard Logic, but where you make good decisions, even when it's hard; where you reason well, even in the face of massive uncertainty; where you recognize and make full use of your fuzzy intuitions and emotions, rather than trying to discard them. In Rationality: From AI to Zombies, Eliezer Yudkowsky explains the science underlying human irrationality with a mix of fables, argumentative essays, and personal vignettes.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great content. Some chapters should be re-recorded.
- By Geordie on 03-13-18
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Skeptic
- Viewing the World with a Rational Eye
- By: Michael Shermer
- Narrated by: Michael Shermer
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 324
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 288
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 280
From the author's monthly Scientific American columns. An eclectic, inspiring collection exploring a broad range of scientific thought from best-selling author and celebrated skeptic Michael Shermer.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Mostly for Those Already in the Choir
- By dugreader on 09-04-16
By: Michael Shermer
What listeners say about Rethink
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Johnhmd
- 01-25-21
The Favorite Book in my Audible Library
I keep going back to this book and it seems more prescient each time. Not easy in a world constantly flooded with unsifted information. Anyone interested in a truly objective view of modern thought will enjoy it.
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