
Fooled by Randomness
The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets
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Narrated by:
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Sean Pratt
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Written by:
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Nassim Nicholas Taleb
About this listen
Set against the backdrop of the most conspicuous forum in which luck is mistaken for skill, the world of trading, this audiobook is a captivating insight into one of the least understood factors of all our lives. In an entertaining narrative style, the author succeeds in tackling three major intellectual issues: the problem of induction, the survivorship biases, and our genetic unfitness to the modern word. Taleb uses stories and anecdotes to illustrate our overestimation of causality and the heuristics that make us view the world as far more explainable than it actually is.
The audiobook is populated with an array of characters, some of whom have grasped, in their own way, the significance of chance: Yogi Berra, the baseball legend; Karl Popper, the philosopher of knowledge; Solon, the ancient world's wisest man; the modern financier George Soros; and the Greek voyager Ulysses. We also meet the fictional Nero, who seems to understand the role of randomness in his professional life, but who also falls victim to his own superstitious foolishness.
But the most recognizable character remains unnamed, the lucky fool in the right place at the right time - the embodiment of the "Survival of the Least Fit". Such individuals attract devoted followers who believe in their guru's insights and methods. But no one can replicate what is obtained through chance.
It may be impossible to guard against the vagaries of the Goddess Fortuna, but after listening to Fooled by Randomness we can be a little better prepared.
©2004 Nassim Nicholas Taleb (P)2008 Gildan Media CorpYou may also enjoy...
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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Not the best
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What the critics say
"An articulate, wise, and humorous meditation on the nature of success and failure that anyone who wants a little more of the former would do well to consider." (Amazon.com)
What listeners say about Fooled by Randomness
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Arrjun Asokan
- 2023-01-26
Great book
There are few books you have to and want to read again and again. This is one
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- kamran chassebi
- 2023-04-08
Fact check
I am not an investor but find Nasim’s books insetting. I listen or read his books and try to use my leading and improve my thinking process and my personal life.
In one of the chapters he mentioned Al Ghazli as an Arab philosopher.He was Persian born in the city of Tus, in Khorasan province of Iran. He could refer to home as Arab speaking Philosopher from Iran or at that time Persia.
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- Casper The Friendly Ghost
- 2020-12-31
A book about the obvious ...
Good book. Interesting unpopular view points that i doubt many within the "matrix" would agree with even though the observations and conclusions are highly plausible.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Claude, Calgary
- 2021-07-25
Great book
I love the way Nassim Taleb thinks and the way he tells his stories. I will eventually read all his book.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Rob Gott
- 2018-03-28
Recommended for the business coincious
Good read. insightful discussion. found that it provided good examples and interesting personal anecdotes to support arguments.
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- Tom Dean
- 2019-02-24
Crazy fun book
Not what I expected. Thoroughly enjoyable book that challenged my preconceptions about who wins in business.
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- Lululu
- 2020-10-21
Harsh, brutal, but Brilliant and funny
If you have the patience to listen to his repetitive stories, showing off his knowledge and life styles, insults across many different reputable professions, and random personal feelings, this book will offer you something deep to think about and some funny bits to laugh out loud.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Wells Cushnie
- 2022-11-15
brilliant set of pseudorandom rambling
I disagree with some of the conclusions discussed and suspect that the author is pompous and annoying in person. But the book is great for stimulating thought around many topics and is very enjoyable. Actually listened to it twice!
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- Amitabh Datta
- 2023-07-19
Good read, complicated at times
Author’s summary are good to highlight the point, because at times I felt lost in the details.
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- Kyle Riley
- 2025-02-13
Reads as a Divine Comedy Level of Hitpiece
The author dislikes, or is above everyone but himself, because randomness is a facet of life. what is randomness? That topic is barely touched on in this book. Any idea, or attempt to make a reasonable prediction is wrong as it does not consider the authors own vague notions of randomness. One would assume this would go part in parcel with Hegels Negations but the author makes a point to vaguely swipe at these ideas as well. No information is worth consuming. Spend your time exercising, demeaning all others, and in the gym!
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