Antifragile
by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Genís Sánchez Barberán, Albino Santos Mosquera · first published 2012
48% recommend45% neutral7% critical
Why HN recommends it
Taleb's argument for systems that gain from stress and volatility, building on his earlier books; suits readers thinking about risk, uncertainty, careers, health, and engineering reliability, and rewards rereading.
Common criticism: Some find Taleb's tone arrogant and his claims uncited
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"The acclaimed author of the influential bestseller The Black Swan, Nicholas Nassim Taleb takes a next big step with a deceptively simple concept: the "antifragile." Like the Greek hydra that grows two heads for each one it loses, people, systems, and institutions that are antifragile not only withstand shocks, they benefit from them. In a modern world dominated by chaos and uncertainty, Antifragile is a revolutionary vision from one of the most subversive and important thinkers of our time. Praise for Nicholas Nassim Taleb "[This] is the lesson of Taleb. and also the lesson of our volati
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Antifragile: How to live in a world we don't understand by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. I realized that my bad relationships are mostly the result of my lack of skin in the game. That indifference is not an advantage…
on “Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?” ↗…slope(looking at the news over the last few years). And with that in mind, "Factfulness" by Hans Rosling is a __MUST__ imo. Once you wrap your head around the facts, a next good choice is "The Black Swan" and "Antifragile" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, despite some (to a certain extent justified) bashing on tech people. Note to self: need to pick up "Skin in the Game". Completely with you about Spivak, as far as calculus…
on “Ask HN: What, in your opinion, are the greatest and most useful textbooks?” ↗best development book I ever read was called "Antifragile" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.
on “Best development book I've read, has no code in it” ↗Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Man, reading this book really put a fire under my ass. I realized how much more I could be getting out of life by pursuing optionality and using the barbell strategy. A quote…
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2019?” ↗Antifragile - Nassim Nicholas Taleb He puts into words concepts of life so close to us yet so foreign sounding that makes us rethink everything in our lives. When you ask people "What is the opposite of fragile",…
on “Ask HN: Which non-technology book has influenced you the most and why?” ↗For me, the following are near the top: "The Opposable Mind", by Roger Martin "Antifragile" by Nassim Taleb "The Conscious Universe" by Dean Radin
on “Ask HN: Mind bending books to read and never be the same as before?” ↗…a calm resolve to take into consideration what's worked in the past, much more than one's ability to "chase the shiny". Honorable mention of the Lindy Effect [1] here - one of my favorite ideas from Antifragile [2]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindy_effect [2] https://www.amazon.com/Antifragile-Things-That-Disorder-Ince...
on “Ask HN: What's the next big thing in computing / programming?” ↗…void? In the end, I haven't found it good or healthy to try to build my life in the direction of that mindset. Instead, I strive to adopt an anti-fragile mindset and lifestyle (https://www.amazon.com/Antifragile-Things-That-Disorder-Ince...). I want to be healthy and fit so that my body and mind are adaptable to the ever-quickening pace of the world. I want to minimize my physical and mental addictions. I want…
on “Ask HN: Assuming this 2023 LtG paper is correct, how do you prepare?” ↗Antifragile by Nassim Taleb Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino Il deserto dei tartari (The Tartar Steppe) by Dino Buzzati How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
on “Ask HN: Which books changed your life?” ↗…his books in the following order: Fooled by Randomness http://www.amazon.com/Fooled-Randomness-Hidden-Chance-Market... The Black Swan http://www.amazon.com/The-Black-Swan-Improbable-Robustness/d... Antifragile, http://www.amazon.com/Antifragile-Things-That-Gain-Disorder/... BTW simply because someone's writing style is different does not mean that he is wrong. To me, complaining about a writing style is a…
on “Nassim Taleb: We should retire the notion of standard deviation” ↗Two: 1)Antifragile by Taleb. It has given me a whole new framework with which to think about the world. He is consistently one of the only "modern thinkers" that I trust, and who delivers no b.s. 2)Confessions of an Economic…
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2014?” ↗You might enjoy the book http://www.amazon.com/Antifragile-Things-That-Disorder-Incer...
on “Gotham 7.5K: A Rare High Altitude Night Flight Above NYC” ↗Antifragile - To help keep civilization from needing to rebuild itself a 3rd time. http://www.amazon.com/Antifragile-Things-That-Disorder-Incer...
on “What Books Could Be Used to Rebuild Civilization?” ↗…If I still have my copy it's in the garage, in a box that didn't get unpacked from a move a long time ago. But FWIW there are a few positive reviews of it on Amazon. I am currently re-reading Taleb's Antifragile book[1] and I think it's better the second time thru. But it probably wouldn't be as interesting w/o Fooled By Randomness and The Black Swan for background. In Antifragile Taleb admires entrepreneurs…
on “Malware and Hacking Forum Darkode Is Shut Down; Dozens Arrested” ↗…Order by Christopher Alexander (also The Timeless Way of Building) Lila by Pirsig (If you've read ZMM and left Lila unread you've left a lot on the table) The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutch Antifragile by Taleb Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Yudkowski. Particularly Chapter 39. The two Political Order and Political Decay books by Fukuyama Life's Ratchet - Hoffman
on “Ask HN: What books fundamentally changed the way you think about the world?” ↗