20 hours of insights in 20 minutes
In 2013, David Graeber published an article On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs: A Work Rant. The article went viral. It got a lot of attention in social media and the mainstream press. Bullshit Jobs: A Theory, is Graeber’s attempt to flesh out some of the ideas in his 2013 article.
Destined for War is about the dynamic that arises when a rising power (China) threatens the existing ruling power (America). Allison looks back at examples of similar past dynamics starting with Athens and Sparta, and suggests ways in which we can learn from history and hopefully avoid war.
Talking to Strangers is about how difficult it is to understand other people. It is well-written and contains many engaging examples. Unfortunately, the examples do not illustrate Gladwell’s points well and his analysis is not very rigorous.
Decision hygiene helps you make better decisions. It’s like washing your hands in that it’s good practice but you don’t know what errors you avoid by doing it.
Objective ignorance is the idea that many things on which the future depends simply cannot be known.Objective ignorance is higher the longer into the future a prediction is. The future is messy and minor events can have large consequences. Many things are just unknowable.
Poker is a game of decision-making under conditions of uncertainty over time. Poker is like life and decisions are like bets. Thinking in bets can therefore help you make better decisions in life.
A summary of the methods for reducing noise, and common objections to doing so, in the book Noise by Kahneman, Sibony and Sunstein.
There is noise in many areas, more than you think. This book explains the different types of noise, how to measure it, and how to reduce it. There are many examples with citations.
Show Your Work encourages you to share your unfinished work, your processes, and your influences. And to do it regularly.
Humans are tribal creatures. Much of modern life makes us less social and tribal and therefore less happy. Outside threats such as wars tend to strengthen social bonds.