Books on Hold is a blog series dedicated to books I have seen in passing and requested from my local library. See more in the series at the end of this blog post. — Douglas
The inability to properly gauge and understand risks and act in a world of uncertainty is one of the biggest limitations in most people’s thinking today. It leaves people apt lash out in fear or worry themselves into sickness. I’m looking forward to read what this book has to say about developing a better understanding of risks.
Risk Intelligence: How to Live with Uncertainty by Dylan Evans
* Discovered via Knowledge Blocks
From Amazon.com…
“There is a special kind of intelligence for dealing with risk and uncertainty. It doesn’t correlate with IQ, and most psychologists failed to spot it because it is found in such a disparate, rag-tag group of people – American weather-forecasters, professional gamblers, and hedge-fund managers, for example.
This book shows just how important risk intelligence is. Many people in positions which require high risk intelligence – doctors, financial regulators and bankers, for instance – seem unable to navigate what Evans calls the “darkened room”, the domain of doubt and uncertainty.
Risk Intelligence is a traveller’s guide to the twilight zone of probabilities and speculation. Evans shows us how risk intelligence is vital to making good decisions, from dealing with climate change to combating terrorism. He argues that we can all learn a lot from expert gamblers, not just about money, but about how to make decisions in all aspects of our lives. Introducing a wealth of fascinating research findings and using a wide range of real-life examples–from the brilliant risk assessment skills of horse race handicappers to the tragically flawed evaluations of risk that caused the financial crisis–Evans reveals the common errors in our thinking that undermine our risk intelligence. He also introduces a host of simple techniques we can use to boost our RQ, and a brief test to measure our RQ. Both highly engaging and truly mind-changing, Risk Intelligence will fascinate all of those who are interested in how we can improve our thinking in order to enhance our lives.”
Previously in Books on Hold:
- Harnessed: How Language and Music Mimicked Nature and Transformed Ape to Man by Mark Changizi
- The Naked Brewer: Fearless Homebrewing Tips, Tricks & Rule-breaking Recipes by Christina Perozzi, Hallie Beaune
- The Backyard Parables: Lessons on Gardening, and Life by Margaret Roach
- Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich
- The Science of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen (Cook’s Illustrated Cookbooks)
- Martha’s American Food: A Celebration of Our Nation’s Most Treasured Dishes, from Coast to Coast by Martha Stewart
- The Layered Garden: Design Lessons for Year-Round Beauty from Brandywine Cottage
- Home Made Winter by Yvette van Boven (Author), Oof Verschuren (Photographer)
- Come In, We’re Closed: An Invitation to Staff Meals at the World’s Best Restaurants
