Taleb's book can be distilled into the single idea he gives in the conclusion: 'Everything gains or loses from volatility. Fragility is what loses from volatility and uncertainty'. There are things that are fragile, such as a tea cup, fragile because it
breaks if you drop it. Then there are things that are robust, like a
skyscraper that can resist earthquakes. And Taleb proposes a third
category, things that actually benefit and grow from shocks and
uncertainty, such as the human skeleton which strengthens when the
stress of manual labour is placed upon it.
His book expands on this theme through medicine, society and, most of all, Taleb's field of expertise, economics and the stock market. He proposes a new way of looking at pretty much everything that I found enlightening and inspiring, and also daunting as our current economic structure is a fragile one. Taleb's writing although opaque at times is beautifully crafted and structured.
A book that was hard work as I am not a natural numbers person, but so worth the effort.
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