Best Deconstructivist Philosophy
I truly had so much fun creating this dope Adult Coloring Book for you!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I love this coloring book so much!"
"It also includes pages between the coloring so that if the ink leaks through it won't get on the next piece, its genius!"
"Fair warning, yes there are obviously curse words but there's also sexual (anatomy ) curse words as well."
"I love Sarah Baska so I bought two books, one for myself, one for my friend."
"I love Sarah Baska I legit watch her YouTube’s videos all the time and I was so happy when it came in."
"This dope ass coloring book was even better than expected which idk how that's even possible but it was!!"
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Bardon leads the student step by step through exercises providing detailed training in the entire arcanum of magic, from basic techniques in thought control to advanced teachings in astral travel, and much more. In contrast to other books on the subject of magic, Bardon focuses his attention on the practical training necessary for all true magical attainment. The author leads the student step by step through exercises providing detailed training in the entire arcanum of magic, from basic techniques in thought control and imagination to advanced teachings in astral travel, the use of talismans and magic mirrors, and much more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In spite of the author's warnings that readers with prior magical experience might have to unlearn a lot while studying his books (which is true! Yeah, well, that was in 1956, and it's 2015 now, and there are many effective ways for a novice to gain a lot of mystical insight and experience very quickly. Buy yourself a copy of Modern Magick, or Liber Null if you're cheap, and magic yourself silly, kid. Come back when you've got a few bruises, when you've developed a healthy fear of your own power, when you need a real teacher but you don't want to join a cult. All of the magical texts you have read until now - all of the legitimate ones, at least - have basically handed you a series of increasingly deadly firearms. They have assured you that all of the old gun-juggling books, the ones that traditionally warned readers about the severe dangers of juggling guns, were just written by paranoid people and elitists, and you definitely probably maybe won't shoot your own face off. Initiation into Hermetics is a ruthlessly pragmatic and technical book about utterly mastering the four/five primal elements in both understanding and practice. There are no elaborate rituals - Bardon's firm assertion is that rituals constitute an advanced form of magic, and in the hands of novices they amount to simple acts of ignorant sorcery, achieving nothing better than that which is achievable through simple applications of elemental mastery. His second book is about ritual magic, but he insists that students must painstakingly master the primal elements and their own consciousness, in accordance with the guidelines in Initiation into Hermetics, before attempting advanced work. He uses many of his own proprietary terms, and some of the word choices - whether the fault of the author or the translator, I can't say - can be confusing until you adapt to them."
"I am studying this book little by little, great investment in my spiritual life."
"Excellent."
"It has taken far too long to get this excellent training system converted to Kindle book format."
"This book is a lot heavier than I anticipated."
"This book is an excellent study guide for mastering the fundamentals of magic and metaphysics."
"A great volume for those interested in practical hermetic occultism."
"Great book to work through."
- Rick Steves , Travel Writer and TV Presenter "An epic journey with a master philosopher." Nicos not only writes in an engaging style that allows readers to share his experiences, but his philosophical reflections provide unique insights into the process and value of education through travel." It also provides a philosophical framework for embarking on more meaningful and purposeful travels, whether it is an around the world journey, or an exploration of a region, or even a city. From Chile and Argentina to Thailand and Japan, Destination Earth explores the delicate and invisible interconnections of nations and countries, people and cultures, and delves deep into all aspects of travel and its transformational power: Ideas, experiences, stories and photographs are interwoven into a newly created Philosophy of Travel that is practical and easy to read. "In his book, Destination Earth, Nicos Hadjicostis shares the ultimate 'budget travel tip': how to make your travels transformational." Nicos not only writes in an engaging style that allows readers to share his experiences, but his philosophical reflections provide unique insights into the process and value of education through travel."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book does not offer itineraries or travel suggestions, but rather invites you to travel the world as “one single destination”."
"When you encounter a world traveler like yourself, you find a kindred spirit, a person who has shared some of the same adventures, struggles, magic and connection that travel offers. Among other reflections, we found Nicos' description of the world to be spot-on—the world was indeed providing, safe, and huge."
"By its very nature, Hadjicostis suggests, travel makes one more curious about the world and more open to the diversity of human experience. The other style is more impressionistic-poetic, describing real travel situations that inspired reflection in Hadjicostis during his own travels."
"The author explains things like, “The speed with which SHORT term travel overwhelms our senses does not allow us to absorb the new elements that enter our life.” End quote. This IMPORTANT point has lead credence to the millions who have given up ownership of houses and pursuit of illustrious careers to instead pursue travel full time. Make special note of his breadth of information, from these kinds of cultural oddities to much higher level philosophical revelations, you won’t find them in most travel books."
Best Deconstructionism History & Criticism
Bardon leads the student step by step through exercises providing detailed training in the entire arcanum of magic, from basic techniques in thought control to advanced teachings in astral travel, and much more. In contrast to other books on the subject of magic, Bardon focuses his attention on the practical training necessary for all true magical attainment. The author leads the student step by step through exercises providing detailed training in the entire arcanum of magic, from basic techniques in thought control and imagination to advanced teachings in astral travel, the use of talismans and magic mirrors, and much more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In spite of the author's warnings that readers with prior magical experience might have to unlearn a lot while studying his books (which is true! Yeah, well, that was in 1956, and it's 2015 now, and there are many effective ways for a novice to gain a lot of mystical insight and experience very quickly. Buy yourself a copy of Modern Magick, or Liber Null if you're cheap, and magic yourself silly, kid. Come back when you've got a few bruises, when you've developed a healthy fear of your own power, when you need a real teacher but you don't want to join a cult. All of the magical texts you have read until now - all of the legitimate ones, at least - have basically handed you a series of increasingly deadly firearms. They have assured you that all of the old gun-juggling books, the ones that traditionally warned readers about the severe dangers of juggling guns, were just written by paranoid people and elitists, and you definitely probably maybe won't shoot your own face off. Initiation into Hermetics is a ruthlessly pragmatic and technical book about utterly mastering the four/five primal elements in both understanding and practice. There are no elaborate rituals - Bardon's firm assertion is that rituals constitute an advanced form of magic, and in the hands of novices they amount to simple acts of ignorant sorcery, achieving nothing better than that which is achievable through simple applications of elemental mastery. His second book is about ritual magic, but he insists that students must painstakingly master the primal elements and their own consciousness, in accordance with the guidelines in Initiation into Hermetics, before attempting advanced work. He uses many of his own proprietary terms, and some of the word choices - whether the fault of the author or the translator, I can't say - can be confusing until you adapt to them."
"I am studying this book little by little, great investment in my spiritual life."
"Excellent."
"It has taken far too long to get this excellent training system converted to Kindle book format."
"This book is a lot heavier than I anticipated."
"This book is an excellent study guide for mastering the fundamentals of magic and metaphysics."
"A great volume for those interested in practical hermetic occultism."
"Great book to work through."
Best Occult Rosicrucianism
Bardon leads the student step by step through exercises providing detailed training in the entire arcanum of magic, from basic techniques in thought control to advanced teachings in astral travel, and much more. In contrast to other books on the subject of magic, Bardon focuses his attention on the practical training necessary for all true magical attainment. The author leads the student step by step through exercises providing detailed training in the entire arcanum of magic, from basic techniques in thought control and imagination to advanced teachings in astral travel, the use of talismans and magic mirrors, and much more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In spite of the author's warnings that readers with prior magical experience might have to unlearn a lot while studying his books (which is true! Yeah, well, that was in 1956, and it's 2015 now, and there are many effective ways for a novice to gain a lot of mystical insight and experience very quickly. Buy yourself a copy of Modern Magick, or Liber Null if you're cheap, and magic yourself silly, kid. Come back when you've got a few bruises, when you've developed a healthy fear of your own power, when you need a real teacher but you don't want to join a cult. All of the magical texts you have read until now - all of the legitimate ones, at least - have basically handed you a series of increasingly deadly firearms. They have assured you that all of the old gun-juggling books, the ones that traditionally warned readers about the severe dangers of juggling guns, were just written by paranoid people and elitists, and you definitely probably maybe won't shoot your own face off. Initiation into Hermetics is a ruthlessly pragmatic and technical book about utterly mastering the four/five primal elements in both understanding and practice. There are no elaborate rituals - Bardon's firm assertion is that rituals constitute an advanced form of magic, and in the hands of novices they amount to simple acts of ignorant sorcery, achieving nothing better than that which is achievable through simple applications of elemental mastery. His second book is about ritual magic, but he insists that students must painstakingly master the primal elements and their own consciousness, in accordance with the guidelines in Initiation into Hermetics, before attempting advanced work. He uses many of his own proprietary terms, and some of the word choices - whether the fault of the author or the translator, I can't say - can be confusing until you adapt to them."
"I am studying this book little by little, great investment in my spiritual life."
"Excellent."
"It has taken far too long to get this excellent training system converted to Kindle book format."
"This book is a lot heavier than I anticipated."
"This book is an excellent study guide for mastering the fundamentals of magic and metaphysics."
"A great volume for those interested in practical hermetic occultism."
"Great book to work through."
Best Metaphysics
As featured on Oprah’s “Super Soul Sunday,” the classic bestseller on a true case of past-life trauma and past-life therapy from author and psychotherapist Dr. Brian Weiss—now featuring a new afterword by the author. Dr. Weiss, who was once firmly entrenched in a clinical approach to psychiatry, finds himself reluctantly drawn into past-life therapy when a hypnotized client suddenly reveals details of her previous lives. However, it is hard to dispute that this well-respected graduate of Columbia University and Yale Medical School has discovered a personal truth that has led him to be an enormously popular speaker, author, and leader in the field of past-life therapy. --Gail Hudson In 1980, Weiss, head of the psychiatry department at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, began treating Catherine, a 27-year-old woman plagued by anxiety, depression and phobias. When Weiss turned to hypnosis to help Catherine remember repressed childhood traumas, what emerged were the patient's descriptions of a dozen or so of her hitherto unknown 86 past lives, as well as philosophical messages channeled from "Master Spirits."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Very interesting."
"The information in these books reinforces my beliefs, and it certainly was enlightening..I hope to read all of this author's books."
"In depth and heartfelt exploration of reincarnation, the bardo, and the possibility of disincarnate guides."
"Scientific Proof of Reincarnation."
"For anyone ready to dive into life's bigger picture and meaning this book is a perfect introduction."
"Amazing research about past life regressions."
"Each time I get a deeper understanding from the Masters messages."
"Reading this book is like getting an answer sheet to a difficult test you didn't know you had to take."
Best Solo Travel Guides
Robyn Davidson's opens the memoir of her perilous journey across 1,700 miles of hostile Australian desert to the sea with only four camels and a dog for company with the following words: “I experienced that sinking feeling you get when you know you have conned yourself into doing something difficult and there's no going back." Why does Robyn Davidson walk 1,700 miles across the Australian desert accompanied by four camels?
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"pooled ink Reviews: If you have any interest in Australia, journeys to unfamiliar places with trials and daunting challenges, or camels, then I suggest you pick up a copy of this book or hunt down the movie and experience it for yourself."
"This was a lot more about this young woman politics an pol philosophy then it was about her trip in the desert with the camels."
"This truly enjoyable and fascinating story has been brought to my attention through the waves of promotion generated by the film--upcoming or already available, I am not sure."
"She chose to chart a course across the Australian desert in the early 80's solo with her camels and dog."
"The first half of the trip was also less enjoyable because a great deal of it was complaining about how she had sacrificed the real meaning of the trip by obtaining sponsorship."
"As the story unwinds one can almost feel they have joined the author on her quest."
"A true journey with the author!"
"A large fraction of the book deals with the challenges she faced in Alice Springs, learning to train camels and developing the equipment and skills she would need."
Best Structuralist Philosophy
Michel Foucult offers an iconoclastic exploration of why we feel compelled to continually analyze and discuss sex, and of the social and mental mechanisms of power that cause us to direct the questions of what we are to what our sexuality is. "The Care of the Self shares with the writings on which it draws the characteristic of being carefully constructed, exquisitely reasoned and internally cogent."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As a graduate student in French culture I knew that Foucault was very, very important and now I can see why."
"Really not a good translation, but, unfortunately, the only English version available, as far as I know."
"It documents the history of sexuality and argues against the repression theory of sexuality."
"Perhaps, in English, the points are overstated, but they are well formed and well supported."
"This book is a must read for any political person and anyone interested in the history of power and politics!"
Best Existentialist Philosophy
Interweaving biography and philosophy, it is the epic account of passionate encounters--fights, love affairs, mentorships, rebellions, and long partnerships--and a vital investigation into what the existentialists have to offer us today, at a moment when we are once again confronting the major questions of freedom, global responsibility, and human authenticity in a fractious and technology-driven world. Bakewell is often annoyed but never defeated by Heidegger’s obscurity, and some of her most exciting pages are the engaged, unsimplifying accounts she offers of complex philosophies, even ones that finally repel her…One of many persuasive surprises in Bakewell’s book is her suggestion that Heidegger’s prose sometimes resembles Gertrude Stein’s in its deliberate linguistic strangeness, a resemblance that goes deeper than style…An unspoken theme of Bakewell’s book is the variety of ways in which academic philosophy can be distorted by power relations. Others, like Husserl and Heidegger, demanded obeisance… Bakewell has a special affection for philosophers who stayed free of the academy, especially Sartre and Beauvoir…Sarah Bakewell’s previous book was an engaging biography of Montaigne that was also a subtle exposition of Montaigne’s writings. Some may find the description of Camus as ‘a simple, cheerful soul,’ as surprising as Sartre’s apparently charming Donald Duck imitation… ‘When reading Sartre on freedom, Beauvoir on the subtle mechanisms of oppression, Kierkegaard on anxiety, Camus on rebellion, Heidegger on technology or Merleau-Ponty on cognitive science,’ Ms. Bakewell writes, ‘one sometimes feels one is reading the latest news.’” —Janet Maslin, The New York Times. "Bakewell brilliantly explains 20th-century existentialism through the extraordinary careers of the philosophers who devoted their lives and work to 'the task of responsible alertness' and 'questions of human identity, purpose, and freedom.'. “Bakewell follows her celebrated study of Montaigne…with a lively appraisal of existentialism and its leading thinkers…With coverage of friendship, travel, argument, tragedy, drugs, Paris, and, of course, lots of sex, Bakewell’s biographical approach pays off… The result is an engaging story about a group of passionate thinkers, and a reminder of their continued relevance.” —Booklist (starred review). “ At the Existentialist Cafe: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails may come dressed in a seductive title, but Sarah Bakewell’s book about the people and ideas behind the existentialist movement is both breezy and brainy. Bakewell demonstrated her ability to plumb big ideas for real-life relevance in How to Live , her 2010 biography of Michel de Montaigne…She brings the same lively intelligence to her latest work. Her book explores the roots of existentialism and its impact in the 20th century in much the way Carl Schorske’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Fin de Siècle Vienna explored the birth of modern art and culture in late-19th-century Vienna… [and] lucidly breaks down dense philosophical texts while avoiding the pitfalls of over-simplification… At the Existentialist Cafe is most riveting in its report of the World War II years. During the occupation, existentialists — who believed above all in freedom and responsibility — were engaged and committed to the Resistance in their actions and their literature… Among a panoply of riches, Bakewell offers fascinating anecdotes, including the heroics involved in saving Husserl’s papers during the war. But as Sarah Bakewell describes them in this vivid, vital group biography, existentialists like Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvior, and Albert Camus were courageous free thinkers in an age of fascism, totalitarianism, and conformity.” —The Boston Globe. “A vivid and warmly engaging intellectual history.” —The Los Angeles Times “Bakewell has made weighty, complex philosophical ideas feel exhilarating — for that she should be praised, and read.” —The San Francisco Chronicle. “Although biography provides the narrative momentum of At the Existentialist Café , much of the meat comes from the philosophy…Bakewell has a knack for crystallising key ideas by identifying choice original quotations and combining them with her own words…Perhaps the aphorism that best captures the book is one of Bakewell’s own: 'Thinking should be generous and have a good appetite.'. At the Existentialist Café , Sarah Bakewell’s group portrait of Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Beauvoir, and the other 'Continental' philosophers who flourished before and after World War II, is a work of deep intelligence and sympathy, reminding us how exciting those thinkers can be. Even if the context has shifted slightly, the question it asks remains just as relevant now as in the post-war years: what shall we make of a shattered world?” —The Brooklyn Rail "It's not often that you miss your bus stop because you're so engrossed in reading a book about existentialism, but I did exactly that while immersed in Sarah Bakewell's At the Existentialist Café .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"After reading this book, I say, “If you are Sarah Bakewell, you can take existentialism and make sense out of it.”. The existentialist themes of freedom, political activism, and “authentic being” became watchwords of the middle and late 20th century. National Book Critics’ Circle Award winner Bakewell’s clear writing and carefully researched portrayal of the context in which existentialism developed gave me a much better understanding of this school of thought that both influenced and reflected most of the last century. Unlike Beauvoir and Sartre, “journalists did not quiz him about his sex life---which is a shame, as they would have dug up some interesting stories.” Photos throughout the book were a nice complement to the narrative."
"Although my Amazon Vine queue sometimes mystifies me (WHY as a 76-year-old woman whose youngest grandchild is in high school am I continuously being offered baby products? In addition, it is a historical description of the circumstances surrounding the development of philosophy and its interaction with the political scene before, during and after the rise of Nazism and WWII. Again due to the uncorrected proof format, the extensive notes provided at the end are not annotated in the text, which made it easy for me as a non-scholarly reader to simply read through with ease, but with confidence that if I wanted to check any sources, that information IS available."
Best Humanist Philosophy
The book is equally useful for all dimensions of human life: physical health, creativity, financial success, emotional healing, vocational fulfillment, relationships, sexuality, and spiritual growth. David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D., is Director of the Institute for Spiritual Research, Inc., and Founder of the Path of Devotional Nonduality.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I read this book hoping to learn something more about helping my patients (I'm a psychiatrist) "let go" of the negative emotions that they hold on to. Just seems to be something he likes to enlighten us about, and people in other reviews of other books have mentioned that there are no double blind, placebo controlled scientific studies confirming the validity of this technique anyway. That just might mean, though, that one or both of us was functioning below a "200", which seems like some strange arbitrary number format of levels of vibrational energy and emotion. I have read a lot of Osho, Tolle, don Miguel Ruiz, Dalai Lama and many others, and I've found them all to be beneficial in various ways. I continue to think that a steady practice of meditation is one valid way to tame the "monkey mind" from deleterious thought patterns and associated feelings."
"On the back it says " it is an valuable resource for all professionals who work in the areas of mental health, psychology, medicine , self help, addiction recovery, and spiritual development. For example, I loved the can't VS won't question to put things in perceptive. All the information on work, love, depression, grief, courage, happiness and etc were outstanding in helping me to recontextalize the way I was seeing things. I immediately let go of enormous anger I had about a situation that I had carried for years. Then I find an answer to help get rid of the pain or emotion."
"One of them is a problem solving technique of surrendering where you don't try and surrender on the problem, but you surrender the negative charge energy of the question you are asking yourself. I immediately felt an overwhelming negative surge within me that I was able to surrender using the Letting Go Technique."
"Must read for everyone."
"I love Dr Hawkins and this book is great."
"Can't wait to read his other books as well."
Best Pragmatist Philosophy
Inspired by compassion, this book is a gift to fellow casualties of negative thought patterns, destructive behaviors, self-loathers, and those wishing freedom from persistent demons. Challenge Unhelpful, Intrusive Thoughts Build a Better Relationship with Yourself Break Bad Habits and Enjoy Life! Tags: Training, Techniques, Course, Self-Help, Online, Books, Anxiety, Depression, Cure, Insomnia, Phobias, Intrusive Thoughts, CBT, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Your Stress-Free Life.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"For people who suffer these conditions, it is hard to find ways to cope. It is about time to have a book that truly understands and explains the importance of careful and mindful thinking. I was not familiar with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) until I read this book."
"Especially for a self-help book I like that it does emphasize that people should seek proper treatment if this does not work for them. I like that it emphasizes validation on your own emotions and normalizes that mental health challenges are not something to be ashamed of."
"I found this book to be a mostly easy read."
"Very helpful book."
"I'm not usually into these kinds of books, but there were a lot of interesting points made."
"Good advice for everyone, not just those who feel they need help."
"This book is actually very good."
"I was looking for sound steps for cognitive behavior therapy, not some feel-good new wave stuff or a spiritual survey."
Best Rationalist Philosophy
With eloquent clarity, Hitchens frames the argument for a more secular life based on science and reason, in which hell is replaced by the Hubble Telescope's awesome view of the universe, and Moses and the burning bush give way to the beauty and symmetry of the double helix. All the same, this is salutary reading as a means of culling believers' weaker arguments: that faith offers comfort (false comfort is none at all), or has provided a historical hedge against fascism (it mostly hasn't), or that "Eastern" religions are better (nope). Sam Harris' The End of Faith (2005) and Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion (2006) have questioned the existence of any spiritual being and met with enormous success. Replace religious faith with inquiry, open-mindedness, and the pursuit of ideas, he exhorts. Religious faith, he asserts, is both result and cause of dangerous sexual repression. Believers will be disturbed and may even charge him with blasphemy (he questions not only the virgin birth but the very existence of Jesus), and he may not change many minds, but he offers the open-minded plenty to think about.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Mr. Hitchens is very good in putting his point across."
"this book sure makes you think about things.I'm enjoying it but not finished it yet.Wish more people could get out of the box and say ,now that makes sense."
"I learned something on every page - never knew much about how religion started, but Mr. Hitchens certainly changed that."
"This is the first book I have written by the late Christopher Hitchens and I know I'll read more."
"This is a must reference book for Pro and Anti Religion."
"Firstly, I want to say that Christopher Hitchens was already on my "favorites" list (an idea at which I'm sure he would have scoffed) because I've known about him and listened to many recorded debates in which he participated. Hitchens writes in such a manner that one can easily envision him on a stage with a microphone lecturing in his dry, acerbic style with all the wit and sarcasm that his subject(s) deserve. As one of the most prevalent "arguments" from the theist's point of view seems to be that so much good has been done through and by religion, Hitchens is at his best in diffusing and disproving this oft-repeated nonsense using reason, logic, erudition and wit. But the man's command of the language and his ability to transfer his thinking and wit to the printed word is, in itself, astounding."
"It's not easy reading, but there are great points that I've not considered before."
"This book is absolutely brilliant."
Best Utilitarian Philosophy
Contents include a selected bibliography and an editor's Introduction broken into two sections. Alexander should be commended for making this invaluable material accessible to scholars and students... -- Maria H. Moralies, Florida State University.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If I didn't read this full book as a philosophy major in college I must have at least read excerpts, but there is something so different about reading this now after much life experience and for pleasure rather than assignment."
"A little pretentious of me to critique the work of John Stuart Mill."
"This is the first time I read this author and this classic essay."
"Although Mills was quite verbose, he provides an exhaustive review of the case for individual liberty, with excellent argumentation of how to frame a discussion of when state actors and/or guidance are needed to intervene on society's behalf."
"And part of the impetus for the timing of this read is that the party that has claimed Mill as their own – rightly or wrongly – looms at a viable alternative to the current electoral madness in America. Much of his advocacy for liberty and individualism was in opposition to the societal “tyranny of the majority” as well as despotic governments. He was opposed to what he called the “odium theologicum,” the “sincere bigots” of religion who insisted on conformity to their fetishes, and specifically cites the Parsees in India, who fled Persia, had to agree to not eat beef as their price of admission to their new country, and then had to subsequently agree not to eat pork when the Moguls arrived. I’d say he would be for it: “in each person’s bearing his share… of the labours and sacrifices incurred for defending the society or its members from injury and molestation.” Charter schools? And finally, he would have recognized the Veterans Administration in action: “no reform can be effected which is contrary to the interest of the bureaucracy…The Czar himself is powerless against the bureaucratic body; he can send any one of them to Siberia, but he cannot govern… against their will.” Amen, for his numerous insights."
"At this risk of irony: everyone should read the chapter on individuality."
"Outstanding show."
"The ideas should, hopefully, seem self evident- but it's still valuable to have them so forcefully and judiciously put."
Best Phenomenological Philosophy
Antifragile is a standalone book in Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s landmark Incerto series, an investigation of opacity, luck, uncertainty, probability, human error, risk, and decision-making in a world we don’t understand. The other books in the series are Fooled by Randomness, The Black Swan, and The Bed of Procrustes . Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the bestselling author of The Black Swan and one of the foremost thinkers of our time, reveals how to thrive in an uncertain world. What Taleb has identified and calls “antifragile” is that category of things that not only gain from chaos but need it in order to survive and flourish. In The Black Swan, Taleb showed us that highly improbable and unpredictable events underlie almost everything about our world. The book spans innovation by trial and error, life decisions, politics, urban planning, war, personal finance, economic systems, and medicine. highly entertaining.” — The Economist “A bold book explaining how and why we should embrace uncertainty, randomness, and error . You finish the book feeling braver and uplifted.” — New Statesman “Antifragility isn’t just sound economic and political doctrine. As comical as Taleb's rough handling of his favorite targets can be--academics, economists, and tourists, to name a few--his argumentative style boasts gaping holes, non sequiturs aplenty, and at times an almost willfully repugnant tone.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The rest is an accumulation of more or less relevant topics, delivered in Taleb's trademarked seering, holier-than-thou, hero-or-moron style. Debt-fueled economies: debt has no flexibility, so these economies can't stand even a slowdown without risking implosion (cf current situation). Modern societies: efficiency demands are pushing the structures to the maximum, so a little sand in the cogs make the whole edifice totter. Touristification: turning adventures (kids growing up, people visiting foreign countries) from exciting, dangerous activities into bland, Disneyfied and safe ones. 1.2.3 Ways to be antifragile include: Stressors: it is healthy to be subject to some punctual stresses to awake the organism from complacency (e.g. irregular meal times, violent exercise or ingesting small amounts of poison). Barbell strategy: put 90% of your eggs into something super-safe and be very risk-seeking with the other 10% (swing for the fences). 1.2.4 For small troubles, better trust nature and do nothing than bring untested methods that can have tragic unforeseen consequence. Beware of neomania: don't embrace novelty for the sake of it. Stick to time-tested methods: what has stood the test of time has proved to be robust. Don't sweat the small stuff if it can lead to tragedy: radiation used to cure acne leading to leukemia, thalidomide prescribed to reduce morning sickness leading to malformed babies. 1.2.5 An antidote to the lack of accountability seen in the powerfuls who rule us (government officials, corporate honchos, bankers). Have them have skin in the game, i.e. to share in the downside of their decisions. In conclusion, this is an imperfect, overlong and often eye-roll-inducing book (as is usual for Taleb), but it presents an intriguing and original argument for the reader to chew on."
"NNT writes about when he used to attend MBA, he tells the story about a professor that was teaching him about financial options, and NNT realized he did not even knew that much about options, because the professor thought there where only financial options, but NNT grasped the generality of the idea."
"Antifragile was intellectually stimulating and thought provoking."
"What Taleb expounds upon actually transcends and goes beyond just the financial markets and into many critical facets of life itself (most notably, medical treatments and practice)."
"To me that makes the book worth it."
"I recommend this book go all the managers; you think to know how things go, you think to have everything under control, if you think that you see were you are driving your business, after reading this book will probably change your mind."
"It's not an easy read, but it was excellent."