Antifragile – Things That Gain from Disorder

Date: 2023-04-26

Book Author: Nassim Nicholas Taleb

This book doesn't teach you how to survive chaos — it teaches you how to benefit from it. Taleb’s writing is chaotic, cocky, and occasionally hard to follow — but beneath the noise is a powerful insight: some systems (and people) get stronger when stressed. Not just resilient. Antifragile.

💡 Big Ideas: • Antifragility is more than robustness — it’s the ability to thrive under volatility. • Don’t try to predict the future. Build for randomness. • Decentralisation, redundancy, and skin in the game are key ingredients.

❤️ What I Admired: • Challenges conventional thinking — especially around risk, control, and institutions. • Made me see fragility in places I never considered (corporate jobs, central banks, even health routines). • The barbell strategy is genius: extreme safety on one end, bold bets on the other.

🤔 What Made Me Pause: • Taleb’s tone is abrasive — he insults readers, critics, and entire professions. • The book meanders. A lot.

📈 Verdict: Read this slowly. Argue with it. Highlight it. It’ll frustrate you — and you’ll still walk away sharper.

Rating: 4.4/5