If the prescriptions for getting rich that are outlined in books such as The Millionaire Next Door and Rich Dad Poor Dad are successful enough to make the books bestsellers, then one must ask, Why aren't there more millionaires? In Fooled by Randomness,
Nassim Nicholas Taleb, a professional trader and mathematics professor,
examines what randomness means in business and in life and why human
beings are so prone to mistake dumb luck for consummate skill. This
eccentric and highly personal exploration of the nature of randomness
meanders from the court of Croesus and trading rooms in New York and
London to Russian roulette, Monte Carlo engines, and the philosophy of
Karl Popper. Part of what makes this book so good is Taleb's ability to
make seemingly arcane mathematical concepts (at least to this reviewer)
entirely relevant in evaluating and understanding everything from the
stock market to the success of those millionaires cited in the
aforementioned bestsellers. Here's an articulate, wise, and humorous
meditation on the nature of success and failure that anyone who wants a
little more of the former would do well to consider. Highly recommended.
--Harry C. Edwards

amazon.com