In Principles, Dalio shares what he’s learned over the course of
his remarkable career. He argues that life, management, economics, and
investing can all be systemized into rules and understood like machines.
The book’s hundreds of practical lessons, which are built around his
cornerstones of “radical truth” and “radical transparency,” include
Dalio laying out the most effective ways for individuals and
organizations to make decisions, approach challenges, and build strong
teams. He also describes the innovative tools the firm uses to bring an
idea meritocracy to life, such as creating “baseball cards” for all
employees that distill their strengths and weaknesses, and employing
computerized decision-making systems to make believability-weighted
decisions. While the book brims with novel ideas for organizations and
institutions, Principles also offers a clear, straightforward
approach to decision-making that Dalio believes anyone can apply, no
matter what they’re seeking to achieve.