Fooled

Fooled by Randomness 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 The Black Swan, Antifragile, Skin in the Game, and The Bed of Procrustes. Fooled by Randomness is the word-of-mouth sensation that will change the way you think about business and the world. Nassim Nicholas Taleb–veteran trader, renowned risk expert, polymathic scholar, erudite raconteur, and New York Times bestselling author of The Black Swan–has written a modern classic that turns on its head what we believe about luck and skill. This book is about luck–or more precisely, about how we perceive and deal with luck in life and business. Set against the backdrop of the most conspicuous forum in which luck is mistaken for skill–the world of trading–Fooled by Randomness provides captivating insight into one of the least understood factors in all our lives. Writing in an entertaining narrative style, the author tackles major intellectual issues related to the underestimation of the influence of happenstance on our lives. The book is populated with an array of characters, some of whom have grasped, in their own way, the significance of chance: the baseball legend Yogi Berra; the philosopher of knowledge Karl Popper; the ancient world’s wisest man, Solon; the modern financier George Soros; and the Greek voyager Odysseus. We also meet the fictional Nero, who seems to understand the role of randomness in his professional life but falls victim to his own superstitious foolishness. However, the most recognizable character of all remains unnamed–the lucky fool who happens to be in the right place at the right time–he embodies the “survival of the least fit.” Such individuals attract devoted followers who believe in their guru’s insights and methods. But no one can replicate what is obtained by chance. Are we capable of distinguishing the fortunate charlatan from the genuine visionary? Must we always try to uncover nonexistent messages in random events? It may be impossible to guard ourselves against the vagaries of the goddess Fortuna, but after reading Fooled by Randomness we can be a little better prepared. Named by Fortune One of the Smartest Books of All Time A Financial Times Best Business Book of the Year

“Hilarious, always inventive, this is a book for all, especially uptight English teachers, bardolaters, and ministerial students.” —Dallas Morning News Fool—the bawdy and outrageous New York Times bestseller from the unstoppable Christopher Moore—is a hilarious new take on William Shakespeare’s King Lear…as seen through the eyes of the foolish liege’s clownish jester, Pocket. A rousing tale of “gratuitous shagging, murder, spanking, maiming, treason, and heretofore unexplored heights of vulgarity and profanity,” Fool joins Moore’s own Lamb, Fluke, The Stupidest Angel, and You Suck! as modern masterworks of satiric wit and sublimely twisted genius, prompting Carl Hiassen to declare Christopher Moore “a very sick man, in the very best sense of the word.”

Seventh-grader Amy Flowers is not happy that she is stuck teaching health to first-graders for her service project while her best friends get to help at the community garden, specially since her partners are the Queen of Mean Fiona and preppie Preston.

"Fake news!" screams Donald Trump from his Twitter account when journalists ask tough questions about his past or present behaviour. Meanwhile, his Fox & Friends fan club makes dubious claims about anyone who challenges his power. Fake news inflames racism, stokes fear, spreads confusion, and undermines democracy.All while CO2 levels continue to rise as "experts" tell us it's nothing to worry about. But how do we tell which news is real? In this meticulously researched but accessibly written comic, Erin Steuter shows us how to spot fake news and how to stop it. Won't Get Fooled Again is an engaging examination of the Fake News phenomenon, as seen through the eyes and ears of students, families, shoppers and seniors. No one is safe from its clutches, but there are ways to escape. Using current examples from around the world, this entertaining comic explains the ways that governments, media owners, advertisers, powerful corporations, and think tanks can influence the organization and content of the news media to manipulate voters or reap billions in profits This graphic novel will educate and elucidate.

You don't need a degree to make movies. You do need tireless dedication, boundless creativity... and a budget. So how do film schools justify charging students tens of thousands of dollars for their programs? Find out in this surprising behind the scenes account of what is currently considered to be one of the best film schools in the country. You'll laugh at the professor's obscure credentials. You'll cry at the cost of tuition and the plight of the graduates. But mostly, you'll be astounded by what alumni have hailed as "very funny, sadly accurate" portrayal of the film school experience.

Don't be fooled by what your brain thinks you see! Fooled Ya! is a kid's guide to the mind bending world of illusions, perception, and why we can be tricked. Don't be fooled again, learn the tricks! Discover the variety of ways our brains can trick us, from the visual trickery of optical illusions, to magicians' masterful use of misdirection, to strategies used by con artists. You can't always trust your brain, learn why with Fooled Ya! and you'll be less likely to be swindled, hoodwinked, or bamboozled. Brian Z. Brain is your illustrated guide, he will explain the inner workings of your mind and what makes it tick. This mind bending guide to what you see and only think you see covers just about anything you could dream up. Sections include "Can You Trust Your Brain," "Fool the Five Senses," "How Magicians Mess with Your Mind," and "Learn to Be Less Gullible." Woven throughout are tons of articles that show off interesting stories and facts on subject ranging rang history, psychology, and even neuroscience! Named one of Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year, 2018!

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Empire Falls returns to North Bath, the Rust Belt town first brought to unforgettable life in Nobody’s Fool. Now, ten years later, Doug Raymer has become the chief of police and is tormented by the improbable death of his wife—not to mention his suspicion that he was a failure of a husband. Meanwhile, the irrepressible Sully has come into a small fortune, but is suddenly faced with a VA cardiologist’s estimate that he only has a year or two left to live. As Sully frantically works to keep the bad news from the important people in his life, we are reunited with his son and grandson . . . with Ruth, the married woman with whom he carried on for years . . . and with the hapless Rub Squeers, who worries that he and Sully aren’t still best friends. Filled with humor, heart, and hard-luck characters you can’t help but love, Everybody’s Fool is a crowning achievement from one of the great storytellers of our time. Look for Everybody’s Fool, available now, and Somebody’s Fool, coming soon.