Book Review; The Black Swan by Nicholas Nassim Taleb

I haven’t read the book but I have read some of the draft chapters from his homepage. I found it interesting and entertaining but maybe my limited understanding of english didn’t help me spot all the deficiencies the OP is talking about. Anyway if you are looking for a pleasant read I think the book is OK, if you are looking for answers about overunity don’t read it.

 

I like the argument, and it is very relavant to trading. Did the author mention that it was originally put forward by Sir Bertrand Russell (except that Russell used a chicken and neck ringing)

 

every time a celebrity or congressman has a problem they check into rehab etc. to avoid censure etc.
mutual funds drop from their scorecards funds that have closed.
give us a break.

 

Bullshit! He had health issues a long time ago. He decided to teach at Columbia U and in fact he took a long Sabbatical from that as well to give talks on roasted swans whilst diddling the Iris of his mate P Widdy - whom he collaborates with to this day peddling swan oil to the masses! Who knows what his fund was doing, but if it was making cubic-cash would he have closed it?
Ning ning ning ning ning ning ning...

 

Correction, NYU. Derman is at Columbia, Taleb is at NYU.

 

http://www.isenberg.umass.edu/finopmgt/Faculty/Profiles/Nassim_Taleb/

 

here's the latest review from slate:

http://www.slate.com/id/2167993/nav/ais/


this book could be a monster.

still waiting for any real facts on why his fund closed.

regards,
surf

 

.. And here's the reply on Mahalanobis http://mahalanobis.twoday.net/stories/3842722/ .. ``Damning with faint praise: When a friend's daughter is unattractive, one often says something like, "she has such pretty eyes", or "she has such pretty hair". Nothing screams louder than a sympathetic evaluator who can only manage a lame compliment. So I laughed when Tyler Cowen tried to praise Nassim Taleb's Black Swan over on Slate..''

 

thanks, rodney. that's an interesting site--- some very unique links--- should keep me busy for a bit!

best,
surf

 

No worries, Surf. Mahalanobis is an excellent blog, lots of intelligent and original material -- always worth a look. One of the frequent contributors is an ex-colleague of mine, a very competent and thoughtful guy.