Nassim Taleb talks about his new book. Runs about an hour, <iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ehXxoUH1AlM?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Ouch, Taleb is even harder to listen to than to read - yet I definetely found Antifragile worth reading.
Is there anything new in this one? I'm curious about it but refuse to pump any more money at that guy after starting to read "Lecturing Birds on Flying" (for which he wrote the forward). That is undoubtedly the worst book ever.
I heard quite a bit abt Taleb but only read Fooled by randomness before and wasn't overly enthusiastic, although more because of style than substance. Antifragile could have been (much) shorter, and the issue is IMO less in the money spent to buy the book than the time to read it. It's a little boring in Taleb's narcissistic ways to lecture on abt everything, even spending at least over a dozen pages on nutrition and weight lifting, and I was familiar with much of the book as he picks a lot from his own writings, as well as kahneman and Mandelbrot, but the antifragility thesis is still quite interesting (but not as new as the term he might have coined), and he comes up with plenty of historical references, many I wasn't familiar with.
Also even though I felt familiar with much of what Taleb wrote doesn't mean it felt useless to reread about it. It helped clarifying and refreshing some issues.
antifragile = adaptable that's about what I got. Not sure how that is a new idea. Like Taleb mostly for his view that current risk mgmt theory is garbage.
bottom line... pessimism pervades here and with him.. haha the ego's in trading are rather large.. i don't excuse him or any of you... its just life... i take a little from everyone i talk to... some i look at and think.. wow i don't wanna be a dick like that.. some i look at and think wow that guy is frustrated with his surroundings.. i am a pessimist though... i usually doubt anyone saying they are looking out for the greater good.. or that their frustrations are derived out of anything but pure selfish interest.. i've always been an avid fan of him or Espen Derman or anyone else that is willing to share some experience about their life in trading etc.. i can kind of relate to his revolting towards the regime.... the shit they sell you as education it truely is a joke..............the crap they tell you is good for you. the vile poisonous sensationalized news.. . the optionality of returns for bankers and politicians and journalists.. the idea we constantly are better off with the new technology is bulllshiiiiittt.. America is over fed , and over prescribed... you can't argue with that.. just some thoughts... good song.. i grew up twisting my brain around to this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_yR9uPhumY
Taleb Says âEvery Humanâ Should Short U.S. Treasuries <IMG SRC=http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/fredgraph.png?&id=WGS10YR&scale=Left&range=Custom&cosd=2010-02-05&coed=2013-01-18&line_color=%230000ff&link_values=false&line_style=Solid&mark_type=NONE&mw=4&lw=1&ost=-99999&oet=99999&mma=0&fml=a&fq=Weekly%2C+Ending+Friday&fam=avg&fgst=lin&transformation=lin&vintage_date=2013-01-23&revision_date=2013-01-23> His next book should be "The Fuck If I Know Where Markets Are Going."
Taleb might have some valuable insights to offer, but his books are frankly, terribly written and all about his own ego and very short on actual useful information. I have read both Fooled By Randomness and The Black Swan, I should have cut my losses after the first book because the 2nd book was just as bad.