Category Archives: Problem Solving

09.17.19
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Paperback only book review | Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know

PSA: I’m a Malcolm Gladwell fanboy and will always be biased toward the content he creates. Having read all his previous books, it was a no brainer that I would source “Talking to Strangers” on pre-order.

As expected the book is a great read, super engaging with topics we can easily relate too. Malcolm’s ability to distill what could be complex concepts into a woven story that grabs the reader the first time is unparalleled.

Without giving to much away, the books deals with 3 concepts we all need to be aware of in our troubled times when dealing with strangers:

  • Defaulting to truth
  • Transparency
  • Coupling

Get your copy today and you won’t be disappointed.

04.04.18
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Unleash your freak

 

Think Like A Freak

I bought Think Like A Freak many years ago, started reading it but stopped reading during chapter 1. Still not sure why I didn’t finish it though. The book has a decent rhythm and is filled with anecdotes which will keep you entertained and engaged. Think Like A Freak follows on from the bestselling Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics books further distilling the Levitt & Dubner doctrine and providing practical examples of unleashing your freakiness.

The book is about problem-solving, appreciating that not all problems can be solved and verbalising “I don’t know” is ok.

Other notable nuggets are:

  • Dump your moral compass
  • Think like a child, without a filter
  • Focus on the root cause of a problem, not the symptom
  • Search for the incentives, people care more about them than you realise
  • Find innovative ways to persuade those who don’t want to be persuaded
  • Embrace the upside of quitting

Levitt & Dubner have once again shifted the benchmark and although the book was written a few years ago, it is still relevant as a framework for addressing those niggly issues we all face.

Well worth a read.