Engelska

<p>A bold work from the author of The Black Swan that challenges many of our long-held beliefs about risk and reward, politics and religion, finance and personal responsibility In his most provocative and practical book yet, one of the foremost thinkers of our time redefines what it means to understand the world, succeed in a profession, contribute to a fair and just society, detect nonsense, and influence others. Citing examples ranging from Hammurabi to Seneca, Antaeus the Giant to Donald Trump, Nassim Nicholas Taleb shows how the willingness to accept one&apos;s own risks is an essential attribute of heroes, saints, and flourishing people in all walks of life. As always both accessible and iconoclastic, Taleb challenges long-held beliefs about the values of those who spearhead military interventions, make financial investments, and propagate religious faiths. Among his insights: - For social justice, focus on symmetry and risk sharing. You cannot make profits and transfer the risks to others, as bankers and large corporations do. You cannot get rich without owning your own risk and paying for your own losses. Forcing skin in the game corrects this asymmetry better than thousands of laws and regulations. - Ethical rules aren&apos;t universal. You&apos;re part of a group larger than you, but it&apos;s still smaller than humanity in general. - Minorities, not majorities, run the world. The world is not run by consensus but by stubborn minorities imposing their tastes and ethics on others. - You can be an intellectual yet still be an idiot. Educated philistines have been wrong on everything from Stalinism to Iraq to low-carb diets. - Beware of complicated solutions (that someone was paid to find). A simple barbell can build muscle better than expensive new machines. - True religion is commitment, not just faith. How much you believe in something is manifested only by what you&apos;re willing to risk for it. The phrase skin in the game is one we have often heard but rarely stopped to truly dissect. It is the backbone of risk management, but it&apos;s also an astonishingly rich worldview that, as Taleb shows in this book, applies to all aspects of our lives. As Taleb says, The symmetry of skin in the game is a simple rule that&apos;s necessary for fairness and justice, and the ultimate BS-buster, and Never trust anyone who doesn&apos;t have skin in the game. Without it, fools and crooks will benefit, and their mistakes will never come back to haunt them.</p>

<p>From the moderator of The New York Times philosophy blog The Stone, a book that argues that if we want to understand ourselves we have to go back to theater, to the stage of our lives Tragedy presents a world of conflict and troubling emotion, a world where private and public lives collide and collapse. A world where morality is ambiguous and the powerful humiliate and destroy the powerless. A world where justice always seems to be on both sides of a conflict and sugarcoated words serve as cover for clandestine operations of violence. A world rather like our own. The ancient Greeks hold a mirror up to us, in which we see all the desolation and delusion of our lives but also the terrifying beauty and intensity of existence. This is not a time for consolation prizes and the fatuous banalities of the self-help industry and pop philosophy. Tragedy allows us to glimpse, in its harsh and unforgiving glare, the burning core of our aliveness. If we give ourselves the chance to look at tragedy, we might see further and more clearly.</p>

<p><b>A fascinating guide to the mental, physical, and esoteric spiritual transformative Taoist practices designed to increase longevity and unity with the world-with commentary and interpretation on the traditional text by a contemporary academic and meditation practitioner.</b></p><p>In clear and engaging language, Taoist Inner Alchemy shows us that alchemy is not something one does, but a process that unfolds when one "does nothing"-meaning abiding in one's basic, primordial state. It teaches the entire process of Taoist inner alchemy cultivation through meditation practices and includes authentic explanations of fundamental theories and methods needed to actually start walking the path. Historically, Taoist teachers borrowed complex terminology from astrology, numerology, and metallurgical alchemy to describe the process of individual transformation that occurs as a result of long-term meditation practice. While that classical terminology may seem arcane, it actually beautifully represents Taoism's straightforward philosophy; in the words of Lao-tzu, "the Great Tao is ultimate simplicity." </p><p>This thoughtful guide demystifies that classical terminology, illuminating Taoism's straightforward philosophy. Ge Guolong's vivid explanations of Huang Yuanji's discourses-a Taoist master from the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912)-will surprise readers with their clarity, practicality, and close relationship to the philosophy of such works as the Tao Te Ching and Chuang-tzu. Huang's teachings synthesize Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism, and readers will appreciate this book as an excellent entry point to Taoist philosophy and meditation practice.</p>