4 ms·
Reading Antifragile always felt like he's got some interesting insights, some of which feel quite quackery ... and the constant pot shots are unnecessary to the
by Swizec 7y ago
Reading Antifragile always felt like he's got some interesting insights, some of which feel quite quackery ... and the constant pot shots are unnecessary to the point of distraction.
We get it, you don't like academics and The Establishment. But do you have to mention it every other paragraph like a teenage boy?
Guess nobody gave him the Kill Your Darlings writing advice.
- catalogia 7y ago> and the constant pot shots are unnecessary to the point of distraction. For each their own I suppose. I found it unnecessary and also entertaining.
- Swizec 7y agoOh they’re entertaining alright. They’re just also unnecessary and get old after the first 50 :D
- 40acres 7y agoI just bought Antifragile and can't believe this guy gets away with the constant petty swipes. There are enough interesting ideas to keep you going but there is so much petty noise in these books. If he has an editor they are doing a terrible job.
- bo1024 7y agoI think Black Swan is much, much better.
- huffmsa 7y agoI'm pretty sure he discusses editors at some point and he doesn't really like them or have one. He takes the swipes, but he'll show up with a truckload of evidence supporting them if you push back.
- machawinka 7y agoYes, his prose is terrible. Initially I thought he never took any english composition class. But then I realized that perhaps he thinks he is too smart for such things. That is, he writes the way he think, the way he speaks.
- rfeather 7y agoThanks for the warning. I'll go with my normal approach to non-entertaining non-fiction and just read a couple of online summaries. E.g. https://www.nateliason.com/notes/antifragile https://www.nateliason.com/notes/antifragile
- lowdose 7y agoYou can't cheat with reading. Whatever you think of NNT he carefully picks metaphors to simplify underlying fabric. When I read a book it feels like a conversation with the writer, it takes me through a new door and unlocks another paradigm. Try to read the whole Skin in the Game book. It's worth the investment. Summaries are like a hand job it doesn't compare with the real deal.
- huffmsa 7y agoI'd give you multiple points for the handjob metaphor of I could.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]