TAGGED UNDER: Economy & Finance

Need a good beach read? Try Paul Ormerod’s new book, says Sunday Times

Raleigh Addington
Raleigh Addington
editor at Chartwell Speakers

As the realisation hits home that the weather really isn’t going to get any better, it’s hard to prevent one’s thoughts from wandering in the direction of that upcoming beach holiday (or, if you’re unlucky, that beach holiday you’ve just had).

And with such thoughts comes the inevitable question of what to read on said beach. Having recently worked with Paul Ormerod, I was delighted to see that Bryan Appleyard of the Sunday Times has recommended Paul’s latest book for just such an occasion. Positive Linking: how networks can revolutionise the world, is a fun and stimulating debunking of the myth that the world can be adequately understood by assuming humans make only rational choices. In fact, says Paul, we make decisions by copying others and using rules of thumb, which makes for an infinitely more complex world.

According to Bryan Appleyard, “Nothing promotes holiday serenity as effectively as the contemplation of human folly”. This insight is rather netaly timed: I’m off to lounge about on a beautiful Bavarian lake next week, and, since this kind of thing is right up my “Strasse”, it would appear that I am sorted. Bring on the pebbles and sand…

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