Taleb has the admirable and unfortunately rare quality of truly believing in what he is saying. Unlike most ‘true believers’ he is a true believer in the camp of putting his lifestyle and money where his mouth is.
The central thesis aims to change your way of thinking. Taleb is trying to make us aware of how messy life is, and plan more carefully for its risks. He views the modern world as sliding through excessive planning and knowledge gathering into a framework where risks are less appreciated and we are disconnected from the real effects of our theories and opinions. ‘Antifragile’ is scientific, but disparages scientism. Ancient heuristics for life passed down through religion, such as fasting, are espoused, while economics is considered worthless.
His ideas make a lot of sense. They’re practical, and it’s hard to dislike someone who is willing to go down with their ship. If in 50 years we look back and scoff at the methods suggested by Taleb for exercise, managing your finances, and choosing what books you read for all being terribly wrong, we’ll still admire him for the virtue of living his ideals.
My only criticism is that Taleb likes writing far too much. This book could have been more concise.