Sunday, December 4, 2022

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About The World - And Why Things Are Better Than You ThinkFactfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About The World - And Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great book that shows the importance of data and how you should base your actions based on sound and correct data and how you should avoid the recurring bias/instincts while doing so.

Hans took macro facts and trends to exemplify the most common mistakes, but those could be applied into your daily life (professional and personal).

Common bias to be aware of:
1. Gap Instinct (beware of averages, extremes and perspectives)
2. Negative Instinct (distinguish between level and direction, that good news is not news - specially gradual improvements, more bad news does not mean more suffering or bad trends, beware of rosy pasts)
3. Straight line instinct - the worldly trends are not linear
4. Fear instinct - be afraid of the dangerous events, know how to calculate the risk (danger * exposure), avoid making decision when with a fear mindset
5. Size instinct - get all things in proportion and comparable, define benchmarks
6.Generalization Instinct - beware of using categories/generic groups to explain events/situations, look for differences, similarities within and across, majorities and vivid examples to explain complex realities
7-Destiny Instinct - Changes might be happening slowly, but their are happening, update you knowledge, beware of cultural changes
8- Single perspective Instinct - broaden your perspectives, test your ideas, avoid hammer and nails approach, trust and look at the numbers when they explain the story, beware of simple ideas and solutions
9- Blame instinct - trying to find culprits instead of causes, look for systems that underpin success instead of heroes
10 - Urgency Instinct - beware of the need of urgent and immediate decisions, take your time, require the minimum data, beware of fortune tellers, the future cannot be precisely defined, work in scenarios, be aware of drastic actions.

Strongly advise its reading.

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