The Basic Laws of Human StupidityINTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • An economist explains five laws that confirm our worst fears: stupid people can and do rule the world "A masterly book" —Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of The Black Swan • "A classic" —Simon Kuper, Financial Times Throughout history, a powerful force has hindered the growth of human welfare and happiness. It is more powerful than the Mafia or the military. It has global catastrophic effects and can be found anywhere from the world's most powerful boardrooms to your local bar. It is human stupidity. Carlo M. Cipolla, noted professor of economic history at the UC Berkeley, created this vitally important book in order to detect and neutralize its threat. Both hilarious and dead serious, it will leave you better equipped to confront political realities, unreasonable colleagues, or your next dinner with your in-laws. The Laws: 1. Everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals among us. 2. The probability that a certain person is stupid is independent of any other characteristic of that person. 3. A stupid person is a person who causes losses to another person while deriving no gain and even possibly incurring losses themselves. 4. Non-stupid people always underestimate the damaging power of stupid individuals. 5. A stupid person is the most dangerous type of person. |
Contents
The Mad Millers to the Reader | |
Introduction | |
The First Basic | |
The Second Basic | |
A Technical Interlude | |
The Third and Golden Basic | |
Frequency Distribution | |
Stupidity and Power | |
The Power of Stupidity | |
The Fourth Basic | |
Macro Analysis and the Fifth Basic | |
Appendix | |
Other editions - View all
The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity: The International Bestseller Carlo M. Cipolla No preview available - 2019 |
Common terms and phrases
Allegro area H associate with stupid bandits with overtones basic graph blue-collar workers Bologna Carlo causes losses Cipolla circumstances to deal damaging power deal and/or associate deriving no gain Dick division of Penguin ebook editrice il Mulino fact fall in area fellow took Fifth Basic Law Fourth Basic Law fraction of stupid Human Stupidity individuals in circulation inevitably everyone underestimates infallibly turns Laws of Human Mad Millers mark will fall NASSIM NICHOLAS TALEB Nobel laureates non-stupid people constantly number of stupid overtones of intelligence overtones of stupidity particular non-stupid Penguin Random House percentage of stupid perfect bandit person be stupid possibly incurring losses power of stupid Random House Ltd rational Second Basic Law Società editrice Società editrice il society stupid individuals stupid is independent stupid people infallibly stupid person subareas takes an action Third Basic Law Tom’s mark took an action troppo underestimate the damaging underestimates the number WH Allen