When I give presents, I either give a well-chosen book or a well-chosen wine (and sometimes both), the first because it can be life-changing and the latter because it is life-enhancing. I know because I like them both!
I'm due to see my cancer surgeon again, and I think - no, I know! - he would enjoy reading "When Breath Becomes Air". Of course, I never buy just one book, so on the basis of one for him and two for me, I also ordered Nassim Nicholas Taleb's "Skin in the Game" and The Black Swan.
Judging by some of the reviews, Taleb's books may be slow going. As one reviewer says, "This is a complicated book. I don't often need three months to complete 450 pages but this one book could not be digested in large chunks. It has been sitting at the bed waiting for me to gather enough energy to consume a bit more." Maybe that's what I need: small chunks, one at a time, over several weeks or even months, to give me a sense of continuity. The publisher's blurb sounds interesting enough:
"What have the invention of the wheel, Pompeii, the Wall Street Crash, Harry Potter and the internet got in common? Why are all forecasters con-artists? What can Catherine the Great's lovers tell us about probability? Why should you never run for a train or read a newspaper? This book is all about Black Swans: the random events that underlie our lives, from bestsellers to world disasters. Their impact is huge; they're impossible to predict; yet after they happen we always try to rationalize them. A rallying cry to ignore the 'experts', The Black Swan shows us how to stop trying to predict everything - and take advantage of uncertainty."
At least there is the certainty that I will enjoy reading it.
