Book · 2022
A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us
Algorithms and apps analyze data and tell you how to beat the traffic, what books to buy, what music to listen to, and even who to date, often with great results. But what do you do when you face the big decisions of life, the wild problems of who to marry, whether to have children, where to move, how to forge a life well-lived, that can't be solved by measurement or calculation?
In Wild Problems, beloved host of EconTalk Russ Roberts offers puzzled rationalists a way to address these wild problems, urging the lens of human flourishing and a life well-lived rather than the pursuit of day-to-day satisfaction.
“This excellent book won't make your decisions for you. Instead, it will do something more powerful: help you think about your most important decisions in a completely new light.”
Emily Oster, author of Expecting Better“A beautiful meditation on big life choices, gently reminding us of the limits of narrow cost-benefit reasoning and presenting an alternative approach to human flourishing.”
Angela Duckworth, author of Grit“I am delighted to find out in this book that Roberts is also a source about the limits of economic reasoning when it comes to existential decisions.”
Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of The Black Swan“Wild Problems is a powerful guide to a more meaningful life.”
David Epstein, author of Range