Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Just for fun, Nassim Nicholas Taleb enjoys making fun of those who take themselves, better yet, their levels of know-how, too seriously. Hinting that his habit of poking fun at scholars is a possible coping mechanism for his intellectual insecurity. In his book, “Fooled by Randomness,” he attempts to equate one’s success to mere chance or randomness. Making a case that moderate success can be influenced by hard-work, and the level of skills one possesses, but that success to higher degree is the result of good fortune and or arbitrary events. Can prosperity, in truth, depend on being in the right place at the right time? After reading Mr. Taleb’s book, I’m beginning to wonder if that’s the case. The primary thesis of this book is that people…

future situations through analyzing similar past scenarios. However, according to NYU Professor Taleb’s bestseller, The Black Swan, even well-supported predictions are futile in the occurrence of a black swan event—one that is deemed highly improbable, but causes great consequences (Taleb). The Black Swan provides a philosophical analysis on the value of factual and historical knowledge, the fallacies associated with prediction and forecasting, and the role of serendipity in the advancement of…

Sylvia Plath tragically died more than 50 years ago, however the vitality of her work continues on. To some, Plath’s writing is a biography of her life, yet to others, her work is simply a piece of art to be admired and studied. Through the earlier drafts of her poem “Stings,” one can develop a biographical perception of Plath’s writing. However, it is within her published version of “Stings” that Plath’s writing is revealed as the Introduction to Johnny Panic states, “impassioned…

"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." - Philip K. Dick. Whether you've heard this famous saying or not, it seems to ring true. For example, when you were a child, you were told that Santa Claus is existent and that he's the one that comes down your chimney (if you happen to have one), place presents under your Christmas tree, and bite into the cookies and drink the milk left out for him. So you believed it because you simply suppose "My parents wouldn't lie to…

England is a beautiful place to live, or even visit someday. The weather is usually cold and wet. Warm and comfortable clothes are a necessity. People throughout the ages, such as people in Elizabethan Era, wanted to be warm and stylish. The dress and clothing of Elizabethan England is a very important part of England’s history. In Elizabethan England, clothing could be bright and beautiful, or simple and plain. What clothes you wore depended on your station in life and your financial…

“Beth stopped short suddenly and faced him. All at once, Clayton noticed her anger had been replaced by something more close to terror. The tree house” (Sparks 314). Coming home provided no leisure for Logan Thibault. Not even a quaint fishing trip to Minnesota allowed him to escape Death’s longing for him. All that stood between Death and Logan was a Simple Picture. Logan’s new life revolved around that single picture, which he would spend the rest of his life trying to repay that debt. Logan…

It was a month before christmas and Ben was at school in 7th period, the last class of the day, him and his friend, Jason were messing around, throwing paper airplanes at kids, and causing problems. They were in study hall, and had already finished their homework for the day, although they weren’t happy about even having homework going into the weekend and Ben was even less happy because he had just gotten a detention for the next 3 school day, and his birthday was on the 30th, the last day of…

Santa clause the jolly man that comes only once a year, is beneficial to children. He teaches them to believe in doing the impossible, to be respectful towards others, and gives children happy memories to look back on. The man that can deliver presents to all the children in the world in a single night, is a story told to children about how a man named Santa clause does the impossible every Christmas Eva. In a world where people are constantly fighting each other to get places in life, it all…

In the mind of many, Nicholas Sparks is considered one of the top influential authors in today’s current society. Like a great deal of authors, he had to overcome many struggles and hardships to earn his prestigious label, such as, being born into a hard working and poor family or having to cope with his mother and father dying at a young age. (“Home.”) This is just the start of the journey of Nicholas Sparks’ amazing and unique life that included a challenging childhood, a deep faith filled…

Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs is a memoir of Augusten’s childhood and adolescent life where he experiences the frenzy of his parent’s deteriorating marital relationship and his livelihood under his mother’s psychologist’s household. The book begins with the introduction of young Augusten, a seven year old boy who enjoys dressing up in his mother’s clothes and polishing jewelry. His childhood resembles that of an average boy. His father, a mathematics professor, would take him out…