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    The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms
    The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms
    The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms
    Audiobook1 hour

    The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms

    Written by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

    Narrated by Sean Pratt

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    By the author of the modern classis The Black Swan, this collection of aphorisms and meditations expresses his major ideas in ways you least expect.

    The Bed of Procrustes takes its title from Greek mythology: the story of a man who made his visitors fit his bed to perfection by either stretching them or cutting their limbs. It represents Nassim Nicholas Taleb's view of modern civilization's hubristic side effects-modifying humans to satisfy technology, blaming reality for not fitting economic models, inventing diseases to sell drugs, defining intelligence as what can be tested in a classroom, and convincing people that employment is not slavery.

    Playful and irreverent, these aphorisms will surprise you by exposing self-delusions you have been living with but never recognized.

    With a rare combination of pointed wit and potent wisdom, Taleb plows through human illusions, contrasting the classical values of courage, elegance, and erudition against the modern diseases of nerdiness, philistinism, and phoniness.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAscent Audio
    Release dateDec 14, 2010
    ISBN9781596597228
    The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms

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    Reviews for The Bed of Procrustes

    4.5/5

    147 ratings8 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      was not what i was excepted, is kind of strange being a part of a set along with The Black Swan, for instance. this could easily be a small chapter of it. but ok.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      TBOP is pithy and fun like most of NN Taleb’s stuff.
    • 5/5
      Interesting and Pithy points about life. I believe he must have borrowed this from the book of Proverbs. He mentions it in this book. I love it!
    • 5/5
      Relevant aphorisms with a slight note of a charming contempt (the author would probably not approve of the word charming - spoiler ?). Stoicism is often an underlying value but other philosophies seem attractive to the author as well. Useful and thought-provocative through and through and as often with this type of book, if used in audio format - good to be ready to pause for reflecting and rewind for repetition and retention.
    • 5/5
      Should be listened 2 or 3 times.
      The knowledge is shared in a condensed manner.
    • 5/5
      Insightful, amusing, fresh. Think it has become one of my favourite collections of ideas. Will revisit many more times to be sure.
    • 5/5
      Worth re-reading and re-listening.... Or might need to revise again and again to understand ?
    • 5/5
      Taleb is a great writer/thinker A+++++ I read nearly al his book