Maxims for Thinking Analytically: The wisdom of legendary Harvard Professor Richard Zeckhauser 9781735340890, 9781735340883
This book will help you think more analytically. Doing so will enable you to better understand the world around you, to
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English Pages 254 Year 2021
Table of contents :
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1 – Thinking Straight
Maxim 1 – When you are having trouble getting your thinking straight, go to an extreme case
Maxim 2 – When you are having trouble getting your thinking straight, go to a simple case
Maxim 3 – Don’t take refuge in complexity
Maxim 4 – When trying to understand a complex real-world situation, think of an everyday analogue
Chapter 2 – Tackling Uncertainty
Maxim 5 – The world is much more uncertain than
you think
Maxim 6 – Think probabilistically about the world
Maxim 7 – Uncertainty is the friend of the status quo
Chapter 3 – Making Decisions
Maxim 8 – Good decisions sometimes have poor outcomes
Maxim 9 – Some decisions have a high probability of a bad outcome
Maxim 10 – Errors of commission should be weighted the same as errors of omission
Maxim 11 – Don’t be limited by the options you have
in front of you
Maxim 12 – Information is only valuable if it can change
your decision
Chapter 4 – Understanding Policy
Maxim 13 – Long division is the most important tool for policy analysis
Maxim 14 – Elasticities are a powerful tool for
understanding many important things in life
Maxim 15 – Heterogeneity in the population explains many phenomena
Maxim 16 – Capitalize on complementarities
Chapter 5 – Living Fully
Maxim 17 – Strive hard not to be envious – see your friend’s success as your gain
Maxim 18 – Eliminate regret
Maxim 19 – Make pleasure-enhancing decisions long in advance, to increase the utility of anticipation
Brief but important life maxims
Living with the Maxims
Appendix A – Gratitude
Appendix B – Contributors
References
Index
About Richard Zeckhauser
About the Author
Notes
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1 – Thinking Straight
Maxim 1 – When you are having trouble getting your thinking straight, go to an extreme case
Maxim 2 – When you are having trouble getting your thinking straight, go to a simple case
Maxim 3 – Don’t take refuge in complexity
Maxim 4 – When trying to understand a complex real-world situation, think of an everyday analogue
Chapter 2 – Tackling Uncertainty
Maxim 5 – The world is much more uncertain than
you think
Maxim 6 – Think probabilistically about the world
Maxim 7 – Uncertainty is the friend of the status quo
Chapter 3 – Making Decisions
Maxim 8 – Good decisions sometimes have poor outcomes
Maxim 9 – Some decisions have a high probability of a bad outcome
Maxim 10 – Errors of commission should be weighted the same as errors of omission
Maxim 11 – Don’t be limited by the options you have
in front of you
Maxim 12 – Information is only valuable if it can change
your decision
Chapter 4 – Understanding Policy
Maxim 13 – Long division is the most important tool for policy analysis
Maxim 14 – Elasticities are a powerful tool for
understanding many important things in life
Maxim 15 – Heterogeneity in the population explains many phenomena
Maxim 16 – Capitalize on complementarities
Chapter 5 – Living Fully
Maxim 17 – Strive hard not to be envious – see your friend’s success as your gain
Maxim 18 – Eliminate regret
Maxim 19 – Make pleasure-enhancing decisions long in advance, to increase the utility of anticipation
Brief but important life maxims
Living with the Maxims
Appendix A – Gratitude
Appendix B – Contributors
References
Index
About Richard Zeckhauser
About the Author
Notes
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