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Resilience Institute
Warsaw

Open Book

Books we love

The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli is an entry level, very accessible introduction to cognitive biases and common errors in judgement. Unlike more demanding and analytical works such as Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow, Dobelli’s book is written in short, clear chapters and can be read almost as a practical handbook. It does not simplify the ideas too much, but makes them easier to remember and to use in everyday managerial and strategic thinking. It is a good starting point for anyone who wants to become more aware of how their mind quietly misleads them.

The art of thinking clearly

Every day we make decisions, but too often we choose poorly. Nudge shows how small interventions ("nudges") can help people make better choices. The same tools can be also used by marketers to steer us towards offers that suit them rather than us. Either way, this is a must-read from a Nobel Prize–winning economist and one of the most cited law professors in the United States. Essential reading for anyone interested in behavioural economics.

Nudge: The Final Edition

Daniel Kahneman's insights into our cognitive processes reveal how they influence our decisions, providing an invaluable toolkit to enhance our ability to understand and accept reality - one of the pillars of resilience.

Thinking Fast and Slow

Man's Search for Meaning
Finding meaning in adversity is a cornerstone of resilience. Viktor Frankl's 'Man's Search for Meaning' offers profound insights into how discovering purpose, even in the darkest of times, can empower us to overcome challenges and build enduring strength.

Man's Search for Meaning

Never aging and full of wisdom, the thoughts of Emperor-Philosopher Marcus Aurelius in Meditations teach resilience, self-discipline, and virtue—possibly the single most important reading for resilience practitioners.

Meditations

The Resilience Dividend: Being Strong in a World Where Things Go Wrong by Judith Rodin offers another comprehensive exploration of the concept of resilience.

The Resilience Dividend: Being Strong in a World Where Things Go Wrong

Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder by Nassim Taleb is a provocative deep dive into the concept, which he calls antifragility - a property of the systems to get better as a result of shocks. Must read for interested in smarter decisions, resilience and future.

Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder

Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back explores the concept of resilience, focusing on how systems—whether ecological, social, or individual—can adapt and recover from disruptions. The book covers various aspects of resilience, combining scientific research, real-world case studies, and interdisciplinary insights.

Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back

Atul Gawande in this insightful book emphasizes the importance of checklists in managing complex tasks and reducing errors. It is an excellent source of practical insights into the methods of building ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

The Checklist Manifesto: How To Get Things Right

A central concept of this excellent book is noise, defined as the variability in judgments that should be identical, leading to inconsistent and inaccurate decisions in organisation and societies.

Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment

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