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Resilience Institute
Warsaw

Open Book

Books we love

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

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

Energy and Civilization: A History by Vaclav Smil analyses human history through the lens of energy flows. Smil argues that access to energy and improvements in its efficient use have been central drivers of economic and social development. The book shows how agriculture and food production, industrialisation, transport, and urbanisation, as well as the resulting economic growth and living standards, are closely linked to the development of increasingly powerful energy sources.

The fascinating narrative is complemented by a large amount of quantitative evidence and engineering detail. It is a compelling source of insight for discussions on resilience, sustainability, and the material foundations of modern civilisation.

Energy and Civilization: A History

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

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

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

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari offers a broad overview of human evolution and the major turning points that shaped modern civilisation. It invites readers to reflect on fundamental questions about how humans organise complex systems and construct shared realities. Several of these reflections, especially those related to humanity’s relationship with nature, are uncomfortable but necessary if we want to understand our role in the broader ecological and social system.

Although some arguments are speculative and debated among historians, the book remains a powerful and inspiring synthesis.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

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

Machiavelli explores how power is acquired and maintained under conditions of uncertainty. Firmly grounded in realism, he offers a pragmatic analysis of leadership, control, and the trade-offs required to secure stability. Often criticised as cynical and ruthless, the book remains essential reading for anyone interested in resilience.

The Prince

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

The Social Conquest of Earth by Edward O. Wilson, the world-renowned expert on ants, offers a fascinating exploration of human evolution in comparison with eusocial species such as termites, ants, and bees. Wilson argues that group selection and cooperation played a decisive role in the emergence of human societies. This argument sparked strong debate among evolutionary biologists, many of whom questioned or rejected his conclusions.

The value of the book, however, lies in provoking reflection on cooperation, competition, and the evolutionary foundations of complex societies.

The Social Conquest of Earth

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

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

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