I recently purchased my oldest son’s new book, The Upside of Uncertainty, published by Harvard Business Review Press. I have to be honest and say, it is one of the best books I have read in a long-time, and I read a lot of books. I say this, not because Nathan is my son, but because the book is an excellent read, and I see so much of my own life-long learning experiences exhibited in this book. I’m sure others would as well.
At a recent interview with a journalist, she said, “she was really moved by what was written” and at the end of the interview she said, “it was a love letter to humanity.”
An ex-Notre Dame professor who reads 100 books a year said “this was the best book he’s read in years. “He called it a Love letter to life.”
Here is what the Amazon review of the book says:
This book is a science-backed guide for navigating and thriving through uncertainty—based on interviews and insights from world-renowned leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, artists, and creatives.
Whether you’re searching for courage to start a new project, change careers, launch a business, develop an idea, or reinvent yourself after a disappointment or life change, you will face uncertainty—that ambiguous and uncomfortable state that often makes us feel confused, anxious, and afraid to act. Though these moments are difficult, they offer opportunities for personal growth, innovation, and creativity.
In The Upside of Uncertainty, INSEAD professor Nathan Furr and entrepreneur Susannah Harmon Furr provide a sweeping guide to embracing uncertainty and transforming it into a force for good. Drawing from hundreds of interviews, along with pioneering research in psychology, innovation, and behavioral economics, Nathan and Susannah provide dozens of tools—including mental models, techniques, and reflections—for seeing the upside of uncertainty, developing a vision for what to do next, and opening ourselves up to new possibilities.
In our fast-paced, ever-changing world, uncertainty is on the rise. We face it every day. But few of us have been taught the techniques to navigate it well. The Upside of Uncertainty provides the inspiration, tools, and strategies you need to thrive through the inevitable plot twists in your life and career.
After I read the part in the book about walking down a path at night in Tuscany illuminated by thousands of fireflies, it made me want to experience this in my lifetime.
Reading the chapter on Don’t Force Machinery I am reminded of a lesson in life that I learned a long-time ago. Most of the time, things don’t happen in the time frame I wanted them to happen in, but they happened in the time frame that they should have happened in.
The book is full of examples of life-long experiences and looking at uncertainty as an opportunity to learn and grow.
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