Foolproof
By Greg Ip
Why Safety Can Be Dangerous and How Danger Makes Us Safe. Little, Brown and Company, 2015.
Summary of Foolproof book by Greg Ip
Eye-opening research on risk, safety, and the lengths we take in order to protect ourselves, with the startling realization that by trying to foolproof our world, we are actually doing the opposite.
Chapters in Foolproof book summary
What do you get from this book? A probing investigation into risk and the dangers of playing it safe
There is no way to ensure complete safety, and when we try, we may actually make things worse
Although we can learn from past financial crises, false confidence often prevents us from stabilizing the economy
The government and its people influence each other, and can impact society in both positive and negative ways
As illustrated by what happened in the eurozone, by trying to solve one problem, you often create another
Forest fires can be extremely destructive, but in smaller doses, they are an integral part of the natural world
Despite strict regulatory measures over food and medicine, unanticipated problems can arise
By trying to protect people in sports or in cars, we trigger harmful and unintended consequences
When communities build in areas prone to natural disaster, the devastation increases
While some fears are real, others are misleading, and companies must balance the two when making decisions
The best time to stop a catastrophe is before it happens, but that usually occurs only after an event prompts action
Probability can be useful when assessing risk, but the numbers are often not as reliable as they seem
Establishing rules can be an effective way to limit risk, but not everyone is open to receiving direction
By combining an engineer and ecologist mindset, we can find new ways to use space and make compromises
Summary of the key insights
Selected critiques in brief
Final word
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Foolproof — Book Summary Snapshot
Who should read Foolproof book
- Financial planners
- business owners
- concerned parents
- survivalists
- safety professionals
- anyone interested in reducing risk
About the author of Foolproof
Greg Ip
Greg Ip is a Canadian American journalist whose has reported for The Vancouver Sun, The Globe and Mail, and The Economist. Currently, he is the chief economics commentator for The Wall Street Journal. In 2002, Ip was part of a group of journalists whose combined work earned The Wall Street Journal the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news reporting.
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