#19 in Philosophy
The Bed of Procrustes
- 128
- Pages
- about 2.5 h
- Reading time
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About the book
The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms is a philosophy book by Nassim Nicholas Taleb written in the aphoristic style. It was first released on November 30, 2010 by Random House. An updated edition was released on October 26, 2016 that includes fifty percent more material than the 2010 edition. According to Taleb, the book "contrasts the classical values of courage, elegance, and erudition against the modern diseases of nerdiness, philistinism, and phoniness." The title refers to Procrustes, a figure from Greek mythology who abducted travelers and stretched or chopped their bodies to fit the length of his bed.
Reading order · Incerto
Full order & progress →- Fooled by RandomnessStart here
7.87.8 / 10 - The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly ImprobableThe Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable–Not ranked yet
- The Bed of ProcrustesThis book
7.77.7 / 10 - Antifragile
7.97.9 / 10 - Skin in the Game: The Hidden Asymmetries in Daily LifeSkin in the Game: The Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life–Not ranked yet
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.1 across 55 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 27% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Philosophy average of 8.0. That is how 7.7 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.0 | 9 | 16% |
| Hardcover | 6.9 | 46 | 84% |
Reader voices
The most-liked reviews on Hardcover (credited to their authors).
“Confessions Cum Review. at least 30% of the contents will require repeated reading to understand the deep meaning in his words. I must confess he is a genius and very smart person. (Conclusion from what I understood from his readings). 30% u will understand easily…”
“Taleb is fascinating. How does a guy who relentlessly attacks the credibility of economists and academics get invited to speak in front of them so often? He's utterly arrogant and abrasive, yet he has a certain appeal that is difficult to explain. Part of it…”
Frequently asked
How long is The Bed of Procrustes?
It has 128 pages — shorter than 85% of the ranked books in Philosophy.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Philosophy — with scores between 7.9 and 8.4, closest to this book.
