Archives: Book Reviews

Handbook of Research on Leveraging Risk and Uncertainties for Effective Project Management

by

The proper understanding and managing of project risks and uncertainties is crucial to any organisation. It is of paramount importance at all phases of project development and execution to avoid poor project results from meager economics, overspending, reputation and environmental damage, and even loss of life. The Handbook of Research on Leveraging Risk and Uncertainties for Effective Project Management is a comprehensive reference source for emerging perspectives of managing risks associated with the execution and development of projects. Highlighting innovative coverage written by top industry specialists, such as complexity theory, psychological bias and risk management fallacies, probabilistic risk analysis, and […]

by

What is world-class risk management? Why do so many top executives and board members have difficulty seeing how enterprise risk management makes a positive contribution to the success of the organisation? Norman Marks is recognised as a global thought leader in risk management. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Risk Management and a Fellow of the Open Compliance and Ethics Group. A prolific blogger, author of three previous books and multiple award-winning articles, and a speaker at conferences and seminars around the world, Norman Marks is an original thinker with a business rather than a technical risk […]

World-Class Risk-Management

by

What is world-class risk management? Why do so many top executives and board members have difficulty seeing how enterprise risk management makes a positive contribution to the success of the organisation? Norman Marks is recognised as a global thought leader in risk management. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Risk Management and a Fellow of the Open Compliance and Ethics Group. A prolific blogger, author of three previous books and multiple award-winning articles, and a speaker at conferences and seminars around the world, Norman Marks is an original thinker with a business rather than a technical risk […]

The No-Nonsense Guide to Science

by

Science is the great intellectual adventure, but can also be an instrument of profit, power, and privilege. Wrongly used, it might yet make the twenty-first century our last. To make sense of this, we need to let go of old ideas and assumptions. This No-Nonsense Guide to Science introduces a new way of thinking about science, moving away from ideas of perfect certainty and objectivity. We must accept uncertainty and ignorance in the field, as well as the need for citizens’ participation in the policies involving science. About the Author Jerry Ravetz was formerly Professor of the History and Philosophy […]

Thinking, Fast and Slow
by Daniel Kahneman

 in Daniel Kahneman  tagged Psychology by

The New York Times Bestseller, acclaimed by author such as Freakonomics co-author Steven D. Levitt, Black Swan author Nassim Nicholas Taleb and Nudge co-author Richard Thaler, Thinking Fast and Slow offers a whole new look at the way our minds work, and how we make decisions.Why is there more chance we’ll believe something if it’s in a bold type face?Why are judges more likely to deny parole before lunch? Why do we assume a good-looking person will be more competent? The answer lies in the two ways we make choices: fast, intuitive thinking, and slow, rational thinking. This book reveals how our minds are tripped up by error and prejudice […]

Genre: Psychology

Risk Savvy
by Gerd Gigerenzer

 in Gerd Gigerenzer  tagged Financial Risk / Risk Psychology by

A fascinating, practical guide to making better decisions with our money, health and personal lives from Gerd Gigerenzer, the author of Reckoning with Risk.Risk-taking is essential for innovation, fun, and the courage to face the uncertainties in life. Yet for many important decisions, we’re often presented with statistics and probabilities that we don’t really understand and we inevitably rely on experts in the relevant fields – policy makers, financial advisors, doctors – to analyse and choose for us. But what if they don’t quite understand the way the information is presented either?How do we make sure we’re asking doctors the right […]

Genre: Financial Risk, Risk Psychology

Boomerang: The Biggest Bust
by Michael Lewis

 in Michael Lewis  tagged Financial Psychology / Risk Management by

With rare insight based on his first-hand commodity trading experience, Mark Douglas demonstrates why the beliefs learned to function effectively in society are often formidable psychological barriers in trading. “The Disciplined Trader” helps you join the elite few who have learned how to control their trading behaviour by developing a systematic, step-by-step approach for winning — week after week, month after month. In a comprehensive and logical manner, Mark Douglas shows you how to examine and limit your trading behaviour — how to develop the mental discipline possessed by the small minority of winners who make money consistently.Mark Douglas is […]

Genre: Financial Psychology, Risk Management

Risk Intelligence: How to Live with Uncertainty
by Dylan Evans

 in Dylan Evans  tagged Psychology / Risk Psychology by

  There is a special kind of intelligence for dealing with risk and uncertainty. It doesn’t correlate with IQ and most psychologists fail to spot it because it is found in such a disparate, rag-tag group of people such as weather-forecasters, professional gamblers and hedge-fund managers. This book shows just how important risk intelligence is. Many people in positions which require high risk intelligence – doctors, financial regulators and bankers – seem unable to navigate doubt and uncertainty. Risk Intelligence is a traveller’s guide to the twilight zone of probabilities and speculation. Dylan Evans shows us how risk intelligence is […]

Genre: Psychology, Risk Psychology

The Human Element: A Guide to Human Behaviour in the Shipping Industry
by Dik Gregory, Paul Shanahan

 in Dik Gregory / Paul Shanahan  tagged Risk Management / Risk Psychology by

  Based on a wide range of consultations with maritime organisations, the guide was produced by organisational psychologists GS Partnership Ltd, for consortium partners UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency, BP Shipping, Teekay Marine Services, and the Standard P&I Club. Aimed at everyone in the shipping industry, the Guide explains the fundamental aspects of human behaviour, which together constitute what the commercial maritime sector calls ‘the human element’. It makes clear that the human element is neither peripheral nor optional in the pursuit of a profitable and safe shipping industry. The Guide clearly shows that managing the human element must take […]

Genre: Risk Management, Risk Psychology

The Hour Between Dog and Wolf
by John Coates

 in John Coates  tagged Financial Psychology / Financial Risk by

  Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ exposes the excesses of the trading floor – but if you want to know more about the biology that drives this risky business, neuroscientist John Coates can explain it all.Shortlisted for the 2012 Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award and the Wellcome Trust Book Prize, this startling and unconventional book from neuroscientist and former Wall Street trader John Coates shows us the bankers in their natural environment, revealing how their biochemistry has a lasting and significant impact on our economy. We learn how risk stimulates the most […]

Genre: Financial Psychology, Financial Risk