Determined
"We are the sum of what is happenstance—biological and environmental—over which we had no control. Every moment in our lives is the result of the biology that came just before it, and the environment that shaped that biology. There is no 'extra' bit of us that sits outside the laws of physics and biology to make a 'free' choice. Recognizing this doesn't mean life has no meaning; it means we can finally stop judging people—and ourselves—for things that were ultimately determined by forces we didn't choose."
Energy
This book takes us on a journey through human ingenuity and development as we transitioned from one fuel source to another in our need for energy to support daily life. New energy sources do not instantly replace old ones. They coexist for long periods, often for 50–100 years, as infrastructure, habits, capital investment, and political systems adapt. Rhodes shows this pattern repeating with coal overtaking wood, oil overtaking coal, and now renewables gradually displacing fossil fuels.
Principles
Look for people who have lots of great questions. Smart people are the ones who ask the most thoughtful questions, as opposed to thinking they have all the answers. Great questions are a much better indicator of future success than great answers.
Fooled By Randomness
This book is about luck disguised and perceived as nonluck (that is, skills) and, more generally, randomness disguised and perceived as non-randomness (that is, determinism). It manifests itself in the shape of the lucky fool, defined as a person who benefited from a disproportionate share of luck but attributes his success to some other, generally very precise, reason. Such confusion crops up in the most unexpected areas, even science, though not in such an accentuated and obvious manner as it does in the world of business.
Antifragile
Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors and love adventure, risk, and uncertainty. Yet, in spite of the ubiquity of the phenomenon, there is no word for the exact opposite of fragile. Let us call it antifragile.