Behold! My new book—Fluke: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters—is out imminently in paperback. Here's the entire first chapter, free to read.
Hey Brian, I have read the book previously but am now going to buy some copies to give to the kids (24 to 31) but also a few to give to a local school or 2,
The book should be on syllabuses of middle to upper high school which here in Australia is 15/16 years of age.
I have always tried to impress upon the kids the serendipity of being born into a society that is comfortably well off, with healthcare education and secure accommodation, and how even within our own city that is not the reality for all.
It was never to guilt them, but to try and implant empathy for those who due to circumstances that began with the "FLUKE" of their birth circumstance may not have the same opportunities to achieve the outcomes in life that others may take for granted.
How might our perception of colours be connected to...figs??
By what strange fluke was it that Darwin happened to sail on the Beagle?
Questions that have plagued me my whole life, thankfully answered by Fluke.
A very informative and entertaining overview of contingency, and why it just won't go away. ( we'll just have to see about the future of contingency, I suppose.)
As happy and comfortable in my life as I am at this advanced age, it could have been so different. I've often thought that I wouldn’t do it over again, not one unpleasant moment. Somehow I got here.
OTOH, I have to admit, I’ve thought: Well, I did this and not this — but you point out, I don’t know what caused anything.
So now reading this, I realize I should just enjoy, knowing it could change at any second. Yikes!
I've read your book once and want to read it again. Today would be a good day to begin. I'd especially enjoy some online discussion of Fluke. On a more personal note--I came to many of your conclusions by an entirely different method, in a narrative referring to fate and chaos.
I know I'd be interested but you might want to put that question out there in your newsletter. Nina Schuyler of Stunning Sentences on Substack, which I subscribe to, has monthly sentence-building workshops. Yours would be very different than hers, of course. When I saw the title of your book, I ordered it immediately. But I had questions, and thought I need to read it again before I can more fully understand it.
Absolutely fascinating. I will definitely buy at least one copy. As a historian, I've always thought things happen for a reason, but learning more about evolution destroyed that path! On a fork for sure!
I read the book when it came out & reminded myself of it by reading the first Chapter as a tease to rereading it. What an exhilarating journey. Not many books/thinkers had this unputdownable effect on me & I go back to them from time to time - Taleb / Fooled by Randomness, Deutsch / Beginning of Infinity, Sapolski / Behave, Harris / The end of faith, Sandel / The Tyranny of Merit. I assume you will take their company :)
As always, very grateful for your work, thank you.
Hey Brian, I have read the book previously but am now going to buy some copies to give to the kids (24 to 31) but also a few to give to a local school or 2,
The book should be on syllabuses of middle to upper high school which here in Australia is 15/16 years of age.
I have always tried to impress upon the kids the serendipity of being born into a society that is comfortably well off, with healthcare education and secure accommodation, and how even within our own city that is not the reality for all.
It was never to guilt them, but to try and implant empathy for those who due to circumstances that began with the "FLUKE" of their birth circumstance may not have the same opportunities to achieve the outcomes in life that others may take for granted.
I read Fluke the first month after its publication. I loved it. Brian is a incisive thinker and a great writer.
How might our perception of colours be connected to...figs??
By what strange fluke was it that Darwin happened to sail on the Beagle?
Questions that have plagued me my whole life, thankfully answered by Fluke.
A very informative and entertaining overview of contingency, and why it just won't go away. ( we'll just have to see about the future of contingency, I suppose.)
Wonderful, thanks.
As happy and comfortable in my life as I am at this advanced age, it could have been so different. I've often thought that I wouldn’t do it over again, not one unpleasant moment. Somehow I got here.
OTOH, I have to admit, I’ve thought: Well, I did this and not this — but you point out, I don’t know what caused anything.
So now reading this, I realize I should just enjoy, knowing it could change at any second. Yikes!
I loved Fluke. And as first chapters go, this was an absolute “gotcha”. It was hard to put down.
Serendipity attracted me to the title. It now occupies a spot above my desk in my “reference section.” Looking forward to Fluke 2.
I've read your book once and want to read it again. Today would be a good day to begin. I'd especially enjoy some online discussion of Fluke. On a more personal note--I came to many of your conclusions by an entirely different method, in a narrative referring to fate and chaos.
Thanks for the comment and kind words. Would you think there would be much interest if I led a few Zoom Fluke discussion groups for subscribers?
I know I'd be interested but you might want to put that question out there in your newsletter. Nina Schuyler of Stunning Sentences on Substack, which I subscribe to, has monthly sentence-building workshops. Yours would be very different than hers, of course. When I saw the title of your book, I ordered it immediately. But I had questions, and thought I need to read it again before I can more fully understand it.
Congratulations buddy ☺️👍🏽
Absolutely fascinating. I will definitely buy at least one copy. As a historian, I've always thought things happen for a reason, but learning more about evolution destroyed that path! On a fork for sure!
I read the book when it came out & reminded myself of it by reading the first Chapter as a tease to rereading it. What an exhilarating journey. Not many books/thinkers had this unputdownable effect on me & I go back to them from time to time - Taleb / Fooled by Randomness, Deutsch / Beginning of Infinity, Sapolski / Behave, Harris / The end of faith, Sandel / The Tyranny of Merit. I assume you will take their company :)
As always, very grateful for your work, thank you.