Superforecasting by Philip E. Tetlock & Dan Gardner Summary
Overview of Superforecasting
Discover why ordinary people outperformed intelligence agencies in Tetlock's groundbreaking forecasting research. Can prediction truly be learned? This NYT bestseller reveals the cognitive toolkit that helps superforecasters beat experts - even those with classified information at their disposal.
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Key takeaways
Why the Smartest People in the Room Are Usually Wrong
Here's something that should shake your confidence: in 2011, a retired government employee from Nebraska with no special credentials started outpredicting CIA analysts, celebrated pundits, and sophisticated prediction markets on questions like whether Russia would annex Ukrainian territory. Bill Flack wasn't lucky - he was part of a revolution in how we think about the future. When over 20,000 volunteers participated in a government-sponsored forecasting tournament, researchers discovered something remarkable: the ability to see the future isn't a mystical gift or the domain of credentialed experts. It's a learnable skill, built on specific thinking habits that anyone can develop. The catch? Most of us - especially the experts we trust most - are doing it completely wrong. In 1956, a renowned medical specialist diagnosed Archie Cochrane with terminal cancer. Cochrane, a physician himself, accepted this death sentence without question and began planning his final months. The specialist was completely wrong. What's terrifying isn't just the misdiagnosis - it's that neither man questioned it. They fell into what psychologists call the certainty trap, where our minds rush to judgment and then defend those judgments against all evidence. This trap has killed countless people throughout history. George Washington's physicians bled, purged, and blistered him to death in 1799, supremely confident in treatments that were actually hastening his demise. For centuries, doctors rarely questioned methods that ranged from useless to lethal. As one medical historian put it, they were "like blind men arguing over the colors of the rainbow."
How Our Minds Betray Us and Why Experts Fail
Breaking Down the Impossible and Merging Multiple Views
The Precision Paradox and the Art of Updating
The Growth Mindset and Learning from Failure
The Wisdom of Humble Collaboration
Your Move
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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