A Business Week, New York Times Business, and USA Today Bestseller "Ambitious and readable ...an engaging introduction to the oddsmakers, whom Bernstein regards as true humanists helping to release mankind from the choke holds of superstition and fatalism." -The New York Times "An extraordinarily entertaining and informative book." -The Wall Street Journal "A lively panoramic book ...Against the Gods sets up an ambitious premise and then delivers on it." -Business Week "Deserves to be, and surely will be, widely read." -The Economist "[A] challenging book, one that may change forever the way people think about the world." -Worth "No one else could have written a book of such central importance with so much charm and excitement." -Robert Heilbroner author, The Worldly Philosophers "With his wonderful knowledge of the history and current manifestations of risk, Peter Bernstein brings us Against the Gods. Nothing like it will come out of the financial world this year or ever. I speak carefully: no one should miss it."-John Kenneth Galbraith Professor of Economics Emeritus, Harvard University In this unique exploration of the role of risk in our society, Peter Bernstein argues that the notion of bringing risk under control is one of the central ideas that distinguishes modern times from the distant past. Against the Gods chronicles the remarkable intellectual adventure that liberated humanity from oracles and soothsayers by means of the powerful tools of risk management that are available to us today. "An extremely readable history of risk." -Barron's "Fascinating ...this challenging volume will help you understand the uncertainties that every investor must face." -Money "A singular achievement." -Times Literary Supplement "There's a growing market for savants who can render the recondite intelligibly-witness Stephen Jay Gould (natural history), Oliver Sacks (disease), Richard Dawkins (heredity), James Gleick (physics), Paul Krugman (economics)-and Bernstein would mingle well in their company." -The Australian
CONTRIBUTORS: Peter L. BernsteinEAN: 9780471121046COUNTRY: United StatesPAGES: WEIGHT: 636 gHEIGHT: 229 cm
PUBLISHED BY: John Wiley and Sons LtdDATE PUBLISHED: CITY: GENRE: BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Economic History, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Finance / Financial Risk Management, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Investments & Securities / Portfolio ManagementWIDTH: 152 cmSPINE:
Book Themes:
Psychology, Management decision making, Budgeting and financial management, Probability and statistics
"...Fun-to-read introduction to how humans feel about risk..." (Electric Light and Power, 2 July 2002) "A useful...introduction to the history of financial risk." (Breakingviews.com, Wednesday 16th April 2008)
PETER L. BERNSTEIN is President of Peter L. Bernstein, Inc., economic consultants to institutional investors. Mr. Bernstein is the author of six books in economics and finance, including the bestselling Capital Ideas: The Improbable Origins of Modern Wall Street, as well as many articles in the professional and popular press. He is the Editor of The Portable MBA in Investment (Wiley) and was the Founding Editor of The Journal of Portfolio Management.
Book Partnerships
For the Fans
A Business Week, New York Times Business, and USA Today Bestseller "Ambitious and readable ...an engaging introduction to the oddsmakers, whom Bernstein regards as true humanists helping to release mankind from the choke holds of superstition and fatalism." -The New York Times "An extraordinarily entertaining and informative book." -The Wall Street Journal "A lively panoramic book ...Against the Gods sets up an ambitious premise and then delivers on it." -Business Week "Deserves to be, and surely will be, widely read." -The Economist "[A] challenging book, one that may change forever the way people think about the world." -Worth "No one else could have written a book of such central importance with so much charm and excitement." -Robert Heilbroner author, The Worldly Philosophers "With his wonderful knowledge of the history and current manifestations of risk, Peter Bernstein brings us Against the Gods. Nothing like it will come out of the financial world this year or ever. I speak carefully: no one should miss it."-John Kenneth Galbraith Professor of Economics Emeritus, Harvard University In this unique exploration of the role of risk in our society, Peter Bernstein argues that the notion of bringing risk under control is one of the central ideas that distinguishes modern times from the distant past. Against the Gods chronicles the remarkable intellectual adventure that liberated humanity from oracles and soothsayers by means of the powerful tools of risk management that are available to us today. "An extremely readable history of risk." -Barron's "Fascinating ...this challenging volume will help you understand the uncertainties that every investor must face." -Money "A singular achievement." -Times Literary Supplement "There's a growing market for savants who can render the recondite intelligibly-witness Stephen Jay Gould (natural history), Oliver Sacks (disease), Richard Dawkins (heredity), James Gleick (physics), Paul Krugman (economics)-and Bernstein would mingle well in their company." -The Australian
CONTRIBUTORS: Peter L. BernsteinEAN: 9780471121046COUNTRY: United StatesPAGES: WEIGHT: 636 gHEIGHT: 229 cm
PUBLISHED BY: John Wiley and Sons LtdDATE PUBLISHED: CITY: GENRE: BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Economic History, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Finance / Financial Risk Management, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Investments & Securities / Portfolio ManagementWIDTH: 152 cmSPINE:
Book Themes:
Psychology, Management decision making, Budgeting and financial management, Probability and statistics
PETER L. BERNSTEIN is President of Peter L. Bernstein, Inc., economic consultants to institutional investors. Mr. Bernstein is the author of six books in economics and finance, including the bestselling Capital Ideas: The Improbable Origins of Modern Wall Street, as well as many articles in the professional and popular press. He is the Editor of The Portable MBA in Investment (Wiley) and was the Founding Editor of The Journal of Portfolio Management.
The author heavily researched the claims he makes in this book. Going very far back in history describing the origins.
My interpretation of his fundamental opinion is that sugar is the main cause of obesity (ergo every other ailment he describes in the book). I am by far an expert but I cannot agree to his baseline premise.
Winspear is such a good story teller, as this book is testimony to that. I enjoyed intrigue and getting to know these characters. Each of her books sheds light on a different aspect of the world wars, always so interesting.