Adapt

OUT: Leaders with a grand vision. Experts with a detailed plan of action. Gurus with an infallible solution.

IN: Adapt – improvise rather than plan, work from the bottom up, and take baby steps rather than great leaps forward.

When faced with complex problems we have all become accustomed to looking to our leaders to set out a plan of action, to blaze a path to success. In this ground-breaking book, Tim Harford shows us a new and inspiring approach to solving the most pressing problems in our lives. Harford argues that today’s challenges simply cannot be tackled with ready-made solutions and expert opinion; the world has become far too unpredictable and profoundly complex.

Instead, we must Adapt.

Deftly weaving together psychology, evolutionary biology, anthropology, physics and economics, along with the compelling story of hard-won lessons learned in the field, Harford makes a passionate case for the importance of adaptive trial-and-error processes in tackling issues such as climate change, poverty and the financial crisis.

From a spaceport in the Mojave Desert to the street battles of Iraq and a burning offshore drilling rig to everyday decisions in our business and personal lives, this is a handbook for surviving – and prospering – in our complex and ever-shifting world.