The Black SwanThe Black Swan
Score Modern
What it's about
From the author of Fooled by Randomness, Nassim Nicholas Taleb's book is about the impact of highly improbable events, 'black swans', on every aspect of life, and why we are so bad at predicting them.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 28 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It's one of the most influential books on risk and uncertainty.
You'll love it if you liked
Thinking, Fast and Slow
The Signal and the Noise
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday MachineGood to know
Taleb's style is combative and digressive.
By the numbers
- Readers25 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller62 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #68 of the 85 self-help and business books we rank
- #1083 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2004 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Practical
If you like this, read next
Atomic Habits
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It
Outliers: The Story of Success
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
The Ride of a LifetimeExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Self-help and business booksTop 25 · 85 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 ranked
Books of the 2000sTop 25 · 490 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is The Black Swan worth reading?
Yes. It spent 28 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #2,004 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 63.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Black Swan about?
From the author of Fooled by Randomness, Nassim Nicholas Taleb's book is about the impact of highly improbable events, 'black swans', on every aspect of life, and why we are so bad at predicting them.
How long does it take to read The Black Swan?
About 11 hours (444 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Black Swan?
If you liked it, try Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver or The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis.