Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 5,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Wild Problems summary
Russ Roberts
A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us
4.5 (295 ratings)
16 mins
5 key ideas
Audio & text
What is Wild Problems about?
Wild Problems (2022) is an exploration of decision-making, particularly when it comes to the thornier issues of life that can have the deepest impact. Although the modern world offers algorithms and practical approaches to doing so, calculations are not always the best way to a life well lived.
About the Author
Russ Roberts is the host of weekly award-winning podcast EconTalk that he started in 2006. He is also president of Shalem College in Jerusalem and the author of How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life and Gambling with Other People’s Money.
Table of Contents
Wild Problems
summarized in 5 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 5
When it comes to the toughest of decisions, rationality may need to take a back seat to discovery and principles.
What’s a wild problem?
Wild problems are the ones that no algorithm, app or clinical pro-vs-con list can solve. And they’re everywhere. When it comes to issues like marriage, children and careers – the things that truly define us – sometimes the best way to make a decision is by jumping in with an open mind and strong sense of self. You can’t simply cost these decisions out. After all, the happiness you might feel from the right choice is not something that can be added up like a transaction. It is usually something more ephemeral.
Scientists, philosophers and thinkers have parsed through the problem of decision making, but few have an approach that can be universally applied. We are unique individuals who all have our own paths to happiness. While logic and reasoning can help us decide between things as trivial as toothpaste brands or as clinical as types of surgery, old-fashioned soul-searching might be your best bet to solve a truly thorny Wild Problem. In this Blink, we’ll break down Russ Roberts' thoughts on how to tussle with wild problems and not just solve them, but flourish while doing so.
In these blinks, you’ll learn
- Why a pro-con list might not be the best tool for decision-making
- What Charles Darwin worried about, and
- Lessons from the NFL Draft
Want to see all full key ideas from Wild Problems?
Key ideas in Wild Problems
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
Who should read Wild Problems
- Anyone interested in philosophy
- People at the threshold of making major life decisions like marriage or a geographical move
- Anyone struggling with becoming more decisive
Categories with Wild Problems
Books like Wild Problems
What our members say
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
Start growing with Blinkist now
25 Million
Downloads on all platforms
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
91%
Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
*Based on survey data from Blinkist customers