Wild Problems

A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us

By: Russ Roberts

Narrated by: Mark Deakins

From the host of EconTalk, a guide to decision-making when you can't crunch the numbers

Algorithms and apps analyze data and tell you how to beat the traffic, what books to buy, what music to listen to, and even who to date—often with great results. But what do you do when you face the big decisions of life—the "wild problems" of who to marry, whether to have children, where to move, how to forge a life well-lived—that can’t be solved by measurement or calculation?

In Wild Problems, beloved host of EconTalk Russ Roberts offers puzzled rationalists a way to address these wild problems. He suggests spending less time and energy on the path that promises the most happiness, and more time on figuring out who you actually want to be. He draws on the experience of great artists, writers, and scientists of the past who found creative ways to navigate life’s biggest questions. And he lays out strategies for reducing the fear and the loss of control that inevitably come when a wild problem requires a leap in the dark.

Ultimately, Roberts asks us to see ourselves and our lives less as a problem to be solved than a mystery to be experienced. There's no right decision waiting to be uncovered by an app or rational analysis. Reality is harder than that and, perhaps, a little more interesting.

Critic reviews

“This excellent book won’t make your decisions for you. Instead, it will do something more powerful: help you think about your most important decisions in a completely new light.”
—EMILY OSTER, author of Expecting Better

“Wild Problems is a powerful guide to a more meaningful life.”
—DAVID EPSTEIN, author of Range

“I’ve learned more about economics and economic reasoning from Russ Roberts than from all other sources combined. I am delighted to find out in this book that Roberts is also a source about the limits of economic reasoning when it comes to existential decisions.”
—NASSIM NICHOLAS TALEB, author of The Black Swan

“An interesting and useful book. The ‘wild problems’ it explains how to solve include the biggest ones you’ll face in your life.”
—PAUL GRAHAM, founder of Y Combinator

“A beautiful meditation on big life choices, gently reminding us of the limits of narrow cost-benefit reasoning and presenting an alternative approach to human flourishing.”
—ANGELA DUCKWORTH, author of Grit

“Roberts’s thought-provoking take on the limits of data and the overquantification of contemporary life provides a bold and original perspective on how humans can make better decisions. Daniel Kahneman’s fans will find much to ponder.”
—PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY

This guy

Russ Robert's podcast is a favorite. His books are icing on the cake. I hope you enjoy ALL of his works as much as I do.

The book besides all else is plainly put: true and wise

I enjoyed this book so much!

A true book with explicit wisdom that let’s no doubt as to how to engage within a life of uncertainty!

Thanks so much maestro Russ Roberts.

Light and interesting

Expected something deeper but takes a simple idea and tells a lot of interesting stories to back it up.

A reminder on how to live a good life

The poem in the end is the best part. Highly recommend! This is the book that I would gift a friend.

Great book. Wish it were read by the author.

I really enjoyed this thoughtful book. The only thing that would have been veered is to have the author read it.