Thanks NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review,



In the midst of uncertainty, how do you get certain? Humans grasp and cling to the narrative that we have control... but do we? The Upside of Uncertainty is poetic summary of how to thrive through change.

As a budding leader in tech, I found this book helpful for dealing with the ambiguity and holding onto the upside. Love the combination of science and storytelling. Did find to be dense in some areas, had to put down and come back.

This book has given me a shifted perspective in acknowledging that uncertainties can be a good motivation to keep challenging myself. The breakdown and step-by-step reflections on each chapter have helped me a lot. I've been recommending this book to my friends non-stop ever since I started reading this.

THE UPSIDE OF UNCERTAINTY

The point has been made in the behavioral economics literature that people tend to be risk-averse when faced with potential losses and risk-seeking when it comes to potential gains. We prefer the sure thing to the alternative, but are willing to throw caution to the wind if the payoff is large enough. Interestingly, sometimes our attitude to risk really just boils down to how the risk (or opportunity) is framed: if it looks like we have something to lose we are conservative; on the other hand, if it looks like there’s something to gain we become more aggressive.

Perhaps this is really just indicative of our uneasy relationship with uncertainty in general. If uncertainty were easy to navigate, we’d know exactly whether to follow our built-in hedonic instincts and maximize pleasure and minimize pain. Yet by definition you just don’t know, which makes confronting uncertainty an unpleasant experience on the whole.

Husband and wife authors Nathan Furr and Susannah Harmon Furr have collated practical advice for dealing with that unpleasantness in The Upside of Uncertainty: A Guide to Finding Possibility in the Unknown.

Interestingly, in spite of the title, the Furrs do not belabor the point about uncertainty’s upside. They simply make the case that so much of our growth as people arise from what we learn dealing with the unknown, because life without uncertainty is essentially sterile. With that point made they then proceed with their advice on how to approach risk and uncertainty not just to get over inertia but also precisely to maximize the possible benefit while properly framing and mitigating the downside risks.

For those who’ve followed Nathan Furr’s body of work, The Upside of Uncertainty will be both familiar and different. It has the same analytical rigor that he has applied in the past to matters of business and management, not to mention his penchant for providing a useful analytical framework and interesting anecdotes to help readers follow along. Yet the book is also of a much more personal nature, and not just because it is co-written with his wife Susannah. Throughout the book, the Furrs go on to recount some of their own personal family struggles with their finances and well being, which is a powerful way of driving some key points home.

It stands to reason that, try as we might, we will never completely overcome our programming as regards our attitudes towards uncertainty. Yet The Upside of Uncertainty is the kind of book that can help people be a little bit more comfortable navigating the unknown.

In a time of increasing uncertainty at all levels of life, understanding how to gain comfort with uncertainty will be all the more important. In this wonderful book, Nathan Furr, with Susannah Harmon Furr, offers helpful, practical perspectives and tools we can use to do just this. The book was well-organized, learned, and accessible, and the tools easily applicable to both personal and professional life. I highly encourage anyone to read this needful book.

(I will post a review on my blog on July 30 and will update the links accordingly.)

THE UPSIDE OF UNCERTAINTY by Nathan Furr and Susannah Harmon Furr is a unique, powerful combination of science, philosophy, logic, history, psychology, and everything poetic, thoughtful and human unified with storytelling. Complex ideas are summarized succinctly, clearly, and memorably so that my newly educated self can more thoughtfully and effectively work, love, and live. This book is the one to bring to that proverbial desert island once you've handled the basic necessities of life. With it, I can move mountains, dream bigger, and live a happier, more productive life. My deepest respect and appreciation to this gifted, generous couple in sharing stories of their own struggles and triumphs and the treasures they've discovered on their journeys. I received an early copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

While there is no new concepts mentioned in this book, it provides some fresh perspectives to see the uncertainty of the world we are in. One thing I love a lot about this book is the various examples used in this book. Would recommend.

In a word, this is excellent. It brings together many, many ideas that are helpful and/or powerful. While there's essentially nothing new presented, it is still a great set of tools for self-exploration. Recommended.

12 Summer Non-Fiction Releases to Have on Your Radar📚🫶 If you are always looking for exciting upcoming releases to add to you TBR piles, here are 12 non-fiction summer releases you won’t want to miss being published in June, July and August.
The Upside of Uncertainty: A Guide to Finding Possibility in the Unknown by Nathan Furr & Susannah Harmon-Furr

The American born British Petroleum industrialist, Jean Paul Getty once said: “Without the element of uncertainty, the bringing off of even, the greatest business triumph would be dull, routine, and eminently unsatisfying.” The husband-and-wife duo of Nathan and Susannah Fur, both intrepid researchers, in their upcoming book, “The Upside of Uncertainty”, embellish Getty’s contention by not just arguing about a slew of advantages that the negatively perceived feature of uncertainty can otherwise bestow on us, but also providing a practically implementable “tool kit” to make uncertainty an able ally. Even though what the duo offer is old wine, the bottle is not just new and shiny. There are lots of takeaways that can be gleaned from the book.

The authors premise their theories by using an “uncertainty first aid cross” as the primary tool. Resembling the commonly found red cross symbol, the uncertainty first aid cross consists of a set of four tools. The Northernmost end of the cross is titled “Reframe”; the Southernmost end of the cross is called “Sustain”; and at the Western and Eastern ends of the cross lie, “Prime” and “Do” respectively. Each of these tools in turn are made up of various elements/components.

The primary objective of “Reframing” is to undertake a paradigm shift towards the very notion of uncertainty. Instead of acting like a Cassandra mulling over doomsday, it would be better to reframe our perceptions governing uncertainty that would enable us to identify its upshots. A few techniques that would aid and assist us in this endeavour would be reverse insurance, a practice that makes us aware of the fact that an element of uncertainty is in fact a blessing; Regret minimization: working out backwards all options available to minimis the possibilities of later regret; Aplomb: transforming self-doubt from foe to friend etc. Clare and David Hieatt, the founding couple of the Howies Brand of clothing found themselves at the crossroads when after acquiring their brand, Timberland refused to toe the philosophy that had characterised Howies, pre-acquisition, which led to the Hieatts exiting the company. However, Clare & David used uncertainty to their advantage by converting the quaint town of four thousand people. Called Cardigan in Wales into the premier manufacturing hub for Denim Jeans that has at its core tenet, the notion of sustainability.

Urban designer and architect Rob Adams transformed Melbourne from a haphazard concoction of streets into one of the most ‘liveable’ cities in the world. Adams brought redundant buildings to life, redeveloped Swanston Street as a pedestrian-friendly street, created a new riverfront park called Birrarung Marr from under-used rail sidings, and repurposed the CH2 building to make it first purpose-built office building in Australia to achieve a maximum Six Green Star rating with passive heating and cooling, power generation and blackwater treatment.
The arsenal of tools encompassing the “Prime” method, prepares the doer to take up projects that mean something to her. Personal Real Options imparts the value of having a portfolio of both certain and uncertain projects; Dumbo Feathers are people, places and things that helps us develop wings and soar high; Runways and Landing Strips represent money and time that enable ideas to take off and the networks that offer new opportunities. Fait Sur Mesure exhorts us to lead life made to our measure instead of blindly following someone else’s plans. Roald Dahl held on to his day job at Shell Oil until his writing career took off. Similarly, Anthony Trollope held a job with the postal services for decades, concentrating on writing his famous books between 5.30 – 8.30 every morning. Mastering gallows humour also helps one overcome many a tribulation. In the words of singer Leonard Cohen, “a sideways glance at the gathering clouds while one is still sipping tea in the garden…There is an amortization of burden when we share a heavy load.”

The tools “Do” and “Sustain”, enable unlocking the rewarding possibilities hidden in and by uncertainty and remind us to pivot when things turn pear shaped, respectively. The creator of Ruby on Rails and Basecamp, David Heinemeier Hanson, is a serial entrepreneur who was once served an infringement notice by Apple (a dispute in which David ultimately prevailed over Goliath). Hanson detests outcome-based goals terming them ‘oppressive’. He argues for pursuing goals based on values than staying focused on goals. Y Combinator, the American technology start-up accelerator, hosts a weekly dinner for its participants. At these dinners, successful entrepreneurs describe their triumphs and failures, in addition to mentoring the participants. Graduating companies from the fabled Y Combinator stable include Airbnb, Dropbox, and GitHub.

“The Upside of Uncertainty” is full of these splendid examples, include some poignant ones involving the authors themselves. For example, the uncertainties the authors faced when one of their children came out as a transgender while another went through a severe bout of depression, bears ample testimony to not just the authors’ resilience but their genuineness and authenticity. They truly practice what they preach. This authenticity is also apparent from the number of interviews which the duo has conducted before embarking on the ambitious endeavour of writing this book. The book is worth reading for the real-life examples alone!
“The Upside of Uncertainty” also sets out at the end of every Chapter, simple exercises and experiments (both thought and physical) that encourages sustained transformation attempts. Titled “Reflection and Practice” these are sturdy companions to the principles contained within the book.

“The Upside of Uncertainty” – antidote to ambiguity.

(The Upside of Uncertainty: A Guide to Finding Possibility in the Unknown – Nathan Furr & Susannah Harmon Furr is published by Harvard Business Review Press and will be available for sale from the 19th of July 2022 onwards. Thank You Net Galley for the Advance Reviewer Copy)