I did not expect this book to be this engaging! I’m not really a huge risk-taker, so I think I was the perfect audience for this book, and it did not disappoint. I really loved reading about the ups and downs of the 102 risk takers that this book focused on— so inspiring. It was easy to read and was able to explain things in a unique way. I can see myself gifting this to my friends!

The Risk Paradox" is an engaging book exploring the psychology of risk-taking through the experiences of 102 successful serial risk-takers. The authors identify six categories of risk-takers, including idealists, adventurers, liberators, survivors, seekers, and givers, and provide compelling stories of their ups and downs. The book emphasizes that every decision carries an element of risk, and decisions are impacted by many lines of thinking, including what one has to gain, what one has to lose, and what one loses by not trying in the first place.
Overall, this is an informative and easy-to-read book that provides valuable insights into risk-taking and decision-making.
Recommended for the entreprenuers.

This probably sounds dramatic, but I think this book has changed my life. Or has started the process, at any rate.

I am not risk-averse, but I also haven’t really pondered much on taking risks to deepen my living experience. Most people (myself included) want to improve their lives, but how many are willing to take the jump? I don’t think I ever really worried about “the jump”.

The Risk Paradox is an intelligent, insightful exploration of the lives and risks of 102 (!!!) risk-takers.

The first, and most important, concept it offers is that NOT taking risks is the riskiest thing one can do.

From there, the authors have done more than to simply transcribe the interviews they ran: they have taken lessons from their experiences, and collated them accordingly. They have even come up with a classification for different kinds of risk-takers.

I honestly think this book was written more for business-persons, but for me, it’s been the best “self-help” book I’ve read in a very long time. It has taught me so much about myself - and a fair amount about the people around me. It's basically like The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts, but for your career!

As for criticism, I did find the little interspersed banners with “lesson learned” to be trite and unnecessary. Furthermore, I think the authors may have gone off course just a little bit by appearing to focus on “risk takers” rather than focussing on the act of risk-taking, the processes, and the machinations thereof. It may seem like the same thing, but it is not.

Eventually, I did find The Risk Paradox to drag beyond what was necessary. There is definitely an entire section at the end - a rehashing of the types of risk takers, and their preferred “livewiths” - that could have been left out. It really didn’t introduce and new concepts, but was too long to be considered a conclusion, or a summary.

That said, this is the kind of book that I will come back to. As cerebral as it is, it is also straightforward, understandable, and without unrealistic expectations.

Too things about risk I have learned came from the stories in the book. Sometimes it feels like impossible what the people can go through in their personal and professional lives. This book is all about teaching risks that others took and learning from their examples. There is nothing in the world that could guarantee you will be the same successful or not taking sim flat risks, but definite idea I got from the book is that taking a risk is worth more than doing nothing.

Talk about fascinating! These people in the book are so inspiring I couldn’t stop reading!! I’m not a natural risk taker so this book scared me a little before I started. I’m so glad I read this book.

Have you ever wondered about people who make decisions to risk it all, to make choices that fly in the face of rationale thinking? How and why did they make their decision? Win, lose, or draw? Ever had to make one of those life altering decisions yourself? In The Risk Paradox authors Alan Ying and Doug Schneider explore this very issue, offering up the lessons they learned from an intense study of over 100 risk takers. While they don’t offer up some magic decision making solution that guarantees success (hint: there isn’t one) the book is filled with interesting stories that will keep your interest and make you think. Thanks so much to Amplify Publishing Group and NetGalley for the chance to read and review The Risk Paradox.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-risk-paradox-alan-ying/1141678562?ean=9781637551530&bvnotificationId=4fee964c-4428-11ed-b9c5-0af547dcd12f&bvmessageType=REVIEW_APPROVED&bvrecipientDomain=gmail.com#review/219169332

This book drew my attention because I've always been curious as to what makes some people more comfortable taking risks than others. The authors devised a questionnaire which they felt determined attitude towards risks and had 100 people diverse in age, socio-economic background, gender, cultures etc. fill them out. They then sorted through the data and deliniated six types of risk takers:

- Idealists who want to make a difference in the world,
- Adventurers who enjoy the thrill of it,
- Liberators who want to be their own boss, and be independent,
- Survivors who are motivated by a major life event,
- Seekers who search for meaning,
- Givers who want to serve others.

Taking it a step further, they named six"Risk Livewiths", a way of thinking that guides decision making about risk on a conscious or sub-concious level based on the experiences of others before them.

- Livewith One - The Risk Paradox - the least risky thing you can do with your life is to take risk. Taking a risk, even when you don't achieve the desired results, leads to more choices and opportunities.
- Livewith Two - Head and Heart - emotions factor into decisions
- Livewith Three - Life IS Risk
- Livewith Four - Risk Never Fails to Teach
- Livewith Five - Risk Tastes Different with Age
- Livewith Six - Mission Transforms Risk

The authors share examples of people who exemplify the above mentioned categories.

All in all, an ok read but one that I doubt would influence a non-risk-taker to become a risk-taker and vice versa.

My thanks to Amplify Publishing for permitting me to access an ARC of the book via NetGalley. The book is set to be published on 10/4/22, All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

I jumped at the chance to read this book!

I’m intrigued by what makes people tick. And at the same time I’m also fascinated by what attributes make for a life that’s truly memorable in society. And when it comes to becoming a truly successful entrepreneur, (which is just one means of becoming memorable) risk taking seems to be an overarching factor. Hence the title’s appeal to me.

I’m also a fan of learning from others, and gaining insights through books. And whenever I read anything, I always look for the moral of the story.

The book starts off very nicely, with the story of how the two authors got together to conduct their research into risk behaviour. And it was a compelling topic for the two of them because they each began with highly contrasting attitudes towards taking risks in life, career, and business.

The book’s namesake, the risk paradox, refers to the statement of opinion of the 2 authors that, and I quote, “Taking a risk is the least risky thing that you can do to live a fulfilling life.”

And it rings true doesn’t it? It’s commonly accepted that on our death beds, we regret not the things we have done so much as the things we didn’t do.

And in addition to the appeal of a getting your head around such a paradox, I also found the idea very empowering. If I were to take more risks, I’m sure to live a richer, more fulfilling life.

But on the flip side, most of us also value caution. And sometimes remaining in the status quo can be rather nice. But how much more exciting is it when you get to the very edge of your comfort zone?! Am I right?

So, in this book the authors report back on interviews they’ve conducted with successful serial risk takers. And their intent was to spot patterns. And ideally, patterns that impart useful information to the reader.

Of course, risk taking is both a psychological and a societal topic with all kinds of nuances that make it impossible to study empirically. But the authors did find that certain patterns emerged.

They coin a term “Risk Livewith” which is to mean “A way of thinking that guides decision making about risk on a conscious or subconscious level”.

The authors say these Livewiths are based on the lived experiences of others who have gone before you, and that applying them in clarifying your thoughts can make quite the difference in the moments of truth when decisions are made.

The authors interviewed 102 risk takers, made up of 51 males and 51 females, aged between 30 and 70 years.
They identified 6 categories of risk takers which are as follows:
Idealists - who want to make a difference in the world
Adventurers - seeking their next adventure
Liberators - seeking freedom from corporate life
Survivors - survivors of a crisis who want to change their lives
Seekers – those seeking more meaningful engagement with the world
Givers - those who want to serve others

Each type of risk taker has their own chapter, where there are tales of great risk taking, with all kinds of gains and losses, followed by more gains. Tales of those who have come from nothing to achieve great success.

I particularly enjoyed reading the chapter on survivors and the dramatic ups and downs these people had gone through, and their transformative experiences that brought them to the brink before their risk taking saw them through.

Here are some of the key insights regarding these risk takers:
• They see opportunity when there’s failure, and their adversity reveals character
• They compartmentalise professional risk
• They don’t fear failure, and if they start with nothing they have nothing to lose
• Knowing your weaknesses can be a strength

As for gender differences, male risk takers seemed to believe their risk taking was down to their innate nature, but female risk takers seemed to believe it was more like a 50/50 split between nature and nurture.

The key take-aways for me are as follows:
• Every decision carries an element of risk
• Decisions are impacted by many lines of thinking: what you have to gain, what you have to lose, and what you lose by not trying in the first place.
• A mission to contribute to something outside oneself can override other factors
• When someone gets the ”why”, they can sustain just about any “how”

At one point, the authors argue that we become more shy of risk as we age, but this contradicts my personal experience, and as I have matured and grown in confidence, I have expanded my comfort zone.

However, I do concede that younger people generally tend to make more impulsive decisions while more experienced people will make more considered decisions.

The chapters vary in length and scope, and the risk taker stories are compelling, and dramatic. It’s easy reading, and it’s not filled with jargon. And if you were concerned about jargon, there’s a glossary of terms provided in the appendix.

I didn’t really mind that the authors referred to themselves in the 3rd person in the introduction. It didn’t make them sound egotistical, I think it was just a more practical and concise way to tell their story together rather than repeat the story twice from 2 POVs.

Now, a lot of non-fiction books that try to present an argument of some sort have a huge section devoted to references. And although I value references and the backing up of statements and ideas, I was glad that the real meat of the book took up a whopping 96% of the tome.

I didn’t really get the relevance of the image on the cover. I thought the colours were striking but I would have thought poker cards would make a more relevant image.

All in all, it’s certainly a book you can learn a lot from, and on reading it the reader will feel empowered to make some changes in their lives.

This book is to show you leaders. People who knew or learned that growth is possible with risk taking. Intresting mini biographies of people who fought adversity to come victorious. Have you ever wondered about people who make decisions to risk it all, to make choices that fly in the face of rationale thinking? How and why did they make their decision? Win, lose, or draw? In The Risk Paradox authors Alan Ying and Doug Schneider explore this very issue, offering up the lessons they learned from an intense study of over 100 risk takers. While they don’t offer up some magic decision making solution that guarantees success (hint: there isn’t one) the book is filled with interesting stories that will keep your interest and make you think. Thanks so much to Amplify Publishing Group and NetGalley for the chance to read and review The Risk Paradox.

Most of the chapters of The Risk Paradox were interesting. However, they weren't fleshed out as much as I had hoped.

It would've been preferable for the authors to have gone into more detail. For example, each story has a small "lesson learned" sentence. But that's all it is... one short sentence. It would've been great for that to be expanded upon at the end of each story. So, I felt disappointed.

That said, it was interesting to hear everyone's stories. I thoroughly enjoyed most of this book. But I don't think I would read it twice. As previously mentioned, it just didn't go into as much detail as I hoped/expected.

I’m so happy I had the opportunity to read/review this book. I’m also very much looking forward to acquiring it for our location. I find risk takers so fascinating. I’ve been on both sides of the coin where I’ve taken risks and others where I have stayed behind and I feel I always greatly regretted when I did. I was fascinated to read these stories of over one hundred so called risk takers and felt very inspired by them. I hope you will too.

If you would like to know more here is a brief summary.
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Why do some people avoid risk at all costs, while others embrace it? How do you know when to take a chance or when to walk away? And what happens after a risk pays off handsomely, crashes miserably, or lands in the muddy middle of life?

The Risk Paradox explores the stories of over one hundred notable risk-takers, in business and life. This unprecedented study provides fascinating, intimate views on risk and its meaning—before, during, and after the plunge. The authors’ research underscores lessons and secrets of those who embrace risk as a part of life, taking us to the heart of the Risk Paradox itself: taking a risk is the least risky thing you can do to live a fulfilling life.

The Risk Paradox will change how you approach moments of decision in your own life—when you must decide what risks to take and why.