Inadequate Equilibria · Where and How Civilizations Get Stuck

When should you think that you may be able to do something unusually well?

Whether you’re trying to outperform in science, or in business, or just in finding good deals shopping on eBay, it’s important that you have a sober understanding of your relative competencies. The story only ends there, however, if you’re fortunate enough to live in an adequate civilization.

Eliezer Yudkowsky’s Inadequate Equilibria is a sharp and lively guidebook for anyone questioning when and how they can know better, and do better, than the status quo. Freely mixing debates on the foundations of rational decision-making with tips for everyday life, Yudkowsky explores the central question of when we can (and can’t) expect to spot systemic inefficiencies, and exploit them.