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You Are What You Risk: The New Art and Science of Navigating an Uncertain World
The #1 international bestselling author of The Gray Rhino offers a bold new framework for understanding risk in and how we can re-examine and re-shape our relationship with uncertainty to live more productive and successful lives.
What drives a sixty-four-year-old woman to hurl herself over Niagara Falls in a barrel? Why do young journalists risk their lives to tell the stories of strangers? Why do some people wait until the last minute to get to the airport while others get there much earlier than they need to? Why do entrepreneurs thrive in the face of uncertainty, while others cringe at the thought of leaving a stable nine-to-five job? Why are Asians more proactive in face of risk than Westerners?
Risk-takers are motivated by factors as wide and culture and values...
What drives a sixty-four-year-old woman to hurl herself over Niagara Falls in a barrel? Why do young journalists risk their lives to tell the stories of strangers? Why do some people wait until the last minute to get to the airport while others get there much earlier than they need to? Why do entrepreneurs thrive in the face of uncertainty, while others cringe at the thought of leaving a stable nine-to-five job? Why are Asians more proactive in face of risk than Westerners?
Risk-takers are motivated by factors as wide and culture and values...
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Published April 1, 2021
About the author
Michele Wucker
6 books93 followersMichele Wucker coined the term “gray rhino” to alert people to the obvious risks that we are more prone to neglect yet have more power to manage than we might think. Her new book is You Are What You Risk: The New Art and Science of Navigating an Uncertain World (April 2021). Her influential third book, The Gray Rhino: How to Recognize and Act on the Obvious Dangers We Ignore, has moved financial markets, shaped government policy and business strategies around the world, and inspired a popular TED talk expanding the idea to personal issues. She also is the author of Why the Cocks Fight: Dominicans, Haitians, and the Struggle for Hispaniola and Lockout: Why America Keeps Getting Immigration Wrong When Our Prosperity Depends on Getting It Right. She has been honored as a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and a Guggenheim Fellow and held leadership roles at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, World Policy Institute, and International Financing Review. She lives in Chicago.
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November 7, 2023
به عنوان شخصی که چندین سال است در حوزهی ریسک مالی کار میکنم، خواندن این کتاب جذابیت ویژهای برای من داشت. دیدگاهی که نویسنده نسبت به ریسک به ما میدهد، بخواهم دقیقتر از خود نویسنده نقل کنم: «هر ریسک یک انتخاب است؛ هر انتخاب یک ریسک است.»، نشان میدهد که ما هر روز با تصمیماتی همراه با عدم قطعیت همراه هستیم که مسیر آیندهی ما را مشخص میکنند. خواندن این کتاب برای ما ایرانیان که سیستم آموزشی و اجتماعی ما را به سمت اقدامات با ریسک کمتر، مثلاً زندگی کارمندی یا سرمایهگذاری در بانک، هدایت میکند واجب است زیرا یکی از مهمترین اهدافی که کتاب دنبال میکند نشان دادن این است که بزرگترین ریسک، ریسک نکردن است. همچنین کتاب پر از داستان افرادی است که دست به ریسکهای بزرگ زده و موفق بودهاند و اگر از دور به زندگی آنها نگاه کنیم تصمیمات آنها را پر از ریسک و خطر میبینیم، اما با دیدی دقیقتر میبینیم که ریسکهایشان کاملاً دقیق و حساب شده بوده و احتمال موفقیتشان بسیار بیشتر از چیزی بوده که در نگاه اول به نظر میرسد.
May 14, 2021
It took me far too long to read Michele Wucker’s first book The Gray Rhino, but I read it when I started becoming interested in the topic of how we assess risk and wanted to read it before her newest book. I was concerned that You Are What You Risk would have a bunch of repeat information from the previous book, but I was extremely wrong. Many authors pump out books and don’t really say anything new, and it’s hard for an author to outdo their previous book, but Michele Wucker did it. I learned so much from this book, and I really loved how Michele not only discusses the science and psychology behind risk, but she also dives into practical examples of risk in the real world like how bosses can help foster a better attitude of risk in the workplace so employees can thrive. On top of that, she even touches on social issues and gets a little philosophical, which I loved.
I’m personally interested in risk because I’ve had an anxiety disorder most of my life, and even though it’s under control for the most part, I still like to be cautious while also pushing to better myself by taking risks. In this book, Wucker explains how different environmental factors can affect how we perceive risk as well as the differences between how men and women perceive risk. What I found really interesting was how Michele discusses how our different societies, races, and cultures perceive risk, and this is extremely important so we can better develop some empathy when interacting with others or potentially judging them. I can go on and on about how amazing this book was and other topics she covers like the 2008 financial crash or how she and others have to manage risk with food allergies and what we can all do to become more aware. But, I’ll end my review here so you can stop reading it and go buy this book ASAP (and get a second copy to give to a friend).
I’m personally interested in risk because I’ve had an anxiety disorder most of my life, and even though it’s under control for the most part, I still like to be cautious while also pushing to better myself by taking risks. In this book, Wucker explains how different environmental factors can affect how we perceive risk as well as the differences between how men and women perceive risk. What I found really interesting was how Michele discusses how our different societies, races, and cultures perceive risk, and this is extremely important so we can better develop some empathy when interacting with others or potentially judging them. I can go on and on about how amazing this book was and other topics she covers like the 2008 financial crash or how she and others have to manage risk with food allergies and what we can all do to become more aware. But, I’ll end my review here so you can stop reading it and go buy this book ASAP (and get a second copy to give to a friend).
August 25, 2021
Absolutely a fascinating book – It’ll go on my “must read again” shelf!
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to take crazy risks while others run to the exits as soon as you start talking about risk? This book explains the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of how people build their own risk boundaries. Since Michele has traveled the world, we also get to see the ‘East meets West’ risk differences and how your early experiences flavor your risk profile no matter where you originate. Her book is packed with examples and stories that reinforce her messages around risk at so many levels, personal, societal, etc..
- Karen F Cornwell, author of You Can’t Fix What You Can’t See: An Eye-Opening Toolkit to Cultivate Gender Harmony in Business.
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to take crazy risks while others run to the exits as soon as you start talking about risk? This book explains the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of how people build their own risk boundaries. Since Michele has traveled the world, we also get to see the ‘East meets West’ risk differences and how your early experiences flavor your risk profile no matter where you originate. Her book is packed with examples and stories that reinforce her messages around risk at so many levels, personal, societal, etc..
- Karen F Cornwell, author of You Can’t Fix What You Can’t See: An Eye-Opening Toolkit to Cultivate Gender Harmony in Business.
June 22, 2021
Great book on how we consider (and ignore) risks in our lives, how they shape our futures, how our cultures and prejudices impact our risk decisions. Self-help blended with economic, political, business topics on the same subject. Highly recommended.
May 4, 2022
Important, underrepresented topic. Several great insights. But on the whole, I don’t think it meaningfully advances our understanding of risk. Lots of words, little clarity in message.
November 28, 2021
From the author of the Gray Rhino, a term used to describe obvious risks (such as the end of marriage all your friends see coming but you don’t), which is in contrast to the Black Swan of unforeseen risks. It will help you answer these questions: “Is your relationship with risk healthy? How much power do you and those around you have to change the outcome of a risk? How can you better manage conflicts with people who see risk very differently from the way you do?” You’ll learn about Annie Edson Taylor, the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel and survive. Wucker challenges the conventional definitions of risk versus uncertainty: risk can be calculated whereas uncertainty cannot. This definition puts too much faith in our ability to estimate risk. She offers a new vocabulary of risk, which I believe is (somewhat) helpful, but then becomes overwhelming, much like the number of biases in behavioral economics. Count me as a skeptic when it comes to personality profiles providing a useful role in explaining different tolerances for risk. Risk can be a social phenomenon, as the people around us change the way we perceive and feel about risks. But I turn skeptical again when she discusses how different generations deal with risk, such as: “millennials more flexible when it comes to challenges that they can control. They thrive in roles that demand creativity and reward autonomy.” Really? I’m a Baby Boomer and I thrive the same way. It’s not a generational thing, it’s a human thing.
The discussions on COVID, I believe, are not nuanced enough, nor do they age well (New Zealand didn’t exactly eliminate COVID). There seems to be no recognition of the many government failures, only individuals not willing to wear a mask or social distance. How about the government’s shutting down the economy, hurting the least advantaged the most? Crickets. I question the notion that the only way people will engage if risky occupations without the protection of the welfare state. What did the world do before the welfare state? Was Columbus eligible for AFDC? There’s, of course, a nod to ESG and Stakeholder Theory, along with the obligatory bashing of Milton Friedman’s axiom of maximizing profit without, of course, an understanding of his entire argument. The neurobiology of risk chapter was interesting. You’ll learn how eating spicy food makes your risk tolerance go up, or how the room temperature, smells, and music can make you more or less amenable to risk. The explanation of health insurance, and the attendant risk, is unsophisticated, with no mention of market alternatives and the benefits of competition. I learned about “Death Cafes,” which help people face the inevitable. The penultimate chapter deals with global risks, starting with: “The world is getting scarier.” It’s also getting wealthier and helping billions escape bone-crushing poverty, but this is never brought up. Instead, the litany is climate change, inequality, distrust in institutions, racial tensions, nationalism, and protectionism (these last three I’m against), and all the other usual leftist bugaboos. And all the things we individuals can do: eat less meat, composting (seriously, like in North Korea we’ll all have our night buckets), telecommuting instead of flying (which the author doesn’t follow herself, bragging later on how she’s flown around the world, etc.). All this would supposedly reduce greenhouse gases by 20 to 37 percent. I call BS on this. And is it the government’s job to protect us from risk? Is it competent to do so? Apparently it’s all unicorns and angels who run it.
In summary, I love this topic, but this book was forcing risk into everything (the hammer thinks everything is a nail) and it’s just far too long. Humanity is much more than the risks we take, or do not take. I would recommend Peter Bernstein’s Against the Gods as a better historical sweep of this topic. Yet, I applaud Wucker for attempting to understand the human side of this topic, which for too long has been dominated by quants.
The discussions on COVID, I believe, are not nuanced enough, nor do they age well (New Zealand didn’t exactly eliminate COVID). There seems to be no recognition of the many government failures, only individuals not willing to wear a mask or social distance. How about the government’s shutting down the economy, hurting the least advantaged the most? Crickets. I question the notion that the only way people will engage if risky occupations without the protection of the welfare state. What did the world do before the welfare state? Was Columbus eligible for AFDC? There’s, of course, a nod to ESG and Stakeholder Theory, along with the obligatory bashing of Milton Friedman’s axiom of maximizing profit without, of course, an understanding of his entire argument. The neurobiology of risk chapter was interesting. You’ll learn how eating spicy food makes your risk tolerance go up, or how the room temperature, smells, and music can make you more or less amenable to risk. The explanation of health insurance, and the attendant risk, is unsophisticated, with no mention of market alternatives and the benefits of competition. I learned about “Death Cafes,” which help people face the inevitable. The penultimate chapter deals with global risks, starting with: “The world is getting scarier.” It’s also getting wealthier and helping billions escape bone-crushing poverty, but this is never brought up. Instead, the litany is climate change, inequality, distrust in institutions, racial tensions, nationalism, and protectionism (these last three I’m against), and all the other usual leftist bugaboos. And all the things we individuals can do: eat less meat, composting (seriously, like in North Korea we’ll all have our night buckets), telecommuting instead of flying (which the author doesn’t follow herself, bragging later on how she’s flown around the world, etc.). All this would supposedly reduce greenhouse gases by 20 to 37 percent. I call BS on this. And is it the government’s job to protect us from risk? Is it competent to do so? Apparently it’s all unicorns and angels who run it.
In summary, I love this topic, but this book was forcing risk into everything (the hammer thinks everything is a nail) and it’s just far too long. Humanity is much more than the risks we take, or do not take. I would recommend Peter Bernstein’s Against the Gods as a better historical sweep of this topic. Yet, I applaud Wucker for attempting to understand the human side of this topic, which for too long has been dominated by quants.
August 4, 2021
Somewhat disappointing. Lots of fine distinctions without much useful or non-obvious insights. Nt really a bad book.
Read
November 1, 2021Everyone has a unique risk fingerprint, which is defined by factors that range from our genes and our appearance to our experiences and the situations we find ourselves in. What seems dangerous for one person might not seem like much of a risk at all to someone else. Acknowledging the central, defining role that risk decisions play in our lives every day will help us all make better risk decisions.
---
Every single decision you make is a risk decision.
Coss Marte was a millionaire at age 22. But he’d made his fortune selling drugs – and by 23, he was on his way to prison for seven years. There, the prison doctor told him that because of his obesity, he only had around five years to live.
So he got in shape. Once he’d done that, he helped his fellow prisoners do the same. After getting out of prison, he set up a gym. And when the pandemic hit, he deftly pivoted to online training sessions, which vastly expanded his reach.
You could see that as an inspiring story of how to turn a life around. Or you could see it as an example of how risk shapes every step in a person’s life.
The key message here is: Every single decision you make is a risk decision.
Marte’s decision to lose a huge amount of weight was a necessary step in lessening his risk of dying in prison. And setting up his business later on was all about risk too: as an ex-convict, he struggled to find employment, so realized he should cut his losses and employ himself. Shifting to online was a risky decision, effectively forced on him by the COVID-19 lockdown. From a risk perspective, Marte’s story is simple: every time he’s faced a risk, he’s made an intelligent, positive decision.
Another risk is facing every young person on the planet: the climate crisis. This risk is huge, which is why so many children are taking such drastic steps to deal with it. Teenage activist Haven Coleman, for instance, has applied serious pressure to American politicians and pushed for Congress to find real solutions.
Is it really less of a risk to stay home and play video games, like most 12-year-olds do? Arguably not, when Coleman’s whole future is on the line. From a risk perspective, her activism is simply the pragmatic choice.
As we’ve heard, we each have a unique risk fingerprint that’s shaped by everything from our experiences to our genes to our appearance. The situations we find ourselves in impact the risks we choose to take, too. But what we can all aim to do, no matter who we are, is become more risk literate. If we better understand the risks we face – positive or negative – we’ll make better decisions about how to deal with them.
At times, that’ll look like standing up to Congress while you’re still in high school. At others, it’ll look like going back to work as a nurse at the height of a pandemic. Sometimes it might even look like riding a barrel over Niagara Falls. Although, let’s face it – probably not.
---
Every single decision you make is a risk decision.
Coss Marte was a millionaire at age 22. But he’d made his fortune selling drugs – and by 23, he was on his way to prison for seven years. There, the prison doctor told him that because of his obesity, he only had around five years to live.
So he got in shape. Once he’d done that, he helped his fellow prisoners do the same. After getting out of prison, he set up a gym. And when the pandemic hit, he deftly pivoted to online training sessions, which vastly expanded his reach.
You could see that as an inspiring story of how to turn a life around. Or you could see it as an example of how risk shapes every step in a person’s life.
The key message here is: Every single decision you make is a risk decision.
Marte’s decision to lose a huge amount of weight was a necessary step in lessening his risk of dying in prison. And setting up his business later on was all about risk too: as an ex-convict, he struggled to find employment, so realized he should cut his losses and employ himself. Shifting to online was a risky decision, effectively forced on him by the COVID-19 lockdown. From a risk perspective, Marte’s story is simple: every time he’s faced a risk, he’s made an intelligent, positive decision.
Another risk is facing every young person on the planet: the climate crisis. This risk is huge, which is why so many children are taking such drastic steps to deal with it. Teenage activist Haven Coleman, for instance, has applied serious pressure to American politicians and pushed for Congress to find real solutions.
Is it really less of a risk to stay home and play video games, like most 12-year-olds do? Arguably not, when Coleman’s whole future is on the line. From a risk perspective, her activism is simply the pragmatic choice.
As we’ve heard, we each have a unique risk fingerprint that’s shaped by everything from our experiences to our genes to our appearance. The situations we find ourselves in impact the risks we choose to take, too. But what we can all aim to do, no matter who we are, is become more risk literate. If we better understand the risks we face – positive or negative – we’ll make better decisions about how to deal with them.
At times, that’ll look like standing up to Congress while you’re still in high school. At others, it’ll look like going back to work as a nurse at the height of a pandemic. Sometimes it might even look like riding a barrel over Niagara Falls. Although, let’s face it – probably not.
January 16, 2022
You Are What You Risk is a must read for anyone who cares about the risks you take personally, professionally and on behalf of an organisation you represent. Michelle Wucker thoughtfully combines a philosophical and practical approach to risk taking. Personally I’m now more aware of my risk thresholds, risk empathy for others & passive risks that I take by not making a decision. I now consider the risk fingerprint of organisations I’m part of and how the risk finger print of individuals impacts the risk fingerprint of the organisation. There are so many nuggets in this book as we attempt to navigate a world of more uncertainty and more risk.
March 20, 2024
The writing style of this book could benefit from greater conciseness, so I only skimmed through it. While the title was intriguing, the execution of the content did not fully align with my expectations. The author set risk as the overarching theme to interlink various elements; however, I believe that these aspects would more aptly relate to broader, higher-level topics (e.g. decision-making) and probably don’t really need new terminology to describe them from the risk angle.
December 10, 2022
Well, the book starts well. Getting into differences between uncertainty and risk. It does a decent job of setting a primer. But then gets into more global issues. Good for a beginner in Risk Literature.
October 31, 2021
Blinkist
Opportunity is positive risk.
Risks are different for different people because they have different reasons of taking the risk.
Opportunity is positive risk.
Risks are different for different people because they have different reasons of taking the risk.
November 8, 2021
Structured thoughts on topic already known to us
June 9, 2022
A few interesting ideas but generally repetitive and operates too much (for me) out of the author's personal experiences.
October 8, 2022
Listened on cloud library. Lots of interesting facts, but I didn't learn anything I will implement.
June 22, 2023
2/5 - I was curious about this topic, but after reading this I realized what I need to do is look at scientific journals instead
Read
August 4, 2025DNF
November 4, 2025
I was expecting much more. I think there are better books about risk to read.
Read
July 29, 2025DNF
March 17, 2023
Very thorough.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews