Mastering Risk Management: Practical Lessons from “Against the Gods”. My book summary

Carles Carrera
5 min readMay 5, 2023

Risk is an unavoidable part of our lives, whether in business, finance, or our personal lives. Managing risk effectively is crucial for success in any area. In “Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk Peter L. Bernstein takes us through the history of risk management and decision-making, showing how human progress has been driven by our ability to manage and embrace risk. In this article, we’ll share practical insights from the book that can help you make better decisions in your personal and professional life.

Cover of the book “Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk”

“The capacity to manage risk, and with it the appetite to take risk and make forward — looking choices, are key elements of the energy that drives the economic system forward”.

Risk means progress. No risk, no progres.

Key Insights

1. Time is crucial in risk management

Risk and time are closely connected, as the future is where risks materialize. Understanding the importance of time helps us evaluate risks and make better decisions. Keep time in mind when planning and assessing risks.

Time is the dominant factor in gambling. Risk and time are opposite sides of the same coin, for if there were no tomorrow there would be no risk . Time

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Carles Carrera

www.carlescarrera.com | Writing mostly about what I learn from books about investing, business, marketing and life in general.