Dan Gardner
Biography
Can we improve our ability to forecast the future and manage risks to do better in business and life? Award-winning journalist and bestselling author Dan Gardner tackles these questions and more in his eye-opening and mind-expanding talks. Based on his bestselling books about psychology and decision making, Gardner’s talks draw on the latest research and his long experience in journalism and politics to challenge assumptions and find creative solutions.
A former journalist and national affairs commentator, Gardner’s work has won or been nominated for every major award in Canadian newspaper journalism, including the National Newspaper Award, the Michener Award, and the Canadian Association of Journalists Award.
Gardner is also the New York Times bestselling author of four books — Risk: The Science and Politics of Fear; Future Babble; Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction, which was named one of the best books of 2015 by The Economist, Bloomberg, and Amazon; and, his most recent, How Big Things Get Done, co-written with Oxford University Professor Bent Flyvbjerg. His books have been published in 25 countries and 20 languages.
An honourary senior fellow at the University of Ottawa’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, Gardner has spoken and consulted with organizations worldwide, including Google, Goldman Sachs, Siemens, Zurich Insurance, Khosla Ventures, and a variety of hedge funds and governments.
Dan Gardner
Featured Keynote Programs
Risk perception. Forecasting and decision-making. The art of compelling communication.
Lecturing on these and other important topics for clients ranging from governments to NGOs and major corporations, Dan Gardner has enlightened and entertained audiences around the world.
Think Like a Fox
To use the terminology of Philip Tetlock, a renowned psychologist at the University of California's Haas School of Business, George Soros is a classic "fox." Tetlock distinguishes between two types of thinkers -- "hedgehogs" and "foxes." Hedgehogs insist on simplicity and certainty. They see problems through a single analytical lens. And they are very confident. They know the answer. Foxes are much more comfortable with complexity and uncertainty. They'll use lots of analytical lenses to look at problems, and ask other people what they see. They are not nearly so confident as hedgehogs. They may know the answer, but they're never sure. The foxes came out on top every time. Styles of thinking are not innate. They can be learned. Gardner explains how.
The Forecast for Tomorrow
More Future Babble
The media are partly to blame for not holding experts to account when their predictions fail. But more fundamentally, the answer lies in psychology and the brain's profound aversion to uncertainty: We believe because we want to believe. But we don't have to be suckers for soothsayers. If we understand the psychology that compels us to believe, we can learn to distinguish between reasonable forecasts and the tales of confident experts. And that can help us make good decisions that leave us better prepared for the future. No matter what happens.
Frightened by Shadows
We are by far the safest, healthiest, and wealthiest people who ever lived. But we sure don't act like it. If we are so safe, why are we so afraid? Gardner demonstrates that the media's portrayal of the risks we face is consistently wrong. He explains how politicians, activists and corporations promote fear to win votes, generate support and make money. And he delves into the latest scientific research to explain how the human brain decides what is worth worrying about and what is not, and why it is often wrong.