Averting Catastrophe

Cass R. Sunstein is the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard. He is the founder and director of the Program on Behavioral Economics and Public Policy at Harvard Law School. He is the author of hundreds of articles and dozens of books, including Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness (with Richard H. Thaler), Conformity: The Power of Social Influences, How Change Happens, and Too Much Information: Understanding What You Don't Want to Know.

"Sunstein is unique in knowing about both the nature of risk and uncertainty and having crafted policy to protect us from it. This book tells us what we can do to 'sleep better at night' in an uncertain world. This is wisdom that should be acted on." - Michael Greenstone, Milton Friedman Distinguished Service Professor of Economics, University of Chicago "If you want to understand how to analyze and avert potential catastrophes of the modern world, from pandemics to climate change, you should start with this brilliant book. Ranging widely and deeply over law, economics, and philosophy, Sunstein explains through examples and principles how societies can deal with the deep uncertainties we face." - William Nordhaus, Nobel laureate in Economics "A must-read book for anyone with an interest in public policy or personal decision-making in the face of uncertainty. Which makes it a must-read book, period." - Robert S. Pindyck, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Professor in Economics and Finance, Massachusetts Institute of Technology "This is an important book of extraordinary timeliness. At once modest and transformative, Sunstein's pragmatic recommendations can help policymakers manage the world's biggest problems—even in the face of catastrophic uncertainty." - Arden Rowell, co-author, The Psychology of Environmental Law "A must-read if you want the expert guidance of one of the most brilliant minds in American law about how our nation should address its most serious risks, including pandemics, climate change, and terrorist attacks. Cass Sunstein has written a tour-de-force that makes the most vexing problems in decision theory accessible—and enjoyable to read—to a broad audience." - Richard L. Revesz, Bryce Professor of Law and Dean Emeritus, New York University School of Law "Uncertainty is everywhere, and the list of potential catastrophes seems to grow longer every year. Few are better positioned to shed light into the gloom than Cass Sunstein. Drawing on his deep engagement with a wide range of intellectual disciplines and his years of government experience during the Obama administration, Sunstein demonstrates how clear thinking can help us navigate through difficult times." - Michael A. Livermore, Edward F. Howrey Professor of Law, University of Virginia