Guesstimation 2.0: Solving Today's Problems on the Back of a Napkin book cover

Guesstimation 2.0: Solving Today's Problems on the Back of a Napkin by Lawrence Weinstein Summary

Guesstimation 2.0: Solving Today's Problems on the Back of a Napkin
Lawrence Weinstein
3.74 (424 Reviews)
Politics
American History
Biography
Aperçu
Points Clés
Auteur
Questions Fréquentes

Overview of Guesstimation 2.0: Solving Today's Problems on the Back of a Napkin

Master the lost art of estimation with "Guesstimation" - where napkin math solves real-world puzzles. Neil deGrasse Tyson praises how it "gleams with insight," while top employers now use these skills to test job candidates. Ready to calculate anything?

Similar books to Guesstimation 2.0: Solving Today's Problems on the Back of a Napkin

Explorez Votre Façon d'Apprendre
Résumé Rapide8min

Ressentez le livre à travers la voix de l'auteur

Approfondissement42min

Transformez les connaissances en idées captivantes et riches en exemples

Fiches mémo11 idées

Capturez les idées clés en un éclair pour un apprentissage rapide

Fun21min

Profitez du livre de manière ludique et engageante

Dans le même genre

book cover
Street-Fighting Mathematics
Sanjoy Mahajan
book cover
How Not to Be Wrong
Jordan Ellenberg
book cover
Problem Solving 101
Ken Watanabe
book cover
The Art of Uncertainty
David Spiegelhalter
book cover
The Economist: Numbers Guide
Richard Stutely & The Economist
book cover
Numbers Rule Your World
Kaiser Fung
book cover
Naked Statistics
Charles Wheelan
book cover
The Great Mental Models Volume 2
Shane Parrish and Rhiannon Beaubien
book cover
Going Solo
Eric Klinenberg
book cover
The Problems of Philosophy
Bertrand Russell
book cover
Everybody Writes
Ann Handley

Points clés

1

The Art of Back-of-Napkin Problem Solving

play
00:00
00:00

Have you ever wondered how many piano tuners work in Chicago? Or how many golf balls would fit in a school bus? These seemingly impossible questions become solvable puzzles with the right mental toolkit. Guesstimation isn't about precision-it's about finding answers that are "good enough" to guide decisions. The revolutionary insight here is simple but powerful: dare to be imprecise! Most real-world problems don't require exact answers; they need reasonable approximations that tell us whether something is too big, too small, or just right. When Google interviewers ask candidates these quirky estimation questions, they're testing a fundamental skill that separates analytical thinkers from the crowd-the ability to break complexity into manageable pieces. The beauty lies in accessibility. You don't need advanced mathematics or specialized knowledge-just a willingness to make reasonable assumptions and embrace imprecision. Being within a factor of ten (10x) of the actual answer is often perfectly sufficient. Think about everyday decisions: Is it worth driving across town to save $5 on groceries? Will installing solar panels pay off? Rather than getting lost in complex calculations, estimation helps determine if options fall into the "worth it" category through simple division and conquest.

2

From Pizza Boxes to Video Games: Making Numbers Tangible

3

Visualizing the Unimaginable: Toilet Paper, Popcorn, and Trillions

4

Environmental Impact: What Actually Matters?

5

Transportation Efficiency: Surprising Revelations

6

Material Limits and Cosmic Calculations

7

The Power of Thinking in Orders of Magnitude

Explorez Votre Façon d'Apprendre
Guesstimation 2.0: Solving Today's Problems on the Back of a Napkin n'est pas qu'un simple livre — c'est une masterclass en Politics. Pour vous aider à absorber ses leçons de la manière qui vous convient le mieux, nous proposons cinq modes d'apprentissage uniques. Que vous soyez un penseur profond, un apprenant rapide ou un amateur d'histoires, il y a un mode conçu pour votre style.

Mode Résumé Rapide - Lisez ou écoutez le résumé de Guesstimation 2.0: Solving Today's Problems on the Back of a Napkin en 8 minutes

Résumé Rapide
Résumé Rapide
Résumé de Guesstimation 2.0: Solving Today's Problems on the Back of a Napkin en 8 Minutes

Décomposez les idées clés de Guesstimation 2.0: Solving Today's Problems on the Back of a Napkin en points faciles à comprendre pour découvrir comment les équipes innovantes créent, collaborent et grandissent.

play
00:00
00:00

Mode Fiches mémo - Top 11 Idées de Guesstimation 2.0: Solving Today's Problems on the Back of a Napkin en Bref

Fiches mémo
Fiches mémo
Top 11 Idées de Guesstimation 2.0: Solving Today's Problems on the Back of a Napkin en Bref

Condensez Guesstimation 2.0: Solving Today's Problems on the Back of a Napkin en indices de mémoire rapides mettant en évidence les principes clés de franchise, de travail d'équipe et de résilience créative.

Flash Mode Swiper

Mode Fun - Leçons de Guesstimation 2.0: Solving Today's Problems on the Back of a Napkin Racontées en Histoires de 21 Min

Fun
Fun
Leçons de Guesstimation 2.0: Solving Today's Problems on the Back of a Napkin Racontées en Histoires de 21 Min

Découvrez Guesstimation 2.0: Solving Today's Problems on the Back of a Napkin à travers des récits vivants qui transforment les leçons d'innovation en moments mémorables et applicables.

play
00:00
00:00

Mode Personnaliser - Lisez ou écoutez le résumé de Guesstimation 2.0: Solving Today's Problems on the Back of a Napkin en 0 minutes

Personnaliser
Personnaliser
Découvrez Guesstimation 2.0: Solving Today's Problems on the Back of a Napkin à votre façon.

Posez n'importe quelle question, choisissez la voix et co-créez des idées qui résonnent vraiment avec vous.

Personalize Mode

Cree par des anciens de Columbia University a San Francisco

BeFreed rassemble une communaute mondiale de plus de 200 000 esprits curieux

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
platform
comments
12
likes
117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
platform
comments
12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
platform
comments
96
likes
4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon
platform
comments
201
thumbsUp
16

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
platform
comments
37
likes
483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
platform
comments
12
likes
117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
platform
comments
12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
platform
comments
96
likes
4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon
platform
comments
201
thumbsUp
16

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
platform
comments
37
likes
483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
platform
comments
12
likes
117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
platform
comments
12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
platform
comments
96
likes
4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon
platform
comments
201
thumbsUp
16

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
platform
comments
37
likes
483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu
platform
star
star
star
star
star
Commencez votre parcours d'apprentissage, maintenant
Telecharger ce resume

Obtenez le resume de Guesstimation 2.0: Solving Today's Problems on the Back of a Napkin en PDF ou EPUB gratuit. Imprimez-le ou lisez-le hors ligne a tout moment.