Feldman's Faves: August 6, 2024

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE

I hope you all had a great long weekend. Nothing beats summer in Ontario.

I think its fair to say that this summer is the summer of Summer (her performance in the pool over the last few weeks was just remarkable).

On the theme of summer, please join me in thanking Sarah and Arjun for their great contributions to our section and the firm. They are done this week and will get to enjoy a few weeks of summer before returning to school.   Sarah’s last day is today and Arjun’s last day is on Thursday – so if you have a chance to see them before they leave, please do.

Finally, please join me in welcoming our new articling students Alexa (who is sitting beside Susan) and Molly (who sitting beside Max and who celebrated her birthday yesterday).   I know they will be eager to get going once they finish their training so please make every effort to welcome them to the team.

Lot’s of change happening but all good stuff.

This week’s theme is the work of Maggie Jackson and her book on dealing with uncertainty – a very important concept  particularly for what we do.

Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure  By: Maggie Jackson – One of the key lessons I learned as a young lawyer from both Steve and Jonathan is that most of what we do has uncertain outcomes and rather than looking for black and white solutions, it is important to learn to get comfortable in “the grey”.  When we do that we are at our most creative and innovative and this is where the best and where we can add the greatest value.  In Maggie Jackson’s latest book she embraces uncertainty and explains why we should do so as well. As one reviewer notes, “The core problem all living things need to solve is simple: What do I do now, given the limited information I have about the world? How do I survive, let alone thrive, without wasting my life gathering all the details that would give me a full enough picture to be able to act? Simple does not mean easy. We are time-limited creatures. No matter what, we will never know everything that we might wish to know before we have to make decisions about what to do. Uncertainty is part and parcel with life. Uncertainty about the state of the world and about our own futures impacts everything: performance, memory, predictions, cognition, stress, decision-making, argument, creativity, leadership, empathy, teamwork, and more. Maggie Jackson, in her new book, Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure (Prometheus, 2023), delves into the nature of uncertainty in all these domains. She categorizes uncertainty into two broad categories: (1) the unpredictability of life and the randomness of the universe; and (2) psychological unsureness, our own uncertainty about the world. The book covers both. Uncertain is well-researched and wide ranging, delving into the areas of our lives where uncertainty matters most. Jackson draws on psychology and neuroscience studies, interviews, and case studies. She doesn't shy away from the details, sharing facts on the brain networks and neurotransmitters involved in processing uncertainty. From the research I was familiar with (less than half of it), she covers it well. That said, she seemed to trust the experts implicitly; there was no questioning of the validity of any research (even though more psychology studies than we care to admit are flawed and unable to be replicated). There were also a few chapters (noted below) that didn't seem especially on point—for instance, the final chapter on AI was probably only included because of the current AI craze. The book is dense. There is a lot of information, no fluff. Jackson's descriptions of research studies are engaging, elucidating the gist. She does get bogged in ultra-descriptive journalist reporting speak. Every sentence has to be engaging; every fact is important. The style grated a little, but I see why she does it. Overall, Uncertain is a worthwhile read. It may appeal to you if you're intrigued by how people work, the psychology and neuroscience of behavior, and how to act more effectively in an uncertain world.” I love this book and I love its key message. Life is so much more enjoyable when you are comfortable learning to live by the “it is what it is” school of thought. Here’s a good review from Vox - https://www.vox.com/the-gray-area/2024/2/17/24046794/gray-area-joys-of-uncertainty-anxiety-maggie-jackson

THE NEXT BIG THING – Uncertainty The Surprising Power of Being Unsure – For those of you who don’t have the patience to read the book, this discussion provides a pretty good summary. Here’s an excerpt from the PODCAST itself, “Could embracing uncertainty be the key to thriving in our age of unpredictability? That's the premise of Maggie Jackson's new book, "Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure," which was chosen by our curators — Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink — as one of the year's best works of nonfiction. Maggie sat down with our co-founder Panio Gianopoulos to discuss how mastering the art of being unsure can fuel leadership, deepen relationships, and inspire creativity.”: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-next-big-idea/id1482067226?i=1000658026275

Thank you for your ongoing engagement and participation.And remember to stay safe, stay healthy and to docket daily.

Jon