Framers: Human Advantage in an Age of Technology and Turmoil

The book presents a new explain-all concept, “frame”. The authors do not present a formal definition of this concept, but following the examples in the book, it seems that in many cases frames refer to theories about the world and in some other cases they refer to patterns of behavior.The authors claim that robots cannot implement frames since frames are based on revealing causes, considering counterfactuals, and considering relevant constraints, tasks that robots cannot do. I failed to find a convincing argument for these claims. Indeed these concepts are under dispute, mainly among logicians and philosophers of science, but it is possible to program the theories in this field, such as Lewis or Stalnaker accounts of counterfactuals, and to implement them in robots. And on a higher level of argumentation, since people understand the concepts of causes and counterfactuals, and since our brain is a physical machine, then the idea that robots cannot implement these concepts leads to the conclusion that we have a non-physical soul on top of the brains. Welcome to 17th-century metaphysics.The second part of the book lists suggestions about creating successful frames. The book recommends that people and companies increase the diversity and the pluralism of the ideas that they consider, but the book ignores the practical problem: how should we filter out stupid ideas when we don’t have enough time to consider all the ideas that other people suggest.One minor additional point: the authors keep quoting Yuval Noah Harari. For example, on page 79 they praise his idea: “You could never convince a monkey to give you a banana by promising him limitless bananas after death in monkey haven.” Obviously, this idea is trivial. And indeed, most of Harari’s ideas are either trivially true or trivially false. And when The Economist reviewed Harari’s Home Deus (and referred to Sapiens as well) on Sept 15th, 2016, it was one of the few journals that criticized Harari’s books: “Mr. Harari has a tendency towards scientific name-dropping—words like biotech, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence abound—but he rarely engages with these topics in any serious way. Instead, he races along in a slick flow of TED-talk prose. Holes in his arguments blur like the spokes of a spinning wheel, giving an illusion of solidity but no more. When the reader stops to think, “Homo Deus” is suddenly less convincing, its air of super-confidence seductive but misleading.” Now, the first author of the current book, Kenneth Cukier, is a senior editor in The Economist. Perhaps, he used the current book to “compensate” Harari (but in my opinion, The Economist’s original criticism of Harari was quite valid).Still, the book is well written and includes many stories about interesting scientific experiments and decisions taken by various companies. I enjoyed very much reading these case studies.

"Humans think using mental models. These are representations of reality that make the world comprehensible. They allow us to see patterns, predict how things will unfold, and make sense of the circumstances we encounter."The author points out that the mental modes we choose to apply are called frames. Frames, "determine how we understand and act in the world. Frames enable us to generalize and make abstractions that apply to other situations".Frames, enable us as humans, to choose a frame to provide new options or focus our mind and reduce options.Lastly, framing or cognitive analysis consists of causality, counterfactuals, and constraints.In other words, framing is basically meant comprehending things by first discovering the cause...and then using counterfactuals (within a constrained boundary) to formulate a game plan or an idea.The authors did a great job of presenting analogies that help bring out this concept in more depth throughout the book. In fact, this is what I would call a book with no flaws...as I read the book I can't say there was much to complain about in terms of mess-ups/ not good moments.The only problem with this book...is that it lacked a wow factor to it in my opinion. Now, for someone who doesn't read books like that, this book will amaze you. But if you've read at least 30 non-fictional informative books in your lifetime...this book will not change the way you think or well uh... "frame" things. The book organizes an idea that most critical thinkers/readers already know about and apply subconsciously.Moreover, like i said the book has no flaws...but it doesn't have anything that makes it stand out either. I'm not sure I'll remember this book within the next few months. It's a solid book that's worth the read...but nothing memorable.

I've followed the authors for years as they have been chronicling and explaining the new deluge of data we're all facing, whether we like it or not, so I was excited to see their latest work focusing on how we can practically respond to all the challenges this firehose brings. Their deep dive on the concept of framing as a method of dealing isn't just a coping mechanism though, it offers a fresh new perspective on how to benefit from all this information in creative ways. I highly recommend this book to anyone who's interested in thriving and even enjoying our new world of AI and data.I hope that doesn't make it all sound like too much of a self-help book though, because the authors offer a lot more in their analysis of how framing can explain many of the serious challenges we face as a society. It left me with a lot of unexpected insights into how the world works, especially understanding people or groups making decisions that seem stupid and self-defeating from my perspective. I'm not saying that the ideas in here are the key to world peace, but it's a thoughtful and interesting way of thinking about a lot of otherwise-intractable problems.

Wow - I was blown away after reading this book. Such an important topic in our day in age . . . the authors bring to light the issues and need to be aware of our own mental models and how to step into better wiser decisions. I think about decision making in a whole different way after reading this book. Engaging and brillant -

“Framers” comes just at the right time, when humankind is facing challenges of populism, covid, climate change and more. The book is a must-read by leading thinkers on AI, data, decision-science and society. I wholly recommend it.Instead of focusing on the mind of the machine, like the authors did in their previous bestseller, “Big Data,” they use their deep understanding of artificial intelligence to reflect on how humans think. From this new vantage point, a book emerged which is insightful, but also practical, refreshing and positive.The authors argue that humans understand things by employing mental models, called “frames.” We can upgrade our thinking when we decide to become more aware of the mental models we use. When we are in a seemingly dead end, in science, in business or in our own personal lives, we can purposely try to challenge and recast the frames we use.The book made me think of the Renaissance, when in the European world many long-established frames were simultaneously challenged and recast. We need such a rethink again today.

The main thesis is that we can make better decisions if we are conscious of the mental model or "frame" we use.Insights abound. For example, contrary to the “think outside the box” management cliche, the art of creativity is really to be aware of and change “the box”, i.e. framing. There is always a box they highlight, and it’s the ability to reframe and change constraints that is an important part of what makes humans human. This, they argue, is why AI cannot replace humans. It cannot frame - let alone reframe.There are plenty of other societal and business examples, such as the medieval court jester and their important - and privileged role in speaking truth to power.There are some great turns of phrase such as “cognitive foraging” which bring ideas to life in a humorous and insightful way. This is a style that will be familiar to listeners of Cukier’s enjoyable “Babbage” podcast from The Economist.

Good decisions aren't about having more data but having the right mindset, argue the authors. It's about choosing the best mental model, or "frame" and adapting it. Scientists have relied on their ability to generate mental representations for over a century. Now the rest of us can use this technique too. I enjoy Kenneth Cukier's tech podcast in The Economist, and his humour and insight shine through in the book.

At a time when facts are a commodity but arranging them into new insights brings value, the book presents a structured way to get better at "framing" problems to solve them. Very useful for any one who needs to see what others don't from the same set of inputs. Great stories too -- especially how Steven Spielberg invented the sci-fi setting for the film Minority Report.

A rehash of basics most designers would be readily aware of. Hardly original. Once again the publisher's marketing over sells and under delivers.