I recently read The Drunkard's Walk again for the second time. It's quite amazing that a book on probability and statistics (a subject potentially drier than trying to eat 6 saltine crackers in 60 seconds...) could be so engaging and interesting. Although I wish I had read this book before my university Probability and Statistics course, there were still many things I found interesting and useful at this stage in my life.
One of the great lessons that this book highlights, is that of the nature of Luck.
In fact, in recent years psychologists have found that the ability to persist in the face of obstacles is at least as important a factor in success as talent. That's why experts often speak of the "ten-year rule," meaning that it takes at least a decade of hard work, practice, and striving to become highly successful in most endeavors. It might seem daunting to think that effort and chance, as much as innate talent, are what counts. But I find it encouraging because, while our genetic makeup is out of our control, our degree of effort is up to us. And the effects of chance, too, can be controlled to the extent that by committing ourselves to repeated attempts, we can increase our odds of success.
This just reinforces to me that the more we try, and the better prepared we are, the luckier we'll be.
