Plenty of books tell you how to do research. This book helps you figure out WHAT to research in the first place, and why it matters.
The hardest part of research isn’t answering a question. It’s knowing what to do before you know what your question is. Where Research Begins tackles the two challenges every researcher faces with every new project: How do I find a compelling problem to investigate—one that truly matters to me, deeply and personally? How do I then design my research project so that the results will matter to anyone else?
This book will help you start your new research project the right way for you with a series of simple yet ingenious exercises. Written in a conversational style and packed with real-world examples, this easy-to-follow workbook offers an engaging guide to finding research inspiration within yourself, and in the broader world of ideas.
Read this book if you (or your students):
• have difficulty choosing a research topic
• know your topic, but are unsure how to turn it into a research project
• feel intimidated by or unqualified to do research
• worry that you’re asking the wrong questions about your research topic
• have plenty of good ideas, but aren’t sure which one to commit to
• feel like your research topic was imposed by someone else
• want to learn new ways to think about how to do research.
Under the expert guidance of award-winning researchers Thomas S. Mullaney and Christopher Rea, you will find yourself on the path to a compelling and meaningful research project, one that matters to you—and the world.

为什么这个世界上最稳定的国家其实没有政府？
为什么负债对你不好，以及为什么我们通常所说的“效率”根本缺乏就是效率？
为什么政府和社会政策保护强者，却伤害弱者？
为什么你应该在还没入职之前，就应该写好辞职信？
泰坦尼克号的沉没为什么拯救了更多的生命？
尼采有句名言：“杀不死我的，使我更强大。”就像人的骨头承受压力和紧张会变得更加强壮，谣言或暴乱在有人试图压制它们时会变本加厉一样，生命中的许多事物也会受益于压力、混乱、波动和不确定。
畅销书《黑天鹅》告诉我们，发生概率极低的事件和无法预测的“黑天鹅”事件，在世界上几乎每一种事物的身上都会发生。在《反脆弱》一书中，塔勒布告诉我们在不确定的世界中的生存法则，他找到并定义了“反脆弱”类事物：每一个事物都会从波动中得到利益或蒙受损失，脆弱性是指因为波动和不确定而承受损失，反脆弱性则是指让自己避免这些损失，甚至从混乱和不确定中获利。
反脆弱类事物不只受益于混沌，也需要适时出现的压力与危机，如此才能维持生存与实现繁荣。作者还认为，不确定性是件好事，甚至有其存在的必要，并且建议我们培养反脆弱性的特质。反脆弱性超越强韧性或坚固性：强韧性只能够抵抗震动和维持原状；反脆弱性则会让事物变得越来越好。此外，反脆弱性还可以避免预测误差，并且保护事物不受负面“黑天鹅”事件的影响。
这本书大谈试错法、人生的大小决定、政治、自治市、战争、个人理财、经济体系和医疗系统……风格独树一帜。《反脆弱》性是我们生活在不确定世界中的“导航仪”，也是面对随时可能出现的“黑天鹅”事件的终极自保指南。