Reviews"This book is important, timely, instructive and entertaining. What more could you ask for?" --Daniel Kahneman, winner of the Nobel Prize in economics and author of Thinking, Fast and Slow "Having researched the properties of planning errors, I am confident that nobody has studied the topic more broadly and deeply than Bent Flyvbjerg. His focus ranges from Olympic games to the renovation of your dog house." --Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Distinguished Professor of Risk Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, NYU, author of the Incerto series "This book distills the best scientific advice on planning big projects. And it is arguably the bargain of the century. For a few dollars you can tap into thousands of dollars of insights in executive-education classrooms--and if you happen to be a CEO or head of state, the savings will quickly run into the billions." --Philip Tetlock, co-author of Superforecasting "A wise, vivid, and unforgettable combination of inspiring storytelling with decades of practical research and experience . . . Everyone who deals with large projects is already desperate to read this book. The rest of us will take great pleasure in learning from it anyway." --Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective "My only complaint about this book is that it wasn't written earlier. Finally, here's a guide to navigating the embarrassingly predictable mistakes we all tend to make when taking on life's biggest and most important projects. Unlike so many other books from self-proclaimed business gurus, How Big Things Get Done is not based on mere anecdotes; it distills decades of systematic research from more than sixteen thousand projects worldwide. The result is a crystal-clear pattern of surprising reasons why almost all big human projects fail to deliver as expected--and a road map for the book's lucky readers to avoid them." --Ola Rosling, CEO and co-founder, Gapminder; co-author of Factfulness "If we're to make it through these next few decades, we're going to have to build a lot of stuff--and we're going to have to do it cheaply and fast. Here's a very useful handbook!" --Bill McKibben, author of The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon "Flyvbjerg's study of big construction projects worldwide has led him to formulate the iron law of megaprojects: over budget, over time, under benefits, over and over again. His deep understanding of why big projects fail--and occasionally succeed--makes this book a truly fascinating read. There's a practical payoff, too: a toolbox with eleven smart heuristics for better project leadership that every planner who wants to succeed should know." --Gerd Gigerenzer, author of Gut Feelings, "Entertaining . . . The picture that [Flyvbjerg] and Mr Gardner draw of why projects, large and small, tend to go wrong is compelling. . . . There are lessons here for managers of all stripes." -- The Economist "Stories of gigantic and costly failures, from the Sydney Opera House to successive editions of the Olympic Games, are entertaining and chastening in equal measure. But Flyvbjerg and Gardner also manage to extract valuable lessons about how to plan, forecast and execute any size of project, be it a kitchen remodeling or a high-speed trainlink." --Financial Times, Best Summer Books of 2023: Business "Ignore [this book] at your peril." --Peter Coy, The New York Times " [How Big Things Get Done is] a book that every legislator, city council member and corporate executive ought to read." -- The Wall Street Journal "Having researched the properties of planning errors, I am confident that nobody has studied the topic more broadly and deeply than Bent Flyvbjerg. His focus ranges from the Olympic Games to the renovation of your doghouse." --Nassim Nicholas Taleb, distinguished professor of risk engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and author of the Incerto series "A wise, vivid, and unforgettable combination of inspiring storytelling with decades of practical research and experience . . . Everyone who deals with large projects is already desperate to read this book. The rest of us will take great pleasure in learning from it anyway." --Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective "This book distills the best scientific advice on planning big projects. And it is arguably the bargain of the century." --Philip E. Tetlock, co-author of Superforecasting " How Big Things Get Done . . . is a crystal-clear pattern of surprising reasons why almost all big human projects fail to deliver as expected--and a road map for the book's lucky readers to avoid them." --Ola Rosling, CEO and co-founder of Gapminder; co-author of Factfulness "If we're to make it through these next few decades, we're going to have to build a lot of stuff--and we're going to have to do it cheaply and fast. Here's a very useful handbook!" --Bill McKibben, author of The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon "Flyvbjerg's study of big construction projects worldwide has led him to formulate the iron law of megaprojects: over budget, over time, under benefits, over and over again. His deep understanding of why big projects fail--and occasionally succeed--makes this book a truly fascinating read." --Gerd Gigerenzer, author of Gut Feelings "In this moment where resources are growing more scarce, Bent is pointing toward a way of developing projects that uses our environmental, human, and financial resources in a more equitable and profitable way for society." --Frank Gehry, "Entertaining . . . The picture that [Flyvbjerg] and Mr Gardner draw of why projects, large and small, tend to go wrong is compelling. . . . There are lessons here for managers of all stripes." -- The Economist "Full of delicious anecdotes about project management disasters . . . [and] valuable lessons." --Financial Times "Ignore [this book] at your peril." --Peter Coy, The New York Times " [How Big Things Get Done is] a book that every legislator, city council member and corporate executive ought to read." -- The Wall Street Journal "Having researched the properties of planning errors, I am confident that nobody has studied the topic more broadly and deeply than Bent Flyvbjerg. His focus ranges from the Olympic Games to the renovation of your doghouse." --Nassim Nicholas Taleb, distinguished professor of risk engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and author of the Incerto series "A wise, vivid, and unforgettable combination of inspiring storytelling with decades of practical research and experience . . . Everyone who deals with large projects is already desperate to read this book. The rest of us will take great pleasure in learning from it anyway." --Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective "This book distills the best scientific advice on planning big projects. And it is arguably the bargain of the century." --Philip E. Tetlock, co-author of Superforecasting " How Big Things Get Done . . . is a crystal-clear pattern of surprising reasons why almost all big human projects fail to deliver as expected--and a road map for the book's lucky readers to avoid them." --Ola Rosling, CEO and co-founder of Gapminder; co-author of Factfulness "If we're to make it through these next few decades, we're going to have to build a lot of stuff--and we're going to have to do it cheaply and fast. Here's a very useful handbook!" --Bill McKibben, author of The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon "Flyvbjerg's study of big construction projects worldwide has led him to formulate the iron law of megaprojects: over budget, over time, under benefits, over and over again. His deep understanding of why big projects fail--and occasionally succeed--makes this book a truly fascinating read." --Gerd Gigerenzer, author of Gut Feelings "In this moment where resources are growing more scarce, Bent is pointing toward a way of developing projects that uses our environmental, human, and financial resources in a more equitable and profitable way for society." --Frank Gehry, "Entertaining . . . The picture that [Flyvbjerg] and Mr Gardner draw of why projects, large and small, tend to go wrong is compelling. . . . There are lessons here for managers of all stripes." -- The Economist "Full of delicious anecdotes about project management disasters . . . [and] valuable lessons." --Financial Times "Ignore [this book] at your peril." --Peter Coy, The New York Times " [How Big Things Get Done is] a book that every legislator, city council member and corporate executive ought to read." -- The Wall Street Journal "Having researched the properties of planning errors, I am confident that nobody has studied the topic more broadly and deeply than Bent Flyvbjerg. His focus ranges from the Olympic Games to the renovation of your doghouse." --Nassim Nicholas Taleb, distinguished professor of risk engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and author of the Incerto series "A wise, vivid, and unforgettable combination of inspiring storytelling with decades of practical research and experience . . . Everyone who deals with large projects is already desperate to read this book. The rest of us will take great pleasure in learning from it anyway." --Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective "This book distills the best scientific advice on planning big projects. And it is arguably the bargain of the century. For a few dollars you can tap into thousands of dollars' worth of insights in executive-education classrooms--and if you happen to be a CEO or head of state, the savings will quickly run into the billions." --Philip E. Tetlock, co-author of Superforecasting " How Big Things Get Done is not based on mere anecdotes; it distills decades of systematic research from more than sixteen thousand projects worldwide. The result is a crystal-clear pattern of surprising reasons why almost all big human projects fail to deliver as expected--and a road map for the book's lucky readers to avoid them." --Ola Rosling, CEO and co-founder of Gapminder; co-author of Factfulness "If we're to make it through these next few decades, we're going to have to build a lot of stuff--and we're going to have to do it cheaply and fast. Here's a very useful handbook!" --Bill McKibben, author of The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon "Flyvbjerg's study of big construction projects worldwide has led him to formulate the iron law of megaprojects: over budget, over time, under benefits, over and over again. His deep understanding of why big projects fail--and occasionally succeed--makes this book a truly fascinating read. There's a practical payoff, too: a toolbox with eleven smart heuristics for better project leadership that every planner who wants to succeed should know." --Gerd Gigerenzer, author of Gut Feelings "Over-budget and over-schedule is an inevitability. . . . Incompetence and grift is outrageous. Bent Flyvbjerg, with this terrific data-driven book, has shown that there is another way. . . . In this moment where resources are growing more scarce, Bent is pointing toward a way of developing projects that uses our environmental, human, and financial resources in a more equitable and profitable way for society." --Frank Gehry, "Entertaining . . . The picture that [Flyvbjerg] and Mr Gardner draw of why projects, large and small, tend to go wrong is compelling. . . . There are lessons here for managers of all stripes." -- The Economist "Stories of gigantic and costly failures, from the Sydney Opera House to successive editions of the Olympic Games, are entertaining and chastening in equal measure. But Flyvbjerg and Gardner also manage to extract valuable lessons about how to plan, forecast and execute any size of project, be it a kitchen remodelling or a high-speed trainlink." --Financial Times, Best Summer Books of 2023: Business "Ignore [this book] at your peril." --Peter Coy, The New York Times " [How Big Things Get Done is] a book that every legislator, city council member and corporate executive ought to read." -- The Wall Street Journal "Having researched the properties of planning errors, I am confident that nobody has studied the topic more broadly and deeply than Bent Flyvbjerg. His focus ranges from the Olympic Games to the renovation of your doghouse." --Nassim Nicholas Taleb, distinguished professor of risk engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and author of the Incerto series " [How Big Things Get Done] has plenty of tips to help ensure that [personal renovation projects] get done on time and on budget." -- Morningstar "A wise, vivid, and unforgettable combination of inspiring storytelling with decades of practical research and experience . . . Everyone who deals with large projects is already desperate to read this book. The rest of us will take great pleasure in learning from it anyway." --Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective "This book distills the best scientific advice on planning big projects. And it is arguably the bargain of the century." --Philip E. Tetlock, co-author of Superforecasting " How Big Things Get Done . . . is a crystal-clear pattern of surprising reasons why almost all big human projects fail to deliver as expected--and a road map for the book's lucky readers to avoid them." --Ola Rosling, CEO and co-founder of Gapminder; co-author of Factfulness "If we're to make it through these next few decades, we're going to have to build a lot of stuff--and we're going to have to do it cheaply and fast. Here's a very useful handbook!" --Bill McKibben, author of The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon "Flyvbjerg's study of big construction projects worldwide has led him to formulate the iron law of megaprojects: over budget, over time, under benefits, over and over again. His deep understanding of why big projects fail--and occasionally succeed--makes this book a truly fascinating read." --Gerd Gigerenzer, author of Gut Feelings "In this moment where resources are growing more scarce, Bent is pointing toward a way of developing projects that uses our environmental, human, and financial resources in a more equitable and profitable way for society." --Frank Gehry, "Ignore [this book] at your peril." --Peter Coy, The New York Times " [How Big Things Get Done is] a book that every legislator, city council member and corporate executive ought to read." -- The Wall Street Journal "Having researched the properties of planning errors, I am confident that nobody has studied the topic more broadly and deeply than Bent Flyvbjerg. His focus ranges from the Olympic Games to the renovation of your doghouse." --Nassim Nicholas Taleb, distinguished professor of risk engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and author of the Incerto series "A wise, vivid, and unforgettable combination of inspiring storytelling with decades of practical research and experience . . . Everyone who deals with large projects is already desperate to read this book. The rest of us will take great pleasure in learning from it anyway." --Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective "This book distills the best scientific advice on planning big projects. And it is arguably the bargain of the century. For a few dollars you can tap into thousands of dollars' worth of insights in executive-education classrooms--and if you happen to be a CEO or head of state, the savings will quickly run into the billions." --Philip E. Tetlock, co-author of Superforecasting " How Big Things Get Done is not based on mere anecdotes; it distills decades of systematic research from more than sixteen thousand projects worldwide. The result is a crystal-clear pattern of surprising reasons why almost all big human projects fail to deliver as expected--and a road map for the book's lucky readers to avoid them." --Ola Rosling, CEO and co-founder of Gapminder; co-author of Factfulness "If we're to make it through these next few decades, we're going to have to build a lot of stuff--and we're going to have to do it cheaply and fast. Here's a very useful handbook!" --Bill McKibben, author of The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon "Flyvbjerg's study of big construction projects worldwide has led him to formulate the iron law of megaprojects: over budget, over time, under benefits, over and over again. His deep understanding of why big projects fail--and occasionally succeed--makes this book a truly fascinating read. There's a practical payoff, too: a toolbox with eleven smart heuristics for better project leadership that every planner who wants to succeed should know." --Gerd Gigerenzer, author of Gut Feelings, "This book distills the best scientific advice on planning big projects. And it is arguably the bargain of the century. For a few dollars you can tap into thousands of dollars of insights in executive-education classrooms--and if you happen to be a CEO or head of state, the savings will quickly run into the billions." --Philip Tetlock, co-author of Superforecasting "A wise, vivid, and unforgettable combination of inspiring storytelling with decades of practical research and experience. Everyone who deals with large projects is already desperate to read this book. The rest of us will take great pleasure in learning from it anyway." --Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective "My only complaint about this book is that it wasn't written earlier. Finally, here's a guide to navigating the embarrassingly predictable mistakes we all tend to make when taking on life's biggest and most important projects. Unlike so many other books from self-proclaimed business gurus, How Big Things Get Done is not based on mere anecdotes; it distills decades of systematic research from more than 16,000 projects worldwide. The result is a crystal-clear pattern of surprising reasons why almost all big human projects fail to deliver as expected--and a road map for the book's lucky readers to avoid them." --Ola Rosling, CEO and co-founder, Gapminder Foundation; co-author of Factfulness "If we're to make it through these next few decades, we're going to have to build a lot of stuff--and we're going to have to do it cheaply and fast. Here's a very useful handbook!" --Bill McKibben, author of The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon "Flyvbjerg's study of big construction projects worldwide has led him to formulate the iron law of megaprojects: over budget, over time, under benefits, over and over again. His deep understanding of why big projects fail--and occasionally succeed--makes this book a truly fascinating read. There's a practical pay-off, too: a toolbox with eleven smart heuristics for better project leadership thatevery planner who wants to succeed should know." --Gerd Gigerenzer, author of Gut Feelings, "Having researched the properties of planning errors, I am confident that nobody has studied the topic more broadly and deeply than Bent Flyvbjerg. His focus ranges from the Olympic Games to the renovation of your doghouse." --Nassim Nicholas Taleb, distinguished professor of risk engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and author of the Incerto series "A wise, vivid, and unforgettable combination of inspiring storytelling with decades of practical research and experience . . . Everyone who deals with large projects is already desperate to read this book. The rest of us will take great pleasure in learning from it anyway." --Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective "This book distills the best scientific advice on planning big projects. And it is arguably the bargain of the century. For a few dollars you can tap into thousands of dollars of insights in executive-education classrooms--and if you happen to be a CEO or head of state, the savings will quickly run into the billions." --Philip Tetlock, co-author of Superforecasting "My only complaint about this book is that it wasn't written earlier. Finally, here's a guide to navigating the embarrassingly predictable mistakes we all tend to make when taking on life's biggest and most important projects. Unlike so many other books from self-proclaimed business gurus, How Big Things Get Done is not based on mere anecdotes; it distills decades of systematic research from more than sixteen thousand projects worldwide. The result is a crystal-clear pattern of surprising reasons why almost all big human projects fail to deliver as expected--and a road map for the book's lucky readers to avoid them." --Ola Rosling, CEO and co-founder, Gapminder; co-author of Factfulness "If we're to make it through these next few decades, we're going to have to build a lot of stuff--and we're going to have to do it cheaply and fast. Here's a very useful handbook!" --Bill McKibben, author of The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon "Flyvbjerg's study of big construction projects worldwide has led him to formulate the iron law of megaprojects: over budget, over time, under benefits, over and over again. His deep understanding of why big projects fail--and occasionally succeed--makes this book a truly fascinating read. There's a practical payoff, too: a toolbox with eleven smart heuristics for better project leadership that every planner who wants to succeed should know." --Gerd Gigerenzer, author of Gut Feelings "This book is important, timely, instructive, and entertaining. What more could you ask for?" --Daniel Kahneman, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics and author of Thinking, Fast and Slow, "Entertaining . . . The picture that [Flyvbjerg] and Mr Gardner draw of why projects, large and small, tend to go wrong is compelling. . . . There are lessons here for managers of all stripes." -- The Economist "Full of delicious anecdotes about project management disasters . . . [and] valuable lessons." --Financial Times "Ignore [this book] at your peril." --Peter Coy, The New York Times " [How Big Things Get Done is] a book that every legislator, city council member and corporate executive ought to read." -- The Wall Street Journal "Having researched the properties of planning errors, I am confident that nobody has studied the topic more broadly and deeply than Bent Flyvbjerg. His focus ranges from the Olympic Games to the renovation of your doghouse." --Nassim Nicholas Taleb, distinguished professor of risk engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and author of the Incerto series "A wise, vivid, and unforgettable combination of inspiring storytelling with decades of practical research and experience . . . Everyone who deals with large projects is already desperate to read this book. The rest of us will take great pleasure in learning from it anyway." --Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective "This book distills the best scientific advice on planning big projects. And it is arguably the bargain of the century. For a few dollars you can tap into thousands of dollars' worth of insights in executive-education classrooms--and if you happen to be a CEO or head of state, the savings will quickly run into the billions." --Philip E. Tetlock, co-author of Superforecasting " How Big Things Get Done is not based on mere anecdotes; it distills decades of systematic research from more than sixteen thousand projects worldwide. The result is a crystal-clear pattern of surprising reasons why almost all big human projects fail to deliver as expected--and a road map for the book's lucky readers to avoid them." --Ola Rosling, CEO and co-founder of Gapminder; co-author of Factfulness "If we're to make it through these next few decades, we're going to have to build a lot of stuff--and we're going to have to do it cheaply and fast. Here's a very useful handbook!" --Bill McKibben, author of The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon "Flyvbjerg's study of big construction projects worldwide has led him to formulate the iron law of megaprojects: over budget, over time, under benefits, over and over again. His deep understanding of why big projects fail--and occasionally succeed--makes this book a truly fascinating read. There's a practical payoff, too: a toolbox with eleven smart heuristics for better project leadership that every planner who wants to succeed should know." --Gerd Gigerenzer, author of Gut Feelings, "This book distills the best scientific advice on planning big projects. And it is arguably the bargain of the century. For a few dollars you can tap into thousands of dollars of insights in executive-education classrooms--and if you happen to be a CEO or head of state, the savings will quickly run into the billions." --Philip Tetlock, co-author of Superforecasting "A wise, vivid, and unforgettable combination of inspiring storytelling with decades of practical research and experience . . . Everyone who deals with large projects is already desperate to read this book. The rest of us will take great pleasure in learning from it anyway." --Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective "My only complaint about this book is that it wasn't written earlier. Finally, here's a guide to navigating the embarrassingly predictable mistakes we all tend to make when taking on life's biggest and most important projects. Unlike so many other books from self-proclaimed business gurus, How Big Things Get Done is not based on mere anecdotes; it distills decades of systematic research from more than sixteen thousand projects worldwide. The result is a crystal-clear pattern of surprising reasons why almost all big human projects fail to deliver as expected--and a road map for the book's lucky readers to avoid them." --Ola Rosling, CEO and co-founder, Gapminder; co-author of Factfulness "If we're to make it through these next few decades, we're going to have to build a lot of stuff--and we're going to have to do it cheaply and fast. Here's a very useful handbook!" --Bill McKibben, author of The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon "Flyvbjerg's study of big construction projects worldwide has led him to formulate the iron law of megaprojects: over budget, over time, under benefits, over and over again. His deep understanding of why big projects fail--and occasionally succeed--makes this book a truly fascinating read. There's a practical payoff, too: a toolbox with eleven smart heuristics for better project leadership that every planner who wants to succeed should know." --Gerd Gigerenzer, author of Gut Feelings, "Entertaining . . . The picture that [Flyvbjerg] and Mr Gardner draw of why projects, large and small, tend to go wrong is compelling. . . . There are lessons here for managers of all stripes." -- The Economist "Stories of gigantic and costly failures, from the Sydney Opera House to successive editions of the Olympic Games, are entertaining and chastening in equal measure. But Flyvbjerg and Gardner also manage to extract valuable lessons about how to plan, forecast and execute any size of project, be it a kitchen remodelling or a high-speed trainlink." --Financial Times, Best Summer Books of 2023: Business "Ignore [this book] at your peril." --Peter Coy, The New York Times " [How Big Things Get Done is] a book that every legislator, city council member and corporate executive ought to read." -- The Wall Street Journal "Having researched the properties of planning errors, I am confident that nobody has studied the topic more broadly and deeply than Bent Flyvbjerg. His focus ranges from the Olympic Games to the renovation of your doghouse." --Nassim Nicholas Taleb, distinguished professor of risk engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and author of the Incerto series "A wise, vivid, and unforgettable combination of inspiring storytelling with decades of practical research and experience . . . Everyone who deals with large projects is already desperate to read this book. The rest of us will take great pleasure in learning from it anyway." --Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective "This book distills the best scientific advice on planning big projects. And it is arguably the bargain of the century." --Philip E. Tetlock, co-author of Superforecasting " How Big Things Get Done . . . is a crystal-clear pattern of surprising reasons why almost all big human projects fail to deliver as expected--and a road map for the book's lucky readers to avoid them." --Ola Rosling, CEO and co-founder of Gapminder; co-author of Factfulness "If we're to make it through these next few decades, we're going to have to build a lot of stuff--and we're going to have to do it cheaply and fast. Here's a very useful handbook!" --Bill McKibben, author of The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon "Flyvbjerg's study of big construction projects worldwide has led him to formulate the iron law of megaprojects: over budget, over time, under benefits, over and over again. His deep understanding of why big projects fail--and occasionally succeed--makes this book a truly fascinating read." --Gerd Gigerenzer, author of Gut Feelings "In this moment where resources are growing more scarce, Bent is pointing toward a way of developing projects that uses our environmental, human, and financial resources in a more equitable and profitable way for society." --Frank Gehry, "Over-budget and over-schedule is an inevitability. Incompetence and grift is outrageous. Bent Flyvbjerg, with this terrific data-driven book, has shown that there is another way." --Frank Gehry "Having researched the properties of planning errors, I am confident that nobody has studied the topic more broadly and deeply than Bent Flyvbjerg. His focus ranges from the Olympic Games to the renovation of your doghouse." --Nassim Nicholas Taleb, distinguished professor of risk engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and author of the Incerto series "A wise, vivid, and unforgettable combination of inspiring storytelling with decades of practical research and experience . . . Everyone who deals with large projects is already desperate to read this book. The rest of us will take great pleasure in learning from it anyway." --Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective "This book distills the best scientific advice on planning big projects. And it is arguably the bargain of the century. For a few dollars you can tap into thousands of dollars' worth of insights in executive-education classrooms--and if you happen to be a CEO or head of state, the savings will quickly run into the billions." --Philip E. Tetlock, co-author of Superforecasting "My only complaint about this book is that it wasn't written earlier. Finally, here's a guide to navigating the embarrassingly predictable mistakes we all tend to make when taking on life's biggest and most important projects. Unlike so many other books from self-proclaimed business gurus, How Big Things Get Done is not based on mere anecdotes; it distills decades of systematic research from more than sixteen thousand projects worldwide. The result is a crystal-clear pattern of surprising reasons why almost all big human projects fail to deliver as expected--and a road map for the book's lucky readers to avoid them." --Ola Rosling, CEO and co-founder of Gapminder; co-author of Factfulness "If we're to make it through these next few decades, we're going to have to build a lot of stuff--and we're going to have to do it cheaply and fast. Here's a very useful handbook!" --Bill McKibben, author of The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon "Flyvbjerg's study of big construction projects worldwide has led him to formulate the iron law of megaprojects: over budget, over time, under benefits, over and over again. His deep understanding of why big projects fail--and occasionally succeed--makes this book a truly fascinating read. There's a practical payoff, too: a toolbox with eleven smart heuristics for better project leadership that every planner who wants to succeed should know." --Gerd Gigerenzer, author of Gut Feelings, "Entertaining . . . The picture that [Flyvbjerg] and Mr Gardner draw of why projects, large and small, tend to go wrong is compelling. . . . There are lessons here for managers of all stripes." -- The Economist "Stories of gigantic and costly failures, from the Sydney Opera House to successive editions of the Olympic Games, are entertaining and chastening in equal measure. But Flyvbjerg and Gardner also manage to extract valuable lessons about how to plan, forecast and execute any size of project, be it a kitchen remodelling or a high-speed trainlink." --Financial Times, Best Summer Books of 2023: Business "Ignore [this book] at your peril." --Peter Coy, The New York Times " [How Big Things Get Done is] a book that every legislator, city council member and corporate executive ought to read." -- The Wall Street Journal "Having researched the properties of planning errors, I am confident that nobody has studied the topic more broadly and deeply than Bent Flyvbjerg. His focus ranges from the Olympic Games to the renovation of your doghouse." --Nassim Nicholas Taleb, distinguished professor of risk engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and author of the Incerto series " [How Big Things Get Done] has plenty of tips to help ensure that [personal renovation projects] get done on time and on budget." --Morningstar "A wise, vivid, and unforgettable combination of inspiring storytelling with decades of practical research and experience . . . Everyone who deals with large projects is already desperate to read this book. The rest of us will take great pleasure in learning from it anyway." --Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective "This book distills the best scientific advice on planning big projects. And it is arguably the bargain of the century." --Philip E. Tetlock, co-author of Superforecasting " How Big Things Get Done . . . is a crystal-clear pattern of surprising reasons why almost all big human projects fail to deliver as expected--and a road map for the book's lucky readers to avoid them." --Ola Rosling, CEO and co-founder of Gapminder; co-author of Factfulness "If we're to make it through these next few decades, we're going to have to build a lot of stuff--and we're going to have to do it cheaply and fast. Here's a very useful handbook!" --Bill McKibben, author of The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon "Flyvbjerg's study of big construction projects worldwide has led him to formulate the iron law of megaprojects: over budget, over time, under benefits, over and over again. His deep understanding of why big projects fail--and occasionally succeed--makes this book a truly fascinating read." --Gerd Gigerenzer, author of Gut Feelings "In this moment where resources are growing more scarce, Bent is pointing toward a way of developing projects that uses our environmental, human, and financial resources in a more equitable and profitable way for society." --Frank Gehry, "This book is important, timely, instructive, and entertaining. What more could you ask for?" --Daniel Kahneman, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics and author of Thinking, Fast and Slow "Having researched the properties of planning errors, I am confident that nobody has studied the topic more broadly and deeply than Bent Flyvbjerg. His focus ranges from the Olympic Games to the renovation of your doghouse." --Nassim Nicholas Taleb, distinguished professor of risk engineering, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and author of the Incerto series "This book distills the best scientific advice on planning big projects. And it is arguably the bargain of the century. For a few dollars you can tap into thousands of dollars of insights in executive-education classrooms--and if you happen to be a CEO or head of state, the savings will quickly run into the billions." --Philip Tetlock, co-author of Superforecasting "A wise, vivid, and unforgettable combination of inspiring storytelling with decades of practical research and experience . . . Everyone who deals with large projects is already desperate to read this book. The rest of us will take great pleasure in learning from it anyway." --Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective "My only complaint about this book is that it wasn't written earlier. Finally, here's a guide to navigating the embarrassingly predictable mistakes we all tend to make when taking on life's biggest and most important projects. Unlike so many other books from self-proclaimed business gurus, How Big Things Get Done is not based on mere anecdotes; it distills decades of systematic research from more than sixteen thousand projects worldwide. The result is a crystal-clear pattern of surprising reasons why almost all big human projects fail to deliver as expected--and a road map for the book's lucky readers to avoid them." --Ola Rosling, CEO and co-founder, Gapminder; co-author of Factfulness "If we're to make it through these next few decades, we're going to have to build a lot of stuff--and we're going to have to do it cheaply and fast. Here's a very useful handbook!" --Bill McKibben, author of The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon "Flyvbjerg's study of big construction projects worldwide has led him to formulate the iron law of megaprojects: over budget, over time, under benefits, over and over again. His deep understanding of why big projects fail--and occasionally succeed--makes this book a truly fascinating read. There's a practical payoff, too: a toolbox with eleven smart heuristics for better project leadership that every planner who wants to succeed should know." --Gerd Gigerenzer, author of Gut Feelings, "Having researched the properties of planning errors, I am confident that nobody has studied the topic more broadly and deeply than Bent Flyvbjerg. His focus ranges from the Olympic Games to the renovation of your doghouse." --Nassim Nicholas Taleb, distinguished professor of risk engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and author of the Incerto series "A wise, vivid, and unforgettable combination of inspiring storytelling with decades of practical research and experience . . . Everyone who deals with large projects is already desperate to read this book. The rest of us will take great pleasure in learning from it anyway." --Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective "This book distills the best scientific advice on planning big projects. And it is arguably the bargain of the century. For a few dollars you can tap into thousands of dollars' worth of insights in executive-education classrooms--and if you happen to be a CEO or head of state, the savings will quickly run into the billions." --Philip E. Tetlock, co-author of Superforecasting "My only complaint about this book is that it wasn't written earlier. Finally, here's a guide to navigating the embarrassingly predictable mistakes we all tend to make when taking on life's biggest and most important projects. Unlike so many other books from self-proclaimed business gurus, How Big Things Get Done is not based on mere anecdotes; it distills decades of systematic research from more than sixteen thousand projects worldwide. The result is a crystal-clear pattern of surprising reasons why almost all big human projects fail to deliver as expected--and a road map for the book's lucky readers to avoid them." --Ola Rosling, CEO and co-founder of Gapminder; co-author of Factfulness "If we're to make it through these next few decades, we're going to have to build a lot of stuff--and we're going to have to do it cheaply and fast. Here's a very useful handbook!" --Bill McKibben, author of The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon "Flyvbjerg's study of big construction projects worldwide has led him to formulate the iron law of megaprojects: over budget, over time, under benefits, over and over again. His deep understanding of why big projects fail--and occasionally succeed--makes this book a truly fascinating read. There's a practical payoff, too: a toolbox with eleven smart heuristics for better project leadership that every planner who wants to succeed should know." --Gerd Gigerenzer, author of Gut Feelings, "Ignore [this book] at your peril." --Peter Coy, The New York Times " [How Big Things Get Done is] a book that every legislator, city council member and corporate executive ought to read." -- Wall Street Journal "Having researched the properties of planning errors, I am confident that nobody has studied the topic more broadly and deeply than Bent Flyvbjerg. His focus ranges from the Olympic Games to the renovation of your doghouse." --Nassim Nicholas Taleb, distinguished professor of risk engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and author of the Incerto series "A wise, vivid, and unforgettable combination of inspiring storytelling with decades of practical research and experience . . . Everyone who deals with large projects is already desperate to read this book. The rest of us will take great pleasure in learning from it anyway." --Tim Harford, author of The Data Detective "This book distills the best scientific advice on planning big projects. And it is arguably the bargain of the century. For a few dollars you can tap into thousands of dollars' worth of insights in executive-education classrooms--and if you happen to be a CEO or head of state, the savings will quickly run into the billions." --Philip E. Tetlock, co-author of Superforecasting " How Big Things Get Done is not based on mere anecdotes; it distills decades of systematic research from more than sixteen thousand projects worldwide. The result is a crystal-clear pattern of surprising reasons why almost all big human projects fail to deliver as expected--and a road map for the book's lucky readers to avoid them." --Ola Rosling, CEO and co-founder of Gapminder; co-author of Factfulness "If we're to make it through these next few decades, we're going to have to build a lot of stuff--and we're going to have to do it cheaply and fast. Here's a very useful handbook!" --Bill McKibben, author of The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon "Flyvbjerg's study of big construction projects worldwide has led him to formulate the iron law of megaprojects: over budget, over time, under benefits, over and over again. His deep understanding of why big projects fail--and occasionally succeed--makes this book a truly fascinating read. There's a practical payoff, too: a toolbox with eleven smart heuristics for better project leadership that every planner who wants to succeed should know." --Gerd Gigerenzer, author of Gut Feelings
Dewey Decimal658.404