OTUG May 26, 2009 Meeting

Abstract - When Nicolas Taleb published "The Black Swan" in 2007, he was not writing to the agile community. None the less, this excellent book simultaneously supports and challenges the core agile principles and practices. At a time when the agile community is truly working hard to evolve and grow our agility beyond version one, Taleb's ideas are meaty grist for the mill.

Taleb's "black swans" are significantly disruptive events which are difficult to predict. To illustrate the dangers of black swans, Taleb provides an excellent collection of ideas and terms wonderfully applicable to a day in the life of any pragmatically practicing agilists. From skeptical empiricism to epistemic arrogance to Philistine scholars Taleb is not short on concepts which are wonderful catalysts for anyone interested in keeping agility agile. In short, Taleb challenges to be wary of thinking we know too much, a beginners mind perspective helpful to any agile community.

If you know of David Hussman, you will definitely come. If you know about the book " The Black Swan", you will come too. If you do not know about either, you SHOULD come and discover David and the Black Swan - both are interesting in their own way. Its a FREE event. I am expecting this is going to be a sellout crowd (well, a FREE sellout crowd).We will have pizza and non-alcoholic drinks in the end (yes, that is FREE too ). I am hoping to garner one of the fantastic University of St Thomas rooms.