John List Knihy

The definitive guide to the science of scalability- how to make good ideas great, and great ideas scale. Why do some ideas make it big while others fail to take off? According to award-winning behavioural economist John List, the answer comes down to a single question- Can the idea scale? Countless enterprises fall apart the moment they scale; their positive results fizzle, they lose valuable time and money, and the great electric charge of potential that drove them early on disappears. In short, they suffer a voltage drop. Yet success and failure are not about luck - in fact, there is a rhyme and reason as to why some ideas fail and why some make it big. Certain ideas are predictably scalable, while others are predictably destined for disaster. In The Voltage Effect, University of Chicago economist John A. List explains how to identify the ideas that will be successful when scaled, and how to avoid those that won't. Drawing on his own original research, as well as fascinating examples from the realms of business, government, education, and public health, he details the five signature elements that cause voltage drops, and unpacks the four proven techniques for increasing positive results - or voltage gains - and scaling great ideas to their fullest potential. By understanding the science of scaling, we can drive change in our schools, workplaces, communities, and society at large. Because a better world can only be built at scale

Based on groundbreaking original research, The Why Axis is a colourful examination of why people do what they do - and how effective incentives can spur people to change their behaviour and achieve more. Uri Gneezy and John List are a little like the anthropologists who spend months in the field studying people in their native environments. But rather than acting as impartial observers, these two intrepid economists have set out to study the ways people act in order to try to solve major problems in society, such as the gap between rich and poor students and the violence plaguing inner city schools; the real reasons people discriminate; and the continuing pay disparity between men and women. Their field experiments in the factories, communities, and shops where real people live, work, and play show how incentives can change outcomes. Their results will change the way you think about and take action on both small and large problems, and force us as a society to stop making assumptions and to rely instead upon the evidence of what really works.

The narrative explores the complex life of John List, a man who appeared gentle and devout yet harbored deep psychological issues stemming from his World War II experiences. Despite his outward kindness, he struggled with maintaining jobs and parenting. In a shocking turn, he committed a brutal murder of his family in 1971 and escaped to start anew under a false identity. Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, the story raises questions about the long-lasting impacts of war on mental health and the tragic consequences that can ensue.