All things being equal, letting people make decisions for themselves will produce smarter outcomes, collectively, than relying on government planners. James Surowiecki collectivelydecisionequal Change image and share on social
Defense contractors are able to reap tremendous profits while rarely confronting the risks for which those profits are supposed to be the reward. James Surowiecki confrontcontractordefense Change image and share on social
We assume that good-looking people are smarter and more effective than they really are, and that homely people are the reverse. James Surowiecki assumeeffectivegood Change image and share on social
The Xbox 360 is the best game console ever designed. It's fast and powerful - games look as good on the 360 as on high-end PCs that cost six times as much. It's easy to navigate and has lots of useful secondary features - the ability to play digital video, stream MP3s, and so on. James Surowiecki abilityconsolecost share on social
If someone really wants my company's business, why shouldn't he be able to do everything he can - including paying me off - to get that business? Because bribery encourages people to make decisions based on the wrong criteria, which means in the business world that it distorts the efficient allocation of resources. James Surowiecki allocationbasebribery share on social
Companies, like people, don't much like to change. James Surowiecki changecompanypeople Change image and share on social
If you work for Google or Apple, stock options give you a chance to share in the increasing value of the company. In the N.F.L., nothing like this happens; the players, though rich, are just working stiffs like the rest of us. James Surowiecki applechancecompany share on social
In the auto industry, there's one thing you can always count on: if a new environmental or safety rule is proposed, executives will prophesy disaster. James Surowiecki autocountdisaster Change image and share on social
In terms of productivity - that is, how much a worker produces in an hour - there's little difference between the U.S., France, and Germany. But since more people work in America, and since they work so many more hours, Americans create more wealth. James Surowiecki americaamericancreate share on social
The paradox of Steve Jobs's career is that he had no interest in listening to consumers - he was famously dismissive of market research - yet nonetheless had an amazing sense of what consumers actually wanted. James Surowiecki amazecareerconsumer share on social