The Best Decision-Making Book of 2016

More than a few years ago, we compiled a list of the Ten Best Decision-Making Books Ever. And while there have been plenty of other books written on the subject since then, none have been able to crack the list… until now. 

A few weeks ago, an author contacted us and asked that we read his work for possible review on this website. We’re always honored when that happens; though for every great book we’ve read and reviewed in this manner, we’ve suffered through a dozen poorly-written tomes that apparently had never been touched by even the worst editor on the planet.

Where are those reviews, you ask? Let’s just say we don’t like punching down. (To put it another way: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all… so we didn’t.)

Effective Decision-Making

There are two reasons I personally hate the author of Effective Decision-Making: How to make better decisions under uncertainty and pressure:

First, his name is Edoardo Binda Zane. Only the coolest name ever, right? If I could choose my own name today, Edoardo Binda Zane would definitely be on my short list. Plus, if my name was Edoardo Binda Zane, I would always introduce myself as “Edoardo Binda Zane.” And, whenever anyone called me simply “Edoardo,” I would respond with “Edoardo Binda Zane.”

And, yes, I am saying that with a perfectly-tuned, ultra-suave Castilian accent. (The real Edoardo Binda Zane lives in Berlin, but if I stole his name, I would be from Madrid – no offense.)

Okay, enough digression. The second reason I personally hate the author is that he’s written a truly great book on decision-making. In fact, it’s the best book on decision-making that I’ve read in almost a decade.

I am jealous; I wish I’d written this one; it’s truly a “must buy.”

What makes Effective Decision-Making a must buy?

I highly recommend Effective Decision-Making for a number of reasons, but without writing my own book about why you should buy this one, let me give you my three primary reasons:

1. It’s one of the absolute best decision-making books actually written for every stage in your career. And I mean every stage! Whether you are a CEO or an entry-level employee, there is something in this book for you.
2. It’s the only decision-making book that’s written for both logical and creative thinkers. Every other book on decision-making seems to choose one approach over the other. Generally, this means that the books written for the creative minds are boring to the logical thinker, while those written for the logical types just confuse the creative folks.
3. It’s the only decision-making book that I will keep in my desk. Unlike most other works on the subject, Effective Decision-Making is not some useless thought-starter providing Zen-like advice for changing your life to make better decisions; instead, Edoardo Binda Zane has penned a great read that also happens to be a well-written reference book; delivering actionable advice, exercises and techniques. You will want this book near your desk, because you’ll refer to it often.

To explain what you should expect in as few words as possible, Edoardo Binda Zane gathers all of the best decision-making techniques and describes them in layman’s terms, while providing the step-by-step instructions you need to utilize these to fit your situation.

I also like Effective Decision-Making – and perhaps this is why you will too – because it’s a short, 134-page read that gets right to the point. Most business writers today like to tell you what they’re going to tell you, then tell you, then tell you what they told you, then tell you again, then tell you again what they told you. It’s exhausting!

Okay, so where on the Top Ten List would I put this one? Not sure; perhaps I might even expand the list to 11. Regardless of where it fits with the greatest decision-making books of all time, I definitely owe congratulations to Edoardo Binda Zane for writing such a useful book! I genuinely appreciate that he shared it with us.

Now, do yourself a favor and buy his book: