Emund Fish

A Short Introduction to Risk Assessments Emund Fish

Do you really know what risk is? FEAR - DEATH - DESTRUCTION - THE APOCALYPSE Risk is complex and is emotionally charged; it is easy to misunderstand. Risk has many parts and we all have a different opinion of what that is. In the foreword, the former Executive Director of the CCPS highlights the belief that a mutual vocabulary for risk is essential in creating a better society. Understanding why we might see risk differently from the next person can help us have conversations with substance rather than raw accusations of deception and mistrust. The exploration of what makes up the subjective part of risk does not mean we will all agree on what the risk of something is. It does mean we can work towards more effect solutions and greater sense of accord; rather than being disenfranchised by "trust us, we're the experts". Exposing the underbelly of risk in a way that is accessible to expert and layman alike, this book is the first stepping stone in creating a common language about risk. Without a common language it is nearly impossible to communicate how we see risk to other people. Overconfidence in our knowledge is the root of the error in risk assessments. The risk assessment is less certain than we typically care to admit. It is this uncertainty that is at the root of our different perceptions of risk. This book explores this root of uncertainty and will help communication of the areas that people see with different eyes when assessing the same risks. Having explored why every risk assessment we do is fundamentally wrong; the book explores how humans make decisions even without the certainty of outcomes. Understanding how we get to "good enough" decisions provides an insight into designing system for dealing with real people based on the level of uncertainty. Get prepared to start better conversations about risk, by reading this book. Better yet, buy a copy for your boss, your colleagues and most importantly of all, people that sit on the other side of table of your risk assessments.