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How Big Things Get Done
- The Surprising Factors That Determine the Fate of Every Project, from Home Renovations to Space Exploration and Everything in Between
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
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Publisher's Summary
“Why do big projects go wrong so often, and are there any lessons you can use when renovating your kitchen? Bent Flyvbjerg is the ‘megaproject’ expert and Dan Gardner brings the storytelling skills to How Big Things Get Done, with examples ranging from a Jimi Hendrix studio to the Sydney Opera House.”—Financial Times (Best Books of 2023 So Far)
“Entertaining.... There are lessons here for managers of all stripes.”—The Economist
Finalist for the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year Award
Nothing is more inspiring than a big vision that becomes a triumphant, new reality. Think of how the Empire State Building went from a sketch to the jewel of New York’s skyline in twenty-one months, or how Apple’s iPod went from a project with a single employee to a product launch in eleven months.
These are wonderful stories. But most of the time big visions turn into nightmares. Remember Boston’s “Big Dig”? Almost every sizeable city in the world has such a fiasco in its backyard. In fact, no less than 92% of megaprojects come in over budget or over schedule, or both. The cost of California’s high-speed rail project soared from $33 billion to $100 billon—and won’t even go where promised. More modest endeavors, whether launching a small business, organizing a conference, or just finishing a work project on time, also commonly fail. Why?
Understanding what distinguishes the triumphs from the failures has been the life’s work of Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg, dubbed “the world’s leading megaproject expert.” In How Big Things Get Done, he identifies the errors in judgment and decision-making that lead projects, both big and small, to fail, and the research-based principles that will make you succeed with yours. For example:
- Understand your odds. If you don’t know them, you won’t win.
- Plan slow, act fast. Getting to the action quick feels right. But it’s wrong.
- Think right to left. Start with your goal, then identify the steps to get there.
- Find your Lego. Big is best built from small.
- Be a team maker. You won’t succeed without an “us.”
- Master the unknown unknowns. Most think they can’t, so they fail. Flyvbjerg shows how you can.
- Know that your biggest risk is you.
Full of vivid examples ranging from the building of the Sydney Opera House, to the making of the latest Pixar blockbusters, to a home renovation in Brooklyn gone awry, How Big Things Get Done reveals how to get any ambitious project done—on time and on budget.
For a visual representation of the charts and graphs mentioned throughout, as well as Appendix A and B, please be sure to download the Bonus PDF accompanying this program.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
What the critics say
“Entertaining . . . The picture that [Flyvbjerg] and Mr Gardner draw of why projects, large and small, tend to go wrong is compelling. . . . There are lessons here for managers of all stripes.” —The Economist
“Stories of gigantic and costly failures, from the Sydney Opera House to successive editions of the Olympic Games, are entertaining and chastening in equal measure. But Flyvbjerg and Gardner also manage to extract valuable lessons about how to plan, forecast and execute any size of project, be it a kitchen remodelling or a high-speed trainlink.” —Financial Times, Best Summer Books of 2023: Business
“Ignore [this book] at your peril.” —Peter Coy, The New York Times
What listeners say about How Big Things Get Done
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jonathan Elliott
- 2023-05-30
Completely changed the way I think about projects
This book challenged (in a good way) my thought process about projects big and small. A bit repetitive at times (on purpose it seems), but it formulates a compelling argument that the way most people approach projects is significantly flawed.
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- Jonathan Edwards
- 2023-10-07
Great listen for projects large and small.
Loved this entire book. As a contractor I learned a bunch. The section about Frank Ghery was excellent.
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-05-20
Fasnicatimg
Clear and effective data driven advice on project management in both big and small projects!
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- Peter Hoskins
- 2023-07-31
Essential Planning Insight
Prof. Bent Flyvbjerg drops some serious planning experience and wisdom along with a healthy dose of realism in his book "How Big Things Get Done."
Great read that I could not put down... well except for the part about Hendrix Electric Lady studio where I immediately had to pick up my V and run through Jimi's greatest hits.
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- matt
- 2023-06-05
Concise and accessible
I'm renovating my house. I found value in his explanation of blind spots common errors in perception which lead planners astray. After a slow start the book covers a lot of ground from Chapter 3 onward.
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- Tim Newkirk
- 2023-05-21
Great Listen
If you’re doing anything anywhere, at home, at work, if you’re in charge or want to be. This is a great listen.
Think slow, work fast.
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-07-08
Essential cannon for project managers
An analytical, thoughtful tome on the obstacles and critical factors for success for any big project, with a special focus on capital projects.
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- Lee Haber
- 2023-09-14
A must read for any planner or politician
A clear, well-delivered audiobook with simple and powerful teachings. Think slow, act fast, mitigate your black swans, assemble a great team. Responsible project conception and execution is an ethical responsibility and anyone in the field needs to read this book.
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-11-28
Mandatory Reading
“Let the data speak” - great statistical evidence of large project completion, with details of the root causes of the most common failures, as well as practical solutions. Long live modularity.
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- Amazon Customer
- 2023-07-28
Brilliant
Exactly what the book promises. Practical advice. Great performance. The right length. Good supporting documentation.
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