Martin Signorin

When I began writing "The Luck Illusion", I faced a problem. How can I write a book that deals with psychology, philosophy, causality, success and failure, which are serious subjects, without falling into the trap of many other books on the subject and becoming purely abstract? The answer was the creation of Walsdos. He is a fictional character, but he moves through a non-fiction argument and deliberately allows the reader to see how hidden causes may gather around a single l

The idea that non-fiction psychology books were intimidatingly difficult to read put me off for years. In essence, it is the assumption that if a book deals with psychology, philosophy, causality, judgement, success or failure, it must be academic in tone, heavily referenced, and something of a labour to get through. Some books are like that and have their place, but serious ideas can also be expressed plainly. A book can ask important questions without specialist language. I

In the book, a pipe burst above The Cornerstone days before it was due to open. From the outside, it looked simple. Seemingly a combination of bad timing, bad fortune and bad luck. You would be forgiven for thinking that, but the pipe was only the visible event. What made it fatal was everything beneath what you can see. Thin savings, limited insurance, an old building, one second-hand espresso machine, no investor, no spare cash, no safety net, and no time for the business t

I began writing The Luck Illusion because of a question that had stayed with me for years: why do some people appear fortunate, while others seem to face one setback after another? We often attribute these differences to luck. Take, for example, getting a job, falling ill, meeting the right person, or facing failure. But I became more interested in what truly causes those outcomes. Calling something lucky or unlucky describes how an outcome appears, not why it happened. That

We are very quick to read backwards from an outcome. If someone succeeds, we look for the traits that made success inevitable. Discipline. Vision. Intelligence. Courage. If someone fails, we often do the same in reverse. Poor judgement. Weakness. Bad planning. Lack of effort. The result becomes evidence, but it is not the whole account. This is one of the central ideas behind my book, "The Luck Illusion". The book questions the way we use luck to explain success, failure, mis

Most people talk about luck as if it were a mysterious force. Someone succeeds, and we call them lucky. Someone fails, and we say they were unlucky. The word is familiar, comforting, and often convenient. But it may also stop us from looking more closely. Your life challenges the idea that luck is purely random or unknowable. Instead, it suggests that what we call luck is often “compressed causality,” a brief label for causes we have not observed, analysed, or acknowledged, w

Some books I have read once and respected, while others I return to repeatedly. The key difference isn't always how well-written they are. Many great books don't compel a reread; they do their job, leave an impression, and stay put. Conversely, some books seem to wait. They don't end with the last page; instead, they linger in the mind, quietly changing my perspective over time. These are some of the books that are important to me. My top books might provide pleasure, comfort

People often think of writing as a distinct activity from everyday life, as if the writer steps into a room, shuts the door, and only reemerges once a chapter is complete. Of course, there's some truth to that. Writers need solitude as sentences don't form while someone is talking behind your back. However, it isn't confined to the desk; much of it occurs quietly elsewhere, with no words written. When I'm not physically writing, I often find myself walking, which can inspire

There is a line in The Luck Illusion that holds much of the book’s argument in only four words: “Luck is compressed causality.” This isn't merely a slogan; it offers a different view of a familiar word. When things turn out well, we tend to attribute it to luck—such as meeting the right person, choosing the right career, avoiding illness, receiving timely assistance, or being in the right place at the right time. To outsiders, the explanation might appear simple: they were lu

The Result Is Not the Whole Account People tend to judge a life based on the outcome they first observe. If a business fails, a debt accumulates, a chance is missed, or someone faces hardship, people often interpret the final result as the cause of everything that happened before. A failed business is seen as poor decision-making. A missed opportunity is attributed to laziness. A difficult life is attributed to bad luck. The end state is treated as if it explains the entire s

I wrote The Luck Illusion after years of pondering a persistent question: why do some people seem to navigate life effortlessly? In contrast, others struggle with one challenge after another, often without any clear reason. This question didn't suddenly occur to me, nor was it something I started pondering as an abstract concept. It arose from observing people: watching how lives evolve and noticing the remarkably different paths individuals take, even when they initially s

Martin Signorin is an author whose works resonate deeply with readers, drawing them into intricate narratives filled with rich characters and thought-provoking themes. His novels are not just stories; they are experiences that invite readers to explore the depths of human emotion and the complexities of life. In this blog post, we will delve into the unique qualities of Signorin's writing, the themes he explores, and how his novels connect with readers on a personal level. Th