I’m really enjoying Nassim Taleb’s 2001 book Fooled by Randomness! Malcolm Gladwell also did a great profile on Taleb in the New Yorker last spring.
Taleb is focused on profiting from rare events — and laughing at how most folks just don’t get it and allow themselves to reach conclusions (particularly with respect to investments) that may work for a while but then result in spectacular blow ups.
One of the things Taleb writes about is how he ignores the news — which he calls news — the only thing he reads in the daily paper is the Obituary column! Read more about Taleb on his web site.