I am sure I am going to dislike Nassim Nicholas Taleb. In his books on the importance of the improbable – Fooled by Randomness and The Black Swan – he adopts an unpleasantly sneering tone towards the fools who just don’t get it. He spreads his contempt around liberally. But he is particularly dismissive of economists, businessmen, the French and financial journalists in suits.

As a financial journalist in a suit, I am spoiling for a fight. I had also been irritated by the chaotic structure of The Black Swan, which made it hard to read in a hurry the night before. To cap it all, he’s late.