Iterate and Adapt (and Repeat)

"Our approaches are iterative and adaptive. We make our choices from a limited range of options. Our knowledge of the relevant information and of what information is relevant, is imperfect. Different people make different judgments in the same situation, not just because they have different objectives, but because they observe different options, select different information, and assess that information differently; even with hindsight it will often not be possible to say who was right and who was wrong."

This book by John Kay looks excellent - and highly relevant to aid, philanthropy, and public policy.  It gets at the heart of what we are pursuing at GlobalGiving.