When a quarterback throws up a Hail Mary pass in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, he has nothing to lose—and the game to win. Aaron Rodgers, one of the most disciplined passers in the NFL, suddenly becomes a gambler when desperation drives him to attempt to clutch victory from near-certain defeat. During his teachings at NYU’s Stern School of Business, Professor William L. Silber has spent decades exploring the ways in which humans respond to extraordinary pressure and make decisions that they would never make under ordinary circumstances—yet this decision can lead them to great success. The Power of Nothing to Lose is a culmination of his thoughts and teachings on the subject. From George Washington crossing the Delaware to World War II’s Battle of the Bulge to Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement to the Trump Administration and the 2016 election, the Hail Mary is much more prevalent than most people think. In fact, it is a principle that has shaped the world we know today in the most unexpected ways.