The Art of Thinking Clearly

Author: Rolf Dobelli
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062359800
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 269

Book Description
A world-class thinker counts the 100 ways in which humans behave irrationally, showing us what we can do to recognize and minimize these “thinking errors” to make better decisions and have a better life Despite the best of intentions, humans are notoriously bad—that is, irrational—when it comes to making decisions and assessing risks and tradeoffs. Psychologists and neuroscientists refer to these distinctly human foibles, biases, and thinking traps as “cognitive errors.” Cognitive errors are systematic deviances from rationality, from optimized, logical, rational thinking and behavior. We make these errors all the time, in all sorts of situations, for problems big and small: whether to choose the apple or the cupcake; whether to keep retirement funds in the stock market when the Dow tanks, or whether to take the advice of a friend over a stranger. The “behavioral turn” in neuroscience and economics in the past twenty years has increased our understanding of how we think and how we make decisions. It shows how systematic errors mar our thinking and under which conditions our thought processes work best and worst. Evolutionary psychology delivers convincing theories about why our thinking is, in fact, marred. The neurosciences can pinpoint with increasing precision what exactly happens when we think clearly and when we don’t. Drawing on this wide body of research, The Art of Thinking Clearly is an entertaining presentation of these known systematic thinking errors--offering guidance and insight into everything why you shouldn’t accept a free drink to why you SHOULD walk out of a movie you don’t like it to why it’s so hard to predict the future to why shouldn’t watch the news. The book is organized into 100 short chapters, each covering a single cognitive error, bias, or heuristic. Examples of these concepts include: Reciprocity, Confirmation Bias, The It-Gets-Better-Before-It-Gets-Worse Trap, and the Man-With-A-Hammer Tendency. In engaging prose and with real-world examples and anecdotes, The Art of Thinking Clearly helps solve the puzzle of human reasoning.

Are You Thinking Clearly?

Author: Matt Warren
Publisher: Coronet
ISBN: 1529388694
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 311

Book Description
'An endlessly fascinating tour of the many different factors influencing our decision-making and reasoning' David Robson, author of The Expectation Effect 'An eye-opening and engaging richness of information that gives us a detailed insight into the strengths and weaknesses of human behaviour' Melissa Hogenboom, author of The Motherhood Complex Do emotions really cloud your thinking? Are habits holding you back? Is AI manipulating your mind? Does IQ help you think better? Every one of our thoughts, actions, moods and decisions is shaped by a whole array of factors, most of which we don't pay any attention to. From culture, time and language to genetics, technology and the microorganisms living inside us - even our own unconscious routines and habits - it's clear that we aren't always in the driving seat. The good news is that by better understanding the external and internal forces at work, we can minimise their impact on our lives. Drawing on rigorous interdisciplinary research, leading science journalists Miriam Frankel and Matt Warren bring us extraordinary stories and studies that open our eyes to the inner workings of the mind, challenge our thought processes and improve our decision-making. Most of all, Are You Thinking Clearly? is a rallying cry to know yourself, think broadly, think boldly - and to listen. 'Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand why their beliefs, mistakes, emotions and intuitions are the way they are' Richard Gray, BBC Future

Thinking Clearly

Author: Jill LeBlanc
Publisher: W W Norton & Company Incorporated
ISBN: 9780393972184
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 314

Book Description
In tune with the needs of students, Thinking Clearly focuses squarely on core issues of critical reasoning.

Focus: The Art of Clear Thinking

Author: Valerie Pierce
Publisher: Mercier Press Ltd
ISBN: 1781172811
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 200

Book Description
Focus is natural. We are born with an instinct to focus on exactly what we want and a very strong pair of lungs to help us to get it. Then, somewhere along the way, we begin to lose that focus. In the digital age we are bombarded with information from all angles and live our lives at such a breakneck pace that it sometimes seems that our lives are completely out of our control. In three easy steps this book teaches the reader how to regain control through the art of clear thinking: 1) FOCUS eliminate information overload 2) TRANSFORM negative thinking into positive action 3) THINK CLEARLY in the moment The author shows how you can use this strategy to achieve your goals in work and in life.

Thinking Clearly with Data

Author: Ethan Bueno de Mesquita
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691215014
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 400

Book Description
An engaging introduction to data science that emphasizes critical thinking over statistical techniques An introduction to data science or statistics shouldn’t involve proving complex theorems or memorizing obscure terms and formulas, but that is exactly what most introductory quantitative textbooks emphasize. In contrast, Thinking Clearly with Data focuses, first and foremost, on critical thinking and conceptual understanding in order to teach students how to be better consumers and analysts of the kinds of quantitative information and arguments that they will encounter throughout their lives. Among much else, the book teaches how to assess whether an observed relationship in data reflects a genuine relationship in the world and, if so, whether it is causal; how to make the most informative comparisons for answering questions; what questions to ask others who are making arguments using quantitative evidence; which statistics are particularly informative or misleading; how quantitative evidence should and shouldn’t influence decision-making; and how to make better decisions by using moral values as well as data. Filled with real-world examples, the book shows how its thinking tools apply to problems in a wide variety of subjects, including elections, civil conflict, crime, terrorism, financial crises, health care, sports, music, and space travel. Above all else, Thinking Clearly with Data demonstrates why, despite the many benefits of our data-driven age, data can never be a substitute for thinking. An ideal textbook for introductory quantitative methods courses in data science, statistics, political science, economics, psychology, sociology, public policy, and other fields Introduces the basic toolkit of data analysis—including sampling, hypothesis testing, Bayesian inference, regression, experiments, instrumental variables, differences in differences, and regression discontinuity Uses real-world examples and data from a wide variety of subjects Includes practice questions and data exercises

Make Up Your Mind

Author: Hal Mooz
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 111817271X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 22

Book Description
A proven decision-making system guides readers to the rightchoice every time Make Up Your Mind provides author Hal Mooz’sproprietary system for decision making. This approach consists ofthree decision-making models, including: the Decision Type Model,which characterizes what is at stake with any decision; theDecision Solution Model, which frames the most suitablealternatives; and the Decision Judgment Model, which provides tenbases for judging alternatives, some of which may be defensible andothers that, although popular, may not be defensible to challenge.These models guide the reader's thinking to the most promisingalternatives and the best choice. A decision fit person enjoys the benefit of thinking clearlyabout decisions and their outcomes and is competent to actknowledgeably and decisively about creating the alternatives andjudging them appropriately. Become decision fit. Think clearly and act decisively on yourown decisions and help others to do the same.

The Art of the Good Life

Author: Rolf Dobelli
Publisher: Hachette Books
ISBN: 0316445088
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 261

Book Description
From the bestselling author of The Art of Thinking Clearly, an insightful book that shares tips for making the very best of life–and maybe finding happiness along the way. A simple path to happiness doesn't exist. Rolf Dobelli, businessman and founder of the TED-style conference World Minds, has synthesized the leading thinkers and the latest science in happiness to find the best shortcuts to satisfaction in The Art of the Good Life. The Art of the Good Life is a toolkit designed for practical living. Here you'll find “happiness hacks”–from guilt-free shunning of technology to gleefully paying your parking tickets–that are certain to optimize your happiness. A good life isn’t guaranteed, but that doesn’t mean we can’t strive for it–and this book will give you a better chance at happiness.

Thinking Clearly about Death

Author: Jay F. Rosenberg
Publisher: Hackett Publishing
ISBN: 9780872204263
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 374

Book Description
Jay Rosenberg's penetrating and persuasively argued analysis of the central metaphysical and moral questions pertaining to death has been updated and revised to expand and deepen several of its key arguments and to address conceptual developments of the past fifteen years. Among the topics discussed are: Life After Death; The Limits of Theorizing; The Limits of Imagination; Death and Personhood; Values and Rights; Mercy Killing; Prolonging Life; Rational Suicide; and One's Own Death. Rosenberg's prose is lucid, lively, thoroughly absorbing, and accessible to introductory-level readers. Essential reading for anyone interested in reflecting on this engaging topic.

The Little Blue Reasoning Book

Author: Brandon Royal
Publisher: Maven Publishing
ISBN: 1897393601
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 297

Book Description
The Little Blue Reasoning Book helps readers build essential critical thinking, creative thinking, and decision-making skills and is suitable for the everyday student, test-prep candidate, or working professional in need of a refresher course. Interwoven within the book's five chapters -Perception & Mindset, Decision Making, Creative Thinking, Analyzing Arguments, and Mastering Logic - are 50 reasoning tips that summarize the common themes behind classic reasoning problems and situations. Appendixes contain summaries of fallacious reasoning, analogies, trade-offs, and a review of critical reading.

Now You're Thinking!

Author: Judy Chartrand
Publisher: FT Press
ISBN: 0132693542
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 168

Book Description
If you can change the way you think, you can change the world. That’s the theme of Now You’re Thinking! as it tells the story of how a 2-year old Iraqi girl’s life was saved through determination, courage, and critical thinking. The book begins with the heroic story of how a Marine battalion beat the odds to save this little girl, and ends with a model of critical thinking that will help you STOP and THINK to recognize your emotions, evaluate arguments, and draw conclusions to make better life decisions. This book also provides the opportunity for you to take the My Thinking Styles assessment for free to learn your natural thinking preferences, strengths, and biases. This short read will give you a real-life example of great thinking plus tons of resources to guide your further interest in effective thinking.