As we navigate through life, our ability to think critically and creatively becomes increasingly important. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who wants to improve their mental abilities, reading books can be an incredibly effective way to sharpen your thinking skills.
Recently, a valuable Twitter thread by @SystemSunday shared a list of 8 books that will help you improve your critical thinking, expand your intellectual horizons, and become a more effective problem solver.
8 books that will sharpen your thinking:
= thread = pic.twitter.com/ayDlaetqf0— Ben Meer (@SystemSunday) March 18, 2023
Super Thinking
— Ben Meer (@SystemSunday) March 18, 2023
by Gabriel Weinberg and Lauren McCann
Lessons:
โข Use first principles (foundational facts)
โข Ockham's Razor: simple is often best
โข Correlation โ causation
โข Much, much more pic.twitter.com/kTHA5hiLuS
Thinking, Fast and Slow
— Ben Meer (@SystemSunday) March 18, 2023
by Daniel Kahneman
Lessons:
โข We think in two systems (1=automatic, 2=considered)
โข The mind uses shortcuts to make decisions
โข We often make emotional, not rational, decisions
โข Learn to slow down; engage with System 2 pic.twitter.com/IhDS42S9co
Predictably Irrational
— Ben Meer (@SystemSunday) March 18, 2023
Book by Dan Ariely
Lessons:
โข Neoclassical economics is incomplete
โข Psychology helps us understand real-world behavior
โข Free is not just a price; it disrupts our rational thinking
โข The first price we hear anchors
โข Owning leads to overvaluing pic.twitter.com/fVMUp7nz0O
Think Again
— Ben Meer (@SystemSunday) March 18, 2023
by Adam Grant
Lessons
โข Knowing what you don't know is wisdom
โข Identify with your values, not beliefs
โข Strong leaders engage their critics to learn
โข Ask this question (to yourself and others): "How do you know?" pic.twitter.com/zOC3YXiCxr
The Art of Thinking Clearly
— Ben Meer (@SystemSunday) March 18, 2023
by Rolf Dobelli
Lessons
โข Learn fallacies + biases that limit you
โข We seek information that confirms pre-existing beliefs
โข Value = perceived availability
โข People conform to groups to avoid exclusion
โข Too many decisions cause decision fatigue pic.twitter.com/21VgG08KR8
Designing the Mind
— Ben Meer (@SystemSunday) March 18, 2023
by Ryan Bush
Lessons:
โข Our minds are the ONE thing we can control
โข Stabilize emotions to use them proficiently
โข Greatness is a state where nothing can disturb you pic.twitter.com/JD2xAjeQSF
Thinking in Systems
— Ben Meer (@SystemSunday) March 18, 2023
by Donella Meadows
Lessons:
โข To change any system, focus on 12 points of leverage
โข Purposes are deduced from behavior, not words
โข Create feedback loops pic.twitter.com/0yAD7hzO5s
The Great Mental Models
— Ben Meer (@SystemSunday) March 18, 2023
by Rhiannon Beaubien and Shane Parrish
Lessons:
โข The map is not the territory
โข Solve problems backward with inversion
โข Use thought experiments to test your ideas
โข Second-order thinking = consequences of first-order impacts pic.twitter.com/p9BUtZYggy