The Art of Thinking Clearly: Better Thinking, Better Decisions Hardcover – International Edition, January 1, 2013

Written to be read quickly, whenever and wherever. Short chapters 1-100 that breakdown different ways to process thoughts and have clear outcomes. I loved this book! It was probably my favorite book that I read in 2024.

I have read several books on biases and I think this is the most complete one so far. It was a joy to read. The chapters are not very long but provide enough understanding of each of the biases, in addition to some examples that one can relate to. This is a very good book if you are looking to improve yourself or at least be aware of what you and every other person must struggle with each day and we are unaware of.

The book presents what I assume are the 99 main flaws of human thinking. There are several kinds of flaws: fallacies, heuristics, biases etc. The author did a great job in researching, summarizing, and putting all content together. The result is a very useful reference book for the subject subject. A must read for anyone that wants to understand the issues and limitations of our mind that make it very difficult to think clearly. After reading the book, I concluded its title is not good. Because it does not present any method, formula, procedure etc. that can be applied to make you to think clearly. It shows you the errors you can do and provides some advice about how to avoid that. Of course this is useful. But, it's far away from presenting an "art".

Many know that Wikipedia has a "mistake" list of potential cognitive errors and biases that links to nearly infinite mistakes these poor brains can make! This is like the little book of 100 things that can go right vs. the 2,000 page book of clinical maladies that can descend upon us each unsuspecting day.This read is truly an eye-opening joy ride! Even though the author claims happiness is genetic and not to expect too much, hey, get this, it's enlightening AND entertaining! How is it better than the plethora of error books and self help sites out there, as well as Wiki's extensive list? Wow, no comparison. Dobelli uses short, punchy "chapters" that are almost just a few paragraphs to explain, define, exemplify and illustrate each cognitive trap, error and bias-- astonishing. The humor is dry but everywhere, especially his many "aha" insights about how these errors helped us keep from being killed as cave folk but do us disservice now. He wryly shares that the guy who questioned the herd mentality probably didn't contribute to the gene pool if he did so while all his buddies were running from a lion! This author's sense of humor is too contagious.As you get through the first few "chapters" your mind will be reeling with the insights-- they really are more subtle than the fun tone suggests at first. Then, you look at the 300 pages that remain and realize how PACKED this book is with eye opening insights-- wow. This is one of those rare books after which you never look at the world, your life, or your relationships the same, EVER again!Even if you've studied these mistakes and biases for years, or are an expert in the field (an "authority?" oh, oh), Rolf's "multiple angle" style of illustration, story telling, examples, descriptions and taxonomy really drives the trap home in deeply understandable, gut ways you might not have experienced with other authors. A dry topic like exit barriers is generalized with an error about sunk costs, and examples given for everything from relationships to habits, never mind investments! Though he is a friend of Taleb's, don't believe the hype that this is a "business" or investing book-- its examples and applications range much farther than that universe, down to our daily unconscious choices and patterns.Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys seemingly light page turners that turn out to be much deeper and life changing. NOT a self help tome, in fact he makes great fun of self helpers, showing them the covariate mirror where they ignored their own genetics and luck to get there, having nothing to do at all with the "techniques" they are now espousing and promoting. Best of all, this is a guy who continually makes fun of himself and tells many stories about his own "stupidity" -- subtly teaching us he's caught on to the subtlest trickster of all-- ego.Library Picks reviews only for the benefit of Amazon shoppers and has nothing to do with Amazon, the authors, manufacturers or publishers of the items we review. We always buy the items we review for the sake of objectivity, and although we search for gems, are not shy about trashing an item if it's a waste of time or money for Amazon shoppers. If the reviewer identifies herself, her job or her field, it is only as a point of reference to help you gauge the background and any biases.

Everyone needs to clear they head every now and then. This book is well worth the read.

First, let me tell you what this book is not:It is not "art", neither "thinking", neither "clearly". In fact, let me quote from the "Introduction":"This is not a how-to book. You won't find "seven steps to an error-free life...Although this book may not hold the key to happiness, at the very last it acts as insurance against too much self-induced unhappiness...If we could learn to recognize and evade the biggest errors in thinking...we might experience a leap in prosperity."Fair enough.So the title should be "How to recognize mistakes that cause us to act irrationally".Then you would search for the "Art of Recognition". How do I prevent myself from committing these errors, how do I recognize that my thinking is indeed influenced by cognitive errors, fallacies, biases? Here you find no help. Say, you finish reading the book and then face a decision that could be crucial, yet you instinctively sense (gut feeling is at work here) the danger of a thinking error. Would you quickly go over every one of the 99 listed biases to check for these errors? What kind of quick check could you use to ensure you are acting rationally? What would warn you? What is the art?Second, let me tell you what this book is:A list of 99 fallacies, biases that influence our thinking and actions (i.e. "personification, confirmation bias, hindsight bias, etc.) and in fact, if the title would be "Fallacies and biases" I would give it a five star.But shortly after you start reading this book, you realize that it is indeed "just" a list of errors, with brief explanations of their nature, occurrence and evolution. Yes, there are the stories and facts to back them up. Yet there is not a hint to know or recognize the risk when you face them.At the end the book is a good read. But the practical use of such lists is quite limited. It is a database, but not an algorithm.

I would recommend everyone to read this book to enhance thinking and take decisions more rationally, which can lead us to rationality.