The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking

[netnet]

[amazonsearch]The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking[/amazonsearch]

 

Two of Charlie Munger's essential ideas are that by continual learning one can out think one's intellectual betters and that Warren is a learning machine( and obviously so is Charlie).  Unfortunately, he never (to my knowledge) talks about the techniques of learning other than being assiduous, which he defines as sitting on your ass and reading and developing a lattice of mental models, which sort of begs the question, i.e. how to best learn them.

 

Now with that flatulent preamble, here is my nominee as one of the best books of 2013 (although published in 2012) --The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking by Starbird and Burger.  Both are mathematicians, but don't be put off by that!!  Their techniques for learning AND thinking are applicable across almost all disciplines.  (And there is not an equation in the book.  Isn't it amazing how it is culturally okay to say this, implying innumeracy, but I could not say something like " there are no  long paragraphs or sentences in the book", implying illiteracy.  Anyway, I digress.)

 

The book is worth re-reading several times; in fact they suggest as much.  It is useful for the student and the professional, anyone who wants to learn and think!  Give it to yourself and any student in your life.

 

(By the way, I just saw that Starbird is teaching an edx course to which I am really looking forward!

https://www.edx.org/course/utaustinx/utaustinx-ut-9-01x-effective-thinking-1178

[Liberty]

Thanks, I'm adding it to the (long) list! :)

[Guest hellsten]

Thanks.

 

Notes from the book can be found here:

http://sivers.org/book/EffectiveThinking

 

Be very clear about the foundations of your opinions. If you believe something only because another person - even a professor - told you it was so, then you should not view your understanding as rock solid.

 

Regularly consider your opinions, beliefs, and knowledge, and subject them to the “How do I know?” test.

 

A practice of spending one day assuming that quantum mechanics was true and following the implications of that perspective, and then spending the next day assuming that quantum mechanics was false and following the consequences of that view. By alternating his views, he was able to explore each alternative more objectively.

 

Lots of great advice:

- don't be afraid to make mistakes

- master the basics

- if you can't explain it, you don't know it

- always invert

- keep it simple

[dcollon]

I really enjoyed this book. I've read it twice (as authors suggested) and will likely read it one more time.

 

Thanks for recommending it.