Currently unavailable.
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.

Find this book on AbeBooks.com

AbeBooks, an Amazon company, offers millions of new, used, and out-of-print books.

Go to AbeBooks.com

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See this image

Follow the Author

Shane Parrish

The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts Hardcover – January 1, 2020

by Farnam Street (Author), Shane Parrish (Author), Rhiannon Beaubien (Author)

111 ratings

See all 3 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$9.99

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

$21.83

—

Hardcover

"Please retry"

—

The old saying goes, ''To the man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.'' But anyone who has done any kind of project knows a hammer often isn't enough.

The more tools you have at your disposal, the more likely you'll use the right tool for the job -- and get it done right.

The same is true when it comes to your thinking. The quality of your outcomes depends on the mental models in your head. And most people are going through life with little more than a hammer.

Until now.

The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts is the first book in The Great Mental Models series designed to upgrade your thinking with the best, most useful and powerful tools so you always have the right one on hand.

This volume details nine of the most versatile, all-purpose mental models you can use right away to improve your decision making, productivity, and how clearly you see the world. You will discover what forces govern the universe and how to focus your efforts so you can harness them to your advantage, rather than fight with them or worse yet-- ignore them.

Upgrade your mental toolbox and get the first volume today.

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Peter Hollins

121

Paperback
$13.06
Gabriel Weinberg

103

Hardcover
$18.79
Adam Feel

24

Paperback
$17.38
Peter Bevelin

123

Hardcover
$40.00
Peter D. Kaufman

340

Hardcover
$65.00
Indi Young

21

Paperback
39 offers from $36.77

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Hardcover

Gabriel Weinberg

103

$18.79
Hardcover

Peter D. Kaufman

340

$65.00
Paperback

Peter Hollins

121

$13.06
Hardcover

Peter Bevelin

123

$40.00

Editorial Reviews

Review

''I'm really glad this exists in the world and I can see that I will be recommending it often.'' --Matt Mullenweg, founder and CEO of Automattic

About the Author

Farnam Street (FS) is one of the world's fastest growing websites, dedicated to helping our readers master the best of what other people have already figured out.

We curate, examine and explore the timeless ideas and mental models that history's brightest minds have used to live lives of purpose.

Our readers include students, teachers, CEOs, coaches, athletes, artists, leaders, followers, politicians and more. They're not defined by gender, age, income, or politics but rather by a shared passion for avoiding problems, making better decisions, and lifelong learning.

Hardcover: 190 pages
Publisher: Latticework Publishing Inc. (January 1, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1999449002
ISBN-13: 978-1999449001
Package Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.8 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
Customer Reviews: 42 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #205,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #976 in Decision-Making & Problem Solving
- #917 in Business Decision Making
- #24141 in Reference (Books)

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

Start reading The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Customer reviews

5 star		66%
4 star		14%
3 star		6%
2 star		9%
1 star		5%

How does Amazon calculate star ratings?

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

DrNinjaMuni

Disappointing

Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2019

Format: Audible Audiobook

I have beening following Shane Parish's blog and podcast for sometime and I am a fan.
I got the audiobook version.

Why am I not happy:
1. $18.56 for 3 hours 23 min book.
2. 1/3 of this audiobook is introduction.
3. Similar content could be found in various blogs.

How can you ask $18 for little or no value content ?
Waste of money and time.

121 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Daniel

Interesting content packaged a bit too shamelessly

Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2019

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

More than a third of this very very short book is a highly repetitive introduction to the concept of mental models. The author talks about his desire to write THE book on mental models so his kids can have it. But it looks like they will have to buy 2 or 3 or 4 of dad's books in order to get all the info. Why aren't all the mental models included in Volume 1? I like to support authors who have generated a large amount of free content before publishing, but this feels a bit too shameless as a cash-grab.

37 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Anant Jain

Derivative

Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2019

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

If you’re familiar with writings of Nassim Taleb, Charlie Munger, Daniel Kahneman et al, you’ll find this book to be a shallow summary of some of their most influential ideas. Worth skipping.

22 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Tim Coil

Shane delivers clear Mental Models to update our thinking

Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2019

Format: Audible AudiobookVerified Purchase

Whether we are thinking about strategic initiatives or communication in relationships, it is helpful to have framework's to help us think clearly. Shane's blog delivers amazing content, so it was of no surprise his book was able to provide useful mental models.

His examples make it easy to comprehend situations of how to use them and where we could be wrong in doing so. I'll be looking forward to the rest of the series.

22 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Joshua Figueroa

Cover bound upside down.

Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2020

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

The content is great but my book came with the cover bound upside down. It's a tough sell to gift a book on problem sol ing models packaged this way. Please let me know when this is corrected so that I can order it as a gift.

15 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Vinny

Life Changing!!!

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2019

Format: Audible AudiobookVerified Purchase

Excellent delivery by Shane.
He has such great insights and the ability to communicate complex ideas in a such a way that anyone is able to benefit. I have been following Shane and reading his content on his blog Farnam Street for quite a few months now. I was first exposed to the Mental Models on Shanes blog and was absolutely blown away. ANYONE can benefit from this audiobook and the application if its contents.
This audiobook will make you realize what you have been missing, help you to become a better problem solver, decision maker and provide overall clarity. It will supply you with the necessary tools in order to help you look at the world and the problems we encounter in multiple ways. Get ready for an eye opening experience.

Thank you Shane for putting together this content. Can’t wait for Volume 2!!!!

10 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

RV Chand

Read this book and develop your thinking muscles

Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2020

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Volume 1 is a book about general thinking concepts and is an excellent reference to keep on your bookshelf. I liken mental models to conceptual or theoretical frameworks, which is particularly familiar to anyone who has written a thesis. Even though I read prior books on mental models, such as Super Thinking, Poor Charlie’s Almanack and Seeking Wisdom, I found the Great Mental Models vol 1 appealing because the author carefully presented the models in a logical manner, distilling each model to an appropriate depth while making it accessible to many readers.

I am intrigued that some reviewers mentioned that the book is too short. I do not agree for the following reasons. First, the length of a book doesn’t necessarily equate to quality. Second, a judgment of length to value (money spent) is also subjective. At ~200 pages, there was the right balance of depth and economy of expression for the topics discussed. I do not appreciate when authors ramble on when they could have made their point concisely. Conciseness is an underappreciated writing skill. Often a shorter book can take more time to write than a longer book.

The author characterized nine models that engaged me as a reader. I reference the Core Competency and First Principles the most in my daily work. I struggle with understanding “The Map is not the Territory”, though I found myself wondering if the model can be applied in cancer biology or disease management in general. The model that I will apply the least is Hanlon’s Razor because when someone behaves in a harmful way towards you (such as in a corporate setting or academia), I believe they are tapping into their Machiavellian and nefarious natures. I just don’t know that many stupid people.

In summary, purchase this book and reference often to inculcate the models. Waiting for volume 2 and beyond. The physical book is beautifully bound and presented.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Fernando Castro

All considered, a good summary

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2019

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I won’t give 5 stars because what is a five star book? This was a very easy read for anyone who knows how to read and want to polish their thinking with a few tools. Unless you are an expert, it’s worth reading and keeping it handy. Where it could have been better is mostly when Shane writes examples. They are good, but I think half of them aren’t quite accurate or he is just speculating that someone used x or y model but he doesn’t really know. How about 5 examples that can contrast to one another; how about not showing them as a one mental model specific (as I’m sure all cases are a mix of several models) I guess it becomes the task of the reader to figure it out, but having listened to Shane before, I believe he could pull up better “case studies”. Also, we live in such complex interesting times; do we really need to talk about people who supposedly used these models 300 years ago? And not in our lifetime? I’m sure there is no malice in just writing about very old examples, it’s probably a Hanlin’s razor case! — FS / Shane is doing a great service putting this out there - but they can do much better with not a lot of effort. Thank you Shane.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Top international reviews

FunOne

A good summary of important ideas

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 15, 2019

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

All consultants, analysts and educators should read this.
Quite well presented with pertinent examples. I was disappointed when I reached the end so quickly.

2 people found this helpful

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

K. Sun

Recommend

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 20, 2019

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Great read; very well written; learnt a lot. Really enjoyed the stories / background info / examples accompanying the descriptions of the mental models. Now to apply these in real life!

One person found this helpful

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Amazon Customer

Clear, concise and very accessible

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 11, 2020

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Just finished reading Shane's book. If you're a reader of Farnham Street 'Brain Food' newsletter, many of the concepts and models covered in this book will be familiar. There are quite a number of books around on mental models but I need to point to this one as one that's both well written and readily accessible. Looking forward to part two which is due out soon, I believe.

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

smaclell

Better thinking to break down the world one model at a time.

Reviewed in Canada on November 7, 2019

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

A really cool book. I loved each of the models, the stories behind them and how they come together. The writing style is fun and fresh, despite the heady ideas. There are countless references to other books I would now love to read.

I read the ebook version on Amazon which had some unusual formatting. Due to the size sidebars that probably look amazing in a paper copy feel slightly off where they should be. Still fascinating, just be prepared to be enlightened a little out of order.

I am excited to apply it as a developer to both code and team dynamics. Would recommend to deep thinkers and those wanting to improve their thinking tools.

One person found this helpful

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Maxwell

Good introduction

Reviewed in Germany on December 3, 2019

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I haven't read that many mental models and can't compare it to anything of note but I think it was pretty cool. I did learn a lot and I've tried to apply it since.

One person found this helpful

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Venki

Great book on Mental Models

Reviewed in India on January 26, 2020

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Recommend this book to anyone wanting to think using Mental Models. A very well constructed stories and highlights the different mental models in easy to understand manner. Sometimes we already apply some of these techniques without knowing.

One person found this helpful

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Jack

Good for come interesting perspective

Reviewed in Canada on November 1, 2019

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I think that this is a really read for those that want some interesting perspective on the different happenings in your life. it’s also good for those who want to change how they view their own life.

One person found this helpful

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

karen king

Loved this book

Reviewed in Canada on December 6, 2019

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Super interesting & applicable to everything, ever. I can't shut up about it. Can't wait for more in the series. Even better, I'm working on applying these in real life situations.

One person found this helpful

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

pradeep pofali

Many thought leaders at one place

Reviewed in India on January 16, 2020

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I have been listening podcast from Shane Parrish, from individuals. However this is good amalgamation of thoughts, themes and applications. Will be looking for next in series. ENJOYED

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

benjamin spring

Simple yet powerful concepts that will help me my whole life

Reviewed in Germany on December 28, 2019

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Beautiful book by FS and I'm happy to have added this beautifully edited book in my toolkit for life.

One person found this helpful

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Kindle Customer

Toolkit

Reviewed in Germany on February 15, 2020

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This book is a toolkit when it comes to structured thinking. I like the simple way the principles got explained.

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

ARUN

Shane Parrish, you beauty.

Reviewed in India on December 23, 2019

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Things I have read in this book have changed my mindset and the way I process my thoughts.

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

Stanislav

Meh

Reviewed in Italy on November 15, 2019

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

You can read the FS blog for free and get the same information

Sending feedback...

Thank you for your feedback.

Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again

You've read the top international reviews

See all reviews from the United States

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Peter Bevelin

123

Hardcover
$40.00
Morgan Housel
Paperback
$17.09
Peter Hollins

121

Paperback
$13.06
John McPhee

164

Paperback
$9.49
Gabriel Weinberg

103

Hardcover
$18.79
Peter D. Kaufman

340

Hardcover
$65.00

Find this book on AbeBooks.com

Follow the Author

Similar authors to follow

The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts Hardcover – January 1, 2020

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Editorial Reviews

Review

About the Author

Product details

Customer reviews

Customer images

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Top international reviews

Customers who bought this item also bought