Thinking about Thinking

by Martin Cohen

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4 books

Thinking skills is becoming a bit of a thing these days. Pity we didn’t have it in my day! Actually, I’ve researched the topic carefully from a philosophical point of view, and the ability to think clearly, critically and originally was valued for centuries as part of Europe’s move away from Feudalism and religious dogma. Unfortunately, at some point, new kinds of thinking straitjackets soon emerged, not least those imposed by universities and exam boards. So, partway through the 21st century, we still need tips on how to think better – and here’s my selection of books that offer you ideas on that.

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Thinking, Fast and Slow

Daniel Kahneman, 2011

This book came out in 2021 but it is drawing on an earlier book Kahneman did with Amos Tversky called “Judgment Under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases” and what an awful title that is. Nonetheless, this is the source of the ideas in Thinking, Fast and Slow, which went on to see several million copies. What is the big idea that caught everyone’s imagination? Well, maybe it is that we are prone to make mistakes in order to save precious thinking time. The book talks of two thinking “systems,” “fast” and “slow,” of which, guess what, slow thinking is the best! Well, maybe… The book mocks people for making mistakes in things like logic and maths, but seems not to appreciate or understand the importance of things like intuition and empathy. Both those operate with fast thinking! Despite its academic origins, the book is full of fun examples of the way we think and also the ways we shouldn’t.

How To Win Friends and Influence People

Dale Carnegie, 2009

This is another rather popular book, with zillions of copies sold, that came out originally in 1937 but has remained lively partly thanks to creative editing for new editions. Thus, the original edition had sections like "Letters That Produced Miraculous Results" and "Seven Rules for Making Your Home Life Happier whereas the newer editors talk of "Fundamental Techniques in Handling People," "Six Ways to Make People Like You," and "How to Win People to Your way of Thinking. The book is basically about the importance of a high EQ as well as a high IQ. In the introduction, Carnegie quotes one businessman who says how he turned his 314 employees from people who looked away when he walked by to people who were now friends.

Emotional Intelligence

Why It Can Matter More Than IQ

Daniel Goleman, 2012

Forgot thinking ‘fast and slow, Goleman's report from the frontiers of psychology and neuroscience is that we have “two minds”—the rational and the emotional—and that thinking is about the ability to use both of them. Skills like self-awareness, self-discipline, and empathy add up to a different way of being smart. “In a very real sense, we have two minds, one that thinks and one that feels”, writes Goleman. I came across this book while doing research on educational policy - and there’s a lot here that teachers ought to bear in mind!

Design Thinking for Strategic Innovation

What They Can't Teach You at Business or Design School

Idris Mootee, 2013

Another way of thinking entirely is ‘design thinking.’ I talked quite a bit about this in my own book called Rethinking Thinking, but if you want the full story, try this one or maybe ‘Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation’ by Tim Brown (2009) ISBN 978-0061766084. Idris is a bloke, in case you wondered, or at least a “management guru, and he says that for him, it is all about achieving “cognitive harmony.” His book is all about explaining how design thinking can bring about creative solutions to solve problems, particularly complex business ones. After explaining a bit of the concept and the background, he offers eight challenges for businesses and practical tips on how to address them. To coin a phrase, “I can’t recommend this book too highly,” but that is only because… it’s not actually very good. But I do want to recommend this kind of thinking, and so this book gets on the list.