Shane Parrish

Rhiannon Beaubien

This is the second book in The Great Mental Models series and the highly anticipated follow up to the Wall Street Journal best seller, Volume 1: General Thinking Concepts. We tend to isolate the things we know in the domain we learned it. For example: What does the inertia of a rolling stone have to do with perseverance and being open minded? How can the ancient process of steel production make you a more creative and innovative thinker? What does the replication of our skin cells have to do with being a stronger and more effective leader? On the surface, these concepts may appear to be dissimilar and unrelated. But the surprising truth is the hard sciences (physics, chemistry, and biology) offer a wealth of useful tools you can use to develop critically important skills like: * Relationship building * Leadership * Communication * Creativity * Curiosity * Problem solving * Decision-making This second volume of the Great Mental Models series shows you how to make those connections. It explores the core ideas from the hard sciences and offers nearly two dozen models to add to your mental toolbox. You'll not only get a better understanding of the forces that influence the world around you, but you'll learn how to direct those forces to create outsized advantages in the areas of your life that matter most to you.

Physics, Chemistry and Biology

The Great Mental Models

Cassandra Tang

Anybody can make the simple complicated. Creativity is making the complicated simple. 

Celebrate your expertise, but also acknowledge your limitations.

Most geniuses — especially those who lead others — proposed not by deconstructing intricate complexities but by exploiting unrecognised simplicities.

I don’t want to be a great problem solver. I want to avoid problems — prevent them from happening and do it right from the beginning.

Very useful mental models well explained with a variety of examples in simple, understandable language. Provoked lots of food for thought and how they can be applied to today.

Heiki Riesenkampf

** spoiler alert **
           An easy read. Too easy. The few good ideas it contained were communicated too simplistically.

Mani Mohan

One of the best books I have read. Can’t wait to read the next two books. Big fan of Shane’s blog, podcast and now his books as well.

Nelson Zagalo

O título induz em erro porque a referir "grandes" parece que o autor fez um trabalho de análise alargado e aprofundado dos modelos mentais e selecionou para este livro apenas um conjunto dos mais relevantes. Contudo, quando lemos o livro percebemos que tudo não passa de um conjunto de ideias que o autor foi apontando a partir da sua experiência, e de algumas leituras, sobre modos de operar em situações de resolução de problemas, tomada de decisão ou resolução de conflitos. 

Ora isto quase nem livro se poderia chamar. É antes um guia de ideias gerais e genéricas, ainda que bem intencionadas, mas longe de poderem servir como fonte exaustiva no suporte aos modos de racionalização das pessoas. Claro que precisamos de obras mais diretas, mãos-na-massa, e nem só de academismos se vive, mas então usem-se título mais diretos, como a série de livros "For Dummies", ou pelo menos não centrados na linguagem académica.

Já agora, se tiverem interesse por este assunto, não pela densidade académica que isto exige, mas pelo conhecimento destes modelos mentais aconselho um livro que é apenas uma listagem de modelos sem qualquer pretensiosismo: The Decision Book: Fifty Models for Strategic Thinking (2008) de Mikael Krogerus

Ugis

I expected way more from Shane Parrish. I do like the Farnam Street and his Podcast. But this book was too short and too random. Some good concepts inside nevertheless. [reading time: 4h1m]

Rohit Gupta

Nice to read along with Shane's podcast. A few things are great but sometimes it goes way of the topic in explaining things with examples. I guess ozcam's razor with the editor might have helped. But, I like the content a lot it need to be just a bit more precise.

Ivaylo Durmonski

There is a good reason why the ideas from physics, chemistry, and biology discussed in this book are worth learning. We exist, in this very moment, thanks to thousands of years of evolution.

The energy circling around and the substances that flow in our bodies and in the bodies of everyone else are what make the world works. And by understanding these forces, you’ll uncover truths about our surroundings that are essential for a happy life.

By backing up the scientific concepts mentioned in the subtitle of the book with real-world stories and practical steps, Shane Parrish gives us more ways to understand and apply ideas and concepts that are foundational for the life we live in. In other words, by learning the most common scientific laws that move the world, you’ll make better decisions in the world.

The short chapters and the supporting stories mentioned make this book a must-have addition to your library. The Great Mental Models Vol. 2 is designed to be frequently used and referred to when you’re dealing with baffling situations in your real life.

Key takeaway:

When in trouble, look at nature. Nothing in nature is created without a reason. Everything has a purpose. By observing how animals solve problems – search for food, fly, even move – we can learn to approach our own problems in a new, better way.

Read the full summary:
https://durmonski.com/book-summaries/...

Lucas Coelho

At first I though the book was too basic, too introductory for someone familiar with mental models. But after finishing, I believe the book is not basic, it is foundational. It covers the basis really well and it’s a great read to maybe come back to and reinforce your foundations once in a while. 

👍🏾

Victor Gomez Estevez

Libro básico y con mucho rollo para contar por encima 5 modelos mentales. Mucho mejor libros como "El arte de pensar" de Rolf Dobelli, que explica más modelos y mucho mejor

The Great Mental Models Physics, Chemistry and Biology

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