Knix - Shop now
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows.
$20.00
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Sunday, June 29 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Friday, June 27. Order within 3 hrs 20 mins.
Only 3 left in stock - order soon.
$$20.00 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$20.00
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the authors

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Great Mental Models Volume 1: General Thinking Concepts Hardcover – December 1, 2018

4.4 out of 5 stars 4,277 ratings

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$20.00","priceAmount":20.00,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"20","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"00","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"T%2B%2BAc1erD9FlTjaZTWRw1RVSyK7g74b18mYoxUYMxO69BJeTI%2FTNSiOSjiOqzC9qW0CxsuNA5O6Nf0G2PUlZD4mcoOLzjIN0XTm1JAa%2BB3pFxczp%2FciRC4sYpuMqBh85ux70x%2F52JNHxaod%2BEJwKbQ%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

THE MUCH ANTICIPATED FIRST INSTALLMENT IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLING SERIES ‘THE GREAT MENTAL MODELS’.


Solve problems. Think with clarity. Achieve your goals.

The secret to better decision-making is learning things that won’t change. Mastering a small number of versatile concepts with broad applicability enables you to rapidly grasp new areas, identify patterns, and understand how the world works. Don’t waste your time on knowledge with an expiry date - focus on the fundamentals.

The Farnam Street latticework of mental models gives you the durable cognitive tools you need to avoid problems and make better decisions.

A mental model is a representation of how something works. Constructing mental models helps you to navigate the world efficiently and intelligently. Time and time again, great thinkers such as Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett have found mental models indispensable in both solving problems and preventing them in the first place. Cultivating stronger mental models is one of the most powerful things you can do to become a better thinker. 



The Great Mental Models: Volume 1 covers essential general thinking models.

Formal education doesn’t prepare you to make decisions in the real world. This volume details nine of the most versatile, all-purpose mental models they didn’t teach you in school which you can use right away to improve how clearly you understand the world. Discover the forces governing the universe and how to focus your efforts so you can harness them to your advantage, rather than fight them or worse yet— ignore them. 

Volume 1 will teach you how to:


  • Eliminate blind spots by learning to distinguish between maps and territory
  • Increase your chances of success in any endeavor by staying within your circle of competence
  • Unleash creative ability and navigate complex situations with ease through first principles thinking
  • Expand your conception of what’s possible by carrying out thought experiments
  • See opportunities others miss using second-order thinking
  • Improve the accuracy of your decisions with probabilistic thinking
  • Invert problems to avoid disaster 
  • Leverage Occam’s razor to bypass unnecessary complexity

    And so much more...


    Mastering The Great Mental Models helps you thrive in an uncertain world. The right cognitive tools prepare you for any type of challenge. From parenting to healthy eating, relationships to personal productivity, and from learning to product design, this book will give you new lenses for understanding life.


    A wonderful resource you’ll keep returning to year after year. As you incorporate the models in this book into your mental toolbox, you’ll see the world with fresh eyes.


    START BUILDING YOUR LATTICEWORK TODAY!


    Praise for The Great Mental Models series:

    “I’m really glad this exists in the world and I can see that I will be recommending it often.”

    — Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress, founder and CEO of Automattic


    “If you’ve read Charlie Munger’s Almanack this is the book you deeply crave in its wake. … Learn the big ideas from the big disciplines and you’ll be able to twist and turn problems in interesting ways at unprecedented speeds. … You owe yourself this book.”

    — Simon Eskildsen


    “This is what non-fiction books should aspire to be like. Informative, concise, universal, practical, visual, sharing stories and examples for context. Definitely, a must-read if you’re into universal multi-disciplinary thinking.”

    — Carl Rannaberg


    “I can truly say it is one of the best books I’ve ever had the pleasure of getting lost in. I loved the book and the challenges to conventional wisdom and thinking it presents.”

    — Rod Berryman


    “Want to learn? Read This! This should be a standard text for high school and university students.”

    — Code Cubitt

    The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
    The Amazon Book Review
    Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

    Great on Kindle
    Great Experience. Great Value.
    iphone with kindle app
    Putting our best book forward
    Each Great on Kindle book offers a great reading experience, at a better value than print to keep your wallet happy.

    Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip.

    View high quality images that let you zoom in to take a closer look.

    Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more.

    Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration.

    Get the free Kindle app: Link to the kindle app page Link to the kindle app page
    Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Learn more about Great on Kindle, available in select categories.

    Frequently bought together

    This item: The Great Mental Models Volume 1: General Thinking Concepts
    $20.00
    Get it as soon as Sunday, Jun 29
    Only 3 left in stock - order soon.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    +
    $20.10
    Get it as soon as Sunday, Jun 29
    In Stock
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    +
    $21.32
    Get it as soon as Sunday, Jun 29
    In Stock
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Total price: $00
    To see our price, add these items to your cart.
    Details
    Added to Cart
    Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
    Choose items to buy together.
    Popular Highlights in this book

    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

    From the Back Cover

    "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

    Product details

    • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Latticework Publishing Inc.
    • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 1, 2018
    • Language ‏ : ‎ English
    • Print length ‏ : ‎ 190 pages
    • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1999449002
    • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1999449001
    • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.5 pounds
    • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 0.75 x 9.5 inches
    • Book 1 of 4 ‏ : ‎ The Great Mental Models
    • Customer Reviews:
      4.4 out of 5 stars 4,277 ratings

    About the authors

    Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

    Customer reviews

    4.4 out of 5 stars
    4,277 global ratings

    Review this product

    Share your thoughts with other customers

    Customers say

    Customers appreciate the book's introduction to fundamental thinking concepts and find it an excellent, quick read that provides useful mental models. The writing quality receives mixed feedback, with some customers finding it clear while others describe it as poorly written.

    67 customers mention "Mental model introduction"56 positive11 negative

    Customers appreciate the book's introduction to fundamental thinking concepts and find it an accessible treasure trove of practical information.

    "...several theories that, when simplified, allow us to think about things from different perspectives and allow for greater perspectives...." Read more

    "This is one of those cornerstone books that will arm you for the arena of life. I so very much enjoyed this first volume!" Read more

    "The book is great and it is worth pondering every single mental model he describes...." Read more

    "...Farnam Street blog is maybe the best mental models for publishing, but the book does not match with the quality of the blog...." Read more

    49 customers mention "Readability"43 positive6 negative

    Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as excellent and mind-blowing, with one customer noting it should be recommended reading at school.

    "Great read. Even if much of it is not new to you, you will learn how to make these points with greater clarity" Read more

    "...not been exposed to these theories before, I found the book to be a great read...." Read more

    "The book is great and it is worth pondering every single mental model he describes...." Read more

    "...to the novice reader, and it does a good job. You’ll need, however, more resources if you want to get deeper." Read more

    21 customers mention "Ease of understanding"18 positive3 negative

    Customers find the book easy to understand and well-explained, with one customer noting it is structured perfectly for first-time readers.

    "...use the word assemble (with intention) because it is certainly an assembly book. The book does _..." Read more

    "Quick read and straight to the point which I’m a fan of. The book goes over roughly 10 different thinking concepts and gives examples of each...." Read more

    "...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...." Read more

    "This book is an easy read and contains very intelligent thoughts, explanations and guidance...." Read more

    5 customers mention "Pacing"5 positive0 negative

    Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, with individual reviews noting its well-crafted structure and solid foundation.

    "...The use of stories of great men and women is well crafted in almost all discussions...." Read more

    "...introduces basic mental models such as first principles thinking, anti-fragility, inversion, etc., to the novice reader, and it does a good job...." Read more

    "...been missing, help you to become a better problem solver, decision maker and provide overall clarity...." Read more

    "The foundation is good, the will to explain how system artifacts affect us is good...." Read more

    16 customers mention "Writing quality"11 positive5 negative

    Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book, with some finding it easy to read and clear, while others describe it as poorly written.

    "...If you’ve ever read Robert Greene and enjoyed it, this is written in a similar style without the diabolical tone and effect...." Read more

    "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..." Read more

    "...But the execution is simplistic, the text is short and the content reads like a short story, amidst a recommendation brochure...." Read more

    "...A clear read overall & definitely something to have in your bookshelf." Read more

    Cover bound upside down.
    5 out of 5 stars
    Cover bound upside down.
    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.
    Thank you for your feedback
    Sorry, there was an error
    Sorry we couldn't load the review

    Top reviews from the United States

    • Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2025
      Format: KindleVerified Purchase
      Great read. Even if much of it is not new to you, you will learn how to make these points with greater clarity
      One person found this helpful
      Report
    • Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2025
      Format: KindleVerified Purchase
      This book introduced several theories that, when simplified, allow us to think about things from different perspectives and allow for greater perspectives.

      This is my first time reading about Occam's Razor, Hanlon's Razor and while I have used inversion thinking in the past, it was simply something I did, but now I understand it and its reasoning. For the layperson who has not been exposed to these theories before, I found the book to be a great read. While sometimes a bit overly complicated, I appreciated that the author offered the philosopher's perspective on the theory and then offered a more modern-day example so one could take the idea and understand it in its simplified form. I gave it 4 stars only because I wish it was a tad bit more simplified and more straightforward for us non-philiosopher types who are simply looking to better understand how to approach the world we live in.
      One person found this helpful
      Report
    • Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2025
      Format: KindleVerified Purchase
      This is one of those cornerstone books that will arm you for the arena of life. I so very much enjoyed this first volume!
      2 people found this helpful
      Report
    • Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2022
      The book is great and it is worth pondering every single mental model he describes. You may already know some of them or even all of them but having it described and discussed before you sheds some lights on aspects of the model you may have ignored in your use of it. I was deeply enlightened by many of the book’s discussions. The use of stories of great men and women is well crafted in almost all discussions.

      The only complaint I have is the naturalistic viewpoint that is preached in some parts of the book. I believe the author fails to apply the very thing he’s advocating for when he does that: a rational analysis of what is said. Take the Sagan example and do it by yourself, he throws one phrase from a scientist in the air as if the phrase was a scientific argument, which is clearly not. Note that the phrase in question is so damaging that it has been used many times to discredit important recent scientific discoveries.

      Anyways, my 2 cents: focus on what the author do best and forget about his wandering into metaphysics.
      7 people found this helpful
      Report
    • Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2020
      I had high expectations, but the book was disappointing compared to them. This does not mean that book was bad. Farnam Street blog is maybe the best mental models for publishing, but the book does not match with the quality of the blog. When the book has Occam's Razor model in it, you must use it throughout the book. This did not happen. It is twice as long as it has to be. It lacks synthesis between the models. You can find more of it from the blog, but the book does not have it enough.

      I hope the second book is better because this wastes too much precious time. The content in the book is fine, but it could be better and shorter.
      8 people found this helpful
      Report
    • Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2024
      This book introduces basic mental models such as first principles thinking, anti-fragility, inversion, etc., to the novice reader, and it does a good job. You’ll need, however, more resources if you want to get deeper.
      2 people found this helpful
      Report
    • Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2024
      It was great
      One person found this helpful
      Report
    • Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2022
      Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
      This is in the top ten books I’ve read. I’m planning to buy several of these to gift to close friends. If you’re intrigued by the notion of thinking better—more effectively, more decisively, more confidently—this book is an accessible treasure trove of practical information. If you’ve ever read Robert Greene and enjoyed it, this is written in a similar style without the diabolical tone and effect. Further, the design of it and reasonable price makes it an all around win. Just love it. Highly recommended! — from a guy who has a personal library of over a thousand books and reluctantly tells people I like to read when they ask what I do for fun.
      10 people found this helpful
      Report

    Top reviews from other countries

    • Client d'Amazon
      5.0 out of 5 stars Very good
      Reviewed in France on April 7, 2025
      What a great book !
    • RAHUL SANGOI
      5.0 out of 5 stars A must must read.
      Reviewed in India on August 28, 2022
      Shane Parrish has written a gold mine book. The various mental models mentioned by him the book is useful to all and if put in use in our daily lives we can simplify most of the things in our lives. Decision making is one of the most difficult aspects in life but putting the mental models,mentioned by Shane in the book, in use can definitely help one to take good decisions in all aspects of life.
    • SJim
      5.0 out of 5 stars A great book by Shane Parrish.
      Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 20, 2025
      I really like Shane Parrish's way of writing makes it easier for me to understand and use the information to improve my life.
    • Talal
      5.0 out of 5 stars Improve the way you think in the era of critical thinking
      Reviewed in the United Arab Emirates on April 16, 2024
      Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
      The book introduces mental models and establishes a foundation for its future volumes.
    • kontiki9
      2.0 out of 5 stars It didn't live up to expectations and the book quality is poor
      Reviewed in Poland on February 27, 2025
      First of all, I am very disappointed with the quality of the second edition of the book I received from Amazon. It arrived in poor condition, appearing used with a worn cover, which has only deteriorated further over time. "The author thanks the publisher 'Cornerstone Press' in the acknowledgments, but in reality, there's nothing to thank them for. I can't remember the last time I encountered such poor quality in a book.
      From reviews I read, I am not the only one complaining about it.

      Speaking about the book itself, in my opinion, it didn't live to my expectations. There are a few mental models presented in the book. Some are explained really well some only shallowly. Compared to the book "Clear Thinking" it lacks a bit of depth and analysis.

      The book itself is 4/5 but due to the print quality the overall score drops to 2/5.
      Customer image
      kontiki9
      2.0 out of 5 stars
      It didn't live up to expectations and the book quality is poor

      Reviewed in Poland on February 27, 2025
      First of all, I am very disappointed with the quality of the second edition of the book I received from Amazon. It arrived in poor condition, appearing used with a worn cover, which has only deteriorated further over time. "The author thanks the publisher 'Cornerstone Press' in the acknowledgments, but in reality, there's nothing to thank them for. I can't remember the last time I encountered such poor quality in a book.
      From reviews I read, I am not the only one complaining about it.

      Speaking about the book itself, in my opinion, it didn't live to my expectations. There are a few mental models presented in the book. Some are explained really well some only shallowly. Compared to the book "Clear Thinking" it lacks a bit of depth and analysis.

      The book itself is 4/5 but due to the print quality the overall score drops to 2/5.
      Images in this review
      Customer imageCustomer imageCustomer image