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The Great Mental Models Volume 1: General Thinking Concepts Hardcover – December 1, 2018
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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
- Print length190 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherLatticework Publishing Inc.
- Publication dateDecember 1, 2018
- Dimensions7.5 x 0.75 x 9.5 inches
- ISBN-101999449002
- ISBN-13978-1999449001
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Editorial Reviews
Review
From the Back Cover
About the Author
Founder of Farnam Street in Ottawa, Canada. 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.
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
- Best Sellers Rank: #163,752 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #18 in Business Decision Making
- #32 in Decision-Making & Problem Solving
- #2,295 in Success Self-Help
- Customer Reviews:
About the authors
Shane Parrish is an entrepreneur, investor, and the wisdom seeker behind the popular website Farnam Street where he writes about hidden insights that you can use in life and business.
Parrish is a regular speaker and his work has been featured in places like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Economist. His popular "Brain Food" newsletter is sent out to over 600k people each week and his podcast, The Knowledge Project, is one of the top in the world.
Parrish’s popular online course, Decision by Design, has helped thousands of executives, leaders, and managers worldwide learn the repeatable behaviors that improve decision-making results in the real world.
Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers 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.
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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
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
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
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
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
Reviews with images

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Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2025Format: KindleVerified PurchaseGreat read. Even if much of it is not new to you, you will learn how to make these points with greater clarity
- Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2025Format: KindleVerified PurchaseThis 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.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2025Format: KindleVerified PurchaseThis is one of those cornerstone books that will arm you for the arena of life. I so very much enjoyed this first volume!
- Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2022The 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.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2020I 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.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2024This 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.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2024It was great
- Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2022Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseThis 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.
Top reviews from other countries
- Client d'AmazonReviewed in France on April 7, 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good
What a great book !
- RAHUL SANGOIReviewed in India on August 28, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars A must must read.
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.
- SJimReviewed in the United Kingdom on April 20, 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars A great book by Shane Parrish.
I really like Shane Parrish's way of writing makes it easier for me to understand and use the information to improve my life.
- TalalReviewed in the United Arab Emirates on April 16, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Improve the way you think in the era of critical thinking
Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseThe book introduces mental models and establishes a foundation for its future volumes.
- kontiki9Reviewed in Poland on February 27, 2025
2.0 out of 5 stars It didn't live up to expectations and the book quality is poor
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.
kontiki9It didn't live up to expectations and the book quality is poor
Reviewed in Poland on February 27, 2025
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.
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