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bfordham's review against another edition
3.0
Great concept, and some interesting information. Overall, though, I didn't find much useful.
simazhi's review against another edition
5.0
It was a nice book, reminding us to be mindfully observant of things happening around you. Rational deduction above all!
ashrafulla's review against another edition
4.0
The book straddles a line between psychology & self-help, much like Haidt's Happiness Hypothesis. As a result, it's a good read about how attention (or it's new-age synonym "mindfulness") can be controlled & exploited. The author's hypothesis is that Holmes's observation skills are more learned than innate, a result of continuous vigilance in terms of attention. Holmes can make links because he's constantly making & destroying links. The work that is constantly put into hypothesis testing is what makes Holmes brilliant.
It is important to know that Holmes being fictional does not degrade any of the points of the author. Holmes is just a good parable for the points the author can (and often does) back up with psychological studies. So all the analysis of organized recollection, step-back inference & other techniques for increased observation powers come from a solid science base that is then most easily explained through Holmes's stories. That's not just a coincidence; the author notes in the book that Conan Doyle drew inspiration for Holmes from multiple leading thinkers of his time.
The result of making a series of points based in academia but through the lens of Holmes is a much more readable book than most other academic books. The introductions & conclusions of papers in academia are basically cover-your-ass essays. Here, the author is giving a more pointed explanation and, through the license of talking about a fantasy character, can better explain the underlying science. That's where the book is at its best: when you realize you've learned a nuanced and valuable scientific observation and not just an exposition on a character in a novel.
It is important to know that Holmes being fictional does not degrade any of the points of the author. Holmes is just a good parable for the points the author can (and often does) back up with psychological studies. So all the analysis of organized recollection, step-back inference & other techniques for increased observation powers come from a solid science base that is then most easily explained through Holmes's stories. That's not just a coincidence; the author notes in the book that Conan Doyle drew inspiration for Holmes from multiple leading thinkers of his time.
The result of making a series of points based in academia but through the lens of Holmes is a much more readable book than most other academic books. The introductions & conclusions of papers in academia are basically cover-your-ass essays. Here, the author is giving a more pointed explanation and, through the license of talking about a fantasy character, can better explain the underlying science. That's where the book is at its best: when you realize you've learned a nuanced and valuable scientific observation and not just an exposition on a character in a novel.
mrizzuto's review against another edition
2.0
(more of a 2.5) i feel like i would’ve preferred to read the outline of this book rather than the book itself. it felt drawn out at points, and was a bit of a trudge to get through toward the middle. it picked up a bit toward the end, and there are some useful and interesting ideas in there (and i hope i can implement some of these ideas in my life!), but it was a bit of a trudge. i enjoyed it at points, but it was clunky.
mangoschneider's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
rberenguel's review against another edition
2.0
Sleights of Mind has been a far more interesting read.
witchy_reader's review against another edition
this has a very interesting first few chapters on perception and it did teach me something, but I just wasn't in the mood
entrescritos_ynovelas's review against another edition
Adoro Sherlock Holmes y he leído, no solo las novelas originales de Conan Doyle, también todo lo relacionado que cae en mis manos sobre el famoso detective londinense.
Pero este libro es algo diferente, ya que no cuenta ninguna historia si no que la autora desgrana cómo desarrolla el pensamiento y las deducciones Sherlock hasta llegar a conclusiones acertadas.
Con esta novela el lector se da cuenta de qué puede hacer para llegar a conclusiones más precisas y encarar los problemas de una forma más resolutiva, como si de un detective se tratase.
Lo recomiendo mucho, tanto si te gusta el personaje, como para los amantes de la psicología y la mejora del pensamiento y la toma de decisiones.
Pero este libro es algo diferente, ya que no cuenta ninguna historia si no que la autora desgrana cómo desarrolla el pensamiento y las deducciones Sherlock hasta llegar a conclusiones acertadas.
Con esta novela el lector se da cuenta de qué puede hacer para llegar a conclusiones más precisas y encarar los problemas de una forma más resolutiva, como si de un detective se tratase.
Lo recomiendo mucho, tanto si te gusta el personaje, como para los amantes de la psicología y la mejora del pensamiento y la toma de decisiones.
tacanderson's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyable read. I loved how Maria built the book around Sherlock Holmes to make her points. While at times she infers a little much about a fictional character, it does make for a really good read. I highly recommend it.
jimbleby's review against another edition
2.0
Sells itself as being about observation and deduction, but more of ‘self-help’ exhortation to keep your “mind attic” clear of clutter and similarly vague things. It has some interesting case studies that here and there, but if you’ve read ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ you’ll be familiar with them and the general ‘hypothesis’ of the book.