A review by ashrafulla
Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes by Maria Konnikova
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.