Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results

by Shane Parrish

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Few things will change your trajectory in life or business as much as learning to think clearly. Yet few of us recognize opportunities to think in the first place.

You might believe you’re thinking clearly in the moments that matter most. But in all likelihood, when the pressure is on, you won’t be thinking at all. And your subsequent actions will inevitably move you further from the results you ultimately seek—love, belonging, success, wealth, victory. According to Farnam Street founder Shane Parrish, we must get better at recognizing these opportunities for what they are, and deploying our cognitive ability in order to achieve the life we want.

Clear Thinking gives you the tools to recognize the moments that have the potential to transform your trajectory, and reshape how you navigate the critical space between stimulus and response. As Parrish shows, we may imagine we are the protagonists in the story of our lives. But the sad truth is, most of us run on autopilot. Our behavioral defaults, groomed by biology, evolution, and culture, are primed to run the show for us if we don’t intervene. At our worst, we react to events without reasoning, not even realizing that we’ve missed an opportunity to think at all. At our best, we recognize these moments for what they are, and apply the full capacity of our reasoning and rationality to them.

Through stories, mental models, and more, Parrish offers the missing link between behavioral science and real-life outcomes. The result is a must-have manual for optimizing decision-making, gaining competitive advantage, and living a more intentional life.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Psychology, Personal Development, Business, Productivity, Audiobook

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2023

About the author

Shane Parrish is the founder, curator and wisdom seeker behind Farnam Street (www.fs.blog).

What started as a personal blog where Shane could explore what others have discovered about decision-making, purposeful living, and how the world works, quickly blossomed into one of the fastest-growing websites in the world.

With over 600,000 subscribers, consistently sold-out workshops, and over 10 million podcast downloads, Farnam Street has become the go-to resource that CEOs, athletes, professional coaches, and entrepreneurs rely on to find a signal in a world of noise.

Shane's work has been featured in nearly every major publication, including the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, and The Economist.

Reviews

[Sebastian Gebski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd never pick this book based on the title. It sounds like Yet Another Generic Self-Help Book for Bored Housewives (with all respect to housewives...).
Shane Parrish? Doesn't ring a bell, sorry.
What about Farnam Street? OK, I'm fully sold - shut up and take my money.

If you don't know FS, it's a newsletter, podcast & series of books dedicated to ... thinking. Not thinking in biological or behavioral psychology sense, but thinking with abstractions: mental models, mechanisms for effective learning, decision making, classifying information, etc. It's a GOLD MINE for people with high intellectual self-awareness who obsessively want to improve the efficiency of their brains. Seriously. And it works. Seriously (again).

It's their 4th book (AFAIK). The previous three were dedicated to various mental models, this one more about general mechanisms of "clear" thinking.

OK, let's try to set some expectations here. What you'll read in this book will not be 100% new, nor it will switch your brain gears into some completely different shift. It's all about providing you named MECHANISMS that you can follow & enforce, which will help you long term. Structuring. Thought governance. Control. This does not feel like inventing an entirely new continent, but you know what? Just after I finished "Clear Thinking" ... I wanted to read it again. Why so? I felt I hadn't noted down everything I should. That doesn't happen frequently.

Full 5 stars, but I'm totally biased. I strongly believe in mental models (as fundamental thinking tools) & Farnam Street is like a bible for me. Yeah, fanboy alert. But read it with an open mind and you'll thank me later.

[Robert Sutherland · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author has a very good podcast, but this book adds nothing to the decision making literature. It is a summary of existing works with a few personal stories dropped in.

Ironically , he wrote mid book " A lot of the information we consume is in the form of highlights, summaries, and distillations. It is the illusion of knowledge. "

Maybe he didn't notice this applied to himself. I guess he wasn't thinking clearly.

[Michal · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Anyone looks like a genius when they’re in a good position, and even the smartest person looks like an idiot when they’re in a bad one.” - Shane Parrish

Farnam Street's mission is to provide “timeless lessons and insights that help you think better, learn faster, and make smart decisions”. I’m a huge fan and supporter of them, as they have shaped my thinking like no other source of knowledge.

Their previous three books were an attempt to categorise and describe mental models. This one is different as it focuses on clear thinking and decision making approached holistically.

Going through the chapters we start with ourselves and get to know what influences our perception, then we learn how to increase our awareness of our strengths and weaknesses. Next, we explore the process of decision making itself. The last part gets philosophical and tries to define what really matters to us. That’s the gist of it.

It is written using clear language (how couldn’t it be if it is about clear thinking?) and provides stories to keep us interested. It is a well deserved 5 out of 5, but remember, I am a huge fan of Farnam Street’s work.

To keep this review helpful, without providing too many spoilers, here is my favourite tool from the book:

Assign your own personal board of advisors inside your head. Choose a few people you value whose approach to problems you are familiar with and trust. You can refer to them as “The Jedi Council”, or any other name, as they work only in your head. 

These people can be living, dead or even fictional, it doesn't matter as long as you can consider their perspective. Then, each time you need to make a decision ask your personal board of advisors: what do you think? What would you do? This exercise gives you different perspectives, and sometimes that’s all you need.

The book delivers its promise of sharing the recipe for turning ordinary moments into extraordinary results. Of course, it does not guarantee our success as the implementation is up to us. Good luck!

this-review@Perspectiveship

[Gijs Limonard · Rating 2 out of 5]

1,5 stars; Awfully derivative; this is a major let down. The author's self praise veiled as humility by quoting Montaigne's: "I have gathered a posy of other men's flowers, and nothing but the thread that binds them is mine own." is giving himself undue credit; not even an original thread is to be found in this volume.

[Andrew Padilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn't as engaging as I would've liked but the content is critical to those with a thirst for self-improvement.

I think as other readers mentioned, another read may be required to fully absorb the info (unless you're a good note taker.. or Mike Ross) - specifically regarding defaults and how to combat them.

I think the examples were too short and made for some dry passages that could've been more engaging had the stories been longer (fleshed out, more compelling), but totally my opinion.

Overall, the content was good and worth re-reading/reviewing.

[Milan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let's not suffer bad books.

[Hampus Jakobsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clear Thinking is a good book - don't get me wrong. But in the sea of "focused thinking" and stoicism books, it isn't special. I expected more from Shane Parrish, as I have been a Farnham St fan for a long time.

[Amir Tesla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thinking clearly is all about pausing, and being deliberate in decision.

There are things that prevent you from pausing. Things like your default behavior such as biases, inertia, habits, social influence.

In all moments of decision which we have a lot on a daily basis, if we keep making sub-optimal choices, we end up with less and less choices that would help us reach our goals.

Book started a bit unauthentic, but it becomes great from chapter 3.

[Boy Blue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once a week I dive into the crisp, clear mountain pool, that is Shane Parrish's Farnam Street blog.

I was on the fence about the book given I thought it might just be the blog enspined.

That's very much the case. Much of it felt familiar, because I've been reading the interviews, thoughts, and processes of Parrish for quite a few years now.

Clear Thinking will make a good gift for any person in your life who gets really frustrated when other people don't know what they fancy for dinner, or if they think agonising over taking the last cookie from the plate is foolish. It's perfect for anyone interested in efficiency, logic, and thinking rationally; for the finance bro in your life. It also has lessons for the more indecisive people in your life too and it's a pretty easy read.

Parrish has come up with his own taxonomy around decision making, which all makes great sense but I'm not sure it's going to be come the de rigeur way to refer to the various stages of decision making.

There's a few important ideas in here but probably nothing you haven't seen before. With books like these, it's basically about choosing a style you like, to make absorbing the message as easy as possible.

If you thought Atomic Habits was awesome, you'll love this.

[Mook Woramon · Rating 5 out of 5]

โดยภาพรวมชอบนะยังมีมุมมองใหม่ ๆ ที่เปิดโลกทัศน์อยู่
เล่มนี้นี่อยู่นอกสายตามาก คือปกก็เฉย ๆ ชื่อเรื่องก็งั้น ๆ หนังสือแนวพัฒนาความคิดก็มีเยอะแยะมากมายไปหมด 🧐🧐

ความน่าสนใจของเล่มนี้คือเหมือนได้อ่านหนังสือหลายเล่มรวม ๆ กันอย่างละนิดละหน่อย และรู้สึกว่าผู้เขียนค่อนข้างจะให้ความสำคัญกับความสัมพันธ์และความหมายของชีวิต ถึงกับแยกออกมาหนึ่งบท
ซึ่งส่วนใหญ่เวลาอ่านหนังสือแนวพัฒนาความคิดมักจะไม่ค่อยแตะเรื่องความหมายชีวิตซักเท่าไหร่

👉👉 สองบทแรกของเล่มจะเน้นไปที่ศัตรูของการใช้ความคิดและวิธีแก้ไข
ศัตรูหลักของการใช้ความคิดคือสันดาน/อารมณ์ดั้งเดิมของมนุษย์ การทำตามอารมณ์ ยึดอัตตา ทำตามสังคม ความเคยชิน
ถ้าเราต้องการปรับเปลี่ยนวิธีคิดจริง ๆ เราต้องควบคุมค่าตั้งต้นเหล่านี้ให้ได้ก่อน
สองบทนี้เลยเหมือนอ่านพฤติกรรมศาสตร์ คล้าย ๆ thinking, fast and slow แบบกะทัดรัด

👉👉บทที่สามสี่เป็นการลงมือทำ กำจัดจุดอ่อน จัดการความผิดพลาด ระบุปัญหา รวบรวมทางเลือก
สองบทนี้คล้าย ๆ อ่าน atomic habits อยู่เหมือนกัน
เป็นสองบทที่ชอบน้อยลงเพราะคล้าย ๆ หนังสือพัฒนาความคิดเล่มอื่น บางหัวข้อก็เข้าใจ บางหัวข้อก็ตื้นไป บางหัวข้อก็คิดตามไม่ออก
อ่านไปอ่านมาก็เริ่มมึน ถ้าต้องทุ่มเทกำลังตัดสินใจทุกเรื่องในชีวิตขนาดนี้ ขอตายแป๊บบบบบ 😵‍💫😵‍💫

👉👉เหมือนผู้เขียนจะรู้ว่าผู้อ่านต้องปวดกบาลแน่ ๆ เลยให้บทที่ห้ามาผ่อนคลายเป็นข้อคิดในการจัดลำดับสิ่งสำคัญในชีวิต คือถ้าต้องคิดหนักกับทุกเรื่องก็เหนื่อยเกิ๊นนน ผู้เขียนจึงยกมุมมองของคนสูงอายุที่ผ่านชีวิตมายาวนานและคนที่กำลังจะตายว่าสิ่งไหนคือสิ่งที่เราควรให้ความสำคัญจริง ๆ อย่าไปเสียเวลากับความกังวลใจมากเกินไป
บทนี้เหมือนได้อ่าน ‘อะไรทำให้ชีวิตคนเรามีความหมาย‘ ผสม ’ปรัชญา stoic’
เป็นบทที่ปิดจบได้ดี ทำให้หนังสือไม่หนักหน่วงจนเกินไป

[Dave C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book, this.

Some very engaging content and whilst the ideas contained aren't original (not that the author claims them to be) it's all very easy to digest and very well structured.

Definitely one I'll revisit and certainly worth a read for those interested in how we navigate decision making and prioritise the things that matter in life.

[Ana Dias · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and the way the author explains the thinking and decision making processes with a focus on our emotional status. And how sometimes we think we are thinking but we are rather reacting/feeling. It provides practical tips on how to first find the space to really think and from there make conscious decisions.

[Ben Ullman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Little bit of a disappointment. Wanted more financial advice and investment insights yet it was like an atomic habits rip off.

I think reading 1 great book is better than reading 10 okay books. For that same reason, when a book is not grabbing your attention or you find it’s not good writing - move on.

The majority of books aren’t worth reading cover to cover I’d say skim at best and jump to chapters you actually enjoy.

[Ellie May]

This could have been an email.

This is just a bunch of “no duh” random hOw To bE tHe bEsT yOu cAn bE in the workplace - DNFed at page 70 when he started talking about “set high standards for yourself to be a top performer.” I’m sorry, this book is about clear thinking ??

[Chris Boutté · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely one of my favorite books of the year. Shane’s book The Great Mental Models was the first book I read on how to be a better critical thinker, and ever since, I’ve been obsessed with the topic. When I found out he had a new book, I got it immediately and binged it. Although this book sounds like it’s similar to the previous book, it’s definitely not. There are a ton of tips and tools in here to help you manage your emotions and make better decisions.

[Bharat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that discusses on what are the most visible defaults and how to overcome them.

Carrying on from the success of his Farnam Street blogs, Shane condenses his writings into a book that is structured very well in a coherent manner from start to end.

Highly recommended with a lot of insights.

[Augi Jesmer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a big old word salad. Nothing really groundbreaking either. Many sentences were repeated just in different wording. Some of the examples even made things harder to understand. Overall, could have been a blog post.

[Mitch Olson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing original here.

[Larp · Rating 4 out of 5]

พูดถึงวิธีจัดการกับค่าตั้งต้น 4 อย่างคือ
1. ค่าตั้งต้นทางอารมณ์
2. ค่าตั้งต้นทางอัตตา
3. ค่าตั้งต้นทางสังคม
4. ความเฉื่อยตั้งต้น
ซึ่งค่าตั้งต้นเหล่านี้เป็นผลจากสัญชาตญาณ​ธรรมชาติของเราซึ่งฝืนได้ยาก และมีผลต่อการตัดสินใจที่แย่และไม่มีประสิทธิภาพ​ของเราอย่างคาดไม่ถึง

ในหนังสือจะบอกขั้นตอน และหลักการต่างๆก่อนที่จะตัดสินใจทำอะไร ซึ่งค่อนข้างเยอะและละเอียด สำหรับตัวเองคิดว่าเลือกไปใช้บางอันก็น่าจะทำให้การตัดสินใจใดๆของเราดีขึ้นมากแล้ว ถือว่าเป็นหนังสือที่ช่วยดึงสติที่ดีเล่มนึง

[Ernie Svenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical wisdom that can be applied to garner great results

Shane Parrish is a fountain of wisdom (most of which he has acquired by studying or conversing with other wise decision-makers and business strategists. To be effective in pursuit of important results requires a certain kind of knowledge about how to evaluate information and make decisions based on the information you have and don’t have. This book is a trove of insight and useful ideas.

[Abhishek Rao · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author attempts a very difficult task of explaining how to think better. I think some of the tips are quite well known, but there are some bits and pieces that are extremely useful. Given how fundamental clear thinking is to our long term well being it is worth revising all the concepts and making sure we know each and every one of them well. I found the tips on how to act and make decisions, setting appropriate time bounds for decisions, not getting stuck in analysis paralysis pretty useful. Another core concept the author tries to convey is that it is crucial to put ourselves in an environment where we can think clearly, because once we get emotionally unstable it is difficult to think.

[Wendy Li · Rating 4 out of 5]

I browsed this book and generally liked the premise of it but I think the tips are generally advocated for ie: finding a mentor and having higher standards for yourself and your work. I liked his points about how anyone placed in a well position could look like they are making the best decisions and anyone placed in a disadvantaged position could like they aren’t doing well and he made an analogy to Tetris. Overall I think the principals are intuitive and well founded. He also talked about tips regarding emotional control and not letting that cloud judgements.

Definitely a book I’m planning to come back on especially because I’m always looking for content on better decision making.

[Tyler Hoffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Makes good points but a lot of them are straightforward and could have been covered in an article.

Headline: Everyone has (or develops) “defaults” that puts their mind on autopilot. To make good decisions you need to proactively counteract the defaults (with the right habits and safeguards, focusing on what actually matters, slowing down, etc.).

[R. Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me a better understanding and useful tactics for making decisions. The end chapters were very eye opening. I can see myself referring back to this book when future decisions I need to make arise.

[Hayden Carver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read - one I will come back to

[Flavia P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this if you’re a CEO or make 6 figures a year - leave this if you’re a peasant like me and Jeff Bezos’ financial advice won’t get you out of the bottom of the food chain anyways

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The greatest aid to judgment is starting from a good position.

When you are well positioned, there are many paths to victory. If you are poorly positioned, there may be only one.

What happens in ordinary moments determines your future.

Each moment puts you in a better or worse position to handle the future.

It's that positioning that eventually makes life easier or harder.

Ordinary moments determine your position and your position determines your options.

It doesn't matter what position you find yourself in right now. What matters is whether you improve your position today.

... (text from the book)

The best decision-makers are the ones who think clearly.

To think clearly, you need a framework, a good mental model.

I never came across a simple yet effective decision-making model till I read this book.

- What are the human defaults that make us try to win the moment at the expense of the decade?
- How much information is enough before we make a decision?
- Which decisions we should make ASAP and which ones ALAP?
- Which one is more important: knowing how to get what we want? or knowing what's worth wanting?

Shane Parrish is one of my favorite authors who previously published "The Great Mental Models" book series which I found immensely valuable and insightful to read and reread.

See my notes in the booksense app:
https://apps.apple.com/de/app/booksen...

Happy reading!

[Caitlin Drohan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is very much geared towards people who have careers that are more corporate office jobs, a few intriguing parts but over all not for me

[Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely worth a reread. Biggest takeaway was trying to create the space to make decisions and not just react. But there are hundreds of points that will help me in the future. I will probably read this book again soon.

[Julie Feferman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usually self-help books go in one ear and out the other, but I actually really enjoyed this one! Very insightful