Clear Thinking

Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results

By: Shane Parrish

Narrated by: Will Damron, 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.

©2023 Shane Parrish (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Practical advice for thinking clearly” —Financial Times

“Shane Parrish has a marvelous gift for asking the right questions to elicit how clear thinkers think. After mining the minds of an impressive array of decision makers, he’s now put it all together in Clear Thinking, giving us a powerful framework of concepts and tools. Incisive. Practical. Full of vivid examples, and enormously fun to read.” —Jim Collins, bestselling author of Good to Great

“Shane Parrish is someone I have been reading for many, many years. This book is his masterwork, the culmination of all his research, interviewing, and experiences that everyone will benefit from.” —Ryan Holiday, bestselling author of Discipline Is Destiny

It Feels Like a Classic - Seven Habits Good

This book feels like one of the top self development (of 50+) books I have read over the past 15 years. It seems to be near the same level of Seven Habits. I am only half way through the book so I might come back and update it if it gets worse.

I think this book is useful if:
You are a black and white thinker and get stuck in rigid forms of thought.
You were modeled poor thinking skills growing up (I'm looking at you logical fallacy land).
You are looking for a new framework to approach life with because your current one isn't serving you.

Some of the things you will learn are:
- The tendencys that make you react to situations illogically that protect your ego
- How to create a board of virtual mentors to help you guide your life and actions
- How to create rules that help eliminate decision fatigue
- Creating barriers that slow down bad decisions

I love how Shane levels with the reader and the writing style really talks to me. It doesn't feel like there is a ton of filler content that doesn't help get the points of the book across. This book is so good I want to buy a physical copy so I can mark it up and study it more.

A real treat for a fan of Shane Parrish

Clear writing, practical takeaways, and interesting stories. I felt better when I finished this book than when I started it.

Clear writing about thinking clearly

Great book that I immediately want to listen to again. So much is packed into this book in a nice clean flow Very crisp

Great listen

Very easy to digest and comprehend. The flow of the narration was clean and crisp. Great advice with clear examples. Will definitely listen to again.

Well worth the listen

Practical and easy to digest. Will be listening to it again in the future. Great for the car.

Brings clarity just like the title

I know it’s a good book if I can finish listening to it in just one sitting. It’s very timely for me as I am in a situation wherein I have to make a highly consequential, non-reversible decision as I don’t want to make the some mistakes I’ve made before. The examples completely resonated with me that I felt like I was set as an example in the book itself. Now, I am certain of what I need to do.

Thank you so much Shane for writing this book. This is one of the books that I’ll listen and read all over again whenever I would need some clarity.

Un libro que te hace reflexionar

Es un libro que realmente hace cuestionarte la forma en la que pienso y hacia donde me dirijo con el pensamiento. Súper recomendado.

Great insights for Everyday Life

This book was very insightful and provides strategies that can easily be applied everyday. Definitely worth the read!

Buen libro para reflexionar

Me gusto el libro bastante, la narración es pausada y bastante clara. A pesar no conocer toda la gramática completa se entienden muy bien las ideas. Es un libro que volveré a escuchar para una mejor comprensión ya que en mi caso es una pena que no los pueda encontrar en español, y eso hace que vaya más lenta porque repito los capítulos. Pero a pesar de todo es un libro fácil de comprender.

Complete guide

Great to practice and incorporate everyday. Pleasant narrator. This applies to everyone. I highly recommend.