Ask HN: Any recommended books on developing mental models? - febin
======
yusufp
Just started going down this rabbit hole myself. I've noticed to really grasp
and develop your own mental models you deeply have to understand a few things
first:

1\. Human biases: Every mental model is built upon some human bias.

2\. How incentives work: Understanding the motivation behind why people do
what they do.

3\. Mental thought construction: Understanding how the brain gathers,
processes and stores information.

4\. Biology: How we've evolved (and haven't) from stone age times and how that
still influences us today.

This is by no means exhaustive but are just some of the topics I've found most
useful. That said, here are the best resources I've found:

\- The Art Of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli: Taught me about human biases.
Reads like a directory of most biases.

\- Influence by Robert Cialdini: Taught me about incentives and a whole lot
more.

\- Metaphors We Live By by George Lakoff: Taught me about mental thought
construction.

\- Poor Charlie's Almanack by Charles Munger: Taught me about many things but
most importantly good decision making.

\- Sapiens by Yuval Harari and his course
[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE-
kxvSEhkzDEmLQx3RE0...](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE-
kxvSEhkzDEmLQx3RE09aKO4WS-M84t): Taught me about how we've evolved as humans
and how we haven't.

\- Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman: Taught me more about human
biases.

\- Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely: Taught me more about how and why we
make decisions and what good decisions are.

The thing I've really started to notice is it's not enough to know or read
about mental models, you have to ruthlessly apply them. This is tough when
even knowing about your biases doesn't stop you from still being affected by
them.

~~~
gfody
this is a great list. I would add Hofstadter's Analogy as the fuel and fire of
thinking and Chomsky's New horizons in the study of language and mind. they
show that language structures are fundamental to consciousness.

------
tvanantwerp
Not a book, but I recommend as a starting point the Farnam Street blog:
[https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/mental-
models/](https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/mental-models/)

~~~
aalhour
I second this. The Farnam Blog is a great resource. You can start here to get
a flavour of the content and writing style:

* Mental Models: The Best Way to Make Intelligent Decisions (113 Models Explained) - [https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/mental-models/](https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/mental-models/)

~~~
galfarragem
His (scarce) podcasts are also very well done. I used to follow a lot of self
improvement podcasts and after having listened a _lot_ in the last 5y, it's
one of the few that I still follow and consider relevant.

------
booleandilemma
Have a look at this:

Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Useful

[https://medium.com/@yegg/mental-models-i-find-repeatedly-
use...](https://medium.com/@yegg/mental-models-i-find-repeatedly-
useful-936f1cc405d)

~~~
Zhyl
Gabriel is known for creating the DuckDuckGo search engine.

------
vector_rotcev
Best thing for getting stuff into your head:
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1250623.How_to_Develop_a...](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1250623.How_to_Develop_a_Brilliant_Memory_Week_by_Week)
Much like weight lifting, following this book will give you specific
memorisation techniques which can be useful, but also results in a general
strengthening of memory, even when you don't use any of the exact techniques).
It also strengthens your ability to imagine things, and hold those images or
arrangements in your head, which is useful for applying mental models you've
learnt.

[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9793361-the-decision-
boo...](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9793361-the-decision-book) Not the
best, and I only really use the first one in the book (Eisenhower Matrix), but
I found that alone to be worth the price (you could just google that one
though). The rest of it is useful as examples of the wide variety of model
types and types of things that can be modelled.

Thinking in Systems: A Primer, is a great book that I highly recommend. It's
one of those books that serves as a great introduction to the subject of
creating models of systems, and it's neither too long, nor overly specific on
any particular subject. By the end of it, you'll know roughly enough to be
able to know what you want to know next, in regards to system models.
[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3828902-thinking-in-
syst...](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3828902-thinking-in-systems)

This blog post is more like a reference resource, and I think it's worth
looking over and picking out whatever interests you:
[https://medium.com/@yegg/mental-models-i-find-repeatedly-
use...](https://medium.com/@yegg/mental-models-i-find-repeatedly-
useful-936f1cc405d)

EDIT: because my formatting was atrocious.

------
zitterbewegung
I use deconstruction nearly every day to understand what is happening.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulacra_and_Simulation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulacra_and_Simulation)

Deconstruction with lit crit is somewhat effective. Deconstruction to develop
a mental model is EXTREMELY effective.

~~~
trendia
How do you distinguish between deconstruction that is accurate vs one that is
"useful" but inaccurate?

It seems rather easy to use deconstruction to see things that aren't really
there.

~~~
zitterbewegung
Yes, that is an astute observation and the only way you can gauge accuracy is
to confirm ground truth some other way.

Try probing the system so that it conforms to your model and revise it when
new evidence is apparent.

~~~
tuxxy
>confirm ground truth

I'm not a philosopher, but I do enjoy reading and learning about post
modernism.

Isn't a large point of this book that you actually can't confirm a "ground
truth"?

~~~
zitterbewegung
Yea, but when I use it in practice I have to verify if my assertions are true.
So I guess I'm doing "reconstruction" I'm not sure.

------
mzzter
An Introduction to General Systems Thinking by Gerald Weinberg is a good
overview on Systems theory. It covers different approaches to developing a
mental model of systems.

------
gallerdude
It’s been recommended to death on HN, but _Sapiens_ is a really interesting
look at the development of humans. It uses a lot of philosophy to explain
things.

~~~
vog
Sorry in advance for this perhaps stupid question, but:

Which _Sapiens_ exactly do you mean? Is it an article, a book, a documentary
movie, a presentation such as a TED talk? Which is the full title?

I suppose you mean the book "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" (ISBN
978-0062316097), but I'm honestly not sure if I guessed correctly.

~~~
Luc
Use Occam's Razor?

~~~
vog
Use proper URIs?

(Or in this case: an ISBN, which serves the same purpose. Unambiguous
references are no longer an open issue. Open issue are: the lazyness to not
use them, and persistent references (until either Bittorrent or IPFS is fully
deployed).)

~~~
Luc
Yeah, I figured you had an axe to grind.

~~~
dang
Please don't be rude in comments here, even when someone else had an axe to
grind.

~~~
Luc
Yeah, and moreover, I should have stuck to providing links to some good books,
like so many others have kindly done. Next time!

------
razvanlm
A Mind for Numbers. [https://www.amazon.ca/Mind-Numbers-Science-Flunked-
Algebra/d...](https://www.amazon.ca/Mind-Numbers-Science-Flunked-
Algebra/dp/039916524X)

This was a companion book for a very popular MOOC called "Learning How to
Learn".

This gives you insights and practical advice on learning and it works for any
subject, not just math & science.

------
intellectronica
Everything on [https://www.lesserwrong.com/](https://www.lesserwrong.com/) \-
start with the recommended collections then dive in. Many of the more
established texts are available as ebooks if you prefer.

------
yanilkr
I found this very useful. [https://www.coursera.org/learn/model-
thinking](https://www.coursera.org/learn/model-thinking)

------
dereg
I work in investments, and I make More Than You Know, by Michael Maubossin,
required reading. He does an excellent job synthesizing information across
fields. I highly recommend it for anybody interested in diving into the field
of mental models. It is a book with many citations, so an avid reader will be
served well by this book as a launchpad for more learning.

[http://amzn.to/2BW8e8l](http://amzn.to/2BW8e8l)

------
schuetze
“Thinking in Systems: A Primer” by Dana Meadows. One of the best books for
understanding the worlds systems intuitively. Allows you to use a mathematical
framework without needing precise numbers to get a model off the ground.

~~~
shrthnd
Related to this, "The Systems Thinking Playbook" is an excellent resource for
demonstrating applied systems-thinking (and the power of mental-models) in a
workshop setting.

------
emre
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman.

I read it again every now and then. Explains cognitive biases, prospect theory
and happiness.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow)

~~~
sailfast
This book was excellent for informing mental models.

I'd also say "How to Solve It" by Polya helps create a good mental model for
problem solving that can apply to most any situation that requires structured
thinking.

------
paloaltokid
I recommend "The Design of Everyday Things" by Donald A. Norman. It's not
necessarily about developing mental models, but more about the fallout of how
people can mistakenly use systems if you don't make the mental model of your
design intuitive.

------
kaycebasques
What exactly are we all talking about here when we use the phrase "mental
models"?

The most memorable use of the phrase to me is Charlie Munger's "Poor Charlie's
Almanack". If I recall correctly, whenever he makes a big decision, he runs
through a checklist of each of his MMs, to see if that way of thinking gives
him any insight into the matter at hand. The key thing, though, is that it
isn't just limited to human psychology. He supposedly has a great interest in
a whole variety of fields. A Renaissance Man. For example, I recall him using
thermodynamics as a metaphor for explaining some seemingly-unrelated topic
(e.g. business analysis).

------
vga805
Intuition pumps and other tools for thinking, by Dan dennett.

------
startupdiscuss
I've found that mental models -- even very abstract mental models -- are often
domain specific, and benefit from domain expertise.

The most general mental models I have seen come from consultants who hop from
industry to industry (SWOT for a business, of the BCG matrix) but even they
are specific to firms and companies. Broadly speaking, these are often
adaptable to any group effort.

There are a lot of books on these mental models or "strategy frameworks"

------
juvoni
Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin To Munger

~~~
patricklouys
I was about to suggest the same books. Seeking Wisdom in particular had a big
influence on me.

------
allenleein
1\. Principles by Ray Dalio

[https://www.principles.com/](https://www.principles.com/)

2\. Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink

~~~
patricklouys
Jocko is great. I also really enjoyed "Discipline Equals Freedom: Field
Manual"

I think it's a little more to the point compared to Extreme Ownership.

------
walterbell
“The Decison Book: 50 Models for Strategic Thinking”, quick 2-page overview +
diagram for each model. Good starting point and you can find other books to
deep dive on models that you find useful.

[https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00C57C392](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00C57C392)

------
skyfeet
See Arthur Koestler's book "The Ghost in the Machine" published in 1967.
Koestler coined the word "holon". A holon is a whole functional and structural
unit while at the same time a part of a larger whole, which is itself a part
of an even larger whole. Koestler sees life as a hierarchy of holons. For
example, a mitochondrion is a structural and functional unit with its own code
of instructions while being a part of a cell, which is another holon, which is
part of an organism, another holon, which is part of a social group, yet
another holon.

It occurred to me that consciousness may also be a hierarchy of holons. A
whole can only be known from a "holistic" perspective. Any attempt to reduce
it to parts to understand the whole destroys the character of the whole. This
may help explain why reductionist science has had little success in explaining
consciousness.

------
sathley
[https://www.amazon.com/Filters-Against-Folly-Economists-
Ecol...](https://www.amazon.com/Filters-Against-Folly-Economists-
Ecologists/dp/0140077294)

------
zuzuleinen
While not a book, I have created a very simple program which fetches a random
cognitive bias from Wikipedia.

I've set it up on a daily cron and now I receive every day a cognitive bias on
my e-mail and read it on breakfast.

So far some biases really stuck with me and I notice myself referring to them
every time I'm thinking about something.

With the results I have only for a couple of weeks I'm definitely planning to
use it all my life.

Here is the code:
[https://github.com/zuzuleinen/bibi](https://github.com/zuzuleinen/bibi)

------
austenallred
Possibly not what you’re looking for, but the Leonardo Da Vinci biography by
Isaacson has the clearest example of that I’ve ever seen. Leonardo’s
methodology of learning is incredible and inspiring.

------
MrRoberts
Ishmael
[https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&c...](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi0j4OCkKnYAhUJRN8KHe5jCRAQFghWMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FIshmael-
Novel-Daniel-Quinn%2Fdp%2F0553375407&usg=AOvVaw1WHttN6zZ0kuNvHeIsxyxS)

------
EdwardCoffin
Descartes' _Regulae_ (Rules for the Direction of the Mind). There are online
copies, but all the ones I have found are incomplete. The best one is in John
Cottingham's _The Philosophical Writings of Descartes: Volume 1_

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_for_the_Direction_of_the...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_for_the_Direction_of_the_Mind)

------
klochner
Tren Griffin is a big proponent of Charlie Munger’s use of mental modals.

This post has a good list of models:

[https://25iq.com/2015/08/22/a-dozen-things-ive-learned-
from-...](https://25iq.com/2015/08/22/a-dozen-things-ive-learned-from-charlie-
munger-about-mental-models-and-worldly-wisdom/)

Tren’s weekly ‘dozen things I’ve learned from foo’ series is generally high
quality.

------
robmay
I like "Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger"
[https://tinyurl.com/y97dlzr8](https://tinyurl.com/y97dlzr8) and "Art of
Decisions: Managing in an Uncertain World" by Chris Blake
[https://tinyurl.com/ya7lyglr](https://tinyurl.com/ya7lyglr)

------
leroy_masochist
Check out this biography of Col Boyd (the OODA Loop guy):
[https://www.amazon.com/Boyd-Fighter-Pilot-Who-
Changed/dp/031...](https://www.amazon.com/Boyd-Fighter-Pilot-Who-
Changed/dp/0316796883)

It's a total hagiography with some dubious historical claims, but a fun and
interesting read nonetheless.

------
PTPells
What makes something feel alive? How do you design it to be so? Christopher
Alexander answers in "The Timeless Way of Building":

[https://www.amazon.com/Timeless-Way-Building-Christopher-
Ale...](https://www.amazon.com/Timeless-Way-Building-Christopher-
Alexander/dp/0195024028)

------
dpeck
I enjoyed reading and feel like I got a lot out of Thinking in Systems: A
Primer [https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Systems-Donella-H-
Meadows/dp...](https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Systems-Donella-H-
Meadows/dp/1603580557)

------
sweetdreamerit
[https://www.amazon.com/Mental-Models-Cognitive-Inference-
Con...](https://www.amazon.com/Mental-Models-Cognitive-Inference-
Consciousness/dp/0674568826) Quite old, but probably the best book about
mental models

------
oh_sigh
'Seeking wisdom' by Munger

------
pgrote
Mental Models Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior by Indi Young is
excellent.

[http://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/mental-
models/](http://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/mental-models/)

------
abhiyerra
Science, strategy and war.

Dives into the thoughts behind John Boyd’s OODA loop. Really good book.

------
3stripe
Liminal Thinking by Dave Gray.

This is a good primer [https://alistapart.com/article/liminal-
thinking](https://alistapart.com/article/liminal-thinking)

------
travmatt
For politics, “The Righteous Mind” by Jonathan Haidt and “The Dictators
Handbook” from Bruce Buena de Mesquita will give you a great basis for
understanding political motivations.

------
9214
[https://github.com/perspectivesonatheme/patterns](https://github.com/perspectivesonatheme/patterns)

------
derekja
Big book of concepts by Gregory Murphy.
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001KW0APW/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=...](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001KW0APW/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514312212&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Big+book+of+concept)

------
Danihan
To develop mental models you need to start at the ground floor, with
understanding basic human nature.

[https://www.amazon.com/Righteous-Mind-Divided-Politics-
Relig...](https://www.amazon.com/Righteous-Mind-Divided-Politics-
Religion/dp/0307455777)

[https://www.amazon.com/Blank-Slate-Modern-Denial-
Nature/dp/0...](https://www.amazon.com/Blank-Slate-Modern-Denial-
Nature/dp/0142003344)

