• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Farnam Street Logo

Farnam Street

Mastering the best of what other people have already figured out

  • Newsletter
  • Clear Thinking
  • Podcast
  • Articles
  • Log In
  • Become a Member

Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results

An instant New York Times Bestseller.

International Editions

“An indispensable guide to making smarter decisions each day.”

– James Clear

“Incisive. Practical. Full of vivid examples, and enormously fun to read.”

– Jim Collins

“… a valuable antidote to stupidity, and a game-changer for anyone seeking to succeed.”

– Morgan Housel

Step 1: Get Your Copy of Clear Thinking …

Amazon.com | Audible | Kindle | Barnes and Noble

Outside the US? Click here for international editions.

Step 2: Claim Your Free Bonuses …

Order a copy of the New York Times bestseller Clear Thinking from your favorite bookseller and forward your purchase receipt to [email protected] to get the following bonuses.

Bonus Guide: Positioning in Life and Work
Get specific examples of how to use the concepts in the book to improve your position.

Bonus Guide: How to Apply These Ideas to Parenting
A look at how I apply the lessons and insights in Clear Thinking with my own children so they learn to think better and position themselves for success.

Clear Thinking Cheat Sheet
A useful summary of some of the key ideas from the book that you can easily reference again and again. 

Book Club Discussion Guide
Some questions you can ask in your book club to get the most out of Clear Thinking.

About the book …

Ever wondered why the world’s most successful individuals seem to have an uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time? It’s not luck; it’s positioning. They are rarely backed into a corner by circumstances, and you don’t have to be either.

You don’t need to be smarter than others to outperform them if you can out-position them. 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.

Clear Thinking is not just another self-help book—it’s a transformative guide that hands you the tools to master your own fate, sharpen your decision-making, and position yourself for success.

The most effective way to enhance your decision-making is by starting from a position of strength. With a proven framework and practical strategies, Clear Thinking is your roadmap to navigating any situation with poise and intelligence.

Eleven Ways This Book Will Help You

  1. Learn to position yourself to play on easy mode instead of hard mode
  2. Master your circumstances rather than be mastered by them
  3. Use automatic rules to ensure you make the right choice, every time
  4. Identify and reprogram the enemies of clear-thinking
  5. Think independently and create advantageous divergence
  6. Avoid self-destructive behaviors that keep you from moving forward
  7. Transform desired behaviors into default behaviors
  8. Shift your perspective to remove blind spots and see the situation clearly
  9. Keep calm, even when others can’t
  10. Quickly and easily get back on track when you make a mistake
  11. Turn ordinary moments into extraordinary results

And, most importantly, how to put all of these ideas into practical use in daily life and work.

International Editions

English Language

United StatesKindle | Audible | Hardcover | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Apple Books | Target | Bookshop.org | Painted Porch Bookshop
AustraliaAmazon
BelgiumAmazon
CanadaAmazon | Indigo
FranceAmazon
GermanyAmazon
IndiaAmazon
ItalyAmazon
JapanAmazon
New ZealandMighty Ape
NetherlandsAmazon
SpainAmazon
SwedenAmazon
SwitzerlandAmazon
United KingdomHardcover | Kindle | Audible | Waterstones | WHSmith

Other Languages

Clear Thinking is also available in these languages:

SpainAmazon

Praise For Clear Thinking

Here is what people are saying.

“An indispensable guide to making smarter decisions each day.”

–James Clear, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Atomic Habits

“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. Parrish guides us through the mental landscape of people who have spent their lives learning how to think with rigor and decide with discipline. Incisive. Practical. Full of vivid examples, and enormously fun to read.”

– Jim Collins, author of Good to Great

“A must-read for anyone who wants to get a handle on their own mind and figure out how to transform their life.”

– Mark Manson

“This book is a valuable antidote to stupidity, and a game-changer for anyone seeking to succeed.”

– Morgan Housel, bestselling author of The Psychology of Money

“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

“The world of sports is filled with nuance and complexity, and operating with sound thinking is paramount to making important decisions that impact not just individuals but entire franchises. Shane’s expert guidance in Clear Thinking is already proving to be a go-to resource for how I approach decision-making as a professional basketball executive.”

— Landry Fields, GM of Atlanta Hawks

“An actionable guide to using your mind more effectively. Shane Parrish doesn’t just teach clear thinking—he lives it. He’s produced a lucid manual for overcoming cognitive biases and making better decisions.”

– Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THINK AGAIN

“Shane Parrish, the brilliant thinker who created Farnam Street and the podcast the Knowledge Product, has distilled the wisdom he’s gathered over the years from his own life and the many interviews he’s done with incredible people into a must-read book. Clear Thinking is full of fascinating stories and insights, and gives you the practical tools you need to counteract the forces that can muddle your thinking.”

— Bethany McLean, Author of The Smartest Guys in the Room

“If you want results—good ones—that you can achieve confidently again and again, read this book. Shane Parrish demystifies the process of thinking clearly so you can create better odds in your personal and professional life.”

– Annie Duke, bestselling author of Quit

“My favorite part of the book was the section on habits, rules, and safeguards (page 101). A principle that Shane and I discussed in January changed my life and was expounded on in the book. Shane said, “It’s impossible to work out very often if you have to decide every day whether or not you’ll do it. That’s why I just do something active every day, no matter what.” It was a revelation for me and made complete sense. So, in early January I started working out every single day, with no exceptions and have been doing so ever since. The results have been astonishing — down 8% body fat, huge improvement in blood markers, and a joy in moving my body that I never had previously experienced. All this from a simple principle, simply applied. Bottom line, check it out and get yourself a copy. There’s a good chance something in there could be life-changing for you.”

– Brent Beshore, CEO of Permanent Equity

“Clear Thinking distills decades of best practices into practical tools. From identifying the opportunity in ordinary moments to learning what gets in our way to having the courage to take action, Shane shines a light on what each of us can do to have better outcomes and more impact. Clear Thinking is a must-read in an increasingly cluttered world.”

— Kat Cole, COO of Athletic Greens

“Once in a lifetime, someone produces a book that is destined to change the world for the better. This book does that in every chapter.”

— Frederick Pray, Amazon

“Shane’s book is just insane … knowledge that actually helps. A masterpiece for growth.”

— Roland Daher


Clear Thinking shows you how to make good decisions and, perhaps more importantly, avoid bad ones that entangle so many.

Take the first step toward a future filled with success, clarity, and peace of mind.


About Shane Parrish

Shane Parrish, one of the world’s leading experts on decision-making, is the founder, curator, and wisdom seeker behind Farnam Street, the host of The Knowledge Project podcast, and the CEO of Syrus Partners.

Shane is a regular speaker at events around the world, and his insights have been featured in nearly every major publication, including The New York Times, The Economist, and The Wall Street Journal. His popular “Brain Food” newsletter is sent to over 600,000 curious minds each week.

Get Your Copy of Clear Thinking

International Editions

Discover What You’re Missing

Get the weekly email full of actionable ideas and insights you can use at work and home.


As seen on:

Forbes logo
New York Times logo
Wall Street Journal logo
The Economist logo
Financial Times logo
Farnam Street Logo

© 2023 Farnam Street Media Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Proudly powered by WordPress. Hosted by Pressable. See our Privacy Policy.

  • About
  • Sponsorship
  • Support
  • Speaking

We’re Syrus Partners.
We buy amazing businesses.


Farnam Street participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising commissions by linking to Amazon.