Thank you for ordering our new book, The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts.
This has been a labor of love for a long time coming and we can’t wait to hear what you think. To help you get more from the book, we wanted to share two special bonuses with you.
1. Private discussion with co-author Rhiannon Beaubien.
Though I often get the credit for what Farnam Street has become, the truth is there is a team of people that believe in this mission just as much as I do and contribute in meaningful ways to bring it to fruition. Rhiannon, who co-wrote this book with me, is most definitely one of those people.
We recently sat down with a glass of wine (or two) and recorded a conversation about how the first volume of this mental models series came to be. It’s only 20 minutes long, but we geeked out on different aspects of the creative process, including:
- How much work actually goes into creating a book like this (and how surprising it was to everyone on the FS team)
- The book design and how children’s books influenced the way we made some of the final decisions
- My favorite example in the book (how father of propaganda Edward Bernays brilliantly transformed a social taboo like women smoking into a symbol of freedom and prosperity)
- Rhi’s favorite example in the book (how British intelligence executive Vera Atkins became so proficient in interpreting the mountains of data coming in to inform incredibly important and consequential decisions during World War II.)
- Why internalizing mental models is so crucial to good decision making and avoiding disastrous mistakes
- A sneak peek into the next few volumes and the larger scope of vision we hope to accomplish by releasing these books
You can listen to the full conversation by clicking here. I hope you find this stuff as fascinating as we do. :)
2. The Great Mental Models Reading Guide.
If you’re a member of our Learning Community, you know how much more powerful reading a book can be when you do it with other thoughtful people. Our Virtual Reading Group is one of the most popular features of the LC because when you discuss big ideas with people who see things differently than you do, everybody’s learning is enhanced.
So grab a bottle of your favorite beverage, gather your friends together, and use this guide to help you get the very most out of this book. Even if you’re reading solo, the reading guide will help you ask questions that will challenge your thinking and stretch your understanding.
Thank you so much for your continued support of Farnam Street and the work that we do. You make it all possible. I hope you love the book.
Cheers,
Shane
P.S. Once you’ve had a chance to read the book, we’d be grateful if you’d leave a review and let us know what you thought of it. Every one helps!