The Great Mental Models Volume 3: Systems and Mathematics

THE MUCH ANTICIPATED THIRD INSTALLMENT IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLING SERIES ‘THE GREAT MENTAL MODELS’.

Solve problems. Think with clarity. Achieve your goals.

The secret to better decision-making is learning things that won’t change. Mastering a small number of versatile concepts with broad applicability enables you to rapidly grasp new areas, identify patterns, and understand how the world works. Don’t waste your time on knowledge with an expiry date - focus on the fundamentals.

The Farnam Street latticework of mental models gives you the durable cognitive tools you need to avoid problems and make better decisions.

A mental model is a representation of how something works. Constructing mental models helps you to navigate the world efficiently and intelligently. Time and time again, great thinkers such as Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett have found mental models indispensable in both solving problems and preventing them in the first place. Cultivating stronger mental models is one of the most powerful things you can do to become a better thinker. 

The Great Mental Models: Volume 3 covers essential models from mathematics and systems. 

In part one, you’ll learn mental models from systems, helping you see unexpected connections and avoid costly mistakes. You’ll discover how these concepts govern the behaviors and interactions in your life. Part one covers topics such as how to:

• Identify the right feedback loops to adjust for behavior change (your own and others’)

• Leverage bottlenecks to supercharge your innovative capabilities

• Scale up businesses and other endeavors without damaging their longevity

• Reduce risk and preventing disaster by knowing when to incorporate a margin of safety

• Construct reliable algorithms in your mind for predictable success to get the results you want every time

In part two, you’ll learn mental models from mathematics that reveal logical patterns in the world. This isn’t your high school math class. Part two covers topics such as how to:

• Reap exponential gains by investing in knowledge, relationships, and experiences that compound

• Utilize the surprising power of sample sizes to reshape your perspective and open your mind

• Embrace randomness to become less predictable and more creative

• Identify the fundamental components of systems that lead to failure if neglected - so you can focus your energy where it matters most

Mastering The Great Mental Models helps you thrive in an uncertain world. The right cognitive tools prepare you for any type of challenge. From parenting to healthy eating, relationships to personal productivity, and from learning to product design, this book will give you new lenses for understanding life.

A wonderful resource you’ll keep returning to year after year. As you incorporate the models in this book into your mental toolbox, you’ll see the world with fresh eyes.

START BUILDING YOUR LATTICEWORK TODAY!

Praise for The Great Mental Models series:

“I’m really glad this exists in the world and I can see that I will be recommending it often.”

— Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress, founder and CEO of Automattic

“If you’ve read Charlie Munger’s Almanack this is the book you deeply crave in its wake. … Learn the big ideas from the big disciplines and you’ll be able to twist and turn problems in interesting ways at unprecedented speeds. … You owe yourself this book.”

— Simon Eskildsen

“This is what non-fiction books should aspire to be like. Informative, concise, universal, practical, visual, sharing stories and examples for context. Definitely, a must-read if you’re into universal multi-disciplinary thinking.”

— Carl Rannaberg

“I can truly say it is one of the best books I’ve ever had the pleasure of getting lost in. I loved the book and the challenges to conventional wisdom and thinking it presents.”

— Rod Berryman

“Want to learn? Read This! This should be a standard text for high school and university students.”

— Code Cubitt

Rhiannon worked at a Canadian intelligence agency for more than ten years. She is currently a writer and the managing editor at Farnam Street Media in Ottawa, Canada where she leads the development of The Great Mental Models book series.

Rosie is currently a writer at Farnam Street, primarily working on blog articles and the membership program. She is the co-author the Great Mental Models book series and is currently works from Berlin, Germany.