How We Think and Choose

Why does your brain sometimes trick you?

How do you make a smart choice when others are choosing too? And how do millions of strangers work together without anyone in charge?

The secret behind every big idea in this book is one powerful habit: First Principles Thinking — going back to the very beginning and asking, "What do we actually know?" Instead of accepting things just because "that's how they are," first-principles thinkers break a problem down to its simplest truths and build brand-new ideas from there.

In this fourth adventure in the Little Philosophers series, curious readers travel with Axi to meet three brilliant thinkers who used exactly that method: Daniel Kahneman, who went back to basics to reveal how our brains fool us; John Nash, who rethought competition from the ground up to crack the secret of choosing when others are choosing too; and Adam Smith, who questioned everything to discover how people help one another without even trying.

But this isn't just a book about famous ideas — it's a book about how to think from first principles yourself. When is your brain taking a shortcut? How do you cooperate and compete fairly? What makes a choice a good one? Along the way, children learn to slow down, question assumptions, and become wiser, more independent thinkers.

Perfect for curious kids ages 8–12, parents, and educators, How We Think and Choose blends psychology, strategy, and philosophy into a story that sparks thoughtful conversation.

• Learn First Principles Thinking — the powerful method used by history's greatest minds
• Meet real thinkers: Kahneman, Nash, and Adam Smith
• Beautiful full-page illustrations on every spread
• Thoughtful questions and activities that build wise, independent thinking
• Part of the Little Philosophers series — stories that grow curious minds

Every wise choice begins by going back to the beginning. Open the book and start thinking from first principles.