Monday, June 11, 2012

Think: Why Crucial Decisions Can't Be Made in the Blink of an Eye - Michael R. LeGault (2006)

A good summary review can be found on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_(book)

However, what I will like to write here is what I found about the book which are different than what is mostly commented. Think is not a true refutal for Blink. Blink says decision making can be made in a blink for people who are exposed to the field so much that it becomes habitual to their decision making process. Even other cases taking a decision is more important than an analysis paralysis.

Think has definitely something we need to seriously think about. There are some classic examples cited which looks like so much of a common sense that you tend to realize it every part of your day-to-day life. Politically Correctness (PC) behavior is a classic example of the same. Similarly, lots of cases have been described which in true sense someone needs to ask but no one would just because it will make you look like a rebel and leave you fight a loner's battle. Towards the end the book becomes a bit monotonous when the author proposes to suggest solutions for American society of the future to break the vicious circle. It's aparent as the real problem is who will bell the cat. I guess the author has definitely expressed his frustration in expressing the lack of a society which has degraded in its ability to make critical thinking as a way of life.

The only unfortunate part to it is, what has been written about USA is probably happening in India as a much rapid pace. The complete lack of respect for education, mushrooming of technological institutes all over the place and simplifying admission processes as some institutes are trying to create a barrier in pushing mediocrity into technology education are just a few to talk about.

Surely Youre Joking Mr Feynman: Richard Feynmann (1985)

A maverick!!! That is what you feel when you read the book. A person who does not agree to anything that does not meet his line of work or t...