Why Brilliant People Believe Nonsense: A Practical Text For Critical and Creative Thinking

"Engaging, thought-provoking, and surprisingly...fun!"- Dr. Fred Jones, professor, Supreme Court attorney, author and speakerRecent surveys of over 1,000 recruiters rank creative and strategic thinking at the top of their lists for both what they're looking for in candidates, and what they're having a hard time finding. This book, in a remarkably accessible, practical and entertaining way, equips readers to meet these needs, as well as to:Think more clearlyInnovate more creativelyManage life’s decisions with more confidenceSimplify complex and convoluted argumentsExpress convictions more powerfullyTargeting high school seniors and college freshmen, but useful to all adult readers, the authors examine surprising and costly mental errors made by respected business leaders, entertainment moguls, musicians, scientists, civic leaders, generals and academics. Then, they draw practical applications to help readers avoid such mistakes and think more creatively in each field.Twenty-five chapters address innovation, outside-the-box thinking, creativity, questioning expert opinion, developing idea-driven cultures in businesses, research, logic, worldviews, crowd sourcing, paradigms, harnessing the power of teams, deductive and inductive thinking, etc.Chapter TitlesWhy do brilliant people believe nonsense?Chapter 1 - They're OverconfidentChapter 2 - They're Under ConfidentChapter 3 - They're Married to BrandsChapter 4 - They're Blinded by Prejudices, Preconceptions and BiasesChapter 5 - They Believe What They Want to BelieveChapter 6 - They're Trapped by TraditionsChapter 7 - They Fail to Identify Hidden AssumptionsChapter 8 - They Underestimate the Power of the ParadigmChapter 9 - They Fail to Account for WorldviewsChapter 10 - They Contradict, Leave Out Valid Options, and Knock Down Straw MenChapter 11 - They Fall for Other Common FallaciesChapter 12 - They Either Fail to Recognize Fallacies, or Misapply The Ones They KnowChapter 13 - They Draw Conclusions from Inadequate EvidenceChapter 14 - They're Snowed by Success Bias