Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes

Library JournalIf we are to think like Sherlock Holmes, Konnikova (Scientific American "Literally Psyched" blogger) tells us, we must begin by avoiding snap judgments. Potential readers would do well to heed her advice, as this is not just another "improve your memory" self-help manual. Like her blog posts, this book examines the workings of the human psyche using literary characters as examples. Konnikova focuses on Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary detective, Sherlock Holmes, to explore the scientific reasons behind his extraordinary powers of observation, recall, and deduction. How do we convert our intuitive, reactionary "Watson" system into a more deliberative, thorough, and logical "Holmes" one? Taking numerous detailed examples from the Holmes stories, Konnikova explains how we can influence what we store in our "brain attic," how to nimbly navigate our brain's storage, and creatively fit together the particular pieces of the puzzle.