Mental Models
Mental models are the lenses through which you interpret everything. This book covers the most important thinking frameworks — first principles, systems thinking, probabilistic reasoning, cognitive biases, and key models from multiple disciplines.
Updated July 1, 2025
Chapters — 5
First Principles Thinking
First principles thinking strips a problem down to its foundational truths and rebuilds from there — it is the difference between innovation and imitation.
Systems Thinking
Most problems are system problems — treating them as simple cause-and-effect leads to interventions that make things worse.
Probabilistic Thinking
Good thinkers think in probabilities, not certainties — and they update those probabilities when new evidence arrives.
Cognitive Biases & Blind Spots
The mind makes predictable, systematic errors — knowing which ones apply to you is one of the highest-leverage forms of self-knowledge.
Key Models: Inversion, Compounding & More
A curated set of the most cross-disciplinarily useful mental models — tools that improve thinking across contexts.