How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes by Daniel Smith

The book, How to Think Like Sherlock: Improve Your Powers of Observation, Memory and Deductionby Daniel Smith uses examples from the fictional detective to offer guidance for improved skills of observation and reasoning.

Some of the exercises are old riddles borrowed from other texts.  Many of the exercises require extensive knowledge of the books by Arthur Conan Doyle.

His admonition to gather facts, bounce your ideas of your own personal Watson, and test hypothesis makes sense.  He offers up examples of the educated guesses that Holmes uses in his books.  We need to be careful when we do this as there may be alternative explanations.  Do not become overly enamored of a particular explanation until all the facts are in.

 

Brainworks by Michael S. Sweeney

Michael S. Sweeney's book,Brainworks: The Mind-bending Science of How You See, What You Think, and Who You Are, breaks down the subject into Seeing, Thinking and Being. The first section offers an inside look at how the brain processes visual information.  Our visual processing system makes complex visual corrections that alter the actual perception of reality.  I found the photos illustrating the brain color corrections to be the most surprising.  My brain's ability to color compensate for shadows is amazing.   

The book discusses the difference between a human brain and a computer.  The computer does a really good job at computational skills and retrieving information.  Computers and robots have a very difficult time with simple motor tasks like walking up a staircase.

It is also very easy to create false memories in people.  Several exercises in the book provide actual examples.  

The book describes the vast difference between the activities of the conscious brain and the part of the brain that works without conscious thought.  Unconscious activities outnumber conscious thought by at least 100,000 to one.  It is important to not let the conscious brain be distracted during activities requiring concentration such as driving as there is a very limited space in the brain for that activity.

Cognitive distraction while driving from AAA (click to enlarge)

The OSPAN task involved mentally working on math problems while doing sequenced single syllable word recall. 

The book is a companion to the National Geographic television program Brain Games. The book also contains a DVD illustrating information from the test.   

Brain games - illusion of full color 2.5 minutes.   

Brain games - mental tricks 2.5 minutes