Customer Reviews

Do You Think What You Think You Think?

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I found Do You Think What You Think You Think? on the new releases table at the bookstore and I was immediately attracted to its premise. It promises to uncover the reader's beliefs, and to help strengthen and identify one's core philosophy. So, I bought the book and looked forward to working through its exercises on my next airplane trip.

Unfortunately, my affection for the book, if not the concept, took a turn for the worse about two hours into the trip. At first, the authors draw you in with several questions that require you to make a concrete judgement about what are usually considered to be "gray areas." For example, you're asked to agree or disagree with the statement "It is always wrong to take another's life." That pesky word "always" be damned, make your choice--there's no "maybe" option available.

Later, after many more questions where my rationale (and answers) hung on the specific phrasing of the question, I learn that my overall score indicates, in the words of the authors, that I am either a mass of contradictions or a very subtle thinker. Thus arriving at my first indication that this book is really about making snap judgments, reading a pithy observation, then moving on to the next "gotcha."

Reading this book is an active endeavor. You'll need a pen to jot down your answers and, unless you're the type who writes in books, some paper to keep track of your scores and answers. And be prepared to do a lot of flipping of pages as you compare your impressions of a question to the author's assertions. In some cases, you'll find yourself disagreeing with how a question is phrased and then later re-interpreted to "prove" some point. In fact, the authors expect you to disagree and argue with the book. But as they say outright in its early pages, don't bother emailing or contacting them with your complaints, they just aren't interested. And for good reason, there really isn't enough meat in this book to have more than a Fox TV "whoever yells loudest" wins discussion anyway.

If you're looking for a little entertainment, with a Philosophy 101 bent, Do You Think What You Think You Think? might keep you busy for a while. If you're hoping to actually learn anything about yourself or discover a new way of thinking about life's big questions, keep searching.

Wow! Delightful! This book is a series of games, almost like puzzles, that shed light on how you think...and how you stack up to other readers who have done these exercises online.

If you're of scientific bent, you'll recognize that the sample is perhaps too small to make strong conclusions about where you "stack up" But no matter, because the self examination that results in doing these games is amazingly informative, and unusual for most of us.

Here are some examples:
1. You'll choose between "agree or disagree" in a list of beliefs about how the world works... or... in another game, what's right, and what's "wrong" morally, then learn how consistent (or inconsistent) your belief system is.

2. You're given a series of simple logic puzzles (no math required) and it will be revealed how we sometimes may think we're being logical but can be distracted from the real thing

and many more! A formal education is not a requirement, but some real thinking is. You'll be surprised!

The writers' tone is neither abusive nor superior, but rather witty and fun! I ended up with a short list of things I'd like to ponder further, and the inspiration to do so.

If you are interested in how the mind works, and in learning about your own thought processes, this is a terrific book. I'd recommend it for every writer, of any form, for those interested in cognitive science or in psychology, and for anyone who wants to get and stay sharp, at any age.

You do not have to have a strong educational background to enjoy this book, but you do have to be unafraid to think and examine your own thinking! Fun!

I greatly enjoyed "Do You Think What You Think You Think" on every level. The book is a series of philosophical excercises that delve into your own logic, ethical, spritual and philosophical beliefs.

It does a good job of not saying any one way of thinking is right or wrong, but helps you gain insight into your belief system while pointing out gross contradictions to how you think.

Once I picked up this book I was addicted to it and finished it within a day. I've also recommended it to many friends and will continue to do so.

This book is a light, philosophical puzzle type book that will keep most readers amused for a short while as it scatters a few whimsical philosophical nuggets in the brain's direction. The best exercise is the first one which is carefully crafted to expose moral contradictions in people's ethical beliefs. But many of the rest are rather too obvious - with the outcomes usually predictable well in advance of totting up the scores to your own responses.

Some of the exercises which seem on first glance to offer profound answers to challenging condundrums such as the basis of our artistic judgement turn out to be too simple to probe deeply into the questions. For example what does it mean for a work of art to possess beauty and harmony? Or to reflect reality? This book doesn't really do justice to the deep questions of philosophy, despite the authors' obvious learning.

i received this book from my girlfriend as a gift on my last birthday, it was slightly disappointing (i was wading through really dense stuff at the time). while she knows that i'm rabid about philosophy and learning anything, she has no real interest in the topic... which plays right in to what this book does.

in the tradition of "the pig that wants to be eaten", "beyond bumper sticker ethics", and various books like them, this book doesn't try to appeal to the rigorous student or even the second year under-grad; this book is best served as a first course or as a sample. as someone that is planning to pursue a doctorate in philosophy in a few years, i found this book to be something that grabbed my attention and directed me to a problem i had ignored: bringing new minds into philosophy. while it is true that everyone doesn't have to be a philosopher, restricting the search for new ideas can only hurt everyone in the long run.

i found many of the questions lacking options, instead, polar opposites are often the only choices. some of the explanations are a little weak and some of the conclusions were almost offensive... until i reminded myself that this book is (clearly) intended for mass consumption and not intended as a daunting pillar of philosophical wisdom.

if you are seeking some light reading or a good source of conversation material for that next neighborhood block-party, this book deserves your attention. if you're a weekend philosopher that likes to keep his mind sharp or you're just feeling burnt out (we've all been there), this may be a nice piece to rejuvenate you.

I find something to agree with in all five reviews before mine. On the plus side, the book is very readable, occasionally thought-provoking, and perhaps an incisive conversation-starter. However, if you have more than a small philosophy or logic background, you will likely find much of the book overly simplistic.

I wish the Publishers Weekly review could be deleted. It's obvious that the reviewer never had a philosophy class in college. The point of the book is to teach the reader to question everything and that everything is subjective. Brittney Spears IS as good as Mozart or better...depending on who you ask. How that person replies depends on everything, where are they from, how old are they, what experiences have they had? "If Atlas is holding up the planet, who's holding up Atlas?" Everything is cyclical...nothing is black and white. Get it?

I bought this book hoping to discover what was promised. Instead, I found myself flipping pages back and forth endlessly, only to be informed of things that the average person-I think-concludes from common sense. If you really have no idea that everyone is full of contradictions and have never noticed your own, this might just be interesting for you and even as "shocking" as it is put to be. It's definitely not what you think, though... and it is not because I disagreed with some things, because I didn't really even care to- I was only advancing to get to the part where a deeper philosophy kicked in, but it never came. The "philosophy" of this book is so simple that I felt my expectations and IQ drop simultaneously as I wasted my time with it.

This book is an engaging adventure into one's own philosophical innermost workings. The quiz in the beginning provides an immediate sense of metacognitive immersion. This short book allow the reader to identify and explore their hidden contradictory beliefs. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys self analysis & belly button-gazing.

I picked up this book at a local store a while back and liked it so much I decided to buy two more copies here on Amazon for family members!

This is not the epitome of philosophy books, but I don't think the author intends it to be. It's simply a short, enjoyable, and interactive reading experience that will really make you think. The book is a series of chapters, each devoted to a certain philosophical idea. You engage in short questionnaires and then read through the author's analysis of your responses. The author makes no stance towards wrong or right answers, but sometimes he does point out some things he may find odd or inconsistent (and of course also tells us why). This book may really challenge some of your beliefs or bring up points you may have never considered.

This is an excellent book and very recommended read for the always-thinking!