Book recommendation – Rolf Dobelli – The Art of Thinking Clearly: The Secrets of Perfect Decision-Making

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52 Thinking errors you should leave to others

From an evolutionary perspective, our brains are not programmed for the modern world we live in today. This results in thinking errors that should not be underestimated and can have a significant negative impact, e.g., on finances, career, and well-being.

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Overview & central idea

In his bestseller, Rolf Dobelli presents 52 thinking errors, cognitive biases, and typical fallacies that cloud our judgment. From “confirmation bias” to the “halo effect” to the “clustering illusion,” the book is a compendium of psychological pitfalls that accompany us in our everyday lives, at work, and when making decisions. The goal: to raise awareness of these errors in order to think more clearly, rationally, and calmly.

Structure & content

  • Short chapters: Each of the 52 chapters is devoted to a single error in thinking, compactly presented in 3–5 pages.
  • Relevance to everyday life: Examples are taken from economics, history, psychology, or everyday situations.
  • Language: concise, understandable, sometimes pointed and humorous.

Examples of cognitive biases covered:

  • Survivorship bias – We only see the successful and forget the invisible ones who have failed.
  • Confirmation bias – We only look for information that supports our opinion.
  • Action bias – We prefer to act immediately, even when doing nothing would be smarter.
  • Halo effect – A single positive characteristic overshadows our overall judgment.
  • Clustering illusion – We recognize patterns where there is actually only coincidence.

Impact & benefits

Dobelli does not offer ready-made solutions, but rather aims to raise awareness. He does not advocate a “perfectly rational” life, but rather greater distance from our spontaneous misjudgments. Those who recognize the patterns can pause at crucial moments and make better decisions—whether in finance, career, or personal relationships.

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Book recommendation – Bas Kast – Und plötzlich macht es KLICK!: Das Handwerk der Kreativität oder wie die guten Ideen in den Kopf kommen

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Here, creativity is viewed from a scientific perspective.

Can creativity be trained, or is it something innate that some people simply have and others do not?

Overview & central idea

In this book, Bas Kast addresses the question of how creativity arises and how we can specifically promote it. He shows that creativity is not just a mystical gift of brilliant minds, but a craft that can be learned and trained. Good ideas are the result of certain ways of thinking and working that anyone can develop—if they understand how creativity works.

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Structure & content

The book combines scientific findings from psychology and neuroscience with vivid examples from art, science, and business. Kast describes the central mechanisms of creative processes and translates them into practical strategies.

Key topics and theories:

  • Preparation & knowledge: Creativity needs a solid foundation – ideas often arise from linking existing knowledge.
  • Incubation: Breaks, distraction, and sleep are crucial for the subconscious to “continue working” on solutions.
  • Aha moments: The famous flash of inspiration usually comes unexpectedly – often after a phase of letting go.
  • Limits & rules: Paradoxically, restrictions promote creativity because they steer our thinking in new directions.
  • Interdisciplinarity: Good ideas often arise at the interfaces between different disciplines.
  • Failure & chance: Mistakes, wrong turns, and lucky breaks are part of the creative process—the key is to use them productively.

Style & readability

Kast writes in a lively, understandable, and journalistic style. He tells stories, provides examples, and manages to make complex research easily accessible.

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Book recommendation – Kibeom Lee, Michael C. Ashton – The H Factor of Personality

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Overview & central idea

In “The H Factor of Personality,” psychologists Kibeom Lee and Michael C. Ashton present their scientifically based HEXACO personality model—an extension of the well-known Big Five model. The focus is particularly on the H factor (honesty-humility), i.e., the dimension of honesty-modesty. The core thesis: This personality trait influences our behavior, our morals, and our interactions with others more than is often assumed.

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Structure & content

The book provides a generally understandable introduction to the six dimensions of the HEXACO model:

  • Honesty-Humility – Fairness, sincerity, modesty versus manipulation, greed, selfishness.
  • Emotionality – Anxiety, dependence, empathy.
  • Extraversion – Sociability, self-confidence, activity.
  • Agreeableness – Patience, forbearance, willingness to cooperate.
  • Conscientiousness – Orderliness, sense of duty, diligence.
  • Openness to Experience – Curiosity, creativity, interest in new ideas.

Key messages:

  • The H factor is morally decisive: people with a high H value act fairly, modestly, and cooperatively; people with a low H value tend to display narcissistic, manipulative, or Machiavellian traits.
  • Practical relevance: The H factor affects relationships, professional success, political attitudes, and even social trust.
  • Research & everyday life: Lee and Ashton combine scientific studies with easy-to-understand examples from everyday life and pop culture.

Style & readability

The book is deliberately not purely academic, but written in a way that is easy to understand. It combines research findings with entertaining illustrations and everyday stories.

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Book recommendation – Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo with Catherine Whitney – Eat right 4 your Type

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Blood type diet according to Dr. Peter D’Adamo.

Overview & central idea

First published in 1996, the book “Eat Right 4 Your Type” became an international bestseller and shaped the discussion about nutritional concepts. Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo’s central thesis: An individual’s blood type (A, B, AB, or O) determines which foods are healthy for them—and which can contribute to disease. Diet and lifestyle should therefore be tailored to your blood type in order to promote health, energy, and well-being.

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Structure & content

D’Adamo develops specific dietary and exercise recommendations for each blood type:

  • Blood type O: “The Hunter” – a protein-rich diet with lots of meat, fish, and vegetables; few grains and dairy products.
  • Blood type A: “The Farmer” – vegetarian-based diet, lots of vegetables, grains, and legumes, little meat.
  • Blood type B: “The Nomad” – versatile, tolerates dairy products, meat, fish, and vegetables, but less poultry and certain legumes.
  • Blood type AB: “The enigmatic” – a mixture of A and B, tolerates fish, vegetables, and dairy products, but should avoid red meat and beans.

In addition to nutrition, the book also covers:

  • Exercise: e.g., intense sports for blood type O, yoga/meditation for blood type A.
  • Stress management: Blood types are said to react differently to stress and require different recovery strategies.
  • Disease prevention: Certain blood types are said to be more susceptible to certain diseases—this can be counteracted with the right diet.

Style & readability

The book is written in a popular science style, is easy to understand, and is practical. Tables, recipes, and specific meal plans make it easy to apply.

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