Keys for Mastering Ascension Manual

What is it that separates Sherlock Holmes from his long-suffering friend and side-kick Dr John Watson? What makes Holmes such a superior detective, able to piece together clues and solve problems that seem elementary to Watson only in hindsight? And can we - most of us Watsons ourselves - ever harness a bit of Holmes's extraordinary powers of mind, not to solve crimes, but simply to improve our lives at work and home? The answer is yes, and in Mastermind, psychologist Maria Konnikova shows us how. Using plots and passages from the wonderfully entertaining Holmes stories, she illuminates how Arthur Conan Doyle's detective embodies an ever-present mindfulness, and how this active mental disposition proves foundational to his success. Beginning with Holmes's concept of the 'brain attic' - a metaphor for the information we choose to store in the mind and how we organise our knowledge, Konnikova unpacks the mental strategies that lead to clearer thinking and deeper insights. Moving through principles of logic and deduction, creativity and imagination, Mastermind puts 21st century neuroscience and psychology in service of understanding Holmes's methods. With some self-awareness and a little practice, we can all employ these methods to develop better strategies, solve difficult problems and enhance our creative powers. Writing for Holmes fans and casual readers alike, Konnikova has translated what so many of us love about the great detective into a remarkable guide to upgrading the mind. "No fictional character is more renowned for his powers of thought and observation than Sherlock Holmes. But is his extraordinary intellect merely a gift of fiction, or can we learn to cultivate these abilities ourselves, to improve our lives at work and at home? We can, says psychologist and journalist Maria Konnikova, and in Mastermind she shows us how. Beginning with the "brain attic"--Holmes's metaphor for how we store information and organize knowledge--Konnikova unpacks the mental strategies that lead to clearer thinking and deeper insights. Drawing on twenty-first-century neuroscience and psychology, Mastermind explores Holmes's unique methods of ever-present mindfulness, astute observation, and logical deduction. In doing so, it shows how each of us, with some self-awareness and a little practice, can employ these same methods to sharpen our perceptions, solve difficult problems, and enhance our creative powers. For Holmes aficionados and casual readers alike, Konnikova reveals how the world's most keen-eyed detective can serve as an unparalleled guide to upgrading the mind. "-- "Lessons from the world's greatest fictional detective teach us how to improve our own mental powers. Konnikova unpacks mental strategies that lead to clearer thinking and deeper insights. Drawing on twenty-first century neuroscience and psychology"-- Title page 2 Copyright page 3 Dedication page 5 Epigraph page 6 Contents 7 Prelude 10 PART ONE - UNDERSTANDING (YOURSELF) 28 CHAPTER ONE - The Scientific Method of the Mind 29 CHAPTER TWO - The Brain Attic: What Is It and What’s in There? 80 PART TWO - FROM OBSERVATION TO IMAGINATION 190 CHAPTER THREE - Stocking the Brain Attic: The Power of Observation 191 CHAPTER FOUR - Exploring the Brain Attic: The Value of Creativity and Imagination 339 PART THREE - THE ART OF DEDUCTION 477 CHAPTER FIVE - Navigating the Brain Attic: Deduction from the Facts 478 CHAPTER SIX - Maintaining the Brain Attic: Education Never Stops 567 PART FOUR - THE SCIENCE AND ART OF SELF-KNOWLEDGE 638 CHAPTER SEVEN - The Dynamic Attic: Putting It All Together 639 CHAPTER EIGHT - We’re Only Human 688 Postlude 757 Acknowledgments 788 Further Reading 793 Index 805 AWhat is it that separates Sherlock Holmes from his long-suffering friend and side-kick Dr John Watson? What makes Holmes such a superior detective, able to piece together clues and solve problems that seem elementary to Watson only in hindsight? And can we - most of us Watsons ourselves - ever harness a bit of Holmes's extraordinary powers of mind, not to solve crimes, but simply to improve our lives at work and home? -- Writing for Holmes fans and casual readers alike, Konnikova has translated what so many of us love about the great detective into a remarkable guide to upgrading the mind