Leading neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author of Mozart's Brain and the Fighter Pilot distills the latest research on the brain and serves up practical, surprising and illuminating advice for warding off neurological decline, improving cognitive function and encouraging smarter thinking day to day.

Train your brain for better decisions, problem solving, andinnovation Think Smarter: Critical Thinking to Improve Problem-Solvingand Decision-Making Skills is the comprehensive guide totraining your brain to do more for you. Written by a criticalthinking trainer and coach, the book presents a pragmatic set oftools to apply critical thinking techniques to everyday businessissues. Think Smarter is filled with real world examplesthat demonstrate how the tools work in action, in addition todozens of practice exercises applicable across industries andfunctions, Think Smarter is a versatile resource forindividuals, managers, students, and corporate trainingprograms. Thinking is the foundation of everything you do, but we relylargely on automatic thinking to process information, oftenresulting in misunderstandings and errors. Shifting over tocritical thinking means thinking purposefully using a framework andtoolset, enabling thought processes that lead to better decisions,faster problem solving, and creative innovation. ThinkSmarter provides clear, actionable steps toward improving yourcritical thinking skills, plus exercises that clarify complexconcepts by putting theory into practice. Features include: A comprehensive critical thinking framework Over twenty-five "tools" to help you think more critically Critical thinking implementation for functions andactivities Examples of the real-world use of each tool Learn what questions to ask, how to uncover the real problem tosolve, and mistakes to avoid. Recognize assumptions your can relyon versus those without merit, and train your brain to tick throughyour mental toolbox to arrive at more innovative solutions.Critical thinking is the top skill on the wish list in the businessworld, and sharpening your ability can have profound affectsthroughout all facets of life. Think Smarter: Critical Thinkingto Improve Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Skills providesa roadmap to more effective and productive thought.

Praise For Think Smart--Act Smart Avoiding the Business Mistakes That Even Intelligent People Make "Increased productivity and optimizing efficiencies...start with this book. Think Smart--Act Smart is a must-read for anyone concerned with the optimal operation of any organization...and all management personnel." --Travis AlexanderCEO, Alexander Worldwide Protection Services "This book should be mandatory reading for any of us in the leadership business. It exposes the fallacies of decision making that have become so endemic in organizations today. Jim's style of writing seamlessly translates sound theory into practical application--making it perfect for both the student and managerial practitioner. A welcomed addition to the decision-making literature." --Philip T. Anderson, PhDDirector, Organization Effectiveness, JohnsonDiversey, Inc. "Think Smart--Act Smart is a book that walks you through the 'how to' of thinking outside the box in your everyday approach to problem solving and how to avoid the old patterns buried in society's IQ-driven approach to problem solving. A very refreshing and mind-opening journey that shares a wonderful look into a number of startling truths about the way we think." --C. Brandy DouglasPresident, The Douglas Group, Inc. "Jim Nightingale provides a new and unique perspective on organizations today. The thesis of his books...is basic to working and managing in today's knowledge economy. Anyone who is responsible for making complex organizational decisions should benefit from this book." --Peter SorensenDirector, Organization Development PhD Program, Benedictine University, Illinois "We have all seen really smart, successful people do really dumb things. We have all asked the question, 'what was he/she thinking?' Jim Nightingale has taken an interesting, cerebral look at why this might be. His views are thought-provoking for those interested in getting the most out of their organization." --Spencer Clark IIIFormer Chief Learning Officer, Cadence Design Systems Why do smart people sometimes do such stupid things? In 1720 Isaac Newton lost a fortune in a stock market crash that he had personally predicted. How could this happen? Since the discoverer of gravity and the inventor of calculus can hardly be accused of stupidity, we must seek other reasons for this, and other, high-profile judgment errors by very smart people. Whether you are a CEO, a business manager, or simply a student of human behavior, Think Smart--Act Smart reveals why smart people make costly mistakes and provides you with a realistic plan to think smart in your life and on the job.

Think the way the Mensans do! Just like a good physical workout, this mental exercise program by the world’s most intelligent people builds strength: It pumps up brainpower and unleashes your hidden genius. The benefits are almost amazing—it’s only a few short weeks to improved memory and reading comprehension, a better vocabulary, deeper logic abilities, and sharper math skills. Plus, the “Think Smart” plan boosts your store of knowledge and even stimulates creativity. Test out your grammar skills through a fun mystery story; take a crack at breaking codes, ciphers, and cryptograms; uncover the key to studying effectively; and have a blast with high-IQ trivia.

Learn to confidently devise effective solutions in any situation with this fantastic guide to getting things done by focusing your mind and honing your decision making skills Would you like to weigh up a situation and devise a resolution more effectively? Do you want to make decisions confidently and put them into effect with less worry? Would you like to be able to focus exclusively on the issue in hand rather than be distracted by a dozen irrelevant thoughts? Choices we can expect to encounter, from life-changing career moves to the best route to the coast, can expend a lot of time and mental energy if we haven’t learnt the basic skills required for getting things done effectively and decisively. This book is a basic practical guide to the all-important mental process by which we all live our lives – analyzing a situation, sorting out how to respond to it, and taking action accordingly. We discover how to solve problems and make choices swiftly and satisfactorily, how to reduce mental stress while working under pressure, how to turn bright ideas into positive action. Following the techniques and exercises given here, you’ll soon find you are using your brain more efficiently. Your payback will be in greater confidence and greater peace of mind – which in turn will help your mental processing. Step inside this virtual circle now, and join the blessed ranks of the sorted!

Science is beginning to understand that our thinking has a deep and complicated relationship with our eating. Our thoughts before, during, and after eating profoundly impact our food choices, our digestive health, our brain health, and more. Yet most of us give very little thought to our food beyond taste and basic nutritional content. In this revolutionary book, Dr. Caroline Leaf packs an incredible amount of information that will change readers' eating and thinking habits for the better. Rather than getting caught up in whether we should go raw or vegan, gluten-free or paleo, Leaf shows readers that every individual is unique, has unique nutritional needs, and has the power to impact their own health through the right thinking. There's no one perfect solution. Rather, she shows us how to change the way we think about food and put ourselves on the path towards health. Anyone who is tired of traditional diet plans that don't work, who struggles with emotional eating, or who simply isn't satisfied with their level of health will find in this book the key to discovering how they can begin developing a healthier body, brain, and spirit.

Everything you want to know about the breakthroughs in AI technology, machine learning, and deep learning—as seen in self-driving cars, Netflix recommendations, and more. The future is here: Self-driving cars are on the streets, an algorithm gives you movie and TV recommendations, IBM’s Watson triumphed on Jeopardy over puny human brains, computer programs can be trained to play Atari games. But how do all these things work? In this book, Sean Gerrish offers an engaging and accessible overview of the breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and machine learning that have made today’s machines so smart. Gerrish outlines some of the key ideas that enable intelligent machines to perceive and interact with the world. He describes the software architecture that allows self-driving cars to stay on the road and to navigate crowded urban environments; the million-dollar Netflix competition for a better recommendation engine (which had an unexpected ending); and how programmers trained computers to perform certain behaviors by offering them treats, as if they were training a dog. He explains how artificial neural networks enable computers to perceive the world—and to play Atari video games better than humans. He explains Watson’s famous victory on Jeopardy, and he looks at how computers play games, describing AlphaGo and Deep Blue, which beat reigning world champions at the strategy games of Go and chess. Computers have not yet mastered everything, however; Gerrish outlines the difficulties in creating intelligent agents that can successfully play video games like StarCraft that have evaded solution—at least for now. Gerrish weaves the stories behind these breakthroughs into the narrative, introducing readers to many of the researchers involved, and keeping technical details to a minimum. Science and technology buffs will find this book an essential guide to a future in which machines can outsmart people.