We're all familiar with optical illusions - where we think we see something that is in fact an illusion. The problem is that we create the three-dimensional world in our head based on the input of our senses and the rules that do that translation, and normally serve us so well, can be tricked.

It turns out that the rules used by other parts of our brain can be similarly tricked - giving rise to the term cognitive illusions.  Illusions that are independent of sex, race or IQ.  Massimo Piatelli-Palmarini is a cognitive scientist (actually a principle research associate for the centre for cognitive science at MIT and the director of the dept of Cognitive Science at the Institute of San Raffaele in Milan, so I guess he knows what he's talking about!) and his book Inevitable Illusions - How mistakes of reason rule our minds is intended as a layman's guide to these cognitive illusions.

Massimo describes the process as mental tunnels - the grooves that our brain just can't help getting themselves into.  For example the way we process probabilities, even simple ones, is open to all sorts of mental tunnels.  The simplest probably tunnel described is illustrated thus:

"I have just tossed a coin 7 times, and I ask you, who have not seen the result, to guess which of the three sequences below represents the sequence of results:

1. HHHHTTT
2. THHTHTT
3. TTTTTTT

Go on, which one would you choose?  Having repeated this experiment many times we're assured that bets are placed in the order: 2, 1, 3.  The preference for 2 is very strong... and is an example of the most common cognitive illusion - mistaking typical for the most probable.  In fact, probability theory tells us that in seven tosses of a con, the probabilities are totally even and so ANY of the three are the right choice.

The result is that we find ourselves committing what Massimo describes, somewhat playfully as the seven deadly sins:

1. Overconfidence - in our illusion lead thinking.
2. Illusory correlations (magical thinking) - we reach results thinking they are based on logic when they're simply not.
3. Predictability in hindsight - once we have the answer or facts we think we could have perfectly predict the outcome (this is a big one for historians).
4. Anchoring - the first thing we notice incorrectly informs the conclusion of our thinking - the easy example here is: given 2 seconds tell me the result of multiplying the numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 together?; your answer will typically be much lower than if you were asked: in 2 seconds multiply the numbers 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 together.
5. Ease of representation- we are likely to report the things we can easily imagine or remember as being more frequent.
6. Probability blindness - our intuitive ability to calculate probabilities is totally floored.
7. Reconstruction under suitable scripts - a ridiculous end situation can look much more plausible if you take someone through a multi-step script of how 'a' could lead to 'b', which could lead to 'c', to 'd' and 'e' which would give you the end state. When the individual steps are unlikely, the overall result is so completely implausible as to be ridiculous - I loved his example of Othello - where Iago sets out to make Othello believe his beloved wife, Desdemona is unfaithful to him, by making up a plausible but deceptive scenario involving Desdemona's handkerchief; which ultimately leads to Othello killing her!  Massimo likes to call number 7 'the Othello effect'

Although I enjoyed the book, I sometimes found it a little awkward - Massimo took prolonged paragraphs to explain some simple concepts and on other occasions skipped over something that I didn't quite get.  So, overall I found it a little long winded but it certainly reveals some really interesting insights in to the way we think!

Format: Book, 209 pages
Author: Massimo Piattelli-Palmarini, Ph.D.

-Mark

I've read a few books on communications in the past, and they've been OK - they've reminded me of things I've forgotten and inspired an idea or two.  But Chip & Dan heath's book, Made to Stick, is in a different class, it's simply brilliant.

The summary of idea's in the book can be summarised using their acronym - SUCCESs, which is also the order of the chapters in the book::

• Simple - find the core
• Unexpected - get & keep attention
• Concrete - help people understand & remember
• Credible - help people believe & agree
• Emotional - make people care
• Stories

One of the central villains, that really hits home, of creating sticky communication is the curse of knowledge.  The people who understand a concept, product, technology or whatever, in-depth are usually not the people able to communicate it to people that don't or at least not without external non-expect input.  This rings true especially because I've been in the situation several times of having to describe some computer software concept to people that don't have the technical background of my typical audience - it can be really hard!

The ideas in the book itself do what it says on the cover, they're sticky.  Whether it's the stories they use to illustrate the concepts to make them credible and concrete or the unexpected pre-written book summary at the back, or it's simple layout, approach and tone I can't quite say.  But it certainly invoked an emotional response in me with animated recommendations to anyone who will listen as - the best communications book I've every read!

Format: Book, 280 pages, Audio
Author: Chip Heath & Dan Heath

-Mark

This is a classic.  Perhaps not quite in the same way as Think and Grow Rich, but it's pretty close.  It teaches the fundamentals of financial success.  In 1926 George Clason wrote the first of his parables set in ancient Babylon - which had great airing.  This short volume collects his parables, including:

• The Richest Man in Babylon
• The Man Who Desired Gold
• Seven Cures for a Lean Purse
• The Walls of Babylon

and 7 more.  The rules that the parables proclaim work just as well today as they would have in 1926, which I guess is why it's still selling like crazy - rules like 'save the first 10% of your income'.

It took me a long time to get around to reading it and eventually it was a video program by Jim Rohn that promoted me to finally pick it up.

Most of my 'success' reading is done during the day and I keep novels and fiction for the evenings.  This book combines them both and I happily read it purely for leisure - just the way we would teach children 'learn from playing' - perhaps that's why Jim Rohn uses it to tech Children and why it's sold more than two million copies.

Format: Book, 144 pages
Author: George Clason

Get it here...

-Mark

Perhaps you've read Malcolm Gladwell's marvelous book ' The Tipping Point' (audio version) in which during chapter two, entitled 'The Law of the Few: Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen', Gladwell describes Maven's using the Yiddish origination as 'one who accumulates knowledge', and one of the three types of people common in starting 'word of mouth epidemics'.  And further that it's not just idle knowledge accumulation, Maven's know how to use their knowledge.

Thus a Success Maven who someone who not only knows about success, but knows how to be successful... thus they become experts in success.

Can I claim to be a Success Maven?  In many people's definition I'm very successful - I'm good at working on and getting what I want.  In my own view, I'm still becoming an expert in success, and I'm pretty sure that it's the journey that's most interesting.

One of my passions is reading, listening to books and other audio programs and occasionally attending seminars and workshops.  In a little over three years I've spent more than 1200 hours in this kind of personal development (or 150 eight hour days)... and in this blog I'll spout on those books, programs, seminars and workshops with the intention that if you too are travelling the success maven road, that perhaps we might walk a little of it together.

-Mark