#80: Shane Parrish - Mastering The Best Of What Other People Have Already Figured Out

Feb 4, 2020

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ANECDOTE

Context Shapes Book Selection

Shane selects books based on current life context and curiosity.
He reads widely but deep dives only on some books when relevant.

ADVICE

Read To Learn, Not Quantity

Reading to learn matters more than reading for quantity.
Avoid reading just to check boxes or impress others.

INSIGHT

Mental Models Reduce Blind Spots

Mental models are our internal maps simplifying complexity.
Having more accurate models reduces blind spots in decision making.

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Shane is the host of the Knowledge Project podcast which is my go-to listen, for a slight tangent - I think Shane is one of the best interviewers around and someone I’ve been learning from myself. Shane has interviewed the likes of Jim Collins, Esther Perel, Daniel Kahneman and some mutual guests like Robert Greene and Annie Duke for the show. The knowledge Project is just one of the notches under Shane’s hugely impressive umberella. Shane is also the founder of Farnam Street, an online learning community that Shane founded whilst working for a leading intelligence agency in Canada that can be found at fs.blog. Farnam Street is dedicated to mastering the best of what other people have already figured out, that now gets over 1 million page views per month. Shane is an absolute learning machine, so much so that I’ve made it one of my life goals to go and see this guys bookshelf with my own eyes, and to emphasise this point, Shane told me that in 2013 he read 153 books in one year. I view Shane as a North star when it comes to Education, and speaking to Shane has made me want to improve even more. When Shane isn’t interviewing leading scholars and notable people, you may find him managing Syrus Partners which is an investment company operating out of North America. Farnam Street also released a book called The Great Mental Models which covers general thinking concepts. Shane & I discuss Volume 1 in today’s episode which is all around general thinking concepts. Now why is this important? As the saying goes, to the man with a hammer - everything looks like a nail. Having a clear and concise understanding of these mental models will greatly improve your decision making. And considering your life is the conclusion of the vast amounts of decisions we make everyday, becoming a better decision maker will ultimately make for a much better life. Links: Fs.blog @farnamstreet - IG @ShaneAParrish - TW @freedompact - IG Freedom Pact - YouTube The Great Mental Models - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Mental-Models-Thinking-Concepts-ebook/dp/B07P79P8ST/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=the+great+mental+models&qid=1580810056&sr=8-1