Book Review- Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

I have no issue telling anyone that I am an avid and very active reader. I have an eclectic selection that I gather knowledge from and one can ever tell exactly what I am reading. I have recently read a book by Daniel Kahneman that he aptly named "Thinking, Fast and Slow". The book was mainly based on collaborative work he did with Amos Tversky over a 30 year period. The dramatic way of looking at exactly how we think garnered Kahneman the Nobel Prize in Economic Science in 2002 even though he is a psychologist by trade. His theories are that we have two main lines of thinking that we utilize on a daily basis. System 1 focuses on those decisions that can be made instantly, and primarily without thinking. System 2 recruits more in depth analysis by taking time to analyze a situation or a problem. You would be using System 2 if, for instance, you were doing a multi-step multiplication problem. I have often said to colleagues when questioned about the book that it is a novel that requires you to think about thinking. I feel that as an educational leader we are constantly looking at new and innovative ways to stimulate our classrooms and staff so that we can implement instructional programs that are conducive to students learning and staff professional growth. I see this as essential and this book assists those in leadership positions to maximize their collaborative capabilities. I highly recommend this as a spring break read or as one for the summer. JAD

Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs is good for him.

- Maya Angelou