Thinking, Fast and SlowThinking, Fast and Slow
Score Modern
What it's about
Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman explains the two systems that drive how we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberate and more logical. He shows what fast thinking does brilliantly, and the biases and errors it leads us into, from overconfidence to how the framing of a choice changes what we decide.
Why it's worth reading
It brought a lifetime of research into one book and changed how people think about judgment and decision-making, in business, medicine and everyday life. It has spent more than 500 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists and is on the Guardian's list of the best books of the 21st century.
You'll love it if you liked
Outliers: The Story of Success
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on ItGood to know
It's dense in places and best read a chapter at a time. You'll start noticing your own mental shortcuts everywhere.
By the numbers
- Readers73 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics51 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller82 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz42 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #5 of the 85 self-help and business books we rank
- #10 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #52 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #91 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Practical
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All 36 best-of lists →
Science and ideas booksTop 25 · 119 ranked
Self-help and business booksTop 25 · 85 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 ranked
Books of the 2010sTop 25 · 736 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedQuick answers
Is Thinking, Fast and Slow worth reading?
Yes. It brought a lifetime of research into one book and changed how people think about judgment and decision-making, in business, medicine and everyday life. It ranks #91 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 86.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Thinking, Fast and Slow about?
Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman explains the two systems that drive how we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberate and more logical. He shows what fast thinking does brilliantly, and the biases and errors it leads us into, from overconfidence to how the framing of a choice changes what we decide.
How long does it take to read Thinking, Fast and Slow?
About 12 hours (499 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Thinking, Fast and Slow?
If you liked it, try Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari or Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It by Chris Voss with Tahl Raz.