The great mental models
Shane Parrish
The old saying goes, ''To the man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.'' But anyone who has done any kind of project knows a hammer often isn't enough.
Score based on developer article recommendations — not sales data or reviews.
🟢 Developer Verdict
Learn to apply diverse mental models from various disciplines, improving your decision-making, problem-solving, and design reasoning.
Read this if
- ✓ You want to improve your general problem-solving abilities.
- ✓ You seek to make better decisions by considering multiple perspectives.
- ✓ You are a manager looking to scale your problem-solving approach.
Skip this for now if
- ✗ You are looking for specific technical programming advice.
- ✗ You prefer hands-on coding exercises or project-based learning.
- ✗ You expect deep dives into advanced software architecture patterns.
📊 Why Developers Recommend
It helps developers think more intentionally about professional growth.
Referenced by multiple developers, suggesting consistent practical value.
Valued for its practical approach — concepts connect directly to real-world engineering decisions and daily work.
💬 What Developers Say
"This book aims to give you the ability to change perspective by applying knowledge from different disciplines."
— jorgetovar · The great mental models - Book notes (Engineering view) · Jan 25, 2022
"This book allows me to scale as a manager, because I can make connections between new problems and old problems quickly and treat new problems as “another one of those” by applying my learnings from previous similar problems."
— johannes_scha · Getting into Engineering Management: Useful resources to start thinking like a manager · Apr 8, 2021
"**The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts** — Shane Parrish - A practical guide to building a "latticework" of mental models that improve decision-making and design reasoning."
— hardiksankhla · "Be The First" - First Principles for Engineers and Developers: A Practical Reading List · Feb 22, 2026
👤 Who Should Read This
Best for
- • Senior engineers deepening their expertise
- • Developers looking to grow their careers
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Shane Parrish
Mentioned in 3 articles · #285 overall
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Recommended in 3 Articles
The great mental models - Book notes (Engineering view)
Getting into Engineering Management: Useful resources to start thinking like a manager
"Be The First" - First Principles for Engineers and Developers: A Practical Reading List
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