- Understand and Frame the Problem: Define the problem clearly and specifically.- Observe: Pay attention to details, both big and small.- Hypothesize (or Imagine): Generate possible explanations and scenarios.- Test and Deduce: Eliminate possibilities until the most likely one remains.- Repeat: Continuously revise and retest your hypotheses as new information emerges.

"The Scientific Method of the Mind"

- Structure: Understand how your mind processes and stores information. Unlike a physical attic,the brain attic isn't fixed. It can expand or contract depending on how you use it. This means your memory and processing abilities can become more or less effective based on your efforts.- Contents: Be selective about what you retain in your memory. The contents of your brain attic are the things you've taken in from the world through your experiences, memories, and knowledge. This is the foundation you build upon when facing new challenges.- Organization: Organize your memories for easy retrieval.

"The Brain Attic"

- Be Selective: Focus your attention on the details that are most relevant to your goal.- Be Objective: Separate the facts from your own assumptions and interpretations.- Be Inclusive: Engage all your senses, not just sight, to gain a richer understanding of the situation.- Be Engaged: Actively participate in the observation process by asking questions, exploring, and seeking out new information.

"The Power Of Observation"

- Know Yourself and Your Environment: Be aware of your own biases and the context of the situation.- Observe Carefully and Thoughtfully: Pay attention to details and consider their potential significance.- Imagine and Explore Possibilities: Create mental space for imaginative thinking.- Deduce from the Facts: Reach conclusions based on all available evidence.

The Dynamic Attic: Putting It All Together

- Incremental vs. Entity Theory of Intelligence: Believe in your ability to learn and grow.- Combat Stereotype Threat: Challenge negative stereotypes and focus on your strengths.- Embrace the Power of the Brain: Recognize the brain's capacity for change and growth.

"The Importance of Mindset"

- Separate Crucial from Incidental: Identify the key elements that influence your judgment.- Base Rates: Consider how frequently something occurs in the real world.- The Improbable is Not Impossible: Don't dismiss unlikely possibilities.- Reflect, Inhibit, and Edit: Challenge your initial intuitions and revise your conclusions.

Deduction from the Facts

- Challenge Your Habits: Continuously seek new knowledge and perspectives.- Spot Overconfidence: Recognize the signs of overconfidence and its potential for errors.- Keep Learning: Embrace new challenges and never stop seeking improvement.

Maintaining the Brain Attic: Education Never Stops

- Balance Open-Mindedness and Skepticism: Be open to new ideas, but also be critical of evidence.- The Mindset of a Hunter: Embrace a mindset of constant vigilance and adaptability.- Cultivate Quiet: Seek solitude to allow your mind to process information.- Acknowledge Limitations: Recognize your own fallibility and strive for improvement.

"We’re Only Human"

- Overcome Imaginative Doubt: Don't dismiss improbable solutions.- Distancing: Create mental space for imagination through:- Unrelated Activity: Engage in activities unrelated to the problem.- Actual Distance: Change your physical location.- Mental Techniques: Practice meditation or visualization.- Sustain Curiosity and Play: Embrace new ideas and explore different perspectives.

"The Value of Creativity and Imagination"

Here's summary of techniques that will make you think like Sherlock Holmes by "Maria Konnikova".

The New York Times bestselling guide to thinking like literature's greatest detective. "Steven Pinker meets Sir Arthur Conan Doyle" (Boston Globe), by the author of The Confidence Game. No fictional character is more renowned for his powers of thought and observation than Sherlock Holmes. But is his extraordinary intellect merely a gift of fiction, or can we learn to cultivate these abilities ourselves, to improve our lives at work and at home?We can, says psychologist and journalist Maria Konnikova, and in Mastermind she shows us how. Beginning with the “brain attic”—Holmes’s metaphor for how we store information and organize knowledge—Konnikova unpacks the mental strategies that lead to clearer thinking and deeper insights. Drawing on twenty-first-century neuroscience and psychology, Mastermind explores Holmes’s unique methods of ever-present mindfulness, astute observation, and logical deduction. In doing so, it shows how each of us, with some self-awareness and a little practice, can employ these same methods to sharpen our perceptions, solve difficult problems, and enhance our creative powers. For Holmes aficionados and casual readers alike, Konnikova reveals how the world’s most keen-eyed detective can serve as an unparalleled guide to upgrading the mind.