Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload The Organized Mind (Paperback)

I understand that not everyone wants to better understand how the brain functions, and how to understand our behavior that results from that function. However this is a very well written book for the lay-person, and while a little long in the text, the knowledge gained is really "cool". Have you ever wondered why all the carving knives go in one drawer, and the forks and spoons have their own slot?
Ever recall a conversation, and then be told that's no where close to what was said? Find out about this and much much more in a book that is sure to make you better informed, and if you have a significant other, this will lead to interesting discussions :)

Daniel Levitin brings forward a myriad of ideas and approaches to deal with today's information clutter. The challenge is his ideas are randomly scattered throughout each chapter. If the reader can hang in there as Levitin meanders from one idea to the next, there are some interesting jewels to be discovered.

Interesting information on information, especially as it applies to interpretation, categorization and the implications of recent research into the brain and how it functions. Some most interesting insights and practical application. Why is it not rated higher? The book tends to ramble, get circuitous and gets a bit overblown and sluggish in places. I think if it were a bit more streamlined it would be a faster, more impressive piece of work. But then, again, I tend to think that many academics write as if they were paid by the word!

Excellent book. A wise combination of biological researches and high-profile humans facts, make this book a good reference for mental healthy behavior. Focused in the technological currently world, but not limited to the technology, give us a reference of how to organize our environment and our own personal lives so we get the best in learning and teaching.

The catchphrase in the title which intrigued me to read the book.
It was an informative read. Highly recommend it for those seeking organizational techniques in different structures and environments

Levitin gives an excellent discussion backed by research and illustrated by daily behavior of how the mind processes information, and makes decisions from choosing a mate to grocery shopping. It's very interesting and written with a minimal amount of technical language. The one drawback is its extraordinary detail and innumerable examples. I found myself skipping pages without losing the essential information.
However, overall I found it interesting and enjoyable reading.

For a book about organization, Dr. Levitin writes in a meandering way about a breadth of topics. While some might find the ambition admirable, I found that it lacked credibility and focus. The book for the most part read like a news report of well-established findings in psychology and neuroscience, combined with self-help advice that didn't really have much to do with the neuroscience. From this muddled relationship, it became clear that Dr. L is neither an expert in the neuroscience research that he commercializes nor the self-help approaches that actually work. For the science, he oversimplifies brain region-based concepts such as prefrontal-driven executive function but in the same idea tries to talk about "real" substrates such as autism and dopamine. That's pseudoscience. He even calls NMDA receptors neurons, which really boggled my mind since he is somehow considered a neuroscientist. On the practical side, seriously, note cards was the big idea? Put your keys in the same place? Answer emails all in one time and don't go on Facebook? These were seriously all the big ideas of the first 200 pages.

A dull, meandering book with tenuous science. A real disappointment. Don't waste your money.

A splendid combination of practical advice for protecting your brain from information overload backed up by science. Daniel Levitin has a command of language -- only difficulty: it's rich and needs to be savored.

I picked this book up initially because of an interest in neurophysiology, and ended up loving it because it examines the human mind and its relationship to life and reality (or the perception thereof) in a rapidly changing digital age. I was sad to find it end as soon as did.

This book was an excellent summer read for a teacher. The best advice for memorization was to externalize as
much brain material as possible. I am following this advice and having the most productive summer ever. A helpful read

This book takes the reader on an enjoyable journey through recent findings in neuroscience, history, mathematics and biography, adds practical insights gleaned from interviews and gives a series of sensible, achievable suggestions for reducing cognitive load and having a more organised mind. I recommend it highly.

WARNING a portion of this sale goes to liberal political action committees.. Well maybe not that bad, but it is clear the author is a left leaning political activist. There is an old saying, the quickest way to distract the reader from your key message is to bring up `religion or politics`.
Dan luvs his political views and it's ironic that a book on an `organized mind` can't stay `organized and focused` .... :)

Informative about brain functioning and its relationship to everyday activities. At some points, the statistical analysis became somewhat burdensome and perhaps should have been in the appendix. I thoroughly enjoyed his discussion of medical decision making throwing a new light on how we make (or should make) important medical decisions using statistics.