5 Books That Will Make You Smarter Than 98% of People

About this video

• Video Title: 5 Books That Will Make You Smarter Than 98% of People
• Channel: Clark Kegley
• Speakers: Clark Kegley
• Duration: 16:48

Overview

This video recommends five books that the speaker believes will significantly increase a viewer's intelligence and critical thinking abilities. The speaker argues that in an era of short-form content, reading these books can provide a substantial advantage, making viewers smarter than the majority of the population. The recommendations cover psychology, cognitive biases, self-awareness, moral reasoning, and historical patterns.

Key takeaways

• "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman: This book helps readers become more objective by understanding cognitive biases, such as anchoring bias, availability bias, confirmation bias, loss aversion, and sunk cost fallacy.
• "Psychology" (5th Edition) by Daniel Gilbert: This comprehensive textbook serves as a primary source for understanding concepts in neuroscience, philosophy, psychology, and behaviorism, promoting first-principles thinking.
• "Stumbling on Happiness" by Dan Gilbert: This book explores how our brains play tricks on us, influencing our perceptions and memories, and how our current emotional state can color our recollection of past events.
• "The Untethered Soul" by Michael Singer: This book teaches that you are not your thoughts, but the observer of them, encouraging self-awareness and detachment from negative self-talk to find your true essence.
• "The Righteous Mind" by Jonathan Haidt: This book explains why good people are divided by politics and religion by examining moral foundations (care, liberty, fairness, loyalty, authority, sanctity) and how different groups prioritize them.
• "The Lessons of History" by Will and Ariel Durant: This concise book distills 5,000 years of history, highlighting cyclical trends of cooperation versus competition and the fragility of civilization, suggesting that war is the norm and peace the exception.