This particular chapter focuses on how to think through difficulties, and Flesch surveys the field of commentators, each having essentially the same insights about the process. At the end, he offers this down-to-earth list of reminders: George Nolly, 315 combat missions, 24 Air Medals, 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 100+ Missions Over North Vietnam, Author The Art of Clear Thinking pulls you in like the G-forces of a fighter jet. Entertaining and profound, Hasard takes you on a heart-pounding journey through life-or-death stories woven with the critical, decision-making tips taught to elite fighter pilots. This book will sharpen your ability to stop, see clearly, and make the key choices that may change the entire course of your future." —Harvey, Karp, MD, FAAP, CEO, Happiest Baby, Inc., Author

Some of Flesch's quips are also witty. His comments regarding other popular literature at the time were, to me, scintillating. This is his opinion on Dianetics: 'Dianetics, in fact, was only one in a long line of "comfort" books - the literature on how to relax and not to worry about anything. These books are commonly classified as nonfiction books, but that doesn't mean they are factual. People read them regardless of whether they contain information or misinformation; they take them as sedatives.' One day I walked into the secure vault, which is the tactical nerve center of every fighter squadron, and Cygon was there telling a story about the test program he had been a part of in the F-16. He had learned that in a clean configuration, the F-16 would begin to buffet at around Mach 1.6—it was a known area where the aerodynamic forces would compound and amplify the vibrations. He said that it was possible to push through it by counterintuitively going faster. The change in resonance would dampen the flexing and reduce the vibration. It was an interesting story, but one that I didn’t think would apply to the tactical flying we did during day-to-day operations. Finally, this is 2021, you know all those fallacies already. If you want more in-depth stuff, it's out there. And if you want this book, you'll get the some content on wikipedia. Finally, I did find a numerical error in this book where Lee was demonstrating how a complex numerical problem can be mentally solved. I mention this because an error like this can undermine Lee's credibility. As well, I feel a book like this should have an index so the reader can easily access vital information. A glossary would have been beneficial. I also felt some of the true stories dragged on. The Art of Clear Thinking: A Fighter Pilot's Guide to Making Tough Decisions" is an exhilarating and insightful book that takes readers on a captivating journey through the m

A First-of-Its-Kind Program

The training to become a fighter pilot is among the most competitive and difficult in the world with fewer than one in a thousand succeeding. Pushing a cutting-edge jet to its limits at over 1,000 mph means that every split-second decision can have catastrophic consequences. This extreme environment has forged a group of warriors who for the last fifty years have been considered at the apex of decision-making theory and practice. And all of this is done while keeping the reader entertained through storytelling, perhaps the most powerful way of imparting knowledge and understanding. The idea of pattern recognition is obvious, and yet I think that the author takes it to the next level. He suggests reasons why pattern recognition is advanced by studying different types of languages and exposure to a wider variety of experiences. This is interesting to think about given that the public education system doesn't appear to really engage in this idea at all in its view of learning. Written in 1951, this little book is quite insightful. It start with an attempt to really articulate what thought is and what isn't. The argument set forth in this book is that thought is pattern recognition plus. The first part of the book discusses the pattern recognition part. The second is a bit of an loose attempt to describe what the plus is. Whether it's from ourselves or others, we rarely see the world as it really is. We aren't able to think clearly. We build our beliefs on lies, assumptions, and deceptions. This ends now.

How about using something else? Something older? Something newer? Something more expensive? Something cheaper? In air combat, the threats are continually changing as each side postures to protect their vulnerabilities while also exploiting their adversary’s. Decisions are continually tested and countered in the ultimate cat-and-mouse game. This continual evolution has led to a modern battlefield that is as diverse as it is dangerous.The book is not so much about how to think critically but rather it tells you about 99 fallacies. Now, when you're aware of the systematic biases of your thinking that may help you think more critically. But then this is a roundabout way of getting you to think critically and not what the book's title and cover promise. I thus looked up Rudolf Flesch and read about his contributions to the use of plain English in everyday life. He is also among the developers of the Flesch-Kincaid readability test (where I usually classify in the 'highly abstract' category), among other achievements. These are examples of cognitive biases, simple errors we all make in our day-to-day thinking. But by knowing what they are and how to spot them, we can avoid them and make better choices - whether dealing with a personal problem or a business negotiation; trying to save money or make money; working out what we do or don't want in life, and how best to get it.

Dobelli examines our most common decision-making failings with engaging eloquence and describes how to counter them with instructive good sense.” (Robert Cialdini, author of Influence) Based on a career of making high-stakes, split-second decisions as a U.S. fighter pilot, The Art of Clear Thinking teaches readers to apply Hasard Lee's combat-tested techniques in everyday life. I have given it a four star rating, as I found that the book was engaging most of the time. However, there were also sections of the book that made me want to skip through them. If you can stay engaged while reading lengthy sections of how-to writing, then you will be interested in the entirety of this book.

The assessment phase is important. If you're not able to see the problem clearly, you're not going to be able to consistently make good decisions.

This book is a distillation of those lessons [that I learned as a fighter pilot] and how modern U.S. fighter pilots think about decision-making. Being on the cutting edge of applied decision-making, we've taught the techniques in this book to pilotd around the world, including thr Dutch, Israeli, Norwegian, South Korean, Japanese, and over a dozen other air forces... The Art of Clear Thinking takes an in-depth look at the everyday illusions we come across, and how to defeat them once and for all. What makes us jump to conclusions, evaluate incorrectly, and consistently make errors when we should know better? Why do we act against our own interests so frequently?As a former fighter pilot with two tours in Vietnam, I loved this book. For over a hundred years aerial combatants have shared their death defying stories. The examples Hasard shares, though, are more than simply exciting flying stories. When he describes rolling in with his gun and raining down 100 rounds per second on the bad guys to save U.S. lives, it’s not simply for braggadocio. It helps readers learn about resourcefulness and planning when lives are on the line. And it also helps the executive to deal with adversity in a fluid situation where millions of dollars are at stake in the C-Suite. This book is replete with examples from aviation and industry that will help you to make better decisions. I relished reading this book and wholeheartedly recommend it without reservation." —George Nolly, 315 combat missions over Vietnam, 24 Air Medals and 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses, last pilot to complete 100 missions over North Vietnam, Author In The Art of Clear Thinking , Hasard Lee distills what he's learned during his career flying some of the Air Force's most advanced aircraft. With gripping firsthand accounts from his time as a fighter pilot and fascinating turning points throughout history, Hasard reveals powerful decision-making principles that can be used in business and in life, including: Whatever your discipline, you will engage with a wide variety of sources of information and evidence. You will develop the skills to make judgements about this evidence to form your own views and to present your views clearly. The chapter on bright ideas and where they come from is fascinating. I like that the end conclusion is that such ideas can come from anywhere. The broader the experience, the more likely that pattern recognition is possible, the more often you'll have such a so called bright idea. Really gives me a different perspective on how to approach thinking about new things and new experiences.