Richard Feynman’s Mental Models: How to Think, Learn, and Problem-Solve Like a Nobel Prize-Winning Polymath

by Peter Hollins

How a kid with a broken radio became one of the world's finest minds.
Richard Feynman started by fixing broken radios, and ended up being most known for helping invent the atomic bomb. He is the epitome of training your brain to peak performance.

Become an alternative thinker that can solve any problem and learn any technique.
Richard Feynman's Mental Models is a book about the various tools Feynman used to excel academically, professionally, scientifically, and later as a professor. Learn about this goldmine of innovation and understand how to become a lifelong learner and thinker yourself.

This is a book like no other - together, we will analyze the roots of Feynman's upbringing, the genesis of his most well-known mental models, and exactly how to apply them in all areas of your life. After all, he wasn't just a physicist, he was an artist, drummer, and lock-picker as well!

This book is exactly how to become a polymath with insatiable curiosity.
Peter Hollins has studied psychology and peak human performance for over a dozen years. This book represents the scientifically proven methods he has used to become an expert in multiple domains.

Build your intellectual horsepower - yes, it is possible!
- Feynman's 12 favorite problems framework and how to solve any area of your life
- the Feynman Technique and how to comprehend extremely complex concepts
- the virtues of play and imagination in solving problems
- intellectual humility and getting from Point A to Point B
-how to spark curiosity in all of your endeavors

The scientific mindset is the key to the next level of your life.

206 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 15, 2023

About the author

Peter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a student of the human condition. He possesses a BS in psychology and a graduate degree.

Reviews

[Simon Robs · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." Get outside yer box, hey, think & scheme otherwise, shift focus, but use solid/scientific methodology to search out possible solutions to hypothetical questions, and so on and so forth. A nicely packaged and well-organized summary of the Feynman method.

[LDS · Rating 2 out of 5]

An adequate summary for those unfamiliar with Feynman's practices. Nonetheless, the original source material is better.

[Frank Cottingham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feynman should have practiced the Feynman Method

This is a very good book. It's a great reminder to not take any information at face value and to make sure you understand the root of the information you're trying to learn. I also liked being reminded of the concept that, to really understand something, you should be able to teach it or explain it to a non-specialist (like a child).

These ideas are attributed to Richard Feynman. I've never really studied or read about Feynman, but he is often mentioned in certain circles as being a genius, and I was curious about him. However, whenever Feynman is actually quoted here, or excerpts of his writing are presented, they're incomprehensible jibberish. It's a stream of consciousness ramble - certainly not 'a clear exposition of information that even a child would understand.' After reading this book, I'm not impressed with Feynman at all. It's as if the concepts that people tend to attribute to him are not really things that he actually practiced. It's more like a myth. That said, my lack of being impressed with Richard Feynman doesn't detract from the key points conveyed here. It's still a very good book.

But the fifth chapter was filler (I think the author would admit that). That's why I dinged it one star.

[Michael Mcfarren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

Hollis presented a clear understanding of how Feynman used different tools for self learning and evaluating mental models. I believe these tools and started my own notebooks.

[Michael Snyder · Rating 2 out of 5]

Incredibly verbose. I was amazed the author was often able to take a sentence and turn it into a page or two. The summaries at the end of each chapter are really all you need to know. The rest is just filler. If you're familiar with Feynman though, look at the source material as another reviewer recommended. The positives are the writing isn't bad, and it's a quick read.

[Sameera Nanayakkara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise, insightful and thought provoking.