The Art of Thinking in Graphs: Illustrating the 52 Principles That Shape Our Productivity, Decision-Making, and the Way We Think

by Dolev Erez

To avoid the traps of bias and irrationality and make better, productive decisions, we need to stop thinking in disciplines—and start thinking in graphs.

Why do we feel confident as novices but question ourselves as experts? What makes some achievements feel more deserving than others? Do we really get happier the more wealth we accumulate? How do stress levels impact our productivity?

Every day, we are overwhelmed by multitudes of choices and challenges—some clear and intuitive, while others are shaped beyond the scope of our awareness. To predict and overcome them, experts have devised multitudes of complicated principles and disciplines to explain everything from how we feel to why we act.

The Art of Thinking in Graphs offers a revolutionary approach to personal growth by distilling complex concepts from all walks of life into visually compelling graphs, making them not only accessible but practical and applicable for everyone.

As you navigate through 52 carefully curated graphs, you will uncover the hidden forces that influence your thoughts, decisions, and behaviors,

The Dunning-Kruger Effect – Pareto’s Law (The 80/20 principle) – Decision Fatigue – Loss Aversion – The Bystander Effect – The Law of Diminishing Returns – The Yerkes-Dodson Law – Happiness-Income Correlation – and more.

With insights drawn from psychology, sociology, economics, philosophy, and more, The Art of Thinking in Graphs bridges the gap between academic research and practical application. Whether you are a lifelong learner, a professional seeking to enhance your performance, or someone on a quest for deeper self-awareness, this visually driven guide will equip you with the tools to navigate your life with greater clarity and purpose.

Genres: Nonfiction, Productivity, Science

258 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 17, 2025

Reviews

[Jami Adarsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. Most are already know and amazing presentation.

One of the book’s hidden strengths is how it unearths lesser-known psychological gems that quietly shape our choices and productivity. It reveals Fredkin’s Paradox, where decisions become harder the more similar the options are, and the Law of Truly Large Numbers, reminding us that uncanny coincidences are often just math in disguise. The Red Queen Hypothesis warns that in a fast-changing world, staying still is falling behind, while the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon explains why new facts seem to appear everywhere once we notice them. I was struck by the Overjustification Effect, showing how rewarding passion can paradoxically kill it, and the Incremental Triumphs Framework, which champions small wins as the true engine of momentum. The Matthew Effect and Peter Principle expose the quiet structural forces—early advantages compounding into long-term dominance, and careers stalling when promotions overshoot competence. Then there’s the Spotlight Effect, humbling us with the truth that far fewer people are watching than we think, and the Streisand Effect, reminding us that attempts to bury information often dig it up for the whole world to see. These aren’t the overused buzzwords of pop psychology—they’re the subtle forces you start noticing everywhere once you know they exist.

[Aran Chandran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erez charts fifty-two conceptual models to help us perceive & understand our world, one week at a time for a year. Everyone can benefit from internalizing these concepts and using them employing them in decision making.

Taking the week to consider how each one can fit in your own life, is the real key to make this transformational. Admittedly I myself have not done that, my excuse being that many concepts felt like a refresher rather than a novel idea for me. But to each their own.

[Mary Paradise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a great, random find. I love graphs. There are so many interesting and fun graphs in this book, and it really got me thinking about things; deep and surface. It’ll be helpful for me as an educator, and I recommend it to anyone in that field.

[Deepak Rao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nuggets of wisdom, explained through graphs!!

[Nikhil Tiwarii · Rating 5 out of 5]

📕Dolev Erez’s The Art of Thinking in Graphs is insightful because it gives a deep understanding of human decison-making behavior alongside visuals. Erez enhances the reading experience by giving the reader 52 graphs, each summarizing and presenting a central idea from psychology, economics, or philosophy. These include popular works such as the Dunning-Kruger Effect and Pareto’s Law as well as lesser known ones like the Happiness-Income Correlation and the Law of Diminishing Returns.

📕Erez's work brings life to the concepts through vivid illustrations of abstract ideas; as such, the unique aspect of Erez’s work is that he lays steps of the supporting artwork instead of thick theory on concepts bound to our choices. The graphs don’t just tell a story, they enable the reader through skillful illustration to effortlessly identify biases, evad traps, and embrace the myriad truths intertwined within our choices and actions. These are invaluable lessons, nudging us towards more thoughtful decisions.

📕If graphic thinking can benefit all professionals seeking to enhance their performance and those looking to improve themselves, The Art of Thinking in Graphs makes for engaging reading. The book shows sharp clarity when joining academic research and actual life and that emphasizes how easily you retain these insights long after reading them.

📕Reading The Art of Thinking in Graphs enhances clear thought alongside logical reasoning; the mix of extensive research breaks down, visual storytelling and valuable advice makes the book compelling and one of a kind.

[Píaras Cíonnaoíth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Visual Revolution in Understanding Human Behavior...

In this groundbreaking work, Dolev Erez masterfully transforms complex psychological and sociological concepts into accessible visual representations that illuminate the hidden patterns governing our daily lives. Through 52 meticulously crafted graphs, he brings clarity to phenomena ranging from the paradox of expertise to the relationship between wealth and happiness, making abstract principles tangible and actionable for readers of all backgrounds.

What sets this book apart is its unique ability to transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries, offering readers a unified framework for understanding human behavior and decision-making. By combining insights from diverse fields like psychology, economics, and philosophy, Erez creates a practical toolkit for personal growth that resonates with both professionals seeking performance optimization and individuals pursuing self-discovery. The visual approach makes complex ideas stick, transforming theoretical knowledge into practical wisdom. Highly recommended. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Nathasjja Takanashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a deceptively slim powerhouse. Got this from my dad.

The Art of Thinking in Graphs offers 52 insights that read like distilled wisdom from a mathematically-inclined oracle; clear, incisive, and startlingly applicable to everyday life. Rather than overwhelming the reader with technical jargon, Erez wields the simplicity of graphs to decode the statistical patterns of human behavior, exposing the hidden architecture behind decision-making, probability, risk, and social dynamics.

Each insight feels like a crisp visual metaphor, perfect for those of us who think best in pictures. It’s the kind of book you can read in an afternoon, then spend weeks thinking about. I found myself mentally graphing conversations, emotions, even my own procrastination habits. It’s part psychology, part math, and entirely eye-opening.

Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys thinking about how we think, and how we often get it wrong in consistent, predictable, statistically fascinating ways.

[chrstphre campbell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Graphs are supposed to make complex ideas more meaningful…

Not simply make dull ideas more complex ( ! )
The real cleverness of Idea elucidation is The discovery that there are very few graphical presentations that many ideas may be shoehorned into with surprising cleverness !
This book instead presents dozens of convoluted graphs that are randomly assigned to ideas with The intention of making The idea more difficult to grasp without bringing its commonality with other diverse ideas to a deeper connection with diverse appearing ideas that seem both different & similar with attributes whose labels have names that are designed to create divergence of underlying causality where self similarity are The Hidden Commonality ( ? )

[Roee Vardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book! It’s super easy to read and does an amazing job of breaking down complex yet essential ideas into simple, clear explanations. The graphical illustrations are a game-changer—they make everything so intuitive and memorable. kept finding myself pausing to think about the ideas in this book and how they relate to my own choices. It really helped me recognize patterns in my own behavior and decision-making, and even make small improvements along the way. It’s the kind of book that makes you see things differently, which I love. Highly recommended!

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a breath of fresh air in the world of decision-making and productivity. Dolev Erez takes 52 powerful principles—from the Dunning-Kruger Effect to Decision Fatigue—and transforms them into simple, visual graphs that make complex ideas instantly clear. It’s like holding a mirror to your thinking patterns.
Instead of wading through heavy theory, you see how your mind works. Each graph offers a moment of reflection—on confidence, stress, habits, even happiness. You’ll find yourself coming back to these visuals long after you’ve finished the book.

[Brett Wedlund · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick, light read with each chapter centered on a psychological principle such as the Dunning–Kruger effect. The book does a good job of summarizing each concept succinctly and accessibly. For readers already familiar with behavioral science or psychology, it will serve more as a brief refresher of well-known principles. For those new to this type of material, it provides a clear and approachable introduction.

[Scott Novis · Rating 5 out of 5]

clever fun and illuminating

Did I agree with everything? Absolutely not. Did I enjoy reading every graph? 100%. This is a clever, fun way to revisit what might have been called Fables - only these are rooted in science, psychology, and observation. Read one a day, for a couple of months and you will have had some fun gaining some insights, just like I did. Kudos to Dolev Erez for presenting some (hopefully) timeless wisdom, for a technical age. Bravo.

[Dana Khana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly crafted and insightful book that bridges the worlds of professionals, students, and self-help enthusiasts alike. It delivers deep wisdom in a refreshingly accessible way, making complex ideas feel intuitive and practical for real-life decisions.

[Zohar Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful way to look at life, gave me a great perspective and really effected the way I see some aspects of things.
Thank you Dolev Erez!!

I recommend reading it slowly couse youll want this book to last more and more..

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lo! This clever book of graphs doth reveal the mysteries of human thought with striking clarity. Master Erez's visual wisdom shows the hidden patterns that rule our choices and behaviors. A swift read that changes how thy mind perceives the world forevermore.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[David Hyder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interestingly

There are some real jewels in this book. Dunbar’s number is one of those. The jewels are there to be discovered. The practical value is limited unless you do some more research.

[Derech Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!
Very concise, practical and intelligent.

[Roy Hechter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful and original. This book turns everyday patterns into powerful visual lessons. A fresh perspective on how we think and act.
Highly recommended!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

The graphs make big ideas feel simple and real. It’s the kind of book you’ll keep thinking about.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I showed the book to my mom, just curious what she’d think. She ended up reading five chapters in one sitting and said, “This explains things I’ve felt my whole life but never knew how to say.”

[Ori Levy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smart and intelligent.

[תמר הראלי · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing author!!!!
I recommend.
Go and read.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever and innovative approach to learning 52 very intelligent laws of life.

[Matan Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed the way i look at life
An excellent read that everyone must read to optimize their way of life

[Hadar Goldfarb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book seriously changes your perspective and how you look at life
Must read for anyone with sense of curiosity and wonder

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intelligent book. Very recommended!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book showed me multiple core principles in the human behaviour I always thought there are but didn’t know how to express.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hooked me from the first chapter, the format of principle introduction, graphic representation and extra explanations is very relevant and concise.

[Eyal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book about decision making and human biases.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome insights!