Episode 36: How To Think Like Sherlock Holmes with Maria Konnikova

We’re getting scientific this episode with Mastermind author and psychologist Maria Konnikova! Delving into the psychology of Sherlock Holmes, we learn all about the brain attic, mindfulness, and whether Holmes has Aspergers or is even a sociopath at all. A really fun and incredibly informative episode wherein you’ll learn oodles and laugh just as much. Maria is joined by Babes Curly, Lyndsay, Kafers, Amy, Sarah, Ardy, and newcomer Melinda!

Plus, there’s a goodie at the end.

Maria’s first book, Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, forthcoming from Viking/Penguin in January 2013, was inspired by her “Lessons from Sherlock Holmes” series for Scientific American and follows the legendary detective as he explores the workings of the human mind. It is guided by a central premise: that Sherlock Holmes serves as a near-ideal window into the psychology of how we think and is a rare teacher of how to think better than we naturally do. While those who read the book may not become master detectives, they will certainly learn more about themselves, their minds, and their capabilities, and in so doing, will come closer to the Sherlockian ideal of a thinker who knows how to observe, not merely see, the world around him.

Maria is currently working on an assortment of non-fiction and fiction projects. Her first book, Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, will be published by Viking on January 3, 2013. She writes the weekly “Literally Psyched” column for Scientific American, where she explores the intersection of literature and psychology, and formerly wrote the popular psychology blog “Artful Choice” for Big Think. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, Slate, The New Republic, The Paris Review, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, The Observer, Scientific American MIND, and Scientific American, among other publications. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, where she studied psychology, creative writing, and government, and is currently a doctoral candidate in Psychology at Columbia University. Before returning to school, she worked as a producer for the Charlie Rose show on PBS.

A transcript of the interview can be found [HERE]

You can find her on twitter at @mkonnikova and at her website www.mariakonnikova.com

MASTERMIND is now available at Indiebound, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.