Daniel J. Levitin - Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload

PRAISE FOR THE ORGANIZED MIND

An eloquent spokesperson for our field. Levitin writes about the brain with an ease and familiarity that is captivating.

The late David Hubel, Nobel Laureate in honor of discoveries concerning information processing in the human visual system

Fascinating... Combing neuroscience and cognitive psychology, The Organized Mind underscores the critical importance of individuals tak-ing charge of their own attentional and memory systems so they can lead optimally productive and satisfying lives. Invaluable insights are offered with regard to organizing our homes, social world, time, decision-making, and business world.

Nadine J. Kaslow, PhD, president of the American Psychological Association and professor and vice chair, Emory University School of Medicine

This book is far more than tips on how to think clearly and manage information overload. It is also a tour through some of the most exciting aspects of contemporary neuroscience and cognitive science, with a specific emphasis on implications for everyday life. Anyone who has ever wondered about the mind will find much that is fascinating and useful in these pages.

Stephen Kosslyn, dean of Minerva Schools of Arts and Sciences at the Keck Graduate Institute, former chair of the department of psychology, Harvard University

The Organized Mind is the perfect antidote to the effects of information overload. Loved it.

Scott Turow, New York Times bestselling author of Identical and Innocent

Running a major PBS television series on tight budgets and turnarounds requires organization and efficiency and sometimes a little magic too. Levitins behind the curtain peek at the brains inner workings of decision-making provides that extra bit of magicand would make a fascinating documentary in and of itself!

Pamela Hogan, Emmy award-winning producer for PBS

A how-to book on how to stay sanehow to tamp down on that fire-hose of information and choices that we face each day, and direct it all toward our own goals and purposes. Its an owners manual for your mind.

Congressman Alan Grayson, U.S. House of Representatives

In the age of TMI, we all need better organized minds. With characteristically clear prose and scientific insight, Dan Levitin gives us tips on how to get our mental closets in order. I really enjoyed this book.

Joseph LeDoux, Center for Neural Science, New York University

Dan Levitin has done it again. Having explained music and the brain, now he shows us the best, most effective ways to organize the rest of our life by giving us key insights into how the brain works. His style is so appealing, his knowledge so deep and practical, that we learn, from The Organized Mind , not only why we do what we do, but how, potentially, we can run our lives more smoothly, efficiently, and even happily.

Cathy N. Davidson, director of The Futures Initiative, City University of New York, and author of Now You See It

Using the latest information on the brain and how it works, Levitin presents a series of ideas on how to organize ones life and business. Essential reading for anyone who aspires to be highly effective. Or even find their keys!

David Eidelman, MD, dean of the McGill University Medical School

The Organized Mind is for anyone interested in how the human mind organizes, and on occasion disorganizes, the world around us. It is engaging, witty, compelling, and infused with science. Levitin shows how principles from psychology and cognitive neuroscience can help us better organize our daily lives. Move over, Freakonomics , theres a new kid on the bookcase.

Gerry Altmann, professor of psychology at the University of Connecticut, and author of The Ascent of Babel

An extraordinary work from one of our most gifted writers.

The late Phil Ramone, producer for Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, and Luciano Pavarotti

Levitin is funny, informative and insightful. Its like having a friend whos a neuroscientist showing you how creating a little order in your brain can unlock so much creativity.

Len Blum, screenwriter of The Pink Panther, Meatballs

A great book for making you think about things you think you know, and then thinking harder about them. Levitin is brilliant.

Tom Tombrello, Robert H. Goddard Professor of Physics at Caltech

I have been savoring this bookI didnt want it to end. A beautifully crafted and poetic book.

Ben Sidran, jazz pianist, original member of the Steve Miller Band

From my time as a Navy SEAL to serving as governor and senator for Nebraska to running a university, Ive found that the most challenging part of my life has been managing the constant wash of conflicting and often distracting information. This has never been truer than now. Dan is the perfect guide to how to use the newest findings in neuroscience to become more poductive and creative. This book will change your life for the better.

Bob Kerrey, former U.S. senator, and former president of the New School

Any CEO or individual who seriously cares about understanding his or her customer will have a desire to better understand the complexity of the human brain. Levitins intellectual curiosity and sharp mind come through with new and additional insights in The Organized Mind .

John Venhuizen, president and CEO of Ace Hardware Corporation

ALSO BY DANIEL J. LEVITIN

This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession

The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature

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Copyright 2014 by Daniel J. Levitin

Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Levitin, Daniel J.

The organized mind : thinking straight in the age of information overload / Daniel J. Levitin.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-698-15722-4

1. Distraction (Psychology) 2. Attention. 3. Time management. 4. Tidiness. I. Title.

BF323.D5L49 2014

153.4'2dc23

2014011046

While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers, Internet addresses, and other contact information at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors or for changes that occur after publication. Further, the publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

Version_1

To my mother and father

for all they taught me

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Information and Conscientious Organization

W e humans have a long history of pursuing neural enhancementways to improve the brains that evolution gave us. We train them to become more dependable and efficient allies in helping us to achieve our goals. Law schools, business schools, and medical schools, music conservatories and athletic programs, all strive to harness the latent power of the human brain to deliver ever higher levels of achievement, to provide an edge in a world that is increasingly competitive. Through the sheer force of human ingenuity, we have devised systems to free our brains of clutter, to help us keep track of details that we cant trust ourselves to remember. All of these and other innovations are designed either to improve the brain we have, or to off-load some of its functions to external sources.

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