Radical Thinking

Radical Thinking is a book about how you view the world. It's about the things that shape your thoughts, from what you notice and how you interpret it, to what you assume, believe and want. It's also about how, if you think in a radical way, you can look beyond your limited view of the world to see the bigger picture. This isn't one of those books that points out why you get things wrong, or offers you a set of rules to get it 'right'. Instead, Peter Lamont (a former magician, now Professor of History and Theory of Psychology at the University of Edinburgh) takes us on a curious tour. As he looks at the things around him, he reveals how we look at everything. He discovers - in nearby streets and buildings, and quirky local history (about Sherlock Holmes, the birth of Encyclopaedia Britannica, and the original self-help book) - the things that shape how we view the world. He shows how, from a local point of view, we create a worldview. No wonder that we disagree. However, if you're curious, then you can see the bigger picture. And, in a world of urgent noise and competing truths, you can make sense of anything.

Peter Lamont is a Professor of History and Theory of Psychology at the University of Edinburgh, and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. His previous five books, and many articles, have been on a variety of curious topics, such as magic, belief, wonder and critical thinking. He is also a former professional magician and has been a consultant and contributor to many television and radio programmes. His popular books have been highly praised in the popular press, and by individuals such as Derren Brown, Teller (of Penn and Teller), Simon Singh and Hilary Mantel.