Top all-time · #237
Shane Parrish
Personal blog · farnamstreetblog.comphilosophyproductivity
Shane Parrish writes Farnam Street, a personal blog at farnamstreetblog.com about philosophy and productivity. Since 2010, 204 different Hacker News readers have linked it 402 times, most often “Mental Models: The Best Way to Make Intelligent Decisions”. It is still writing: the last post was on 2026-10-29, and you can follow it by feed.
Sometimes recommended · 14 of 40 sampled comments recommend it?
Why HN links it
HN readers link Farnam Street for its mental models, decision-making, reading and learning advice. Commenters call it a great resource and point to specific posts on those topics.
- Recommended for · 14 comments
- Called it 'great', 'good stuff', 'excellent' and 'surprisingly insightful'; several say to read it or that readers will enjoy it
Summarised by Claude from a sample of 40 HN comments that link here. Each comment is marked recommending, critical or neutral (citing without judging); how this works.
Timeless lessons on decision making, thinking, and continuous improvement. Written by Shane Parrish.hinking, and continuous improvement.
Most-linked posts?
- Mental Models: The Best Way to Make Intelligent Decisions17 people · 17 mentions · first linked 2015-05-21
- The Munger Operating System: How to Live a Life That Really Works6 people · 6 mentions · first linked 2016-04-13
- Farnam Street blog5 people · 5 mentions · first linked 2013-12-28
- Farnam Street: Mastering Life5 people · 5 mentions · first linked 2016-02-07
- Naval Ravikant on Reading, Happiness, Decision Making, Habits [audio]5 people · 5 mentions · first linked 2017-03-13
- How To Read A Book (series)4 people · 4 mentions · first linked 2013-07-01
- The Two Types of Knowledge: The Max Planck/Chauffeur Test (2015)4 people · 4 mentions · first linked 2015-10-19
- The Difference Between Amateurs and Professionals3 people · 4 mentions · first linked 2017-08-14
- How to Read a Book3 people · 3 mentions · first linked 2016-08-02
- Charlie Munger on Getting Rich, Wisdom, Focus, Fake Knowledge and More3 people · 3 mentions · first linked 2017-02-24
What Hacker News says?
I'm just getting exposed to this line of thinking and find it fascinating. Another resource I found recently was https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/mental-models/ Disclaimer: I'm not sure if it's derivative blogspam or legitimately insightful / original
Comment linking /mental-models/
on “Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Useful”Submitted How to Think as a story · 376 points
HN discussionIf the 29 minute read time is intimidating, consider this link: https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/mental-models/ All the information, easier to read quickly.
Comment linking /mental-models/
on “Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Useful”Submitted Naval Ravikant on Reading, Happiness, Decision Making, Habits [audio] as a story · 192 points
HN discussionNot OP, but: Recently, this: https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2017/02/charlie-munger-wisd... (posted to HN) There's a very long (~250 pages) collection of wisdom here: http://www.valueplays.net/wp-content/uploads/The-Best-of-Cha... I've run across a shorter (~15 - 45 pages or so) compilation or speech a ways back, but it's not turning up. He covers a certain set of ground fairly frequently though.
Comment linking /2017/02/charlie-munger-wisdom/
on “Is Facebook a Structural Threat to Free Society?”Submitted Charlie Munger on Getting Rich, Wisdom, Focus, Fake Knowledge and More as a story · 142 points
HN discussionThis is the best "reference" book out there in my opinion. My algorithm for making decisions now boils down to: Filling out this: https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2014/02/decision-journal/ and referencing applicable models from Seeking Wisdom and https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/mental-models/
Comment linking /mental-models/
on “Ask HN: What books have made the biggest impact on your mental models?”Submitted The Best Way to Learn Anything: The Feynman Technique as a story · 96 points
HN discussionI am realising that a weekly exercise on 'inversion' should be a must-do for founders/investors. Inversion essentially means think hard about: "What factors can cause my venture to fail?, How to avoid those factors?" This sounds simple but it could be a very powerful idea. https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2013/10/inversion/
Comment linking /2013/10/inversion/
on “Things I wish someone had told me before I started angel investing”Submitted The Two Types of Knowledge: The Max Planck/Chauffeur Test (2015) as a story · 91 points
HN discussionFarnam Street Blog also has their comprehensive list of mental models: https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/mental-models/
Comment linking /mental-models/
on “Useful Mental Models (2016)”Submitted Mindfulness versus Concentration as a story · 63 points
HN discussionIs this a better alternative? https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2014/05/hunter-s-thompson-t...
Comment linking /2014/05/hunter-s-thompson-to-hume-logan/
on “Hunter S. Thompson on Finding Your Purpose (1958)”Submitted Learn Anything Faster With The Feynman Technique (2012) as a story · 50 points
HN discussionRelevant to this discussion about 'entropy and life' is the relation between the second law of thermodynamics and the purpose of life that this article presents : https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2017/03/scientific-concepts... Original article : https://www.edge.org/response-detail/27023
Comment linking /2017/03/scientific-concepts-know/
on “Why Momentum Works”Submitted How to retain more of what you read as a story · 40 points
HN discussionI have an engineering background and worked with a major telco for several years before moving to work as a financial analyst for a while. Few of the other analysts had an industry background in the companies they covered. Mostly they had an accounting/commerce/economics background. They were good at pulling together financial models from the data and information provided to them in briefings, but they largely misse…
Comment linking /2015/09/two-types-of-knowledge/
on “Vanguard Is Growing Faster Than Everybody Else Combined”Submitted The Buffett Formula – How To Get Smarter as a story · 30 points
HN discussionMay I offer this as an alternative? https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/how-to-read-a-book/
Comment linking /how-to-read-a-book/
on “How to Read a Book [pdf]”Submitted How to Get Smarter, Be More Productive, and Do Everything with Zero Effort as a story · 26 points
HN discussionFarnam Street has an excellent overview of how to read a book that is based on Mortimer Adler's book: https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/how-to-read-a-book/
Comment linking /how-to-read-a-book/
on “How to Read a Book [pdf]”Submitted Who Is Charlie Munger? Wit and Wisdom from the World’s Most Irreverent Billionaire as a story · 24 points
HN discussionHas to be this Farnam Street interview with Naval Ravikant about reading, habits, decision-making, mental models, and life. Surprisingly insightful! https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2017/02/naval-ravikant-read...
Comment linking /2017/02/naval-ravikant-reading-decision-making/
on “Ask HN: What’s your favorite talk from 2017?”Submitted Why You Shouldn’t Slog Through Books as a story · 21 points
HN discussionSounds like https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2012/04/learn-anything-fast...
Comment linking /2012/04/learn-anything-faster-with-the-feynman-technique/
on “Ten years of professional blogging – what I’ve learned”Submitted The Work Required To Have An Opinion (2013) as a story · 21 points
HN discussionI second this. The Farnam Blog is a great resource. You can start here to get a flavour of the content and writing style: * Mental Models: The Best Way to Make Intelligent Decisions (113 Models Explained) - https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/mental-models/
Comment linking /mental-models/
on “Ask HN: Any recommended books on developing mental models?”Submitted The Bed of Procrustes – Aphorisms from Nassim Taleb as a story · 21 points
HN discussionNot a book, but I recommend as a starting point the Farnam Street blog: https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/mental-models/
Comment linking /mental-models/
on “Ask HN: Any recommended books on developing mental models?”Submitted Arthur Schopenhauer on the Dangers of Clickbait as a story · 19 points
HN discussion
