The Thinking Life

P. M. Forni, founder of the Civility Initiative at Johns Hopkins, is America's civility expert. In his first two books, Choosing Civility and The Civility Solution, he taught people the rules of civil behavior and ways of responding to rudeness. Now, in The Thinking Life, he looks at the importance of thinking in our lives: how we do it, why we don't do enough of it, and why we need to do more of it.

In twelve short chapters, he gives listeners a remedy for the Age of Distraction, an age fueled by the internet, Blackberries, and cellphones, all of which make constant demands on our attention, diverting it from one thing to another. After suggesting ways we can find time to think more, Forni shows us how we can improve our abilities of:

• Attention
• Reflection
• Introspection
• Self-control
• Positive thinking
• Proactive thinking
• Effective decision-making strategies
• Creative thinking
• Problem-solving strategies

Just as he did with civility, he puts the importance of good thinking front and center in a book as simple and as profound as his earlier works.