I found Do You Think What You Think You Think? on the new releases table at the bookstore and I was immediately attracted to its premise. It promises to uncover the reader's beliefs, and to help strengthen and identify one's core philosophy. So, I bought the book and looked forward to working through its exercises on my next airplane trip.
Unfortunately, my affection for the book, if not the concept, took a turn for the worse about two hours into the trip. At first, the authors draw you in with several questions that require you to make a concrete judgement about what are usually considered to be "gray areas." For example, you're asked to agree or disagree with the statement "It is always wrong to take another's life." That pesky word "always" be damned, make your choice--there's no "maybe" option available.
Later, after many more questions where my rationale (and answers) hung on the specific phrasing of the question, I learn that my overall score indicates that, in the words of the authors, I am either a mass of contradictions or a very subtle thinker. Thus arriving at my first indication that this book is really about making snap judgments, reading a pithy observation, then moving on to the next "gotcha."
Reading this book is an active endeavor. You'll need a pen to jot down your answers and, unless you're the type who writes in books, some paper to keep track of your scores and answers. And be prepared to do a lot of flipping of pages as you compare your impressions of a question to the author's assertions. In some cases, you'll find yourself disagreeing with how a question is phrased and then later re-interpreted to "prove" some point. In fact, the authors expect you to disagree and argue with the book. But as they say outright in its early pages, don't bother emailing or contacting them with your complaints, they just aren't interested. And for good reason, there really isn't enough meat in this book to have more than a Fox TV "whoever yells loudest" wins discussion anyway.
If you're looking for a little entertainment, with a Philosophy 101 bent, Do You Think What You Think You Think? might keep you busy for a while. If you're hoping to actually learn anything about yourself or discover a new way of thinking about life's big questions, keep searching.