QUICK THINKING ON YOUR FEET --- THE ART OF THRIVING UNDER PRESSURE by Valerie Pierce. Barnes & Noble, 2003

    WELCOME (p7-12)

        (1) About you (p7)

        (2) Awareness (p7-8)

        (3) Reasoning is a game (p8-9)

        (4) What this book can do for you (p10-11)

        (5) My aim in writing this book (p11-12)

    PART 1 --- CLEAR THE CLUTTER (p13-40)

      1) Identify, clarify, think, and change (p15-18)

        [1] The "quick thinking" dog (p15-17)

        [2] Four simple strategies --- use "ICTC" (p17-18)

          (1) IDENTIFY your purpose

          (2) CLARIFY its meaning

          (3) THINK with passion not emotion

          (4) CHANGE negative thinking into positive action

        With these four simple strategies or logical steps to becoming clear and focused, you will know:

          (1) What you want

          (2) WHAT it entails

          (3) HOW you feel about it

          (4) TO USE your wit and intelligence go and get it!

      2) Identify your purpose (p19-21)

        Distinguish ideals from ideas (p19-20)

        SUMMARY = Be aware of the difference between "ideals" and "ideas" because you aspire to ideals and you act on ideas!

      3) Clarify meaning (p22-27)

        [1] The difference between success and failure (p22-23)

        [2] Don't confuse your brain (p23-24)

        [3] Believe in yourself (p24-25)

          The word "myth" refers to your ability to believe in something AS IF it were true. A negative myth would be something like "there is no use going for that job, because I would neer get it anyway." If you truly believe this myth, then you won't go for the job. The result is that you will never know if what you were thinking is in fact true or not, because you never tried!

          The real tragedy of negative myths is that although they are never tested or tried out in reality, you will still go on believing them AS IF THEY WERE TRUE, maybe for the rest of your life. That is why negative myths will tend to lead you to victimizaton or inaction. Negative myths are incompatible with your purpose because the information they are giving your brain is actually contrary to the goal you are trying to reach.

          [4] Make your thinking compatible, not contradictory to your purpose (p26-27)

        SUMMARY = Know the difference between your purpose and the meaning you give to it; believe in your abilities to succeed; don't confuse your brain; and use meaning that is compatible, not contradictory, to your purpose.

      4) Think with passion not emotion (p28-32)

        [1] PASSION = Feelings attached to your project (p29-30)

        [2] EMOTIONS = Feelings attached to your ego (p39-32)

        SUMMARY = Remember to have "passion" for your project and not "emotions" for your ego

      5) Change negative thinking into positive action (p33-40)

        SUMMARY = Using the “DNA” print to successfully go from “D” (dream), through “N” (negatives), in order to get to “A” (actions)

      SUMMARY = The “thinking tools” that can help you clarify your own thinking before you get into discussions with others include the “ICTC” rules, which are:

        [1] IDENTY your purpose --- know what you want

        [2] CLARIFY its meaning --- what it entails

        [3] THINK with passion, not emotion --- how you feel

        [4] CHANGE negative thinking into positive action --- use your wits to get it

    PART 2 --- WEED OUT THE WAFFLE (p41-127)

      6) The ten tricks of manipulation - Introduction (p42-123)

        [1] Introduction (p43)

        [2] Reference (p43)

        [3] Learning tool (p44)

        [5] Structure (p44-45)

          For clarity, each of the following ten sections on “manipulation tricks” is divided into four subheadings in the following way using the acronym WHAT:

            W = What it is

            H = How it happens

            A = Actions you take

            T = True success story

      7) The last word (p126-127)

    PART 3 --- GET GOING ON RESULTS --- Your own personal workshop (p129-241)

      8) Quick thinking on your feet workshop (p129-130)

      9) Introducing your personal assistant --- "PA" (p131-132)

      10) Practice quiz (p133-136)

      12) Answers to practice quiz (p137)

      11) Real life situations (p139-188)

        [1] Establishing personal confidence to attain a much needed goal (139- 156)

        [2] One-to-one discussions (157-172)

        [3] Meetings (173-188)

      12) The very last word (p189)

        Your file of “True Success Stories” will be the best achievement this book can produce. My website address is:

            www.clearcriticalthinking.com

    RECOMMENDED READING (p190-192)

Return to brain science essay #1: Focus on the Brain Science Facts of Life
Go to index: Interactive Index of Factual Ideas