The Scout Mindset
Julia Galef (2021)
The questions it was named for
Each of these is a question a reader might ask an AI assistant, written from the subject of the book without reference to its title. The books listed underneath are the ones named in the same answer.
What are the best books on overcoming bias and thinking more clearly?
Named at position 2
- 1. Thinking, Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman
- 2. The Scout Mindset - Julia Galef
- 3. Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction - Philip E. Tetlock and Dan Gardner
- 4. Thinking in Bets - Annie Duke
- 5. Predictably Irrational - Dan Ariely
Books about how to change your mind when the evidence says you're wrong
Named at position 2
- 1. Think Again - Adam Grant
- 2. The Scout Mindset - Julia Galef
- 3. Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me) - Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson
- 4. How Minds Change - David McRaney
- 5. Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error - Kathryn Schulz
I want to become better at judging what's actually true instead of what I want to be true. Any book recommendations?
Named at position 1
- 1. The Scout Mindset - Julia Galef
- 2. Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction - Philip E. Tetlock and Dan Gardner
- 3. Thinking in Bets - Annie Duke
- 4. Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World - Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin D. West
Recommend a book on rational thinking and decision-making for a non-academic reader
Named at position 3
- 1. Thinking in Bets - Annie Duke
- 2. Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work - Chip Heath and Dan Heath
- 3. The Scout Mindset - Julia Galef
- 4. Thinking, Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman
- 5. Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters - Steven Pinker
What should I read if I want to be more comfortable saying 'I was wrong' and admitting uncertainty?
Named at position 3
- 1. Think Again - Adam Grant
- 2. Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error - Kathryn Schulz
- 3. The Scout Mindset - Julia Galef
- 4. Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me) - Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson
Looking for a psychology book on why smart people believe wrong things and how to avoid it
Named at position 3
- 1. The Intelligence Trap - David Robson
- 2. Mistakes Were Made (but Not by Me) - Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson
- 3. The Scout Mindset - Julia Galef
- 4. Thinking, Fast and Slow - Daniel Kahneman
- 5. The Believing Brain - Michael Shermer
What this measures
This is one reading, taken on 2026-07-30, of whether an AI assistant names this book when asked about its subject. It is not a judgement of the book. It measures how present the book is in what the assistant has read.
Across all 100 books we tested, the average was 51% and 23 were never named at all. See the full index.