This is a non-exhaustive list of material covering a few essential foundational skills on decision-making. These foundational skills are essential, forming the basis of our everyday actions and extending to critical domains such as intelligence analysis and national security.
It is a raw compilation drawn from various online sources. Stay open-minded, but also apply critical thinking to assess whether the material aligns with your specific needs.
Arranged in order of complexity
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Malcolm Gladwell
"Blink reveals that great decision makers aren't those who process the most information or spend the most time deliberating, but those who have perfected the art of "thin-slicing"-filtering the very few factors that matter from an overwhelming number of variables." -- author
Psychology of Intelligence Analysis
Richards Heuer. [Free Digital Book Access]
"This volume pulls together and republishes, with some editing, updating, and additions, articles written during 1978–86 for internal use within the CIA Directorate of Intelligence. Four of the articles also appeared in the Intelligence Community journal Studies in Intelligence during that time frame. The information is relatively timeless and still relevant to the never-ending quest for better analysis." -- author
Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions
Brian Christian, Tom Griffiths
"In a dazzlingly interdisciplinary work, Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths show how algorithms developed for computers also untangle very human questions. They explain how to have better hunches and when to leave things to chance, how to deal with overwhelming choices and how best to connect with others. From finding a spouse to finding a parking spot, from organizing one’s inbox to peering into the future, Algorithms to Live By transforms the wisdom of computer science into strategies for human living." -- author
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Daniel Kahneman
"In his mega bestseller, Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman, world-famous psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think." -- author
Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction
Philip E. Tetlock, Dan Gardner
"In Superforecasting, Tetlock and coauthor Dan Gardner offer a masterwork on prediction, drawing on decades of research and the results of a massive, government-funded forecasting tournament. The Good Judgment Project involves tens of thousands of ordinary people—including a Brooklyn filmmaker, a retired pipe installer, and a former ballroom dancer—who set out to forecast global events. Some of the volunteers have turned out to be astonishingly good. They’ve beaten other benchmarks, competitors, and prediction markets. They’ve even beaten the collective judgment of intelligence analysts with access to classified information. They are 'superforecasters.'" -- author
Structured Analytic Techniques for Intelligence Analysis
Randolph H. Pherson (Author), Richards J. Heuer (Author)
"The Third Edition of Structured Analytic Techniques for Intelligence Analysis by Randolph H. Pherson and Richards J. Heuer Jr showcases sixty-six structured analytic techniques―nine new to this edition―that represent the most current best practices in intelligence, law enforcement, homeland security, and business analysis. With more depth, detail, and utility than existing handbooks, each technique is clearly and systematically explained. Logically organized and richly illustrated, and with spiral binding and tabs that separate techniques into categories, this book is an easy-to-use, comprehensive reference." -- author
Podcasts
Aerospace Advantage
Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
"Every week, Heather “Lucky” Penney will take listeners into the world of aerospace power and help the audience understand what it takes to fly and fight in the sky, while also protecting America’s interests in space. Whether talking to top generals, standing on a flight line full of combat aircraft, looking at a rocket being prepared for launch, or hearing from those who have laid it all on the line in defense of the nation—this podcast will afford unprecedented access and insight into where the combat aerospace community is going and why." -- website
Trident Room Podcast
Naval Postgraduate School
"For students and alumni of the Naval Postgraduate School, the Trident Room is an integral and well-known contributor to academic success and great ideas. While a pint poured in the stout mugs that dangle from above is part of that, we’d like to think it is the unfettered conversation that really makes the difference. No matter what the topic whether it be Stochastic optimization … sub-state, social-revolutionist terrorism … applied fluid mechanics and heat transfer …, The Trident Room Podcast is the destination for illuminating, unencumbered conversation with colleagues, peers and classmates that really brews the NPS learning experience." -- website
Youtube Channels
Center for Strategic & International Studies
"Bipartisan and dedicated to defining the future of national security, for over 60 years the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has developed practical solutions to the world's greatest challenges. Since our founding, CSIS scholars have provided strategic insights and bipartisan policy solutions to help decision makers chart a course toward a better world. CSIS is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Center's 250 full-time staff and large network of affiliated scholars conduct research and analysis" -- website
Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
"The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is an independent, nonpartisan policy research institute established to promote understanding of the national security advantages of exploiting the domains of air, space, and cyberspace. The Mitchell Institute’s goals are: 1) Educate the public about the advantages of aerospace power in achieving America’s global interests; 2) Inform key decision makers about the policy options created by exploiting the domains of air, space, and cyberspace, and the importance of necessary investment to keep America the world’s premier aerospace nation; 3) Cultivate future policy leaders who understand the advantages of operating in air, space, and cyberspace." -- website
RAND Corporation
"The challenges facing humanity are complex. So is the policy landscape decisionmakers must navigate to create positive change. RAND's mission is straightforward. We help improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. Our rigorous research is free from political or commercial pressures so that policy leaders can use the best possible data to make the best possible decisions. Why is this work so vital? Because when RAND can help improve policymaking, we can help make the world a better place for us all." -- website
Center for Strategic & International Studies
https://www.csis.org
"CSIS’s purpose is to define the future of national security. We are guided by a distinct set of values—non-partisanship, independent thought, innovative thinking, cross-disciplinary scholarship, integrity and professionalism, and talent development. CSIS’s values work in concert toward the goal of making real-world impact. CSIS scholars bring their policy expertise, judgment, and robust networks to their research, analysis, and recommendations. We organize conferences, publish, lecture, and make media appearances that aim to increase the knowledge, awareness, and salience of policy issues with relevant stakeholders and the interested public." -- website