Toyama Shigehiko
Ten Speed Press
3 November 2026
288
eBook - PDF
Non-Fiction
ARC via NetGalley
We live in an age defined by accelerating automation, polarized discourse, and constant cognitive overload. In The Art of Organizing Thoughts, first published in 1983 and newly resonant in the age of artificial intelligence, renowned scholar and teacher Shigehiko Toyama offers a humane and timeless reminder: Thinking well is a distinctly human art, and one that must be cultivated, protected, and practiced. Toyama argues that knowledge alone is not wisdom—in fact, the more we accumulate, the easier it is to stop truly thinking. The Art of Organizing Thoughts explains how to move from overloaded to clear-minded, not by consuming more information, but by learning how to organize what you already know.
The foundation of The Art of Organizing Thoughts explains that schools and workplaces overwhelmingly produce “gliders,” people who move only when pushed by external instructions, while what society desperately needs are “airplanes,” or independent, self-propelled thinkers. Toyama shows how to cultivate that airplane mentality through simple practices: letting ideas ferment over time, learning when to sleep on a problem, and using selective forgetting as a tool to keep your mind clear and creative.
Part philosophy, part practical handbook, the book offers a calming alternative to hustle culture through concrete practices for busy, intelligent readers who feel scattered and want a mind they can trust. The Art of Organizing Thoughts invites a return to analog habits and deep attention—not to do more, but to think better and live more clearly.
The Art of Organizing Thoughts was a bit of a stroll down memory lane for me, reminding me of how, during my university days, we all carried pens and pads and made notes during lectures, with no AI to transcribe for us. I found the idea of 'glider' people and 'airplane' people really compelling, and I think it is all the more relevant today with the way formal education has been heading. It is true that rote learning doesn't teach us to think for ourselves, and without taking that important step it is hard to learn anything going forward that isn't spoon-fed information. It is cute in some ways to read the author's comments on these 'new' computers that might take over office jobs, and yet despite some dated comments much of this book still remains relevant today, perhaps even more so with the advent of AI. I found it interesting and enjoyable, and I am giving it 4 stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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