What Happens When People Think

We wrote this book as a collection of short stories about a group of people who hang out in a coffee shop. The stories take place in the Pacific Northwest because that is where we live. Besides getting up too early and drinking too much coffee, this group talks about the issues that confront all of us every day of our lives.

It is our desire—our mission—to make some of the most effective thinking tools and techniques available to everyone interested in thinking more effectively and more successfully in our fast paced and often overly complex culture.

We did not invent or ‘make up’ the techniques we talk about in this book. They are not new. Most of them have been around for decades, some for centuries. They come from many sources, most notably the fields of psychology, computer science, engineering, philosophy, and mathematics. Many of these techniques are taught only in advanced undergraduate or graduate level university courses. Some are not taught anywhere. The people who use them have acquired them from other people through conversation and by observing them being used by other practitioners in their field. We take these tools and techniques, strip them of unnecessarily technical jargon, and translate them for your day-to-day use.

The other part of our lives—the other force that drove this book—is coffee. We, and others like us, can be found in coffee shops all around the country drinking cappuccinos and talking with people about issues that are important to us all.

Fortunately, the two go together rather well. Coffee shops are a great place to think. Maybe it’s the caffeine, maybe it’s snatches of overheard conversation, or maybe it’s just a habituated response to the environment. Whatever the reason, some of our best ideas were born in a mix of steamed milk and hot espresso.

About the Authors

Gene Korienek, Ph.D.
Gene has worked as a research scientist in industry, at NASA, and at several universities. He has worked as a consultant and taught workshops at companies such as IBM, Bank of America, Prudential Insurance, and CSX. Gene has degrees in Engineering Technology, Movement Science, and Experimental Psychology. He is the author of five books, including the newly released What Happens When People Think.

Tom Wrensch, Ph.D.
Tom has worked as a programmer, artificial intelligence researcher, professor of computer science, and as a consultant, trainer, and mentor for many Fortune 500 companies. Tom has undergraduate and advanced degrees in Computer Science. He is the coauthor of What Happens When People Think and has written three books in the computing field.