We like to think that we know our own minds but, as the following two books demon­strate, what we think we know is often dramatically different from what we actually know.

We like to think that we know our own minds but, as the following two books demon­strate, what we think we know is often dramatically different from what we actually know. How To Think by Alan Jacobs (Profile Books, £7.99; Tablet price £7.20) shows how peer pressure, ingrained prejudice and addiction to logic rather than emotion can seriously im­pair our ability to think clearly. A rather stodgy read, the book extensively references other printed works, which makes it heavy-going for the uninitiated.

A much better read is The Perils Of Perception, by Bobby Duffy (Atlantic Books, £12.99; Tablet price £11.69).

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