In praise of boredom

Maria Konnikova writes about human behavior, science, and psychology, most notably for her weekly blog at The New Yorker. In her bestseller, Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes, she offers tips and advice for improving cognitive ability. And in all her work, she displays a flare for finding new angles through which to explore popular topics such as motivation, performance, and the brain. Maria’s breakout book, Mastermind, has been translated into 16 languages. In it, she explores the famous detective’s signature methods of observation, logical deduction, and mindfulness, showing readers how to apply his techniques in everyday situations. Her forthcoming book, The Confidence Game, will be published in 2016.

Konnikova previously worked as a producer for The Charlie Rose Show, and wrote the weekly Literally Psyched column for Scientific American as well as the Artful Choice blog for Big Think. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Paris Review, Wired, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American MIND, and Scientific American, among others. Born in Moscow, Russia, Konnikova came to the United States when she was four years old. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard, where she studied psychology, creative writing, and government. She received her Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University.