Maria Konnikova

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.