(CNN) -- This week super fans from around the world are
gathering in New York to celebrate the 159th birthday of the
legendary consulting detective Sherlock Holmes. Never mind that
Holmes is a fictional character. To this day, in books, TV and
movies, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's creation remains just as
popular as he was when he debuted in the late 19th century. Much
of Holmes' appeal has always been his amazing mind -- how he is
able to solve a seemingly insurmountable mystery through simple
observation and deep thought. Wouldn't we all like to borrow
from his bag of mental tricks? Just imagine the possibilities if
you put Holmes' brain power to use in the workplace, the
classroom or social situations. That's the premise of Maria
Konnikova's fascinating new book, "Mastermind: How to Think Like
Sherlock Holmes." Konnikova, a columnist for Scientific American
and a doctoral student in psychology, explores the latest
science to dissect the inner workings of the iconic detective's
mind. In turn, Konnikova uses Holm