Beginning the Series

Sherlockian Way of Thinking

Many of us were captivated by mystery novels in our youth. Alongside brilliant detectives, we traced elusive clues through intricately woven cases, inching closer to the truth with each page—feeling the thrill and satisfaction as though we were solving the mysteries ourselves. I, too, admired Hercule Poirot and Arsène Lupin, but no character intrigued me quite like Sherlock Holmes. His extraordinary ability to detect truth from the subtlest of signs—from cigarette ash to footprints and minute smudges—through pure logic and observation left a lasting impression on me.

When news broke in 2002 that the complete works of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes had finally been translated and published in Korean, I was ecstatic. I devoured all nine volumes in a single sitting, once again swept up by Holmes’s razor-sharp reasoning and singular worldview. It was then that I quietly made a resolution: one day, I would thoroughly analyze Holmes’s methods of reasoning—deduction, induction, hypothetico-deductive thinking, abduction, and more—and write a book about them.

Shirlock Holmes detects truth from the subtlest of signs through pure logic and observation.

But that resolution remained dormant for years, buried under the weight of daily life and my own procrastination. The dream sat quietly on my ever-growing to-do list—until recently. With my retirement at the end of last year, I could no longer hide behind the excuse of being busy. And at the same time, a new catalyst emerged: the rise of artificial intelligence.

Far beyond being a mere tool, AI is fundamentally reshaping how we live and think. Generative AI models like ChatGPT demand clear, well-structured prompts. To craft such prompts, however, one must possess tacit knowledge—that intuitive, experience-based understanding honed over time. (As referenced in “Don’t Mess With AI? Human Judgment Wins,” Maeil Business Newspaper, Oct. 11, 2023.) In this light, mastering Holmes’s diverse reasoning techniques becomes more than a literary exercise—it becomes a practical foundation for thriving in the age of AI.

Tacit Knowledge is essential to ask clear and precise questions.

About This Series

This series explores the logical reasoning methods employed by Sherlock Holmes, drawing directly from specific episodes in Conan Doyle’s canon. Each installment will break down a distinct reasoning technique and examine how it mirrors or contrasts with the workings of today’s AI systems. Whether you’re grappling with a complex decision or seeking fresh, creative insights, this series aims to equip you with step-by-step tools for engaging productively with AI—tools grounded in the thinking style of the world’s most iconic detective.

Ultimately, I hope that through this series, readers will gain not only a deeper appreciation for Holmes’s intellectual methods but also the ability to adapt and apply them creatively in our AI-driven era—enhancing their judgment, decision-making, and problem-solving skills in meaningful ways.