Textbook on Decision Making

A practical, research-based textbook for teaching real-life decision making.

Update:

📚 NEW REVISED EDITION NOW AVAILABLE!

We have significantly updated and enriched this textbook with new research, fresh case studies, illustrations by Ursina Teuscher, and the latest insights from the evolving field of decision science.

[Read a sample of the new edition here]

Art & Mind: An intuitive, science backed process to confidently make better decisions on your own and with others (2026). By Ursina Teuscher and Dan Hahn.

Drawing on decades of experience, Ursina Teuscher and Dan Hahn translate decision science into a clear, teachable framework for students facing complex choices with no obvious right answers. Art and Mind bridges the gap between technical decision tools and the intuitive, emotional judgments that shape real-world decisions.

The book presents a six-step, evidence-based process you can apply to career decisions, relationships, ethical dilemmas, and work–life balance. Designed for psychology, decision-making, management, and interdisciplinary courses, it combines research, relatable case examples, and hands-on tools to support discussion, reflection, and application beyond the classroom.

Clear, engaging, and illustrated with original artwork, Art and Mind equips instructors with a cohesive approach to teaching sound judgment and helps students become more thoughtful and confident decision makers.

Here’s how to get the book if you are NOT an instructor:

You can get access to the full decision making textbook here by joining our first book club. There you can connect with other readers by using Perusall’s interactive annotation features. Or, you can simply read the book and take your own private notes.

Are you an instructor interested in adopting our book as a textbook for a class you are teaching?

If so, please fill in this form. We use our text as an electronic textbook on the social learning platform Perusall. We will be happy to send you free access to a review copy of our textbook, as well as to all of our instructor resources. The material we offer is all tried and tested in our own classes – both in person and as an online (fully asynchronous) course.

We provide:

Student activities, exercises and discussion questions (to be done individually, in pairs or in groups)
A test bank of multiple choice questions
A collection of links to short videos that illustrate different topics
Powerpoint slides (as 9:16 pdf slide shows, or as PPT files)
Worksheets and assignments

Front cover of the textbook: Heart and Mind – Mastering the Art of Decision Making, by Barry Anderson, Dan Hahn & Ursina Teuscher

Paperback version of our first decision making textbook

We are currently working on the print version of the new book.

In the meantime, we still have a few copies of the old paperback:

Heart and Mind – Mastering the Art of Decision Making. By Barry Anderson, Dan Hahn & Ursina Teuscher.

You can order the 2013 paperback for a discounted price of $25, which includes shipping cost, here:

Student Evaluations for Classes Taught With This Textbook:

“I loved this entire course! I learned a lot about putting metrics to decision making tools for relevance. The discussion questions and the textbook were very helpful. The textbook was very clear and easy to read. Good examples.” “

“This course presented many different methods to approach problem solving and decision making that could be used in any situation. Very valuable information to have as an emerging adult.”

“Honestly, I only wish I had had more time so that I could go through the process of decision making with feedback at least one more time. Make the class six months long!.”

“Phenomenal teacher, text, and information! Everyone should read this book and if they are lucky they will get to take this course with Ursina.”

Book Reviews

Reviews from coaches and counselors:

“Heart & Mind is packed with useful tools and techniques to equip the reader to move beyond making emotionally charged, spur of the moment, “either/or” decisions to decisions based on approaches that engage creativity to generate multiple options/alternatives, display those alternatives/scenarios in an organized and structured manner, and facilitate balanced thinking and reaching logical, well thought out conclusions. As a career coach I found several techniques outlined in the book, particularly the value tree, effective in helping clients to identify and clarify which values were most critically important to incorporate in their career decisions so that they could experience fulfillment in their current and/or future careers. While Heart & Mind is not a quick read, it is a valuable resource for coaches, their clients, and others who are serious about making better decisions.”
Eric Howard, Business & Career Coach
The Next Phase Coaching, LLC

“The authors of Heart and Mind do a fabulous job of integrating the use of intuition and scientific analysis to the process of decision making. It’s important to develop the ability balance the processes of ‘listening to your gut’ and ‘rational thought’. Given the analytic nature of the content in Heart and Mind, it could easily be written in a very dry and complex way. However, the authors have found a way to write the content using very user friendly language that applies to all areas of life decisions (e.g. career, relationships, finances, etc.). The authors also provide techniques to to visualize the components involved when making life decisions, which I find incredibly helpful. What I love about this book is the variety of scientific based ‘rational’ techniques that can be applied to the process of decision making. We need a concrete process that puts all of the factors in perspective in a rational way that can be integrated with our feelings and emotions. This book offers just that. I actually used this process in a simplified form the other day with a client in my office. I am a marriage and family therapist and often work with couples who are in the process of deciding which direction to go in their relationships. Heart and Mind integrates what I believe are the three most important components in making life decisions: courage, creativity, and balance. I give my very strong recommendation to adding this book to one’s repertoire of references to use when applying the process of decision making.”
Kathy Hardie-Williams, Marriage and Family Therapist MFT, Licensed Professional Counselor LPC
Westside Family Therapy

“If you think a textbook on decision making must be difficult or dry, think again. This book is very readable and well organized, progressing at a comfortable pace, building in complexity as the reader develops further understanding of decision-making tools. When read or reviewed as a guidebook, the reader need progress only as far as necessary to match the complexity of the particular decision at hand. Many interesting and entertaining examples are provided throughout the book. The book lives up to its title, Heart and Mind, by integrating both heart-felt intuition and rational analysis. As a therapist, I have already begun using some of these techniques when my clients present practical life dilemmas.”
Mark Burton, Psychologist Psy. D.

Reviews for the decision making textbook from students:

The book was developed as a course textbook for our decision making classes at Portland State University. Here is some feedback we received from our students.

“Really great process that helped me trust myself and trust in my decision making ability if I use the proper supports and tools.”

“I really enjoy the readability of this book. I can easily pick it up and read a chapter and reflect on the choices I’ve made. The examples are easy to relate to; I really appreciate how they are there to further clarify the aspects of the decisions it’s referencing.”

“The tools and ideas I have learned throughout this course will affect the way I think about long-term decisions and their consequences.”