Rhiannon Beaubien
Rhiannon Beaubien is an author and former intelligence professional whose work spans decision-making nonfiction and Cold War espionage fiction. She co-authored The Great Mental Models series with Shane Parrish, including Volume 1, a Wall Street Journal bestseller, and wrote the spy novels Alone Among Spies, The Wrong Kind of Spy, and A Rumor of Spies.
Biography & Author's Journey
Rhiannon Beaubien is a Canadian writer whose career bridges intelligence work, editorial strategy, and fiction. Educated in Toronto before studying philosophy and drama at Queen’s University and later international communications at the University of Leeds, she developed an early habit of combining argument, structure, and imagination. She then spent more than a decade at a Canadian intelligence agency, an experience that became the decisive turning point in her writing life. The move from classified work to public authorship gave her both subject matter and a durable interest in systems, incentives, and human behavior. ((https://vistas-news.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/VISTAS-FEBRUARY-2024_40pgs_web.pdf?utm_source=openai))
Quotes
Popular Books
The Great Mental Models Volume 3
Rhiannon Beaubien and Rosie Leizrowice
Master systems and math to navigate life intelligently
Great Mental Models, Volume 1
Shane Parrish and Rhiannon Beaubien
Upgrade your thinking with powerful mental models to improve decision-making, productivity, and clarity in understanding the world.
The Great Mental Models, Volume 2
Shane Parrish and Rhiannon Beaubien
Unlock powerful mental frameworks from physics, chemistry, and biology to enhance your decision-making and problem-solving skills in everyday life.
The Great Mental Models Volume 3
Rhiannon Beaubien and Rosie Leizrowice
Master systems and math to navigate life intelligently
Great Mental Models, Volume 1
Shane Parrish and Rhiannon Beaubien
Upgrade your thinking with powerful mental models to improve decision-making, productivity, and clarity in understanding the world.
The Great Mental Models, Volume 2
Shane Parrish and Rhiannon Beaubien
Unlock powerful mental frameworks from physics, chemistry, and biology to enhance your decision-making and problem-solving skills in everyday life.
Community Voices
"Rhiannon Beaubien is also the co-author of The Great Mental Models and the author of the novel Alone Among Spies"
— Robert Glazer
"Rhiannon Beaubien is a Canadian writer and the author of Alone Among Spies, a novel about spycraft"
— Blinkist
"Our very special guest is someone I admire deeply, Rhiannon Beaubien, Managing Editor at Farnam Street Media"
— Keisha Blair
"Rhiannon Beaubien is a writer and the managing editor at Farnam Street Media where she leads The Great Mental Models series"
— Porchlight
"Rhiannon Beaubien can write from special knowledge because of her 10 years as an analyst/writer with the CSE"
— VISTAS
"Rhiannon Beaubien worked at a Canadian intelligence agency for more than ten years"
— Douban
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
