The best advice on making the most of analogy can be found in
Thinking in Time: The Uses of History for Decision Makers by Richard
Neustadt and Ernest May, then senior professors at Harvard’s Kennedy
School of Government.
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Neustadt and May developed a methodol-
ogy they hoped would help Kennedy School students—the next
generation of government and military policy makers—steer clear of
false analogies. Their methodology is based on five questions:
1. What is known about the situation?
2. What is unclear?
3. What is presumed?
4. What are the likenesses to past events?
5. What are the differences?
Each of these questions should be the basis for inquiry and ...