
From danpink.com:
Lawyers. Accountants. Computer programmers. That’s what our parents encouraged us to become when we grew up. But Mom and Dad were wrong. The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind. The era of “left brain” dominance, and the Information Age that it engendered, are giving way to a new world in which “right brain” qualities-inventiveness, empathy, meaning-predominate. That’s the argument at the center of this provocative and original book, which uses the two sides of our brains as a metaphor for understanding the contours of our times.
In this insightful and entertaining book, which has been translated into 20 languages, Daniel H. Pink offers a fresh look at what it takes to excel. A Whole New Mind reveals the six essential aptitudes on which professional success and personal fulfillment now depend, and includes a series of hands-on exercises culled from experts around the world to help readers sharpen the necessary abilities. This book will change not only how we see the world but how we experience it as well.
From Wikipedia:
Reception
- A Whole New Mind is Pink’s second book.
- The book is a long-running New York Times and BusinessWeek bestseller that has been translated into 20 languages.
- The book was named Best Business Book of 2005 by Strategy + Business, The Miami Herald, 800-CEO-READ, and Fast Company.
- The book is part of a general movement in management literature to increasingly accept creativity and innovation as a source of business value.
TOC
Introduction
Part 1 – The Conceptual Age
1. Right Brain Rising
2. Abundance, Asia & Automation
3. High Concept, High Touch
Part 2 – The Six Senses
Introducing the 6 senses
4. Design
5. Story
6. Symphony
7. Empathy
8. Play
9. Meaning
Afterword
Key Concepts from wikipedia:
A historical narrative starts the book outlining four major ‘ages’:
- Agricultural Age (farmers)
- Industrial Age (factory workers)
- Information Age (knowledge workers)
- Conceptual Age (creators and empathizers)
The fourth stage is where Pink focuses on how businesses can be successful.
Pink references three prevailing trends pointing towards the future of business and the economy: Abundance (consumers have too many choices, nothing is scarce), Asia (everything that can be outsourced, is) and Automation (computerization, robots, technology, processes). This brings up three crucial questions for the success of any business:
- Can a computer do it faster?
- Is what I’m offering in demand in an age of abundance?
- Can someone overseas do it cheaper?
When these questions are present, creativity becomes the competitive difference that can differentiate commodities. Pink outlines six essential senses:
- Design – Moving beyond function to engage the sense.
- Story – Narrative added to products and services – not just argument. Best of the six senses.
- Symphony – Adding invention and big picture thinking (not just detail focus).
- Empathy – Going beyond logic and engaging emotion and intuition.
- Play – Bringing humor and light-heartedness to business and products.
- Meaning – the purpose is the journey, give meaning to life from inside yourself.
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I have included a practical “What To Try/Do” after the extended summary section.
Extended Summary – Quotes from the book
Continue reading “A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age – Dan Pink” →
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