A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel H. Pink

From the Publisher

Lawyers. Accountants. Software engineers. That’s what Mom and Dad encouraged us to become. They were wrong. Gone is the age of “left-brain” dominance. The future belongs to a different kind of person with a different kind of mind: designers, inventors, teachers, storytellers—creative and empathic “right-brain” thinkers whose abilities mark the fault line between who gets ahead and who doesn’t. Drawing on research from around the advanced world, Daniel Pink outlines the six fundamentally human abilities that are essential for professional success and personal fulfillment—and reveals how to master them. From a laughter club in Bombay, to an inner-city high school devoted to design, to a lesson on how to detect an insincere smile, A Whole New Mind takes listeners to a daring new place, and offers a provocative and urgent new way of thinking about a future that has already arrived.

“This book is a miracle. Completely original and profound.” — Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence

“A very important, convincingly argued and mind-altering book.” — Po Bronson, author of What Should I Do With My Life?

Publishers Weekly

With visionary flare, Pink argues that business and everyday life will soon be dominated by right-brain thinkers. He identifies the roots and implications of transitioning from a society dominated by left-brain thinkers into something entirely different-although at times, he seems to be exhorting rather than observing the trend. As a narrator, Pink delivers in a well executed manner, with occasional hints of enthusiasm. He maintains a steady voice that is well suited for a business-oriented text, and his crisp pronunciation and consistent pace keeps listeners engaged and at ease. Updated with new material. A Riverhead paperback (reviewed online). (Feb.)

Soundview Summary\ - Soundview Executive Book Summaries

Best-selling author Daniel H. Pink moves us from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age as he defends his argument that the era of "left brain" dominance is giving way to a new world in which "right brain" qualities- inventiveness, meaning, empathy- predominate.

Pink offers a fresh look at what it takes for individuals and organizations to excel. Drawing on cutting-edge research from around the world, he reveals the six essential aptitudes on which professional success and personal fulfillment now depend: Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play and Meaning.

Pink also offers several hands-on exercises and examples culled from experts to help readers sharpen the necessary abilities. The impact of what Pink presents can not only change the way we see the world but also how we experience it as well.

The last few decades have belonged to a certain kind of person with a certain kind of mind, Pink explains, like computer programmers who could crank code, lawyers who could craft contracts, and MBAs who could crunch numbers.

But the future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind- creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers. These people- artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big-picture thinkers- will now reap society’s richest rewards and share its greatest joys, Pink says.

A change of such magnitude is complex. Ours has been the age of the "knowledge worker," the well-educated manipulator of information and deployer of expertise. But that is changing, Pink explains. Thanks to an array of forces – material abundance that is deepening our nonmaterial yearnings, globalization that is shipping white-collar work overseas, and powerful technologies that are eliminating certain kinds of work altogether- we are entering a new age.

There is something that encapsulates the change and it’s right inside your head, Pink says. Our brains are divided into two hemispheres; the left side is sequential, logical and analytical; the right hemisphere is nonlinear, intuitive and holistic.

Pink explains that we need both "L-Directed Thinking" and "R-Directed Thinking" in order to craft fulfilling lives and build protective, just societies.

In the Conceptual Age, we will need to complement our L-Directed reasoning by mastering six essential R-Directed aptitudes. Together these six high-concept, high-touch senses can help develop the whole new mind this era demands:

1. Not just function but also DESIGN. Today it’s economically crucial and personally rewarding to create something that is beautiful, whimsical, or emotionally engaging.
2. Not just argument but also STORY. The essence of persuasion, communication and self-understanding has become the ability also to fashion a compelling narrative.
3. Not just focus but also SYMPHONY. What’s in greatest demand today isn’t analysis but synthesis- seeing the big picture and, crossing boundaries, being able to combine disparate pieces into an arresting new whole.
4. Not just logic but also EMPATHY. What will distinguish those who thrive will be their ability to understand what makes their fellow woman and man tick, to forge relationships, and to care for others.
5. Not just seriousness but also PLAY. Too much sobriety can be bad for your career and worse for your general well being. In the Conceptual Age, we all need to play.
6. Not just accumulation but also MEANING. A world of material plenty has freed us to pursue more significant desires: purpose, transcendence, and spiritual fulfillment.

The Conceptual Age is dawning, Pink tells us. Those who hope to survive in it must master the high-concept, high-touch abilities. This situation presents both promise and peril. The promise is that Conceptual Age jobs are exceedingly democratic. The peril is that our world moves at a furious pace.

Pink writes,"The first group of people who develop a whole new mind, who master high-concept and high-touch abilities, will do extremely well. The rest – those who move slowly or not at all – may miss out or, worse, suffer. The choice is yours." Copyright © 2006 Soundview Executive Book Summaries

Product Details