A Whole New Mind Book Review
August 1, 2007
Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age
Our egos took a beating in the Industrial Revolution when we learned machines could perform some tasks better than people. But hey, we still had our brains, right? Surely, no machine could ever match the power and intricacy of the human mind. But then came computers, and soon the brain’s superiority was being challenged.
Deep Blue whupped Garry Kasparov, Time magazine nominated the PC as 1983’s “Person” of the Year, and microprocessors appeared that could perform four billion calculations a second without ever getting tired or cranky.
Is it any wonder that knowledge workers feel hopelessly outclassed? Leave the computers to the problem solving, says Pink, a contributing editor for Wired magazine. Logic and analytical skills only get you so far, which is how come Western countries don’t lose much by outsourcing routine technical work to countries like India. In A Whole New Mind, Pink argues that what really matters is, well, meaning. And beauty. And empathy. And joyfulness. Those and other innately human qualities produce the kinds of innovations that resist commoditization and resonate with customers, many of whom, after all, are human themselves.
The creative, relational skills required for this new era – here dubbed the Conceptual Age – are the domain of the brain’s right hemisphere, long considered the poorer hemisphere by business. Conventional wisdom says such skills are tough to acquire, but Pink begs to differ. Learning to tell stories better won’t transform you into a Toni Morrison any more than studying physics will make you the next Stephen Hawking. But anyone can acquire sufficient competency to get by, says the author.
To prove it, Pink sets out to develop his own right-brain aptitude by, for example, taking a drawing class. There, he learns to synthesize information and relationships, detect patterns, and combine elements. (He also gets pretty handy with a pencil if his self-portraits done before and after the class are any indication.) For those wishing to give their own creative muscles a similar workout, the book is full of exercises and resources. The Web-based self-assessments are a pleasant diversion, but you probably won’t discover much about yourself you don’t already know.
A Whole New Mind is a breezy, good-humored read, even if the advice is a bit facile. The search for deeper meaning in work will likely appeal to aging baby boomers and to those grown jaded from corporate misbehavior and the singleminded pursuit of profit. And while most readers won’t rush to ditch their spreadsheets, they might be inspired to pick up a few paintbrushes to go with them. After all, who would disagree that even half a mind is a terrible thing to waste?
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