One of my goals this year is to read through some of the (too) many non-fiction self-help books that sit unread on my bookshelves.  Previous reviews have been:

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and The Brain, by  John J. Ratey, MD with Eric Hagerman.

Salt Sugar Fat:  How The Food Giants Hooked Us, by  Michael Moss.

Since I posted those reviews, I have read two more books and am most of the way through a third, so I figured I better get some more reviews written up!

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule The Future*, by  Daniel H. Pink.  Copyright 2005.  ISBN-13: 978-1594481710

(*Amazon Affiliate Link)

As you can see from the copyright date (2005), A Whole New Mind has been on my shelf for quite a while.  I believe I was first intrigued by the title due to my homeschooling research on right-brain learners and I did actually begin reading it several years ago, but never finished.  Better late than never, right?

The first quarter segment of A Whole New Mind covers three main themes:

  • The last two centuries or so have been considered the age of “left-brain” dominance
  • The 3 A’s – Abundance, Asia, and Automation – are draining away the traditional careers of “left-brain” thinkers, i.e. lawyers, accountants, engineers.
  • The future belongs to those who can think outside the box, create opportunities, and provide a personal touch, i.e. designers, inventors, storytellers.

In the rest of A Whole New Mind , Daniel Pink outlines what he considers to be the six senses necessary for professional success and personal fulfillment:

Design – Story – Symphony – Empathy – Play – Meaning.

What makes this book unique is that Pink, knowing that some of these senses might not come natural to many of us, includes several ways to master each sense.  For example, at the end of the Play chapter, he suggests you:

  • Find a Laughter Club (yes, there is such a thing!)
  • Play the Cartoon Captions Game
  • Step on the Humor Scale
  • Play at Inventing
  • Get Your Game On
  • Go Back to School
  • Dissect a Joke
  • Play Right-Brain Games.

Each suggestion is complete with explanations, book and/or website resources, and what you might gain from trying each activity.

I am hanging on to this book because I would really like to actually do at least one activity from each of the six senses.  I’m sure my right-brain could benefit from some hands-on exploration.