A Whole New Mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future by Daniel H. Pink
The beings with the author, Daniel Pink, going in for brain scan and explaining how it was able to detect which side responded to stimuli. He then gives a pretty good overview of how the left and right brain sides work independently but more importantly how each side has to work together.
He then discusses what major problems the United States and other Western countries are facing: Abundance, Asia, and Automation. Most people, including intellectuals and high government officials are in the coma state of not sensing the lethal effects of offshore outsourcing of high-tech jobs and R&D to the fundamental well being of U.S. and other Western countries, nor the consequence of automating white collar jobs by the ever more powerful computer hardware and software. While I had heard about outsourcing and of course very aware of automation I had not even thought about Abundance.
Part 2 of the book discusses the theory of the "six senses" that one could harvest to build a whole new mind. In Pink's worldview, Design is an asset above function. Story is an asset above argument. Symphony is an asset above focus. Empathy is an asset above logic. Play is an asset above seriousness, and Meaning is an asset above accumulation. After an extensive essay about each of these six components, Pink includes a "portfolio" of exercises (further reading, tools, and websites) which I found really fascinating.
I listened to this book on CD read by Daniel Pink and first I wasn't sure if I would even enjoy it as he was a bit stiff. But soon I became intrigued by his concepts and just couldn't stop listening or thinking about what I was hearing. I also had a hard copy which I started following along with while I was listening.
Interestingly enough the Medical Library Association has chosen this book as the common book to read before the MLA annual conference in May in which Daniel Pink will be the keynote speaker. So Becky and I suggested it for our bookclub at work. It will be interesting to get others perspectives on it as reading some of the reviews it is definitely one either people love or hate. I guess I fall under the category of loved it.