A Whole New Mind

Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

Daniel Pink

Recommended By

Book Reviews

Book Synopsis

"A Whole New Mind" by Daniel Pink explores the shift from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age and challenges the traditional view that left-brain thinking is superior. Through compelling research and thought-provoking anecdotes, Pink argues that right-brain skills such as creativity, empathy, and pattern recognition are becoming increasingly valuable in the workforce and society at large.

The book starts by analyzing the importance of the left-brain-dominated Information Age where logical, linear thinking and analytical skills reigned supreme. However, Pink makes a convincing case that the progression of automation, outsourcing, and abundance has rendered these skills less valuable and more easily replicable.

Pink then introduces the Conceptual Age, a new era where creativity and empathy become crucial for success. He highlights six essential aptitudes - Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play, and Meaning - that he believes individuals must cultivate to thrive in this age. Each aptitude is explored in depth, with practical advice on how to develop them.

Pink draws upon a wide range of disciplines, from psychology and economics to education and design, to support his argument. His engaging style and accessible writing make complex ideas easy to understand and relate to. He provides numerous examples of how individuals, organizations, and schools have embraced and benefited from right-brain thinking.

Furthermore, Pink provides examples of how individuals can adapt their skillset to meet the demands of the Conceptual Age, and identifies the emerging professions that require a more holistic and well-rounded approach. He emphasizes the importance of integrative thinking, how different disciplines can be combined to create innovative solutions.

In conclusion, "A Whole New Mind" challenges conventional wisdom and suggests that right-brain thinking is essential for success in the modern age. It offers valuable insights into how individuals can develop and embrace their right-brain aptitudes to thrive in a changing world. Whether you are a student, professional, or simply interested in the future of work, this book provides a roadmap for adapting and flourishing in the Conceptual Age.

Explore More Books

See All
The Agile Gene
How to Make Millions with Your Ideas
In the Heart of the Sea
The Hot Hand
The Anatomy of Buzz
A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis
The Infidel and the Professor
The Bullish Case for Bitcoin
How To Turn Down A Billion Dollars
Happy Money
Beating The Street
Sea Flight
More Than Enough
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
The Great CEO Within
Dying Every Day: Seneca at the Court of Nero
Taken for Granted
Bend The Curve
Superforecasting
100 Plus
Billy Martin
A History of the English-Speaking Peoples
The Art of Seduction
The Neverending Story
The Essential Scratch & Sniff Guide to Becoming a Whiskey Know-It-All
The Attention Merchants
12 Rules For Life
The Net & The Butterfly
Endure
The Story of Civilization: The Age of Louis XIV
The Psychology of Intelligence Analysis
Something Deeply Hidden
Opportunity Knocks
The Construction of Social Reality
Trillion Dollar Triage
The Botany of Desire
The Skeptical Environmentalist
Scale
The Little Book of Bull Moves
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind
Einstein
Product Design for the Web
The Surrender Experiment
The Bet
Double your Profits
The Closing of the American Mind
Hidden Potential
Blue Ocean Strategy
Talent Is Overrated
Mohammed and Charlemagne
Makers
Posterity: Letters of Great Americans to Their Children
Home Work
The Fear Factor
Viral
Technofeudalism
Putin's Kleptocracy
The Alchemist
Art of the Living Dead
Natural Born Heroes
The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross
No Bull
Innovating Out of Crisis
Bargaining for Advantage
Paper Lion
Matthew Barney & Elizabeth Peyton
An Immense World
The True Believer
Modern Engineering for Design of Liquid Propellant Rocket Engines
Roger Ailes: Off Camera
Nobody Wants To Read Your Sh*t
The Healing Journey
The Science of Success
A Mathematician's Lament
Chasing the Light
Mapping the Mind
Gold In The Grass
A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things
Not Fade Away
The Tao of Charlie Munger
Margin of Safety
Stress Test
My Family and Other Animals
The Inner Lives of Markets
Confidence Game
Absolute Tao
Dream Big
Origin Story
Endurance
The Man Who Fed The World
You Can Be a Stock Market Genius
Freakonomics
The Story of Civilization: The Reformation
Every Life Is On Fire
Measure What Matters
Black Elk
Traction
The Hard Thing About Hard Things
The Weather Makers
Nietzsche: Beyond Good and Evil