I very much liked the premise of this book, especially the practical ideas at the end of each chapter, in which Pink gives resources for developing the various aspects of right-brain competence. ( )

This book is really worth reading. Its thesis is that, over the last hundred years or so, business has been dominated by left-brain thinking: logical, analytical, rational and so on. But now, because of three factors: abundance, the rise of Asia as a business power and the consequent outsourcing of jobs, and the automation of many routine tasks, Daniel Pink argues that the people who thrive in the coming years will be those who have learned to use their right brains as well, and can take a whole-brained, conceptual approach to their work. He identifies six traits that need to be developed: design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning; and gives practical guidelines for nurturing each of these traits in yourself.

From my own observations of the world of business and marketing, I think Pink is spot on. I think the internet has also been a great catalyst in bringing about these changes, and would love to see a new edition that explores some of the things that are happening online. I added Dan's blog to my reader (www.danpink.com) to see what he's working on now. I would recommend this as almost a necessary read if you're in business. ( )

Because the author anchored his argument for change around "abundance, Asia, and automation," I struggled for the first few chapters to figure out the concept of "a whole new mind." Then I got a few more chapters into it, and I realized that, at the heart of things, this book is a tribute to the concept of the liberal arts education. It reads like a backlash against the engineering and B-school oriented educational tracks of the last 20 years, which is fine; but encouraging students to develop wide-ranging interests that include music, art, and other creative attributes is hardly new. This book's best use is to remind us that ultimately, it's the ability to think and analyze and change, and not any particular expertise, that will foster success. ( )

I found this book interesting. I'm a right-brainer who has tried to function as a left-brainer most of my life so it's exciting to see value in being right-brained in today's world. ( )

Really enjoyed this book. Made me think a lot about the types of skills I should include in my future professional development, and I love the suggested exercises for improvement. Also made me feel like I missed the boat with much of my education (!), as very little of it was artistically based. ( )

This book provides the frameworks for thinking, learning, and creating in the years to come. I feel as though anyone in the field of education, teaching from little first graders to graduate level courses should read this book to gain insight as to how to prepare students for the newer working environments. ( )

Everyone needs to read this book! ( )

Daniel Pink aimed this treatise toward the corporate world where he posits that there will be major changes in how business will function in the future. The premise behind this book is that the L-directed thinking (“Left-Brainers”) that became so dominant in the 20th Century and led to such high salaries for computer scientists and lawyers will become less valuable in the 21st Century because so much of that work can be done much faster and more cheaply by the high power computers that have been developed or else outsourced to 3rd world technicians. (Yes, even a lot of the work of lawyers is already “computerized.”) In this century it will be important to learn to use the R-directed skills of “Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play, and Meaning.” At the end of each of these sections the author offers suggestions on ways to increase your ability in each area. The goal is to learn to use both sides of the brain in order to understand the “whole picture.” I enjoyed this book and agree with much of what he proposed, but since I am a Left-handed, Right-brained dyslexic who learned to function more than adequately in a Right-handed, Left-brained world, he was preaching to the choir. (I loved it when he said in the new “Conceptual Age” which is coming those with dyslexia will have an advantage.) At last we are finally realizing the importance of teaching “the arts” as necessary basic skills along with the math and the sciences. Even at the graduate level of business schools and medical schools courses are beginning to be required in some of these areas. We Right-Brainers are delighted the Left-Brainers are finally “getting it!” This is an easy read and I recommend it for anyone interested in how the way you think can impact the way you work and the way you live. ( )

Good business/management book. ( )

Very intriguing read. I enjoyed the suggested exercises which make it much more practical than most books offering insight on the future. ( )

Pink opens by arguing that America’s need for left-brain (logical, linear) skills has been largely replaced by software (i.e. automation -- reminiscent of the industrial revolution’s replacement of physical labor with machinery) and by outsourcing to cheaper left-brains in developing countries. Then he describes what right-brain (creative, empathic) thinking adds that now makes it critical to business success. His text is somewhat shallow, but he follows up with dozens and dozens of interesting, playful sources for developing right-brain skills. Proponents of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way will consider each source a terrific Artist Date. For a somewhat similar, but deeper, exploration, take a look at Michael Gelb’s How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci. ( )

I read this for a conference I attended and found it very thought provoking. Definitely an interesting read. My son and husband are reading it now. ( )

I found this book to be interesting and relevant to understanding today's web landscape and its relationship to education. ( )

I like the ideas in this book more than I like the book itself. I found Pink's writing style somewhat pedestrian, but the whole "right-brained thinking" is such a profoundly intriguing idea, that he wins me over in spite of himself. Pink's premise is that the more creative and innovative parts of our thought processes will be the engine that drives the U.S. ahead into the 21st century.

The book has become au courrant in the Independent School world and lots of people are trying to design school programs that cater to Pink's ideas. I worry that this may be a bit of a trendy bandwagon and it would be easy to go overboard. Still, I'm glad to see that the arts are being given a second life, so to speak, with this trend. ( )

A really great book!

It's kind of like a survival guide to "The World Is Flat".

I think my technical chops are pretty good (of course they need to be constantly sharpened), but the 'R-directional' thinking would definitely help my career as well.

(I would've liked to have seen 'Blogging' as a way to improve your 'Story' abilities) ( )

always thought that R ( )

I saw him make a humorous presentation about this book to AASL Oct.26, 2007. I think it is an important book for young people entering the job market to read. ( )

The book has a first half arguing a strained premise based on a pseudoscientific half-baked acquaintance with neurology and some feebly-argued economic predictions. That said, I enjoyed the second half of the book and wish the author had stayed away from trying to justify his interesting ideas with airport bookstore self-help hucksterism.

All my teaching colleagues and I were required to read this book over the summer. ( )

Creative thinking is the future of today ( )

Pink's book presents the urgency for our schools to move beyond the left brain alter in both curriculum and testing. Educators and parents should consider community book clubs to spread the awareness that economic viability is being threatened and perhaps more urgently than our collective consciousness has declared. ( )

http://community.livejournal.com/50bo... ( )

Whole New Mind is thought-provoking and very readable. Pink suggests ways that we can prepare ourselves(and by inference, our students) for the future. ( )

A fantastically written book on where the individual and organizational future is heading, from the human perspective. Why the integration of the creative and the emphatic is needed and necessary for the upcoming century and beyond. ( )