One of my interests is reading about neuroscience and how the brain works. This title was especially captivating to me because I am right brained and was optimistic that this book would help me understand why my brain functions the way it does. While Pink’s book does deliver some basic information about both hemisphere’s of the brain, his work is more about how using both sides to move past the information age into the remainder of this century.
Most of the text on the right hemisphere of the brain is basic. For example,
The left side is sequential while the right side is simultaneous.
The left side is the 1,000 words while the right side is the picture.
The left side specializes in text while the right side specializes in context.
The left side handles what is said while the right side handles how it was said.
The left side is about attention to detail while the right side is the big picture.
The left side is analysis while the right side is about synthesis.
The left side thinks in categories while the right side thinks in relationships.
Ultimately, Pink writes, to be healthy you have to use both hemisphere’s.
Pink offers that the left hemisphere has led the way in our careers and our economy to date, however we are now seeing many of our jobs outsourced to people overseas who can do the same kind of work for pennies on the dollar. So how does the right hemisphere help us maintain our competitive edge? By developing six senses related to the right side of the brain.
It’s not just function, but also design that values both utility and significance.
2. It’s not just argument, but also story where we learn to fashion a compelling narrative.
3. It’s not just focus, but also symphony where we combine disparate pieces into an arresting new whole.
4. It’s not just logic, but also empathy that enters into what other’s see and feel.
5. It’s not just seriousness, but also play that adds value to what we know.
6. It’s not just accumulation, but also meaning so that we find purpose, transcendence and spiritual fulfillment.
Again, it’s not one engineers versus artists. It’s both/and.
I found Pink’s book to be interesting and very helpful. If you’re interested in this sort of stuff, perhaps you will too.