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Elastic: Flexible Thinking in a Time of Change
From the best-selling author of Subliminal and The Drunkard's Walk, a groundbreaking new look at the neuroscience of change, and at how tapping into elastic thinking will help us thrive in the modern world.
Drawing on cutting-edge research, Leonard Mlodinow takes us on an illuminating journey through the mechanics of our minds as we navigate the rapidly changing landscapes around us. Out of the exploratory instincts that allowed our ancestors to prosper hundreds of thousands of years ago, humans developed a cognitive style that Mlodinow terms elastic thinking, a unique set of talents that include neophilia (an affinity for novelty), schizotypy (a tendency toward unusual perception), imagination and idea generation, and divergent and integrative thinking. These are the qualities that enabled innovators from Mary Shelley to Miles Davis, from the inventor of jumbo-sized popcorn to the creators of Pok'mon Go, to effect paradigm shifts in our culture and society. In our age of unprecedented technological innovation and social change, it is more important than ever to encourage these abilities and traits.
How can we train our brains to be more comfortable when confronting change and more adept at innovation? How do our brains generate new ideas, and how can we nurture that process? Why can diversity and even discord be beneficial to our thought process? With his keen acumen and quick wit, Leonard Mlodinow gives us the essential tools to harness the power of elastic thinking in an endlessly dynamic world.
Includes a Bonus PDF of Exercises
Drawing on cutting-edge research, Leonard Mlodinow takes us on an illuminating journey through the mechanics of our minds as we navigate the rapidly changing landscapes around us. Out of the exploratory instincts that allowed our ancestors to prosper hundreds of thousands of years ago, humans developed a cognitive style that Mlodinow terms elastic thinking, a unique set of talents that include neophilia (an affinity for novelty), schizotypy (a tendency toward unusual perception), imagination and idea generation, and divergent and integrative thinking. These are the qualities that enabled innovators from Mary Shelley to Miles Davis, from the inventor of jumbo-sized popcorn to the creators of Pok'mon Go, to effect paradigm shifts in our culture and society. In our age of unprecedented technological innovation and social change, it is more important than ever to encourage these abilities and traits.
How can we train our brains to be more comfortable when confronting change and more adept at innovation? How do our brains generate new ideas, and how can we nurture that process? Why can diversity and even discord be beneficial to our thought process? With his keen acumen and quick wit, Leonard Mlodinow gives us the essential tools to harness the power of elastic thinking in an endlessly dynamic world.
Includes a Bonus PDF of Exercises
Audio CD
First published March 20, 2018
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About the author
Leonard Mlodinow
26books1,176followersLeonard Mlodinow is an American theoretical physicist and mathematician, screenwriter and author. In physics, he is known for his work on the large N expansion, a method of approximating the spectrum of atoms based on the consideration of an infinite-dimensional version of the problem, and for his work on the quantum theory of light inside dielectrics.
He has also written books for the general public, five of which have been New York Times best-sellers, including The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives, which was chosen as a New York Times notable book, and short-listed for the Royal Society Science Book Prize; The Grand Design, co-authored with Stephen Hawking, which argues that invoking God is not necessary to explain the origins of the universe; War of the Worldviews, co-authored with Deepak Chopra; and Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior, which won the 2013 PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. He also makes public lectures and media appearances on programs including Morning Joe and Through the Wormhole, and debated Deepak Chopra on ABC's Nightline.
He has also written books for the general public, five of which have been New York Times best-sellers, including The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives, which was chosen as a New York Times notable book, and short-listed for the Royal Society Science Book Prize; The Grand Design, co-authored with Stephen Hawking, which argues that invoking God is not necessary to explain the origins of the universe; War of the Worldviews, co-authored with Deepak Chopra; and Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior, which won the 2013 PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. He also makes public lectures and media appearances on programs including Morning Joe and Through the Wormhole, and debated Deepak Chopra on ABC's Nightline.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
March 21, 2018
An entertaining and thoughtful synthesis of the research on creative thinking but offers no particularly novel insights.
The topics discussed in this book are ultimately well-covered elsewhere, so if you’re relatively knowledgeable in the areas of evolutionary psychology, cognitive psychology, the unconscious mind, and creative thinking, you’ll find little novelty here.
On the other hand, if you’re less knowledgeable in these areas, this is a great book to learn about them all. Mlodinow expertly synthesizes the research in these areas and covers the techniques you can use to enhance your creative thinking skills. It also acts as a great refresher and an interesting tour through the mind, particularly its capacity for analytical and creative thought.
Part 1 of the book addresses the concept of “neophilia,� or our inborn proclivity for novelty and change, which has deep evolutionary roots. Parts 2 and 3 largely address the differences between scripted or automatic behavior, analytical/logical thinking, and creative thinking, while part 4 discusses the techniques you can use to unlock your own creative potential.
Here are some of the key insights I took away from the book:
- Analytical or logical thinking is algorithm-based and largely devoid of emotion, whereas elastic (creative) thinking is driven by emotion and motivation. This is the reason why the threats of artificial intelligence are exaggerated; we can get computers to “think� analytically, based on algorithms, but we cannot get a computer to want to think or to enjoy thinking as motivation for setting its own goals and pursuing creative thought.
- Elastic thinking is associated with high levels of neophilia (love of novelty) and higher levels of schizotypy (tendency toward original thinking, sensing unusual connections or feelings, and nonconformist behavior), both of which can be cultivated.
- The main methods of cultivating elastic thinking include:
1. Mindfulness meditation to reduce the tendency to engage in automatic scripted behavior.
2. Intentionally shifting viewpoints to approach problems from different angles.
3. Challenging your most fundamental assumptions.
4. Allowing your unconscious mind to work on a problem by relaxing your analytical mind, through activities such as meditation, going for long walks, taking extended breaks, and sleeping on a problem.
5. Postponing your creative thinking to periods when you are less mentally alert and more fatigued (which inhibits the filtering capacity of your prefrontal cortex).
It’s in this area—actual creative thinking techniques—that the book seems to be lacking. While the book does a great job of summarizing research and explaining the underlying neuroscience, if you’re looking for specific techniques I would suggest any of the works by Michael Michalko. In particular, his book Thinkertoys includes dozens of techniques that can be used to generate new ideas and get you in the creative mindset.
In the end, Mlodinow addresses the topic of creativity in a very analytical way, offering no new ways of approaching the topic other than renaming creative thinking “elastic thinking.� That being said, I did enjoy the book and its anecdotes and Mlodinow is always a skillful and entertaining writer. And if you don’t already know that much about the topic, this book will provide a quick primer.
The topics discussed in this book are ultimately well-covered elsewhere, so if you’re relatively knowledgeable in the areas of evolutionary psychology, cognitive psychology, the unconscious mind, and creative thinking, you’ll find little novelty here.
On the other hand, if you’re less knowledgeable in these areas, this is a great book to learn about them all. Mlodinow expertly synthesizes the research in these areas and covers the techniques you can use to enhance your creative thinking skills. It also acts as a great refresher and an interesting tour through the mind, particularly its capacity for analytical and creative thought.
Part 1 of the book addresses the concept of “neophilia,� or our inborn proclivity for novelty and change, which has deep evolutionary roots. Parts 2 and 3 largely address the differences between scripted or automatic behavior, analytical/logical thinking, and creative thinking, while part 4 discusses the techniques you can use to unlock your own creative potential.
Here are some of the key insights I took away from the book:
- Analytical or logical thinking is algorithm-based and largely devoid of emotion, whereas elastic (creative) thinking is driven by emotion and motivation. This is the reason why the threats of artificial intelligence are exaggerated; we can get computers to “think� analytically, based on algorithms, but we cannot get a computer to want to think or to enjoy thinking as motivation for setting its own goals and pursuing creative thought.
- Elastic thinking is associated with high levels of neophilia (love of novelty) and higher levels of schizotypy (tendency toward original thinking, sensing unusual connections or feelings, and nonconformist behavior), both of which can be cultivated.
- The main methods of cultivating elastic thinking include:
1. Mindfulness meditation to reduce the tendency to engage in automatic scripted behavior.
2. Intentionally shifting viewpoints to approach problems from different angles.
3. Challenging your most fundamental assumptions.
4. Allowing your unconscious mind to work on a problem by relaxing your analytical mind, through activities such as meditation, going for long walks, taking extended breaks, and sleeping on a problem.
5. Postponing your creative thinking to periods when you are less mentally alert and more fatigued (which inhibits the filtering capacity of your prefrontal cortex).
It’s in this area—actual creative thinking techniques—that the book seems to be lacking. While the book does a great job of summarizing research and explaining the underlying neuroscience, if you’re looking for specific techniques I would suggest any of the works by Michael Michalko. In particular, his book Thinkertoys includes dozens of techniques that can be used to generate new ideas and get you in the creative mindset.
In the end, Mlodinow addresses the topic of creativity in a very analytical way, offering no new ways of approaching the topic other than renaming creative thinking “elastic thinking.� That being said, I did enjoy the book and its anecdotes and Mlodinow is always a skillful and entertaining writer. And if you don’t already know that much about the topic, this book will provide a quick primer.
August 6, 2019
So far, after a bang-up start -- the amazing success story of the Pokemon Go phone game -- this is shaping up to be a decent magazine article expanded into a book. I'll give it a bit more time, but likely an early DNF.
Book is due back in the library, and I've read enough to be done with it. DNF. 2.5 stars to where I quit -- but the Pokemon GO story is worth picking up the library copy (or get the free Kindle sample) to read. And stop there, is my advice.
Book is due back in the library, and I've read enough to be done with it. DNF. 2.5 stars to where I quit -- but the Pokemon GO story is worth picking up the library copy (or get the free Kindle sample) to read. And stop there, is my advice.
April 1, 2022
I really enjoyed this audiobook. Lots of great info on how our brains work, and somehow toward the end it morphs painlessly into a self-help book on how to use and develop our elastic mode of thinking. Leonard Mlodinow is an entertaining writer (the book came out great on CD, easy to follow) and I especially like his stories about his mother, a resilient, thrifty holocaust surviver who sounds like the perfect Jewish mother. Some really good stuff here!
May 10, 2020
„Elu seisneb probleemide lahendamises.�
Karl Popper
„Me oleme vaid pooleldi ärkvel võrreldes sellega, mis me võiksime olla.�
William James
Kui tihti te mõtlete sellest, kuidas te mõtlete? Mina nt mõtlen hoopis tihedamini sellest, kuidas teised mõtlevad. Tihti vist kulmu kortsutades:
- Jeerum, inimene, kuidas sa SELLE (hea või halva) mõtteni jõudsid?
Leonard Mlodinow kirjutab raamatus "Nõtkelt. Paindlikust mõtlemisest muutuste ajastul," et jõutakse peamiselt kolmel viisil. Esiteks, mõeldes programmiliselt � sisse harjunud skriptid, autopiloodil sooritatavad argitoimetused. Teiseks, mõeldes analüütiliselt, st toetudes peamiselt eelnevale kogemusele/ teadmisele ja loogikale ning kolmandaks, mõeldes nõtkelt, st mõeldes emotsionaalselt, konventsiooni- ja stereotüübivabalt, nö „kastist välja�. Seejuures, suuri avastusi teevad, leiutavad, planeeti valitsevad jms viimased ehk siis inimesed, kes oskavad mõelda nõtkelt. Nõtkelt mõtlemine on inimese unikaalne oskas, mida ei suuda ei loomad ega arvutid.
Kaks ema ja kaks tütart püüdsid kala. Nad püüdsid ühe suure kala, ühe väikese kala ja ühe paksu kala. Kokku püüdsid nad kolm kala, aga igaüks sai ühe kala. Kuidas see on võimalik?
Kui analüütiline mõtlemine on tänapäeval kõige tunnustatum tunnetuse liik, siis nõtke mõtlemise teadust teadlased veel alles loovad ja seda põhjusel, et varasemalt ei olnud puhtalt tehniliselt võimalik selliseid mõtteprotsesse uurida ja kirjeldada.
Maailm on pidevas muutumises. Infovood kasvavad ning kordistuvad tempos, mida on raske hoomata. Viisid, mida inimene infot haldamiseks ja analüüsimiseks või nt erinevate probleemide lahendamiseks kasutab, vananevad ülikiiresti. Veel eile innovatiivsetena näivad lahendused täna enam ei tööta või vähemalt ei ole piisavad. Hästi hakkama saamiseks on vaja osata kiiresti ühelt probleemilt teisele ümber lülituda, oluline välja sõeluda ja reageerida, kohaneda, leida ebastandardseid lahendusi. Ehk siis � analüütiline mõtlemine enam ei päästa (pealegi on arvutid meist ses osas juba kiiremad ja täpsemad), on vaja mõelda nõtkelt. On vaja olla paindlik ja originaalne.
Mustkunstnik väidab, et ta suudab visata lauatennisepalli nõnda, et see lendab mingi vahemaa, peatub ja tuleb siis tagasi. Ta lisab, et seejuures ei põrka pall millegi vastu, palli külge pole midagi seotud ning ta ei löö pallile vinti sisse. Kuidas ta selle tükiga hakkama saab?
Originaalne � st on vaja uusi, enneolematuid ideid. Mlodinow ütleb, et aga palun. St, mitte päris nii. Ta ütleb, et head ideed sünnivad ideede vabast voost. Selleks, et uued ideed saaks tulla, on vaja vabaneda vanadest, on vaja lahti lasta sisseharjunud skriptidest ja loogikast. Kirjeldatud seisundit on võimalik saavutada tahepingutuse abil � nt avardada oma tähelepanu ja teadvel olekut meditatsiooni teel. Aga soodustavad tegurid on teisigi, mh nt väljumine rutiinist ja süvenemine oma tundmustesse. Teadvel olek, ideede voog ja edasi intuitiivne taipamine ei teki siis, kui me pingsalt lahendust otsime, püüame meeleheitlikult midagi välja mõelda (siis me reeglina mõtleme analüütuliselt). Tekib hoopis jõudehetkel või isegi unes, siis, kui me seda ei oota. Olekus, mida enamus inimesi kirjeldab nagu „lihtsalt olen�. Nii et, nagu keegi ŷis nutikalt märkis, järgmisel korral tabades end tühjal pilgul aknast välja või lakke vahtimas, ei maksa hurjutada end logelemise eest. Võta hoopis sedasi, et annad ajule võimaluse sünnitada midagi erakordset.
Mlodinow kirjutab kõigest sellest ja veel paljust selgelt ja humoorikalt. Teaduse populariseerijana teab ta täpselt, kuidas kirjutada keerulisest (neuropsühholoogia, eksole) nii, et see köidaks paljusid. Lisaks erinevate avastuste, teooriate ja praktikate kirjeldustele sisaldab raamat palju humoorikaid või vähemalt huvitavaid ja elulist näidet, nö sõnalist illustratsiooni. Raamatus on ka mõned testid selgitamaks välja lugeja võimeid mõelda nõtkelt ja soovitused, kuidas parandada oma kognitiivseid võimeid.
Inimene loeb raamatut, korraga kustub tuli, ent vaatamata toas valitsevale pilkasele pimedusele loeb inimene edasi. Kuidas? (Raamat ei ole mingil elektroonilisel kujul.
Mina võtan sellest raamatust kaasa kaks mind isikliklikult enam kõnetanud mõtet. Esiteks, ikka ja jälle � puhkus on ülioluline. Ületöötanud või ka muud moodi ülekoormatud aju (KOGUAEG LOEN MIDAGI!) ei ole võimeline produtseerima värskeid ideid või enneolematuid lahendusi.
Teiseks järelmõtlemist vajav teema ja nimelt: ma eelistan, sh vaistlikult, töö olukorras inimesi, kes on tähelepanelikud ja täpsed, mõtlevad kiiresti ja loogilised, on hea analüüsivõimega (nt iseloomustused või arenguvestlused vms, mis sisaldavad minupoolset positiivset tagasisidet, sisaldavad tihti just neid sõnu). Samas, oma vaba aja veedan� nende igasuguste teistsugustega. osaliselt tingib nö analüütikute eelistamise töö iseloom, kuid siiski, millisel määral ja kas teistsugune lähenemine oleks jätkusuutlik?
Ühesõnaga, huvitav teema ja hea kirjutaja.
Karl Popper
„Me oleme vaid pooleldi ärkvel võrreldes sellega, mis me võiksime olla.�
William James
Kui tihti te mõtlete sellest, kuidas te mõtlete? Mina nt mõtlen hoopis tihedamini sellest, kuidas teised mõtlevad. Tihti vist kulmu kortsutades:
- Jeerum, inimene, kuidas sa SELLE (hea või halva) mõtteni jõudsid?
Leonard Mlodinow kirjutab raamatus "Nõtkelt. Paindlikust mõtlemisest muutuste ajastul," et jõutakse peamiselt kolmel viisil. Esiteks, mõeldes programmiliselt � sisse harjunud skriptid, autopiloodil sooritatavad argitoimetused. Teiseks, mõeldes analüütiliselt, st toetudes peamiselt eelnevale kogemusele/ teadmisele ja loogikale ning kolmandaks, mõeldes nõtkelt, st mõeldes emotsionaalselt, konventsiooni- ja stereotüübivabalt, nö „kastist välja�. Seejuures, suuri avastusi teevad, leiutavad, planeeti valitsevad jms viimased ehk siis inimesed, kes oskavad mõelda nõtkelt. Nõtkelt mõtlemine on inimese unikaalne oskas, mida ei suuda ei loomad ega arvutid.
Kaks ema ja kaks tütart püüdsid kala. Nad püüdsid ühe suure kala, ühe väikese kala ja ühe paksu kala. Kokku püüdsid nad kolm kala, aga igaüks sai ühe kala. Kuidas see on võimalik?
Kui analüütiline mõtlemine on tänapäeval kõige tunnustatum tunnetuse liik, siis nõtke mõtlemise teadust teadlased veel alles loovad ja seda põhjusel, et varasemalt ei olnud puhtalt tehniliselt võimalik selliseid mõtteprotsesse uurida ja kirjeldada.
Maailm on pidevas muutumises. Infovood kasvavad ning kordistuvad tempos, mida on raske hoomata. Viisid, mida inimene infot haldamiseks ja analüüsimiseks või nt erinevate probleemide lahendamiseks kasutab, vananevad ülikiiresti. Veel eile innovatiivsetena näivad lahendused täna enam ei tööta või vähemalt ei ole piisavad. Hästi hakkama saamiseks on vaja osata kiiresti ühelt probleemilt teisele ümber lülituda, oluline välja sõeluda ja reageerida, kohaneda, leida ebastandardseid lahendusi. Ehk siis � analüütiline mõtlemine enam ei päästa (pealegi on arvutid meist ses osas juba kiiremad ja täpsemad), on vaja mõelda nõtkelt. On vaja olla paindlik ja originaalne.
Mustkunstnik väidab, et ta suudab visata lauatennisepalli nõnda, et see lendab mingi vahemaa, peatub ja tuleb siis tagasi. Ta lisab, et seejuures ei põrka pall millegi vastu, palli külge pole midagi seotud ning ta ei löö pallile vinti sisse. Kuidas ta selle tükiga hakkama saab?
Originaalne � st on vaja uusi, enneolematuid ideid. Mlodinow ütleb, et aga palun. St, mitte päris nii. Ta ütleb, et head ideed sünnivad ideede vabast voost. Selleks, et uued ideed saaks tulla, on vaja vabaneda vanadest, on vaja lahti lasta sisseharjunud skriptidest ja loogikast. Kirjeldatud seisundit on võimalik saavutada tahepingutuse abil � nt avardada oma tähelepanu ja teadvel olekut meditatsiooni teel. Aga soodustavad tegurid on teisigi, mh nt väljumine rutiinist ja süvenemine oma tundmustesse. Teadvel olek, ideede voog ja edasi intuitiivne taipamine ei teki siis, kui me pingsalt lahendust otsime, püüame meeleheitlikult midagi välja mõelda (siis me reeglina mõtleme analüütuliselt). Tekib hoopis jõudehetkel või isegi unes, siis, kui me seda ei oota. Olekus, mida enamus inimesi kirjeldab nagu „lihtsalt olen�. Nii et, nagu keegi ŷis nutikalt märkis, järgmisel korral tabades end tühjal pilgul aknast välja või lakke vahtimas, ei maksa hurjutada end logelemise eest. Võta hoopis sedasi, et annad ajule võimaluse sünnitada midagi erakordset.
Mlodinow kirjutab kõigest sellest ja veel paljust selgelt ja humoorikalt. Teaduse populariseerijana teab ta täpselt, kuidas kirjutada keerulisest (neuropsühholoogia, eksole) nii, et see köidaks paljusid. Lisaks erinevate avastuste, teooriate ja praktikate kirjeldustele sisaldab raamat palju humoorikaid või vähemalt huvitavaid ja elulist näidet, nö sõnalist illustratsiooni. Raamatus on ka mõned testid selgitamaks välja lugeja võimeid mõelda nõtkelt ja soovitused, kuidas parandada oma kognitiivseid võimeid.
Inimene loeb raamatut, korraga kustub tuli, ent vaatamata toas valitsevale pilkasele pimedusele loeb inimene edasi. Kuidas? (Raamat ei ole mingil elektroonilisel kujul.
Mina võtan sellest raamatust kaasa kaks mind isikliklikult enam kõnetanud mõtet. Esiteks, ikka ja jälle � puhkus on ülioluline. Ületöötanud või ka muud moodi ülekoormatud aju (KOGUAEG LOEN MIDAGI!) ei ole võimeline produtseerima värskeid ideid või enneolematuid lahendusi.
Teiseks järelmõtlemist vajav teema ja nimelt: ma eelistan, sh vaistlikult, töö olukorras inimesi, kes on tähelepanelikud ja täpsed, mõtlevad kiiresti ja loogilised, on hea analüüsivõimega (nt iseloomustused või arenguvestlused vms, mis sisaldavad minupoolset positiivset tagasisidet, sisaldavad tihti just neid sõnu). Samas, oma vaba aja veedan� nende igasuguste teistsugustega. osaliselt tingib nö analüütikute eelistamise töö iseloom, kuid siiski, millisel määral ja kas teistsugune lähenemine oleks jätkusuutlik?
Ühesõnaga, huvitav teema ja hea kirjutaja.
April 10, 2018
A pretty solid book by Leonard Mlodinow. Good stuff about how what's going on in the brain physiologically when creative thinking, the history of some of the research, and some tentative advice on how to be more self aware, and be able to access that thinking more readily. Good, but not earth shattering.
Loses another point for me for choosing some kind of skeezy examples of creative thinking. Like, out of all the examples of elastic thinking you could put in a book, you choose a story of three screenwriters trying to figure out how to have a young actress, and still have the character have a long romantic history with the hero, and the answer was to make her character 15, and the hero in his 20s when the "affair" happens?? Out of all the examples, that's what you pick?
But overall it was interesting and easy to follow.
Loses another point for me for choosing some kind of skeezy examples of creative thinking. Like, out of all the examples of elastic thinking you could put in a book, you choose a story of three screenwriters trying to figure out how to have a young actress, and still have the character have a long romantic history with the hero, and the answer was to make her character 15, and the hero in his 20s when the "affair" happens?? Out of all the examples, that's what you pick?
But overall it was interesting and easy to follow.
April 19, 2018
Can’t really judge this one. Looks like the author read “thinking fast and slow� and created an extended summary. Or maybe it’s just me reading these books almost back to back.
I read this one through and eye of an entrepreneur looking for ways to get more elasticity from employees. In that regard it’s decent, hence 3/5.
I read this one through and eye of an entrepreneur looking for ways to get more elasticity from employees. In that regard it’s decent, hence 3/5.
May 3, 2019
Охренительно полезная книжка - и чистое удовольствие от научпопового слога и сказа Млодинова. Правда, как и при чтении многих книг о работе мозга, тут в какой-то момент начинает укачивать: ну это примерно как смотреть под электронным микроскопом, что происходит в молотке, когда им забивают гвоздь. Но рецензенты правы - это можно читать как сиквел к "(Нео)сознанному".
April 27, 2018
It’s rare the non-fiction book that I read in less than a week, and whose principles I try to put in practice immediately after. ELASTIC is such a book and I highly recommended it.
The main thesis of the book is that we need “elastic thinking� to deal with today’s world, always accelerating and in continuous change. The way of using logic first to comprehend reality—what the author calls a top-down way to analyze—emphasizes organization and hierarchies and doesn’t work well with the wealth of information that’s available now. The other system—bottom-up, accessing all the information available at once—provides a deep well of knowledge from where to draw better, more creative ideas. Logical analysis can then discard the bad options and find the best ones to solve the problem.
These ideas aren’t new, and there are echoes of the Systems 1 and 2 that Daniel Kahneman describes in “Thinking, Fast and Slow� as well as a close connection with the reflexive, automatic way to evaluate our choices that Malcolm Gladwell suggested in “Blink.�
Using a great deal of information from biological science, Mlodinow convincingly connects these two ways of thought with the popular view of a left (logical) and right (intuitive) brain. The author also provides fascinating psychological tests and evidence of how to best use these modes of thinking during the day—where they vary considerably. Our natural ability to profit from these daily cycles explains our common distinctions between “morning people� and “night owls.�
Just reading this book would provide paths to change the way you think and enrich the process of thinking itself. Although I don’t totally agree with the descriptions of the top-down and bottom-up ways we use our brain—I tend to think it’s the other way around, with logic building our worldview upwards from isolated elements and intuition taking a 30,000-feet view of life—I think the whole of this book is enormously useful to brainstorm ourselves into a better understanding of the modern world. God knows we all need to better understand the world we are creating.
A fascinating Goodread and a book that could change you. Isn’t that the whole reason why we read non-fiction?
The main thesis of the book is that we need “elastic thinking� to deal with today’s world, always accelerating and in continuous change. The way of using logic first to comprehend reality—what the author calls a top-down way to analyze—emphasizes organization and hierarchies and doesn’t work well with the wealth of information that’s available now. The other system—bottom-up, accessing all the information available at once—provides a deep well of knowledge from where to draw better, more creative ideas. Logical analysis can then discard the bad options and find the best ones to solve the problem.
These ideas aren’t new, and there are echoes of the Systems 1 and 2 that Daniel Kahneman describes in “Thinking, Fast and Slow� as well as a close connection with the reflexive, automatic way to evaluate our choices that Malcolm Gladwell suggested in “Blink.�
Using a great deal of information from biological science, Mlodinow convincingly connects these two ways of thought with the popular view of a left (logical) and right (intuitive) brain. The author also provides fascinating psychological tests and evidence of how to best use these modes of thinking during the day—where they vary considerably. Our natural ability to profit from these daily cycles explains our common distinctions between “morning people� and “night owls.�
Just reading this book would provide paths to change the way you think and enrich the process of thinking itself. Although I don’t totally agree with the descriptions of the top-down and bottom-up ways we use our brain—I tend to think it’s the other way around, with logic building our worldview upwards from isolated elements and intuition taking a 30,000-feet view of life—I think the whole of this book is enormously useful to brainstorm ourselves into a better understanding of the modern world. God knows we all need to better understand the world we are creating.
A fascinating Goodread and a book that could change you. Isn’t that the whole reason why we read non-fiction?
August 23, 2018
Having enjoyed his previous solo works and his collaboration with Stephen Hawking, I was very interested in this latest offering from Mlodinow. Very frequently in the late 90's you were (earnestly) bombarded with the idea of "thinking outside the box" as a means to innovate. This cliché quickly became more of an ironic notion of being so open-minded your brains fell out, and fell into disrepute.
However, it is precisely this function that has defined and refined our success as a species and in this very engaging short work of anecdotery, theoretical physicist Leonard Moldinow has given numerous examples as to how we have successfully accomplished this sort of thinking and why it is so necessary to our future.
In other authors' hands this would seem a disjoined work of fun but nothing more, however, what we have here is a terse and cogently argued rejoinder to the machine-like demands placed on our brains by various professions and our "information-age" habits that ultimately get in the way of the type of thinking that set us apart in the first place.
However, it is precisely this function that has defined and refined our success as a species and in this very engaging short work of anecdotery, theoretical physicist Leonard Moldinow has given numerous examples as to how we have successfully accomplished this sort of thinking and why it is so necessary to our future.
In other authors' hands this would seem a disjoined work of fun but nothing more, however, what we have here is a terse and cogently argued rejoinder to the machine-like demands placed on our brains by various professions and our "information-age" habits that ultimately get in the way of the type of thinking that set us apart in the first place.
July 23, 2018
Tedious in the extreme
I ignored the negative reviews as I felt I would benefit from reading basic introductory information. So sorry I wasted money on this. There are only a few basic concepts presented with countless examples. The examples are long, tedious, and full of non-essential details. Since I paid for the book, I forced myself to read the whole thing. It's just too boring to remember if anything important was presented. And there was absolutely nothing new in there, nothing I didn't learn in High school or maybe even 5th grade.
I ignored the negative reviews as I felt I would benefit from reading basic introductory information. So sorry I wasted money on this. There are only a few basic concepts presented with countless examples. The examples are long, tedious, and full of non-essential details. Since I paid for the book, I forced myself to read the whole thing. It's just too boring to remember if anything important was presented. And there was absolutely nothing new in there, nothing I didn't learn in High school or maybe even 5th grade.
March 31, 2019
Mlodinow (2018) aborda diferentes pesquisas e situações cotidianas nas quais usamos o pensamento divergente, também chamado flexível e elástico. Nos seus outros livros, o autor também apresenta pesquisas científicas de modo didático, servindo-se de um bom repertório de anedotário biográfico. O autor costuma incluir crônicas nas quais apresenta experiências com o assunto. O que mais me interessou no livro Elástico foram as minhas associações com a Topologia durante a leitura.
Quando iniciei a leitura, fiquei intrigada por não encontrar referências a Edward de Bono (1933), professor em Oxford com livros sobre Lógica Fluida e Pensamento lateral na década de 1990. De Bono pesquisou sobre a diferença entre o pensamento analítico e o pensamento lateral. A explicação para ausência de referências ao europeu poderia ter relação com a leitura política que De Bono extrai dessa oposição de formas de pensar? O estadounidense Mlodinow prefere ficar no campo do individual e seus editores parecem empurrar o livro para a prateleira dos livros de autoajuda. Mas há um outro esquecido, cuja ausência poderia ser explicada pelo viés da novidade que é adotado pelo autor. Apresentar novidades obtidas por exames de imagem das áreas cerebrais ativadas seria uma opção em detrimento de uma abordagem da diferença entre raciocínio por dedução, indução e abdução analisados por C. S. Peirce (1839-1914)? Vou resumir uma das pesquisas que mais me interessou no livro. De acordo com as pesquisas atuais na área da neurociência, somos apresentados à ação do córtex pré-frontal lateral quando pensamos fora da caixa. Os pesquisadores identificaram uma divisão de trabalho entre os hemisférios direito e esquerdo, o direito se deixa levar por associações divergentes, o esquerdo foca na associação mais óbvia. Mlodinow conta a história de um teste criado por neurocientistas nos anos 2000. Trata-se da apresentação de três palavras. Pede-se às pessoas que pensem uma palavra-solução, uma quarta palavra, que forme uma palavra composta ou frase quando ligada a cada uma das três palavras apresentadas. Para solucionar esse tipo de teste, precisamos nos deixar levar por associações, e não tomar apenas o caminho de uma associação óbvia. Assim também acontece quando nos deixamos levar pelo inconsciente dizendo ou escrevendo o que nos ocorre, mas depois fazemos uma crítica racional (se pretendemos publicizar nossas ideias originais). E Freud não foi esquecido por Mlodinow. O pensamento que Mlodinow nomeia como "de cima para baixo" corresponde ao que Freud chamava de processos secundários de pensamento e o pensamento "de baixo para cima" aos processos primários de pensamento, ou inconscientes, que ocorrem no sonhar, por exemplo. Atualmente, a TV italiana RAI, apresenta um programa, "L'ereditá", no qual candidatos a dezenas de milhares de Euros precisam encontrar, em um minuto, a palavra que vai bem com uma lista de outras cinco. No programa exibido em 30/03/2019, um jovem estudante de psicologia precisava achar a palavra que combinava com "vinho, tema, passeio, princípio e descoberta", ele disse "turístico" e explicou, depois do fracasso de pensamento flexível, que tomara por fio condutor a palavra "passeio". Ou seja, ele seguiu por um caminho óbvio, "passeio turístico" e essa associação inibiu as outras possibilidades, restando a dificuldade de relacionar turístico com as outras quatro palavras. O livro ainda apresenta, ao final, uma comparação muito pertinente entre o pensamento divergente, esquizotipia e esquizofrenia.
Quando iniciei a leitura, fiquei intrigada por não encontrar referências a Edward de Bono (1933), professor em Oxford com livros sobre Lógica Fluida e Pensamento lateral na década de 1990. De Bono pesquisou sobre a diferença entre o pensamento analítico e o pensamento lateral. A explicação para ausência de referências ao europeu poderia ter relação com a leitura política que De Bono extrai dessa oposição de formas de pensar? O estadounidense Mlodinow prefere ficar no campo do individual e seus editores parecem empurrar o livro para a prateleira dos livros de autoajuda. Mas há um outro esquecido, cuja ausência poderia ser explicada pelo viés da novidade que é adotado pelo autor. Apresentar novidades obtidas por exames de imagem das áreas cerebrais ativadas seria uma opção em detrimento de uma abordagem da diferença entre raciocínio por dedução, indução e abdução analisados por C. S. Peirce (1839-1914)? Vou resumir uma das pesquisas que mais me interessou no livro. De acordo com as pesquisas atuais na área da neurociência, somos apresentados à ação do córtex pré-frontal lateral quando pensamos fora da caixa. Os pesquisadores identificaram uma divisão de trabalho entre os hemisférios direito e esquerdo, o direito se deixa levar por associações divergentes, o esquerdo foca na associação mais óbvia. Mlodinow conta a história de um teste criado por neurocientistas nos anos 2000. Trata-se da apresentação de três palavras. Pede-se às pessoas que pensem uma palavra-solução, uma quarta palavra, que forme uma palavra composta ou frase quando ligada a cada uma das três palavras apresentadas. Para solucionar esse tipo de teste, precisamos nos deixar levar por associações, e não tomar apenas o caminho de uma associação óbvia. Assim também acontece quando nos deixamos levar pelo inconsciente dizendo ou escrevendo o que nos ocorre, mas depois fazemos uma crítica racional (se pretendemos publicizar nossas ideias originais). E Freud não foi esquecido por Mlodinow. O pensamento que Mlodinow nomeia como "de cima para baixo" corresponde ao que Freud chamava de processos secundários de pensamento e o pensamento "de baixo para cima" aos processos primários de pensamento, ou inconscientes, que ocorrem no sonhar, por exemplo. Atualmente, a TV italiana RAI, apresenta um programa, "L'ereditá", no qual candidatos a dezenas de milhares de Euros precisam encontrar, em um minuto, a palavra que vai bem com uma lista de outras cinco. No programa exibido em 30/03/2019, um jovem estudante de psicologia precisava achar a palavra que combinava com "vinho, tema, passeio, princípio e descoberta", ele disse "turístico" e explicou, depois do fracasso de pensamento flexível, que tomara por fio condutor a palavra "passeio". Ou seja, ele seguiu por um caminho óbvio, "passeio turístico" e essa associação inibiu as outras possibilidades, restando a dificuldade de relacionar turístico com as outras quatro palavras. O livro ainda apresenta, ao final, uma comparação muito pertinente entre o pensamento divergente, esquizotipia e esquizofrenia.
August 11, 2021
Ideally, if you put a constantly malnourished person on a high-calorie diet, he will become overgrown with muscles, his hair will shine and lie down in a beautiful wave, his skin will glow with health. In reality, fat hair will not be able to cover the acne that has come out from somewhere, and instead of muscles, the abdomen will bulge. Fortunately, the mental body, unlike the physical body, has a built-in defense mechanism. which Leonard Mlodinov calls elastic thinking.
Охота к перемене
Мы люди перешагиваем границы. Мы рвемся на новые территории, даже когда нам хватает ресурсов там, где мы есть. Другие животные так не поступают.
Старинное китайское проклятие "Чтобы ты жил в эпоху перемен" реализовалось сегодня для всего человечества и нельзя сказать, чтобы мы были особенно недовольны своим временем. То есть, всегда найдутся ностальгирующие по старым добрым временам, о которых понятия не имеют. Но абсолютное большинство не может не оценить возможностей, предоставленных эпохой перепроизводства. Вдоволь вкусной разнообразной еды и красивой одежды на любой вкус, быстрый удобный транспорт и хорошие дороги, многообразие и доступность форм досуга.
И конечно информация - возможность мгновенно дотянуться до любой или почти любой, за считанные часы получить необходимый для решения определенной проблемы багаж знаний, на добывание которых в прежние времена уходили недели и месяцы. Оборотная сторона этого изобилия перманентный стресс., связанный с необходимостью решать сотни задач, прежде перед нами не встававших.
В идеале, если посадить постоянно недоедавшего человека на высококалорийную диету, он обрастет мускулатурой, волосы заблестят и лягут красивой волной, кожа засветится здоровьем. В реальности жирные сосульки волос не сумеют прикрыть откуда-то вылезших прыщей, а вместо мышц оттопырится брюшко. К счастью, у ментального тела, в отличие от физического, есть встроенный механизм защиты. который Леонард Млодинов называет эластичным мышлением.
Избавляться от удобных представлений и отставлять убеждения, открываясь новому; умение полагаться в равной мере и на логику, и на интуицию, производить и воспринимать идеи; желание экспериментировать и терпимое отношение к неудаче. Свойства, которые и раньше пригождались, а сейчас становятся необходимыми.
В противовес нисходящему способу решения проблемы, аналитическому мышлению, идеальному для работы в стабильных условиях - эластичное есть способ мышления снизу вверх. Когда готовое решение находится мгновенным соединением двух или нескольких объектов из разных сфер, которых прежде никому не приходило в голову совмещать.
Именно креативность, утверждает "Гибкое мышление в эпоху перемен", позволила предкам человека прямоходящего выжить в послеледниковый период, когда численность популяции сократилась до отметки вымирания. Более склонные к оседлости, неандертальцы ушли, не оставив по себе следа.
Опираясь на данные нейробиологических исследований, автор утверждает, что у человека есть встроенный эволюционный механизм поощрения, когда найденное креативное решение сопровождает усиленная выработка эндорфинов. Отчасти в этом объяснение нашей любви к разгадыванию загадок на всех уровнях, от шарад и кроссвордов до прорывных научных идей.
Замечательно интересный нонфикшн от одного из лучших в современном мире популяризаторов научных идей в великолепном переводе Шаши Мартыновой.
Охота к перемене
Мы люди перешагиваем границы. Мы рвемся на новые территории, даже когда нам хватает ресурсов там, где мы есть. Другие животные так не поступают.
Старинное китайское проклятие "Чтобы ты жил в эпоху перемен" реализовалось сегодня для всего человечества и нельзя сказать, чтобы мы были особенно недовольны своим временем. То есть, всегда найдутся ностальгирующие по старым добрым временам, о которых понятия не имеют. Но абсолютное большинство не может не оценить возможностей, предоставленных эпохой перепроизводства. Вдоволь вкусной разнообразной еды и красивой одежды на любой вкус, быстрый удобный транспорт и хорошие дороги, многообразие и доступность форм досуга.
И конечно информация - возможность мгновенно дотянуться до любой или почти любой, за считанные часы получить необходимый для решения определенной проблемы багаж знаний, на добывание которых в прежние времена уходили недели и месяцы. Оборотная сторона этого изобилия перманентный стресс., связанный с необходимостью решать сотни задач, прежде перед нами не встававших.
В идеале, если посадить постоянно недоедавшего человека на высококалорийную диету, он обрастет мускулатурой, волосы заблестят и лягут красивой волной, кожа засветится здоровьем. В реальности жирные сосульки волос не сумеют прикрыть откуда-то вылезших прыщей, а вместо мышц оттопырится брюшко. К счастью, у ментального тела, в отличие от физического, есть встроенный механизм защиты. который Леонард Млодинов называет эластичным мышлением.
Избавляться от удобных представлений и отставлять убеждения, открываясь новому; умение полагаться в равной мере и на логику, и на интуицию, производить и воспринимать идеи; желание экспериментировать и терпимое отношение к неудаче. Свойства, которые и раньше пригождались, а сейчас становятся необходимыми.
В противовес нисходящему способу решения проблемы, аналитическому мышлению, идеальному для работы в стабильных условиях - эластичное есть способ мышления снизу вверх. Когда готовое решение находится мгновенным соединением двух или нескольких объектов из разных сфер, которых прежде никому не приходило в голову совмещать.
Именно креативность, утверждает "Гибкое мышление в эпоху перемен", позволила предкам человека прямоходящего выжить в послеледниковый период, когда численность популяции сократилась до отметки вымирания. Более склонные к оседлости, неандертальцы ушли, не оставив по себе следа.
Опираясь на данные нейробиологических исследований, автор утверждает, что у человека есть встроенный эволюционный механизм поощрения, когда найденное креативное решение сопровождает усиленная выработка эндорфинов. Отчасти в этом объяснение нашей любви к разгадыванию загадок на всех уровнях, от шарад и кроссвордов до прорывных научных идей.
Замечательно интересный нонфикшн от одного из лучших в современном мире популяризаторов научных идей в великолепном переводе Шаши Мартыновой.
May 5, 2024
Mlodinow is a theoretical physicist and mathematician who taught for many years at Caltech before shifting his focus to cognitive psychology. For those of us who regularly read popular cognitive psychology books by the academic (or formerly academic) set, Mlodinow probably isn't among the first names to come to mind (he's not an , a , a or an , for instance). I previously read Mlodinow's book which was interesting but not particularly novel.
I also found Elastic to be interesting and compellingly-written, but not particularly novel, due to the oversaturation of the pop psychology field as evidenced by the authors above. The niche that Mlodinow explores in this book is how to be a more creative, flexible, lateral thinker. I would recommend this read to anyone who's interested in learning this skill as a great introductory book into this topic.
Further reading - creative thinking:
by Tom and David Kelley
by Temple Grandin
by Tina Seelig
by Seth Godin
by Michael Gelb
I also found Elastic to be interesting and compellingly-written, but not particularly novel, due to the oversaturation of the pop psychology field as evidenced by the authors above. The niche that Mlodinow explores in this book is how to be a more creative, flexible, lateral thinker. I would recommend this read to anyone who's interested in learning this skill as a great introductory book into this topic.
Further reading - creative thinking:
by Tom and David Kelley
by Temple Grandin
by Tina Seelig
by Seth Godin
by Michael Gelb
January 27, 2024
Väga põnev raamat mõtlemisest, ideede tekkimisest ja ajust. Sain nii mõnegi huvitava uue teadmise. Raamatu ülesehitus oli lihtne ja loogiline ning teadusuuringud näitlikustatud reaalse eluga.
Nõudis muidugi teatavad meelestatust, et lugeda jaksaks.
Nõudis muidugi teatavad meelestatust, et lugeda jaksaks.
April 21, 2020
Mulle väga meeldivad populaarteaduslikud raamatud, aga millegipärast kipun neid sageli pooleli jätma. Ma tean, et mul seisab kapi äärel vähemalt kaks tükki, mis juba mitu aastat ootavad, et ma neid edasi loeks, aga võtsin ikkagi hoopis järgmise käsile ja lootsin, et seda sama saatus ei taba. Nimelt pakuti mulle kirjastusest eelmisel aastal ilmunud teost "Nõtkelt. Paindlikust mõtlemisest muutuste ajastul", mille autor on füüsik Leonard Mlodinow.
Suur osa loomade ja ka inimeste käitumisest põhineb skriptidel, mis on kaasasündinud või tulenevad harjumustest. Ülejäänud toiminguid juhib mõtlemine. Pikka aega domineeris maailmas analüütiline ehk ülevalt alla mõtlemine, kus otsused põhinevad analüüsil ja loogikal. Tänapäeval on aga kõik pidevalt muutumises ning see soodustab mõtlema alt üles ehk nõtkelt ehk "kastist välja". Nõtke mõtlemine hõlmab mugavatest ideedest ja omaksvõetud arvamustest loobumise, vastuoludega harjumise, kujutlusvõime usaldamise, eksperimenteerimiseks valmisolekku ning tolerantsuse ebaõnnestumiste suhtes. Imaginaararvud, Pokemon Go ning nuppudega telefon on vaid paar näidet, mis autor toob illustreerimaks nõtkest mõtlemisest sündinud leiutisi.
Praegu tarbime me erinevatest meediakanalitest keskeltläbi suisa 100 000 sõna uut infot päevas - see võrdub 300-leheküljelise raamatuga.
"Nõtkelt" on esimene mõtlemise teemaline raamat, mida ma lugenud olen. Teos pakkus päris head sissejuhatust, milline on hetke arusaam sellest, kuidas mõtted ja ideed ajus sünnivad. Varem teadsin nõtket mõtlemist kui "kastist välja" mõtlemist, aga mul ei olnud aimugi, kui oluline see tegelikult on. Mlodinow annab ülevaate erinevatest tehtud teadustöödest ning lisab muidugi oma teooriaid. Tema seletused olid lihtsasti mõistetavad. Eriti hästi olid teemast aru saamisel abiks näited igapäevaelust, aga huvitav oli ka lugeda, kuidas avastusi on tehtud õnnetustesse sattunud inimeste või vaimuhaigete uurimise abil. Veel üks põnev teema oli see, kuidas on reguleeritud, millal toimub analüütiline ja millal nõtke mõtlemine. Nimelt on üks võime tugevam siis, kui teine on nõrgem - näiteks, kui sul ei tule hommikuti üldse matemaatikaülesanded välja, siis peaksid sel ajal hoopis millegi loovaga tegema ja jätma matemaatika õhtusse.
Igaühes meist on kaks erinevat mõtlejat, loogik ja poeet, konkurendid, kelle võitlusest sünnivad meie mõtted ja ideed.
Raamat andis palju mõtteainet ja ahhaa-momente. Näiteks seletas see, miks tehisintelligentsi nii raske saavutada on. Veel üks oluline mõte on see, kuidas noortel ja kogenematutel on innovaatilisemad ideed, sest neil ei ole välja kujunenud harjumusi, kuidas midagi peaks tegema. Seetõttu andis teos tegelikult mulle julgust juurde oma ideid välja öelda ning ise rohkem katsetada.
Üks iroonilisi elutõdesid ongi, et ehkki meile meeldib, et meil on õigus, tuleb kasuks, kui meile mõnikord öeldakse, et me eksime.
Lisaks on raamatus ka praktiline pool - erinevad testid, mille abil saab kohe end hinnata ning samuti soovitused harjutusteks, mida teha, et enda nõtket mõtlemist arendada. Enda jaoks võtsin teosest kaasa, et võiksin olla veelgi avatuma meelega ning olema valmis oma tõekspidamisi kõrvale heitma ning vastupidist kaaluma. Lisaks võiksin leida ja tekitada hetki, kus aju saab "taustal" töötada, näiteks pakuks seda hästi jalutuskäik looduses.
Aju tasustab originaalset ja kunstilist mõtlemist, kuna need oskused on tähtsad igal loomal, et muutustele ja ettenägematutele asjaoludele reageerida. Nii on mõistetav paljude loomade artistliku loomuse avaldumine end paarituspartnerile reklaamides. /.../ Kas võiks kunstiandeil olla samasugune roll ka inimeste paaritumisel? Kas see võiks sünnipäraselt ja teadvustamatul tasandil olla loodetavale partnerile märguanne geenide omamisest, mis soodustavad ellujäämist?
"Nõtkelt" annab mõnusa ülevaate erinevatest mõtlemise viisidest ning sisaldab ka kasulikke teste ning nippe, kuidas oma nõtket mõtlemist arendada. Autori mõttekäike oli kerge jälgida ning ta seletab hästi lahti ka teadustöö. Mulle pakkus raamat uusi teadmisi ja huvitavaid mõtteid, mida ise rakendada. Soovitan lugeda, kui soovid, et sinust ei saaks üks neist inimestest, kes oma vananenud mõtteviisidega ajale hambu jääb!
Aitäh, Kirjastus Argo, raamatu eest!
November 6, 2019
Mlodinow’s had a pretty remarkable career, performing basic research with Feynman and Hawking, and writing for Star Trek TNG as well as some popular science books. His book ‘Drunkard’s Walk� was one of the first popular books about mathematics that I remember reading, triggering a decade of similar reading for me.
This book was kind of disappointing. Mlodinow clearly has life experiences around working and thinking creatively that merit analysis, but 'Elastic' is more a summary of psych research than uniqure observation. The elastic concept is a kind of loosely defined description for our human ability to associate disparate ideas. This - in contrast to more programmatic thinking - is a skill that Mlodinow argues can be developed through training, and is going to become more valuable as our economy continues to shift. The ideas are pretty tired - "beginners mind" and all that.
Here's a few things I found interesting:
- We consume on average 100,000 words of new information each day, which is the equivalent of a 300 page book. This about 2x my audiobook consumption that I’ve averaged over the past 2 years, so I’d guess it’s a little bit overstated
- The word and concept “boring� only came about during the industrial revolution
- There was a climate moment about 135,000 years ago that reduced our population to about 600 individuals
-
- Scientist Hans Berger used EEG to theorize that some idea development was happening subconsciously by a resting brain that wasn’t working on a specific task. This is evidence to ideas “appearing� when someone is daydreaming. This activity was happening in our “association� cortices, where 3/4 of our neurons reside
- The Anterior Cingulate Cortex is theorized to control how much each hemispheres� suggestions of how to solve a task are “heard�. The left brain’s logic/experience ideas are first prioritized, then swap to the right brain’s creative ideas if unsuccessful. The ACC does this by shutting down our right visual cortex, which we do sometimes manually when we close our eyes to solve a difficult problem. Interestingly, when we experience discomfort in thinking for a solution, our ACC is switching over, which is justification for gritting though those moments
This book was kind of disappointing. Mlodinow clearly has life experiences around working and thinking creatively that merit analysis, but 'Elastic' is more a summary of psych research than uniqure observation. The elastic concept is a kind of loosely defined description for our human ability to associate disparate ideas. This - in contrast to more programmatic thinking - is a skill that Mlodinow argues can be developed through training, and is going to become more valuable as our economy continues to shift. The ideas are pretty tired - "beginners mind" and all that.
Here's a few things I found interesting:
- We consume on average 100,000 words of new information each day, which is the equivalent of a 300 page book. This about 2x my audiobook consumption that I’ve averaged over the past 2 years, so I’d guess it’s a little bit overstated
- The word and concept “boring� only came about during the industrial revolution
- There was a climate moment about 135,000 years ago that reduced our population to about 600 individuals
-
- Scientist Hans Berger used EEG to theorize that some idea development was happening subconsciously by a resting brain that wasn’t working on a specific task. This is evidence to ideas “appearing� when someone is daydreaming. This activity was happening in our “association� cortices, where 3/4 of our neurons reside
- The Anterior Cingulate Cortex is theorized to control how much each hemispheres� suggestions of how to solve a task are “heard�. The left brain’s logic/experience ideas are first prioritized, then swap to the right brain’s creative ideas if unsuccessful. The ACC does this by shutting down our right visual cortex, which we do sometimes manually when we close our eyes to solve a difficult problem. Interestingly, when we experience discomfort in thinking for a solution, our ACC is switching over, which is justification for gritting though those moments
January 27, 2022
The recipe for educational and informative science books for lay people includes current research, brilliant writing that makes complex concepts extremely accessible, and a highly entertaining narrative style that engages readers from page one. But wait, there is one essential missing item—the talent of theoretical physicist and author Leonard Mlodinow to exquisitely blend all of the above into a perfect book! And he has done it again with Elastic: Unlocking Your Brain’s Ability to Embrace Change.
In the early pages of the book, Mlodinow juxtaposes elastic thinking with two other forms, scripted thinking and analytical thinking. Scripted thinking “produces a fixed response, and so it often fails in circumstances of novelty or change.� It is the result of innate wiring or something learned from habit. Analytical thinking has inherent power and is valued in schools and organizations alike. But it suffers from the same shortcoming as scripted thinking in that it proceeds in linear fashion. “Governed by our conscious mind, in analytical thinking, thoughts and ideas come in sequence, from A to B to C, each following its predecessor according to a fixed set of rules—the rules of logic as might be executed on a computer. As a result, analytical reasoning, like scripted processing, often fails to meet the challenges of novelty and change.�
Elastic thinking, says Mlodinow, “is what endows us with the ability to solve novel problems and to overcome the neural and psychological barriers that can impede us from looking beyond the existing border.� Each of the thinking models has its use, but only a reliance on elastic thinking will help meet the challenges of novelty and change. “Elastic thinking is a nonlinear mode of processing in which multiple threads of thought may be pursued in parallel. Conclusions are reached from the bottom up through the minute interactions of billions of networked neurons in a process too complex to be detailed step by step. Lacking the strict top-down direction of analytical thought, and being more emotion-driven, elastic thinking is tailored to integrating diverse information, solving riddles, and finding new approaches to challenging problems.�
After a short introduction, Mlodinow delves into his subject matter at a nifty pace. His four-part structure covers the following in considerable depth: the need to adapt our thinking to change; how humans absorb and process information to best position them for innovative problem solving when challenges arise from novelty and change; the brain’s amazing ability to generate solutions to new problems; and how to overcome barriers that block elastic thinking.
Those who have read Mlodinow’s other books will expect—and enjoy numerous instances of—the author’s signature humor guaranteed to trigger audible chuckles. Some examples: “Yes, in just a few thousand years, we’ve evolved from people who’d be happy eating an undercooked beaver to individuals who obsess over whether their cracker should be Original Cheddar or Queso Fiesta.� “The feat [of recognizing a cat] required a thousand computers networked together. A child, on the other hand, can do it by age three, and while eating a banana and smearing peanut butter on a wall.� “It’s as if you sign up as a checker at Walmart, but the real job turns out to be shampooing dogs.�
This is a fabulous book, and the presence of helpful diagrams and quick quizzes that readers can try make it a fast and enjoyable read. This reviewer also highly recommends the following by the same author: The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives, Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior, and The Upright Thinkers: The Human Journey from Living in Trees to Understanding the Cosmos.
In the early pages of the book, Mlodinow juxtaposes elastic thinking with two other forms, scripted thinking and analytical thinking. Scripted thinking “produces a fixed response, and so it often fails in circumstances of novelty or change.� It is the result of innate wiring or something learned from habit. Analytical thinking has inherent power and is valued in schools and organizations alike. But it suffers from the same shortcoming as scripted thinking in that it proceeds in linear fashion. “Governed by our conscious mind, in analytical thinking, thoughts and ideas come in sequence, from A to B to C, each following its predecessor according to a fixed set of rules—the rules of logic as might be executed on a computer. As a result, analytical reasoning, like scripted processing, often fails to meet the challenges of novelty and change.�
Elastic thinking, says Mlodinow, “is what endows us with the ability to solve novel problems and to overcome the neural and psychological barriers that can impede us from looking beyond the existing border.� Each of the thinking models has its use, but only a reliance on elastic thinking will help meet the challenges of novelty and change. “Elastic thinking is a nonlinear mode of processing in which multiple threads of thought may be pursued in parallel. Conclusions are reached from the bottom up through the minute interactions of billions of networked neurons in a process too complex to be detailed step by step. Lacking the strict top-down direction of analytical thought, and being more emotion-driven, elastic thinking is tailored to integrating diverse information, solving riddles, and finding new approaches to challenging problems.�
After a short introduction, Mlodinow delves into his subject matter at a nifty pace. His four-part structure covers the following in considerable depth: the need to adapt our thinking to change; how humans absorb and process information to best position them for innovative problem solving when challenges arise from novelty and change; the brain’s amazing ability to generate solutions to new problems; and how to overcome barriers that block elastic thinking.
Those who have read Mlodinow’s other books will expect—and enjoy numerous instances of—the author’s signature humor guaranteed to trigger audible chuckles. Some examples: “Yes, in just a few thousand years, we’ve evolved from people who’d be happy eating an undercooked beaver to individuals who obsess over whether their cracker should be Original Cheddar or Queso Fiesta.� “The feat [of recognizing a cat] required a thousand computers networked together. A child, on the other hand, can do it by age three, and while eating a banana and smearing peanut butter on a wall.� “It’s as if you sign up as a checker at Walmart, but the real job turns out to be shampooing dogs.�
This is a fabulous book, and the presence of helpful diagrams and quick quizzes that readers can try make it a fast and enjoyable read. This reviewer also highly recommends the following by the same author: The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives, Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior, and The Upright Thinkers: The Human Journey from Living in Trees to Understanding the Cosmos.
January 19, 2021
With the threat of the coronavirus hanging over our heads, and the way that it has forced us to change� well, literally abso-fucking-lutely everything� you could argue that elastic thinking is more important than ever.
So what is elastic thinking?
The author describes it as the opposite of “analytical� (also called “top down� or linear) thinking. Computers and human brains are both proficient at analytical thinking. A + B = C. This kind of thinking involves executive structures dictating the approach.
But unlike computers, brains can also do “bottom up� processes� creative, nonlinear thinking, where individual neurons fire somewhat chaotically. This kind of thinking is closely tied to the brain’s emotional center.
In particular, the left hemisphere of the brain is adept at analytic thinking and the right hemisphere at elastic thinking. There’s a brain structure called the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) which lies just above the corpus callosum (the structure that connects the two brain hemispheres). It acts as a judge, deciding whose voice (left or right brain) gets “shouted� more loudly to the person’s consciousness. So, when confronted with a problem, the ACC first directs your awareness towards your left brain (the analytical brain), which sorts through the problem and offers literal, logical, linear possible responses to the problem. If that doesn’t lead to the answer, your ACC broads then scope of focus and lets the oddball, imaginative ideas from the right brain take center stage.
I’ve heard/read about what happens when you sever the corpus callosum (thereby severing the communication between the two hemispheres) but this book really brings it home just how separate the hemispheres are. Each has its own memory, learning ability, and mental processes. What one half of the brain learns (for instance, teaching only the right part of the brain to do a task, by covering the opposite eye), the other brain won’t be aware of.
In one SUPER cool example, a patient was asked how many seizures she had. Her right hand held up two fingers. The left hand grabbed that hand and pulled it down, then held up just one finger. The hands fought each other like children. The patient referred to her left hand as a “maverick.� Why did she identify the left hand as a “maverick� and the right hand as “normal?� Because the left hand is controlled by the right hemisphere� which has no speech. The left hemisphere controls speech. So the “person� that was talking was the left hemisphere. Of course it would prefer itself and call the opposite the “maverick�! It’s so disconcerting to think you have two competing personalities in your head.
“The truth is that, within all of us, there exist the neural networks of both a mischievous, imaginative child and a rational, self-censoring adult.�
And that’s pretty much the author’s purpose in this book� to persuade us that that mischievous child is valuable and underrated, and we would do well to pay attention to it and allow it time to play.
For instance, a study in 2014 found that mortality rates among high-risk, acute-care patients was 30% lower when the top doctors at the hospital were out of town. So you might be better off getting a resident than the chief of surgery, because the chief is likely to form opinions quickly based on their extensive past experience rather than approaching each case as novel.
Another study took a group of patients at a nursing home, who took, on average, 7 medications. With careful monitoring, the researchers took half of those patients off of about half of their medications. None suffered serious side effects, and almost all reported improved health (and in fact, the death rate among them was far lower than the other half of the patients who served as the control group). Basically, doctors prescribe medications on autopilot, the textbook approach to patients, when they’d have done better to use their creative, novel-thinking right brain.
My personal favourite section, though, was “Thinking When You’re Not Thinking.� Daydreaming, or “default mode� of thought, is possessed by all mammals (even rodents). It’s also the origin of most of our best, most original thoughts. (The example of my all-time great Mary Shelley is given� she labored for days trying to come up with a story that would be on par with her friends,� only to have the idea for Frankenstein come to her the one time she wasn’t trying to think of a story.)
When you allow your mind to go “empty,� it is actually a frenzy of activity in three parts of your brain, together called the “default network.� The default network also governs our internal mental life, the dialogue we have with ourselves (conscious & unconscious). When we “empty our minds� and turn off our attention to the world around us and thoughts thereof, it allows our internal world to flourish, and for our default network to combine ideas and make associations in frenzied, productive ways.
So when your mind is “at rest,� it’s really bouncing thoughts back and forth, making associations in the background, free to roam. This is why being plugged into our phones is so damaging to our creative minds� if we’re constantly checking it, reading texts, getting notifications and emails, that takes up the time we might otherwise spend daydreaming.
I also really enjoyed the explanation of “concept neurons.� Previously, scientists had derisively called them “grandmother cells� because they were skeptical of the idea that you have a network of cells reserved for your grandmother, but they wer proven wrong when those cells were discovered in 2005. Essentially, we have networks of these neuros for all the people, places, things, or ideas (like winning or losing) that we’re familiar with. The network representing your grandmother, for instance, would fire when you see her, see her name written out in text, hear her name spoken, or are otherwise reminded of some aspect of her. They’re the reason you can recognize your grandmother in a variety of scenarios� in different places, wearing different clothes, with different hair colours.
Finally, like any fun pop sci book, it has plenty of Cosmo-style quizzes (I learned that I’m off the charts on neophilia, reward motivation, and schizotypal thinking, but below average in mindfulness).
Overall, it’s a fantastic book, incredibly interesting and easy to get lost in.
So what is elastic thinking?
The author describes it as the opposite of “analytical� (also called “top down� or linear) thinking. Computers and human brains are both proficient at analytical thinking. A + B = C. This kind of thinking involves executive structures dictating the approach.
But unlike computers, brains can also do “bottom up� processes� creative, nonlinear thinking, where individual neurons fire somewhat chaotically. This kind of thinking is closely tied to the brain’s emotional center.
In particular, the left hemisphere of the brain is adept at analytic thinking and the right hemisphere at elastic thinking. There’s a brain structure called the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) which lies just above the corpus callosum (the structure that connects the two brain hemispheres). It acts as a judge, deciding whose voice (left or right brain) gets “shouted� more loudly to the person’s consciousness. So, when confronted with a problem, the ACC first directs your awareness towards your left brain (the analytical brain), which sorts through the problem and offers literal, logical, linear possible responses to the problem. If that doesn’t lead to the answer, your ACC broads then scope of focus and lets the oddball, imaginative ideas from the right brain take center stage.
I’ve heard/read about what happens when you sever the corpus callosum (thereby severing the communication between the two hemispheres) but this book really brings it home just how separate the hemispheres are. Each has its own memory, learning ability, and mental processes. What one half of the brain learns (for instance, teaching only the right part of the brain to do a task, by covering the opposite eye), the other brain won’t be aware of.
In one SUPER cool example, a patient was asked how many seizures she had. Her right hand held up two fingers. The left hand grabbed that hand and pulled it down, then held up just one finger. The hands fought each other like children. The patient referred to her left hand as a “maverick.� Why did she identify the left hand as a “maverick� and the right hand as “normal?� Because the left hand is controlled by the right hemisphere� which has no speech. The left hemisphere controls speech. So the “person� that was talking was the left hemisphere. Of course it would prefer itself and call the opposite the “maverick�! It’s so disconcerting to think you have two competing personalities in your head.
“The truth is that, within all of us, there exist the neural networks of both a mischievous, imaginative child and a rational, self-censoring adult.�
And that’s pretty much the author’s purpose in this book� to persuade us that that mischievous child is valuable and underrated, and we would do well to pay attention to it and allow it time to play.
For instance, a study in 2014 found that mortality rates among high-risk, acute-care patients was 30% lower when the top doctors at the hospital were out of town. So you might be better off getting a resident than the chief of surgery, because the chief is likely to form opinions quickly based on their extensive past experience rather than approaching each case as novel.
Another study took a group of patients at a nursing home, who took, on average, 7 medications. With careful monitoring, the researchers took half of those patients off of about half of their medications. None suffered serious side effects, and almost all reported improved health (and in fact, the death rate among them was far lower than the other half of the patients who served as the control group). Basically, doctors prescribe medications on autopilot, the textbook approach to patients, when they’d have done better to use their creative, novel-thinking right brain.
My personal favourite section, though, was “Thinking When You’re Not Thinking.� Daydreaming, or “default mode� of thought, is possessed by all mammals (even rodents). It’s also the origin of most of our best, most original thoughts. (The example of my all-time great Mary Shelley is given� she labored for days trying to come up with a story that would be on par with her friends,� only to have the idea for Frankenstein come to her the one time she wasn’t trying to think of a story.)
When you allow your mind to go “empty,� it is actually a frenzy of activity in three parts of your brain, together called the “default network.� The default network also governs our internal mental life, the dialogue we have with ourselves (conscious & unconscious). When we “empty our minds� and turn off our attention to the world around us and thoughts thereof, it allows our internal world to flourish, and for our default network to combine ideas and make associations in frenzied, productive ways.
So when your mind is “at rest,� it’s really bouncing thoughts back and forth, making associations in the background, free to roam. This is why being plugged into our phones is so damaging to our creative minds� if we’re constantly checking it, reading texts, getting notifications and emails, that takes up the time we might otherwise spend daydreaming.
I also really enjoyed the explanation of “concept neurons.� Previously, scientists had derisively called them “grandmother cells� because they were skeptical of the idea that you have a network of cells reserved for your grandmother, but they wer proven wrong when those cells were discovered in 2005. Essentially, we have networks of these neuros for all the people, places, things, or ideas (like winning or losing) that we’re familiar with. The network representing your grandmother, for instance, would fire when you see her, see her name written out in text, hear her name spoken, or are otherwise reminded of some aspect of her. They’re the reason you can recognize your grandmother in a variety of scenarios� in different places, wearing different clothes, with different hair colours.
Finally, like any fun pop sci book, it has plenty of Cosmo-style quizzes (I learned that I’m off the charts on neophilia, reward motivation, and schizotypal thinking, but below average in mindfulness).
Overall, it’s a fantastic book, incredibly interesting and easy to get lost in.
March 8, 2021
Did not finish and couldnt bring myself to continue after 3 ramble-y chapters. I found the anecdotes/examples tediously written and imprecise in corroborating the points they were meant to illustrate. What irked me most was his seeming preference for using gendered examples that were just irrelevant. Alongside his random quibs about female spouses and their idiosyncrasies, it almost felt like he was distracted by a personal vendetta against his wife (or some ex) throughout these chapters. If it was meant to be quirky it was lost on me.
And whatever “elastic thinking� means, it seems to draw a lot from dopamine drives in these beginning chapters, for which I would recommend The Molecule of More for better writing on the topic (though not without its own problems in linking to larger social sciences, but the science was great).
Given the great reviews at the cover by other influential people, I am hugely disappointed and regret wasting my time on this book. Some reviews say it gets better at the second half but if I have to tolerate the first half of rubbish to get there, no thanks.
And whatever “elastic thinking� means, it seems to draw a lot from dopamine drives in these beginning chapters, for which I would recommend The Molecule of More for better writing on the topic (though not without its own problems in linking to larger social sciences, but the science was great).
Given the great reviews at the cover by other influential people, I am hugely disappointed and regret wasting my time on this book. Some reviews say it gets better at the second half but if I have to tolerate the first half of rubbish to get there, no thanks.
June 4, 2021
Pulling from various psychology studies, evolutionary history, and countless examples, Mlodinow attempts to show us how we can keep our creative minds sharp and adapt to a quickly changing world.
Nearly every single psychology experiment quoted here has been better covered by authors such as Stephen Pinker and Malcolm Gladwell. Mlodinow repeats the results of these experiments and then proceeds to beat you into the ground with irrelevant details and examples that feel more like anecdotal filler than relevant stories.
Virtually no concrete advice on cultivating creativity is offered until near the very end. My main takeaway is that procrastinating and doing drugs can help enhance your mind's creativity.
If you're new to cognitive psychology, you might find this book to be a good overview of the research. I would still recommend picking from any book by Stephen Pinker before starting this one.
Nearly every single psychology experiment quoted here has been better covered by authors such as Stephen Pinker and Malcolm Gladwell. Mlodinow repeats the results of these experiments and then proceeds to beat you into the ground with irrelevant details and examples that feel more like anecdotal filler than relevant stories.
Virtually no concrete advice on cultivating creativity is offered until near the very end. My main takeaway is that procrastinating and doing drugs can help enhance your mind's creativity.
If you're new to cognitive psychology, you might find this book to be a good overview of the research. I would still recommend picking from any book by Stephen Pinker before starting this one.
April 3, 2021
ราคา 495 บา� ซึ่งนอกจากแพงแล้� ยังรู้สึกเหมือนชื่อหนังสือกับความคาดหวังมันสวนทางกัน
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พอตั้งชื่อว่� #วิชายืดหยุ่น คนอ่านอย่างผมก็คาดหวังว่� น่าจะม� How to แบบลงลึกถึงการฝึกเคล็ดวิชานี้ว่าหากจะฝึกการคิดแบบยึดหยุ่นต้องทำอย่างไร แต่เนื้อหาส่วนใหญ่กับเป็นการเล่าเหตุการณ์ เรื่องราวของบุคคลต่าง � และงานวิจัยที่เกี่ยวข้อ� บางเรื่องก็ดูเก่� หรือเคยฟังกันมาหลายสิบปีแล้� เช่นให้ลากเส้นผ่านจุดทั้งเก้าจุดโดยห้ามยกดินสอ
ถ้าจะมีส่วนที่พอเรียกว่าวิช� น่าจะเป็นข้อมูลว่าต้องฝึกสติ กับการดื่มแอลกอฮอล์อาจช่วยให้ความคิดยืดหยุ่นขึ้นได� ซึ่งข้อมูลส่วนนี้น้อยมากถ้าเทียบกับความหนาของเล่�
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เรื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์แล้วความคิดยืดหยุ่นนี่อ่านแล้วก็ถูกจริตผมด� ส่วนเรื่องการฝึกสตินั้น บอกก็เหมือนไม่บอ� ผมหมายถึงถ้าอ่านหนังสือแนวพัฒนาสมองหรือพัฒนาความคิดในยุคนี� การแนะนำให้ฝึกสติดูจะเป็นเรื่องพื้นฐานที่ถูกเล่มต้องมีอยู่แล้� พูดอีกอย่างคือเล่มไหนไม่มีสิแปล�
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เมื่ออ่านแล้ว ถึงรู้ว่าเล่มนี้เหมาะสำหรับการอ่านเพื่อรู� ไม่ได้เหมาะสำหรับอ่านเพื่อเรียนเคล็ดวิชายืดหยุ่นเหมือนชื่อหนังสือ
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พอตั้งชื่อว่� #วิชายืดหยุ่น คนอ่านอย่างผมก็คาดหวังว่� น่าจะม� How to แบบลงลึกถึงการฝึกเคล็ดวิชานี้ว่าหากจะฝึกการคิดแบบยึดหยุ่นต้องทำอย่างไร แต่เนื้อหาส่วนใหญ่กับเป็นการเล่าเหตุการณ์ เรื่องราวของบุคคลต่าง � และงานวิจัยที่เกี่ยวข้อ� บางเรื่องก็ดูเก่� หรือเคยฟังกันมาหลายสิบปีแล้� เช่นให้ลากเส้นผ่านจุดทั้งเก้าจุดโดยห้ามยกดินสอ
ถ้าจะมีส่วนที่พอเรียกว่าวิช� น่าจะเป็นข้อมูลว่าต้องฝึกสติ กับการดื่มแอลกอฮอล์อาจช่วยให้ความคิดยืดหยุ่นขึ้นได� ซึ่งข้อมูลส่วนนี้น้อยมากถ้าเทียบกับความหนาของเล่�
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เรื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์แล้วความคิดยืดหยุ่นนี่อ่านแล้วก็ถูกจริตผมด� ส่วนเรื่องการฝึกสตินั้น บอกก็เหมือนไม่บอ� ผมหมายถึงถ้าอ่านหนังสือแนวพัฒนาสมองหรือพัฒนาความคิดในยุคนี� การแนะนำให้ฝึกสติดูจะเป็นเรื่องพื้นฐานที่ถูกเล่มต้องมีอยู่แล้� พูดอีกอย่างคือเล่มไหนไม่มีสิแปล�
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เมื่ออ่านแล้ว ถึงรู้ว่าเล่มนี้เหมาะสำหรับการอ่านเพื่อรู� ไม่ได้เหมาะสำหรับอ่านเพื่อเรียนเคล็ดวิชายืดหยุ่นเหมือนชื่อหนังสือ
October 17, 2022
This was a nice, easy to read psychology book. There were some interesting points, for example, how it is often said that people hate change, but liking novelty is actually a very human characteristic. We just don't like *bad* change, but people are drawn to novel things.
My favorite parts were when the author actually talked about his family. His parents are concentration camp survivors, and he used their experiences to highlight some of his points. I wanted to know more about their stories!
My favorite parts were when the author actually talked about his family. His parents are concentration camp survivors, and he used their experiences to highlight some of his points. I wanted to know more about their stories!
February 23, 2021
อธิบายวิธีคิึϹบบยืึϸยุ่น
คิดว่าคล้ายๆกับหนังสือ Think Fast And Slow แต่ยกตัวอย่า� แล้วเล่าเรื่องได้ง่ายกว่า
💁หากเราเร่งรีบ วุ่นวายตลอดเวล� จะทำให้เราคิดอะไรที่สร้างสรรค์ไม่ออก
สำหรับล่มนี้ป็ȨȨงสือที่แปลได้ดีครั�
คิดว่าคล้ายๆกับหนังสือ Think Fast And Slow แต่ยกตัวอย่า� แล้วเล่าเรื่องได้ง่ายกว่า
💁หากเราเร่งรีบ วุ่นวายตลอดเวล� จะทำให้เราคิดอะไรที่สร้างสรรค์ไม่ออก
สำหรับล่มนี้ป็ȨȨงสือที่แปลได้ดีครั�
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April 5, 2024A bunch of independent slices of research. What I found most interesting is that homosapiens were reduced to 600 breeding people .At one point there was 10,000 people .
August 3, 2019
Achei muito bom, deu várias ideias sobre criatividade etc.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2020
Muito bom, porém não traz nada de novo.
January 30, 2020
Kickass neuroscience book about our attentional filter and creative problem solving, dovetailed very nicely with "Rapt" by Winifred Gallagher.
March 14, 2021
Leonard Mlodinow, bu kitabında da bir çok araştırmaya ve bunların sonuçlarına yer vererek kitabı okunur kılmış. Fakat literatür taramasından öteye geçemiyor kitap. Kitabın vaadettiği gibi "nasıl esnek düşünülür?" e daha çok yer vermesini tercih ederdim. Fakat yine de okuması keyifli bir kitap.
February 20, 2020
An engrossing and very readable account of the developments in brain science and psychology and how they can help us be flexible in our thinking.
January 28, 2021
A bit of an exercise in name dropping, but fun and informative nonetheless.
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