Book Review - Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently by Gregory Berns
Category Book Review Gregory Burns Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently
It's easy to look at the movers and shakers of society and wonder how they do it... How does a Steve Jobs guide Apple to deliver products like the iPod and iPhone? How was Walt Disney able to create an entire entertainment empire centered around cartoons? Gregory Burns goes beyond the press releases and "official history" on how these people tick in his book Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently. I was surprised at how much of what they do can be explained via the science of neurology, and how you can change your own thought patterns and reactions to move in that direction.
Contents:
Doing What Can't Be Done: Howard Armstrong
Through the Eye of an Iconoclast: Dale Chihuly, Paul Lauterbur, Nolan Bushnell
From Perception to Imagination: Walt Disney, Florence Nightingale, Branch Rickey, Kary Mullis
Fear - The Inhibitor of Action: Jackie Robinson, Dixie Chicks, Computer Associates, Rite-Solutions
How Fear Distorts Perception: NASA, Richard Feynman, Solomon Asch, Martin Luther King Jr.
Why the Fear of Failure Makes People Risk Averse: David Dreman, Bill Miller, Henry Ford
Brain Circuits for Social Networking: Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Stanley Milgram, Ray Kroc, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linus Torvalds, Warren Buffett
Private Spaceflight - A Case Study of Iconoclasts Working Together: Burt Rutan, Richard Branson, Peter Diamandis, Rich Homans
When Iconoclast Becomes Icon: Arthur Jones, Jonas Salk, Steve Jobs
The Iconoclast's Pharmacopeia
Notes; Index; About the Author
Burns comes at his iconoclast premise by stating there are three brainblocks to prevent a person from standing out in a group. Flawed perception is when you see things so often and in the same way that your brain starts to make baseline assumptions that may not be accurate any more. Fear of failure is just that... Too many people would rather not try than risk the potential negative outcome. And finally, if you can't convince others to see things the way you do, then you won't be able to turn the tide of conventional thinking to new possibilities. Where this book shines is that Burns backs up his research and findings with concrete examples of people who have indeed become iconoclasts in their fields, people who do things that others think are impossible. While I found all the material very applicable to my own situation, I especially identified with the first premise on perception. I find myself doing the same things in the same ways far too often, and as such I cut myself off from seeing the reality of the situation. I need to throw out my assumptions, look at all the areas of my life from a different angle, and see what jumps out as "no longer the case"...
This is definitely a book that was more practical than I expected, and it will free me up to take a few more chances. In fact, it already has in some areas...
It's easy to look at the movers and shakers of society and wonder how they do it... How does a Steve Jobs guide Apple to deliver products like the iPod and iPhone? How was Walt Disney able to create an entire entertainment empire centered around cartoons? Gregory Burns goes beyond the press releases and "official history" on how these people tick in his book Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently. I was surprised at how much of what they do can be explained via the science of neurology, and how you can change your own thought patterns and reactions to move in that direction.
Contents:
Doing What Can't Be Done: Howard Armstrong
Through the Eye of an Iconoclast: Dale Chihuly, Paul Lauterbur, Nolan Bushnell
From Perception to Imagination: Walt Disney, Florence Nightingale, Branch Rickey, Kary Mullis
Fear - The Inhibitor of Action: Jackie Robinson, Dixie Chicks, Computer Associates, Rite-Solutions
How Fear Distorts Perception: NASA, Richard Feynman, Solomon Asch, Martin Luther King Jr.
Why the Fear of Failure Makes People Risk Averse: David Dreman, Bill Miller, Henry Ford
Brain Circuits for Social Networking: Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Stanley Milgram, Ray Kroc, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linus Torvalds, Warren Buffett
Private Spaceflight - A Case Study of Iconoclasts Working Together: Burt Rutan, Richard Branson, Peter Diamandis, Rich Homans
When Iconoclast Becomes Icon: Arthur Jones, Jonas Salk, Steve Jobs
The Iconoclast's Pharmacopeia
Notes; Index; About the Author
Burns comes at his iconoclast premise by stating there are three brainblocks to prevent a person from standing out in a group. Flawed perception is when you see things so often and in the same way that your brain starts to make baseline assumptions that may not be accurate any more. Fear of failure is just that... Too many people would rather not try than risk the potential negative outcome. And finally, if you can't convince others to see things the way you do, then you won't be able to turn the tide of conventional thinking to new possibilities. Where this book shines is that Burns backs up his research and findings with concrete examples of people who have indeed become iconoclasts in their fields, people who do things that others think are impossible. While I found all the material very applicable to my own situation, I especially identified with the first premise on perception. I find myself doing the same things in the same ways far too often, and as such I cut myself off from seeing the reality of the situation. I need to throw out my assumptions, look at all the areas of my life from a different angle, and see what jumps out as "no longer the case"...
This is definitely a book that was more practical than I expected, and it will free me up to take a few more chances. In fact, it already has in some areas...
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