A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule The Future

By Daniel Pink
Riverhead Books, New York, 2005.
260 pages
$10.00 for softcover
2006 updated edition

As a die-hard left brainer, I found the title of Daniel Pink’s text, A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule The Future, some cause for concern. Questions arose for me, such as: “Am I now an endangered species?” and “Will no one want to hire me?” Pink’s premise is not one of extinction for hard-core left-brain analytical types such as myself, but, rather, a guide to the transformation of our culture and senses needed to thrive in his explanation of our right-brain needy society.

Pink frames the book in two main parts: the conceptual age and the six senses. The chapters from the conceptual age portion provide a brief overview on the brain hemispheres' differences and his rationale of the social and economic forces driving the need for what he refers to as "high concept" and "high touch" abilities. Pink defines these abilities as:

• High concept: The ability to create artistic and emotional beauty, to detect patterns and opportunities, to craft a satisfying narrative, and to combine seemingly unrelated ideas into a novel invention.
• High touch: The ability to empathize, to understand the subtleties of human interaction, to find joy in one’s self and to elicit it in others and to stretch beyond the quotidian, in pursuit of purpose and meaning.

His main premise is that to thrive in this new age, high-techs skills, while important to our success, will also need to be supplemented with high-concept and high-touch abilities.

The bulk of the book focuses on his conceptualization and explanation of the six senses/aptitudes that will be needed to thrive in our changing society and workplace.

Pink’s six senses are:

• Design: A combination of utility and significance
• Story: Content enriched by emotion
• Symphony: The ability to put together the pieces
• Empathy: The ability to imagine yourself in someone else’s position
• Play: The impact of games, humor and joyfulness
• Meaning: Finding a sense of purpose

Aside from a well-organized discussion of each sense, a portfolio is provided for each that includes tips and print and Web resources to expand your understanding of each sense and start your development.

A Whole New Mind would serve as a great tool for future-minded leaders to begin a conversation with themselves and their staff about these senses in regards to addressing the issues facing educators regarding the changes in our learning and global environments.

For more info on this book, be sure to check out Daniel Pink’s Web site.

Lane B. Mills, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Educational Leadership program at East Carolina University. A former Assistant Superintendent for Accountability and Technology for a North Carolina school system, Dr. Mills was a 2004 Technology and Learning Ed Tech Leader of the Year finalist.

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