Book description
Though indispensable, true iconoclasts are few and far between. In Iconoclast, neuroscientist Gregory Berns explains why. He explores the constraints the human brain places on innovative thinking, including fear of failure, the urge to conform, and the tendency to interpret sensory information in familiar ways.
Through vivid accounts of successful innovators ranging from glass artist Dale Chihuly to physicist Richard Feynman to country/rock trio the Dixie Chicks, Berns reveals the inner workings of the iconoclast's mind with remarkable clarity. Each engaging chapter goes on to describe practical actions we can each take to understand and unleash our own potential to think differently -- such as seeking out new environments, novel experiences, and first-time acquaintances.
Packed with engaging stories, science-based insights, potent practices, and examples from a startling array of disciplines, this engaging book will help you understand how iconoclasts think and equip you to begin thinking more like an iconoclast yourself.
Table of contents
- COVER
- COPYRIGHT
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- INTRODUCTION
- ONE: Through the Eye of an Iconoclast
- TWO: From Perception to Imagination
- THREE: Fear—The Inhibitor of Action
- FOUR: How Fear Distorts Perception
- FIVE: Why the Fear of Failure Makes People Risk Averse
- SIX: Brain Circuits for Social Networking
- SEVEN: Private Spaceflight—A Case Study of Iconoclasts Working Together
- EIGHT: When Iconoclast Becomes Icon
- APPENDIX
- NOTES
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Product information
- Title: Iconoclast
- Author(s):
- Release date: March 2010
- Publisher(s): Harvard Business Review Press
- ISBN: 9781422163658
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