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A Simpler Way
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A Simpler Way

Berrett-Koehler, 1996 Mehr

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Editorial Rating

6

Qualities

  • Innovative

Recommendation

This beautiful work appeals to the part of you that is creative and artistic, the part that is always searching for new ways to look at the world. The book begins with a poem. The themes that follow - play, organization, self, emergence - each spin from the poem. The authors, Margaret J. Wheatley and Myron Kellner-Rogers, weave in their bold, thought-provoking views on how life seeks to organize and diversify itself out of chaos. They explore scientific concepts by Charles Darwin, Carl Sagan and other scientists, interspersing quotes from mystics and philosophers. This is an excellent book, the kind you might keep on your desk to share or on your night stand for inspiration. The loose, circular writing elegantly expresses both philosophical and scientific ideas about organization. It is soulful without being too wishy-washy. getAbstract recommends this book for anyone searching for creativity and deeper meaning for themselves and their organization.

Summary

Life Seeks Creativity and Order

Since Darwin, people have believed that life is about "survival of the fittest." We have come to feel that the world is a hostile place full of random events where we struggle for survival. We allow this erroneous idea to lead us through life and prevent us from exploring and creating without fear. The truth is that life is about creativity, not simply survival. If you put Darwin’s theory aside, you will realize that the world is an entirely different place, one that is always finding new relationships and creating new things from them, in an infinitely creative and playful way.

Even the sciences, which focus so much on analysis and logic, construct models to visualize human experiences. Scientists link fresh perceptions together to form new ideas or discoveries. Yet, at the same time, it is impossible to see the world in the objective way that science favors. Because no one can get a true picture of what reality is, the best you can do is to try to describe the world through your senses and create images to portray these experiences. You can try to understand how life’s creative process works by looking at its underlying principles. ...

About the Authors

Margaret J. Wheatley has a Ph.D. in Administration, Planning and Social Policy. She wrote the best-seller Leadership and the New Science. Myron Kellner-Rogers and Wheatley operate Kellner-Rogers & Wheatley Inc., a consulting firm, and The Berkana Institute, a not-for-profit foundation that works with forming supportive communities. Kellner-Rogers has worked as a senior executive in marketing, retailing and manufacturing.


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