A Whole New Mind/Pink 4/21/08

I read Chapters 1-3 and I will read the rest soon. This subject matter about gray matter does interest me. Part One-The concetual Age.
Chapter one-Right brain rising. Provides an overview of the key differences between our left and right hemispheres and explains why. Makes no difference, right brain or left brain, one is not better than the other. Right hemisphere interprets emotional content, intuitive answers, perceiving things holistically. A side dish to the main course of true intelligence. What distinguishes us from other animals is our ability to reason analytically. Right side takes in everything, left side takes in order, sequentially. Right side is the picture and the left side is the thousand words.Right side isspecializes in text, right side specializes in context. Left-analizes details,right side synthesizes big picture.
1. What is whole point of first chapter? To make us realize we need both sides working together to use intelligence.

Chapter two-Abundance, Asia, and Automation.
Author makes point to appeal to the most left-brained amoung us. Three social and economic forces-Abundance, Asia, and Automation- are nudging us into the conceptual age. MBA versus MFA. MFA is the new MBA.
Three forces have tilted scales in favor of R-Directed Thinking. Abundance has satisfied the material needs of millions-boosting the significance of beauty and emotion and accelerating individual's search for meaning. Asia is now performing large amounts of routine, white collar, L-Directed work at significantly lower costs, thereby forcing workers in the advanced world to master abilities that can't be shipped overseas. And automation has begun to affect this generation's white collarworkers in much the same way it did last generation's blue collar workers, requiring L-Directed professionals to develope aptitudes that computers can't do better, faster, or cheaper.
2. How can the worker develope skills to compete with the changes that are always evolving? Be ready to learn whatever new way of thinking is developing.

Chapter three-High concept, High touch.
We,as a people, have moved from Agricultural Age, to Industrial Age, To the Information Age (We are now in Info Age) and we are moving into the Conceptual Age. We have moved to economy based on people's backs to an economy built on people's L-Brain to what is emerging today: an economy built on people's R-Brain. We still need L-Brain but in combination with R-Brain. Conceptual-we need a whole new mind. High tech is not enough. Supplement our well-developed high tech abilities with abilities that are high concept and high touch.
Create artistic and emotional beauty, to direct patterns and opportunities, to craft.A satisfying narrative and to combine seemingly unrelated ideas into a novel invention. High touch involves the ability to empathize, to understand the subtleties of human intraction, to find joy in one's self and elicit it in others, and to stretch beyond in pursuit of purpose and meaning.
3. Does the SAT way of testing need to be updated? Yes, to capture the new way of thinking-there needs to be a new way to test for skills.