It was a while ago when I stumbled upon an audio book that became my companion for a month and I could not stop talking about it with friends. "A Whole New Mind" by Daniel H. Pink talks about aspects of human intellect that have been under the shadow of ever praised analytical skills.The enthusiastic narration of the author in the audio version was an extra delight for itself.
The book is talking about the emergence of a new age when the skills acquired via classical academic curriculum (left brain skills) will not be enough to give individuals the necessary edge for success. They are only good if merged with right brain skills and what the author calls "High concept and High touch". He encourages us to learn about good design and get acquainted with symphonies or study the art of story telling. I was thinking about this and realized how much these "touchy/feely" stuff (Right brain skills) can leverage the life of people who are mainly involved with hardcore science and engineering tasks.
No matter how much your work is about numbers, the better you can present the results to your boss with a good story, the better the result. I am sure many have seen presentations and reports with terrible designs not only in font selection and typography but also in coloring and composition. No matter how number oriented your client, you still have a better chance of success if you can convey your message with a good story via a well designed presentation that talks about the relationships, the big picture and how they relates to sneaky little details.
I started buying books and magazines that the author recommended and "A Whole New Mind" will remain among my top list of gifts for friends.
