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Rebel Ideas

The Power of Diverse Thinking

Matthew Syed

Flatiron Books

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ISBN10: 1250769914
ISBN13: 9781250769916

Trade Paperback

288 Pages

$18.99

CA$24.99

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Ideas are everywhere, but those with the greatest problem-solving, business-transforming, and life-changing potential are often hard to identify. Even when we recognize good ideas, applying them to everyday obstacles—whether in the workplace, our homes, or our civic institutions—can seem insurmountable. According to Matthew Syed, it doesn't have to be this way.

In Rebel Ideas, Syed argues that our brainpower as individuals isn't enough. To tackle problems from climate change to economic decline, we'll need to employ the power of "cognitive diversity." Drawing on psychology, genetics, and beyond, Syed uses real-world scenarios including the failings of the CIA before 9/11 and a communication disaster at the peak of Mount Everest to introduce us to the true power of thinking differently.

Rebel Ideas will strengthen any kind of team, while including advice on how, as individuals, we can embrace the potential of an "outsider mind-set" as our greatest asset.

Reviews

Praise for Rebel Ideas

“Striking . . . As Mr. Syed writes, the willingness to share knowledge pays off in a world of complexity.”The Economist

“Compelling . . . argue[s] persuasively that cognitive diversity boosts collective intelligence.”The Times

“A gripping read, full of intelligence and perspective.”—James Dyson

“On a vital and still-overlooked topic, Matthew Syed has assembled a compelling base of evidence . . . A stunning achievement."—Tim Harford, author of The Undercover Economist

BOOK EXCERPTS

Read an Excerpt

1

COLLECTIVE BLINDNESS


I

On August 9, 2001, Zacarias Moussaoui, a thirty-three-year-old French Moroccan, enrolled at the Pan Am International Flight Academy in Eagan, Minnesota. This facility, complete...