A Whole New Mind Review

Maxine Wolfe
April 28, 2008
Seminar II New Media: Lana Caplan
Critical Review of A Whole New Mind

A Whole New Mind

Before reading Daniel Pink’s book A Whole New Mind, I had never read anything about left and right brain thinking. I think now more than ever, it is important for everyone to learn and understand. I learned about the new age of thinking and how artists and free thinkers will soon be more accepted over lawyers and businessmen and women. It is the age where everyone goes to college to learn as much as they can and leave with little to no trade. Going to college and graduate school for art is one of the best degree’s you can get currently.
My favorite part of this book was when Pink gave the reader exercises to do on their own. I thought it made me feel as if I was apart of the book and it really forced me to focus and interact more with what I was reading. Pink also forced me to observe more things going on around me, and I started to notice things I had never before. When he talked about this new age of more right brain thinkers than left, I started people watching every time I was on the train. I labeled left-brain thinkers as the typical guy in the suit or the girl in the fancy boots, but when I started to label the right sider’s there were none in sight.
I have come to a conclusion after reading Pink’s books that in America we are all left-brain thinkers. Most of us do have right brain intentions or traits, but I think that our left side ultimately overpowers our right. On the train I watched as people shuved one another so they could sit or so that they could get off at their stop. Everyone looked tired and concentrated on getting somewhere as if they thought if they wish hard enough the train will go faster. Our country moves so fast, each person is trying to run the rat race of life a little faster and a litter better than the guy next to them. Even though Pink talks a lot about companies hiring more designers than lawyers, that doesn’t mean that designer isn’t cut throat with another. Our country and a lot of our world are very competitive and I just can’t imagine seeing that as right brain.
New media art and this book have merged a lot with me this semester. Before this class I did not like new media, and I am still not a fan, but this book has helped me understand its purpose and basically what new media means. While working on my own art I have come to realize that artists are a little left-brain and a little right brain. We use each side for different pieces depending on situations. An artist could get commissioned to do a painting for an office building that they might not want to paint, but they do it because they need money. That’s a little left.
Well overall I enjoyed this book for the most part. I thought that since I was able to interact with it as well as use conclusions to help me define a little better what new media art is.