Seeing What Others Don't: The Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights
Written by Gary Klein
4/5
()
About this audiobook
Insights—like Darwin's understanding of the way evolution actually works, and Watson and Crick's breakthrough discoveries about the structure of DNA-can change the world. We also need insights into the everyday things that frustrate and confuse us so that we can more effectively solve problems and get things done. Yet we know very little about when, why, or how insights are formed—or what blocks them. In Seeing What Others Don't, renowned cognitive psychologist Gary Klein unravels the mystery.
Klein is a keen observer of people in their natural settings—scientists, businesspeople, firefighters, police officers, soldiers, family members, friends, himself—and uses a marvelous variety of stories to illuminate his research into what insights are and how they happen. What, for example, enabled Harry Markopolos to put the finger on Bernie Madoff? How did Dr. Michael Gottlieb make the connections between different patients that allowed him to publish the first announcement of the AIDS epidemic? What did Admiral Yamamoto see (and what did the Americans miss) in a 1940 British attack on the Italian fleet that enabled him to develop the strategy of attack at Pearl Harbor? How did a "smokejumper" see that setting another fire would save his life, while those who ignored his insight perished? How did Martin Chalfie come up with a million-dollar idea (and a Nobel Prize) for a natural flashlight that enabled researchers to look inside living organisms to watch biological processes in action?
Klein also dissects impediments to insight, such as when organizations claim to value employee creativity and to encourage breakthroughs but in reality block disruptive ideas and prioritize avoidance of mistakes. Or when information technology systems are "dumb by design" and block potential discoveries.
Both scientifically sophisticated and fun to listen to, Seeing What Others Don't shows that insight is not just a "eureka!" moment but a whole new way of understanding.
Gary Klein
Gary Klein, PhD, a senior scientist at MacroCognition LLC, was instrumental in founding the field of naturalistic decision making. Dr. Klein received his PhD in experimental psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in 1969. He spent the first phase of his career in academia and the second phase working for the government as a research psychologist for the U.S. Air Force. The third phase, in private industry, started in 1978 when he founded Klein Associates, a research and development company that had grown to thirty-seven employees by the time he sold it in 2005. He is the author of Sources of Power: How People Make Decisions; The Power of Intuition; Working Minds: A Practitioner's Guide to Cognitive Task Analysis (with Beth Crandall and Robert Hoffman); and Streetlights and Shadows: Searching for the Keys to Adaptive Decision Making. Dr. Klein lives in Yellow Springs, Ohio.
Related to Seeing What Others Don't
Related audiobooks
The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What Every BODY is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of Thinking Clearly Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Be Everything: A Guide for Those Who (Still) Don't Know What They Want to Be When They Grow Up Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dictionary of Body Language: A Field Guide to Human Behavior Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Before You Know It: The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Tell: The Little Clues That Reveal Big Truths About Who We Are Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone's Mind Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Influential Mind: What the Brain Reveals About Our Power to Change Others Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Brain Rules (Updated and Expanded): 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This Will Make You Smarter: New Scientific Concepts to Improve Your Thinking Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Be Better at Almost Everything: Learn Anything Quickly, Stack Your Skills, Dominate Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Consciousness Instinct: Unraveling the Mystery of How the Brain Makes the Mind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Courage Habit: How to Accept Your Fears, Release the Past, and Live Your Courageous Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Me, Myself, and Us: The Science of Personality and the Art of Well-Being Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Get to the Point!: Sharpen Your Message and Make Your Words Matter Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mindwise: Why We Misunderstand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hidden Habits of Genius: Beyond Talent, IQ, and Grit—Unlocking the Secrets of Greatness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Motivational For You
How to Be Better at Almost Everything: Learn Anything Quickly, Stack Your Skills, Dominate Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Summary of Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Your Next Five Moves: Master the Art of Business Strategy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Power of One More: The Ultimate Guide to Happiness and Success Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Stop Doing That Sh*t: End Self-Sabotage and Demand Your Life Back Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership 25th Anniversary: Follow Them and People Will Follow You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Think and Grow Rich: The Original 1937 Classic Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Change Your Paradigm, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Moneyzen: The Secret to Finding Your ""Enough"" Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wise as Fu*k: Simple Truths to Guide You Through the Sh*tstorms of Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 50th Law Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing the Challenges of Extreme Ownership to Lead and Win Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Introverted Leader: Building on Your Quiet Strength Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Own Your Past Change Your Future: A Not-So-Complicated Approach to Relationships, Mental Health & Wellness Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Die With Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Workday Warrior: A Proven Path to Reclaiming Your Time Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Own It All: How to Stop Waiting for Change and Start Creating It. Because Your Life Belongs to You. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Seeing What Others Don't
291 ratings18 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The author takes forever to get to the point. Alas!
2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5I found it uninspiring. The length could be cut in half easily and still convey the same message.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Amazing book! Extremely recommended to everyone who likes to think out of box
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It's awsome!!! It's really amazing hoy our mind can work it Out to genial an insight!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book changes he way you think if you deal with data or patterns!
Doesn’t matter your job! Check it out! - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Great to listen to and enjoyed his version of how we come about our insights. Great stories to remember and to get you thinking about your approach to when you need to take a different + more in depth view on a matter.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An interesting book I must say. Gary Klein has some amazing findings here which indeed show not just something that happens but something that I have seen happening to me too. Well done research with models provided for tracing how insights come into work. What is the aha! Moment and where in our mind does that happen. Many many things that call this book to be read with a pen and paper in hand. Good for research and thesis writing as well.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A very interesting book. Well written too, but for some reason I found it hard to keep track of the points he was making as I listened. Maybe better to read a hard copy.
Also I found the audio kept dropping out for maybe half a second at the start of each section. Not sure what’s going on there, but I would lose a word or two each time it happened. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I listened to the audiobook. Quite insightful tho. Thinking about buying the book
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Gary presented his ideas very clearly and between the personal stories and "aha" moments of these anecdotes I was equally learning as I was captivated. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in personal development. the concepts were simplified through Gary's translation and I feel like I will be able to begin to look for insights and "aha" moments in my own career and life. will definitely check out his other books as well as revisit this one!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Informative but redundant. Could have delivered the same message for half the length of the book.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I enjoyed this interesting audio book. Well written and spoken.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Excellent mini case studies and stories throughout to illustrate points. Changed how I view my thinking. A classic to revisit to keep your thinking sharp.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My first audio book involved a shift away from my traditional way of reading and notetaking so I need to expand the expectations and ways I process information. This was a good starting point because it forced me to think about how insights work and how I gather information, make connections, and allow insights to unravel.
The narration was good although the book could have been shorter. Some of the examples offer gems into the spontenaiety and value of connections made within the brain. A good work to listen to and I gained some valuable insights. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The book offers a set of very interesting examples of insight and a good analysis of how they came to happen an the differences between them. While most is personal interpretation from the author, we can take many good ideas and principles for practical application in daily life.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Interesting book about insights- Very interesting how you have to go beyond the procedures to get insights- Need to try to get useful insights not the useless ones. Need to practice looking for insights. Interesting book overall- slightly insightlful.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I am not sure if I will be able to see what others don’t but my awareness around insight was enlightened. I loved the emphasis on balancing error-proofing and risk aversion with insight ( down arrow and up arrow balance), in life and within organizations. As a perfectionist and someone who always aspires to produce quality and ensure that I always comply, the book made me realize that I tend to be fixated on ideas, beliefs and ways to execute tasks that I might be inhibiting potential insights. I loved how the author explained the drivers of insight with the triple path - contradiction (find inconsistency), connection (coincidence, curiosity or spot implication), creative desperation (escape an impasse or deadend) - as well as the case studies he included to describe and discuss these concepts.
2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Okay, but not great. The biggest take-aways for me were captured in a couple of the few figures in the book: the visual formula with the up and down arrows (the former being increasing insights, the latter being decreasing errors and uncertainty) and the chart depicting the Three-Path Model (with the contradiction path, the connection path, and the creative desperation path). I'd like to see more in the future about constructive approaches to generating more insights. The author only seemed to give lukewarm effort in this area, seeming to feel that there were too many obstacles to success.