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multenis's review against another edition
Somewhat ironic how a book that starts off by highlighting the importance of being respectful can be so condescending.
The advice might be useful (although I'm yet to read something unheard of), but examples and the way it's written are downright ugly.
The advice might be useful (although I'm yet to read something unheard of), but examples and the way it's written are downright ugly.
olliesch's review against another edition
Not what I expected & didn’t want to waste the time
dzsossz's review against another edition
3.0
Definitely worth a read if you want to be more aware of how you partake in conversations in a fair an interesting way. Provides a set of tools to observe and improve yourself. I find the title a little confusing and perhaps “how to be a rewarding conversationalist” might be more appropriate. Certainly I’m going to read The Six Thinking Hats anf Lateral Thinking which I think are more what I was looking for.
anusha_reads's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
HOW TO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL MIND, EDWARD DE BONO
Edward De Bono was a Maltese Physician, psychologist, and commentator who wrote over 60 books. He invented the term ‘Lateral Thinking.’ According to him, a lack of zinc or zinc deficiency leads to irritability or aggression.
How to Have a Beautiful Mind is a self-help book published in 2004.
Some people can awespire you. They talk and tell you things that just make you listen to them like you are listening to your grandma's fairy tales. They can grab your attention, and keep you enthralled by their conversation. They are just beautiful from within which makes them appealing from the outside despite their outward appearance, it didn’t matter whether they looked good or bad, as per the definition of good-looking! My father used to say “HAVE A BEAUTIFUL OUTLOOK RATHER THAN A BEAUTIFUL OUTFIT! “ I strongly believe in it.
This book is all about being that attractive person, who can attract not because of his/her outward appearance but because of his/her ability to talk due to the mind this person possesses. It is not the brain of a person with a super high IQ, or an erudite or knowledgeable. It is a person with a mind that is attractive to others as well as themselves, a beautiful mind in action, who talks yet doesn’t dominate the conversation or argues but at the same time isn’t reticent.
“RODIN, IN HIS FAMOUS STATUE ‘THE THINKER’, DID THINKING A GREAT DISSERVICE BY SHOWING THINKING AS HEAVY AND SOLEMN. IT CAN ALSO BE LIGHT AND FUN!”
According to the author, a good conversation shouldn’t involve one-upmanship or losing-winning battles. You may agree, disagree, enjoy, or get bored. Listening, understanding the concepts, responding in the right manner, taking interest, presenting alternatives while keeping the emotions under control and not showing off are some of the key ingredients to having a good conversation or a simple chat. He emphasises that the ability to listen is a key part of developing a beautiful mind. Strong feelings and emotions control our perceptions. He warns us about selective perception.
The author has explained every point using interesting anecdotes. While emphasising how concepts are a key component of a beautiful mind he gives an example:
“YOU DO NOT GO OUT INTO THE STREET IN YOUR UNDERWEAR, ALTHOUGH USUALLY YOU ARE WEARING UNDERWEAR. THE UNDERWEAR IS NOT VISIBLE BUT IS THERE ALL THE TIME. IT IS THE SAME WITH CONCEPTS. THEY ARE THERE.”
Humour is an integral part of having a beautiful mind, says the author. I think everybody is drawn towards a person who is funny and adds colour to every conversation.
This is a book worth a visit and a revisit and more!
“ DO NOT NEED A HIGH IQ. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE WELL EDUCATED. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE FULL OF INFORMATION. ANYONE CAN DEVELOP A BEAUTIFUL MIND IF HE OR SHE SETS OUT TO DO SO.”
Edward De Bono was a Maltese Physician, psychologist, and commentator who wrote over 60 books. He invented the term ‘Lateral Thinking.’ According to him, a lack of zinc or zinc deficiency leads to irritability or aggression.
How to Have a Beautiful Mind is a self-help book published in 2004.
Some people can awespire you. They talk and tell you things that just make you listen to them like you are listening to your grandma's fairy tales. They can grab your attention, and keep you enthralled by their conversation. They are just beautiful from within which makes them appealing from the outside despite their outward appearance, it didn’t matter whether they looked good or bad, as per the definition of good-looking! My father used to say “HAVE A BEAUTIFUL OUTLOOK RATHER THAN A BEAUTIFUL OUTFIT! “ I strongly believe in it.
This book is all about being that attractive person, who can attract not because of his/her outward appearance but because of his/her ability to talk due to the mind this person possesses. It is not the brain of a person with a super high IQ, or an erudite or knowledgeable. It is a person with a mind that is attractive to others as well as themselves, a beautiful mind in action, who talks yet doesn’t dominate the conversation or argues but at the same time isn’t reticent.
“RODIN, IN HIS FAMOUS STATUE ‘THE THINKER’, DID THINKING A GREAT DISSERVICE BY SHOWING THINKING AS HEAVY AND SOLEMN. IT CAN ALSO BE LIGHT AND FUN!”
According to the author, a good conversation shouldn’t involve one-upmanship or losing-winning battles. You may agree, disagree, enjoy, or get bored. Listening, understanding the concepts, responding in the right manner, taking interest, presenting alternatives while keeping the emotions under control and not showing off are some of the key ingredients to having a good conversation or a simple chat. He emphasises that the ability to listen is a key part of developing a beautiful mind. Strong feelings and emotions control our perceptions. He warns us about selective perception.
The author has explained every point using interesting anecdotes. While emphasising how concepts are a key component of a beautiful mind he gives an example:
“YOU DO NOT GO OUT INTO THE STREET IN YOUR UNDERWEAR, ALTHOUGH USUALLY YOU ARE WEARING UNDERWEAR. THE UNDERWEAR IS NOT VISIBLE BUT IS THERE ALL THE TIME. IT IS THE SAME WITH CONCEPTS. THEY ARE THERE.”
Humour is an integral part of having a beautiful mind, says the author. I think everybody is drawn towards a person who is funny and adds colour to every conversation.
This is a book worth a visit and a revisit and more!
“ DO NOT NEED A HIGH IQ. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE WELL EDUCATED. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE FULL OF INFORMATION. ANYONE CAN DEVELOP A BEAUTIFUL MIND IF HE OR SHE SETS OUT TO DO SO.”
ditorelo's review against another edition
2.0
Extremely basic. And for that it was good.
It's more like "how to talk to other like a normal human being". It doesn't talk about the mind directly much.
It's more like "how to talk to other like a normal human being". It doesn't talk about the mind directly much.
marthaos's review against another edition
2.0
I really didn’t enjoy this book. I thought it sounded interesting, so picked it up, but found it a struggle, mainly because of the style in which it is written.
The tone is analytic, and rather black and white. “Develop these skills and you will have a beautiful mind,” whereby is listed ways to agree, disagree, be interesting, creative, a good listener etc. This all sounds fine but De Bono’s idea of a beautiful mind is quite simplistic and defined. I found this left little room for nuance, personal anecdotes or spontaneity. He presents clear guidelines, with specific examples of how to engage beautifully in conversation, by preparing facts, interesting topics, by dealing with particular situations in a particular way. This, to me, might not always come across as beautiful, but instead rather regimented and even smug.
I don’t think I learned much from this book about how to foster a beautiful mind. What I did learn were some interesting facts that he shares as examples as how to contribute to conversation, eg that Gemini’s are most likely to have car accidents, and that divorce is usually initiated by women! I’m not sure this was the point of the book though.
Certainly it was a clear book, well researched and has some value. However, I think the idea could have been unpicked in a more organic fashion that would mirror real life instead of being so stringently analytic and definite.
The tone is analytic, and rather black and white. “Develop these skills and you will have a beautiful mind,” whereby is listed ways to agree, disagree, be interesting, creative, a good listener etc. This all sounds fine but De Bono’s idea of a beautiful mind is quite simplistic and defined. I found this left little room for nuance, personal anecdotes or spontaneity. He presents clear guidelines, with specific examples of how to engage beautifully in conversation, by preparing facts, interesting topics, by dealing with particular situations in a particular way. This, to me, might not always come across as beautiful, but instead rather regimented and even smug.
I don’t think I learned much from this book about how to foster a beautiful mind. What I did learn were some interesting facts that he shares as examples as how to contribute to conversation, eg that Gemini’s are most likely to have car accidents, and that divorce is usually initiated by women! I’m not sure this was the point of the book though.
Certainly it was a clear book, well researched and has some value. However, I think the idea could have been unpicked in a more organic fashion that would mirror real life instead of being so stringently analytic and definite.
frances_payne's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't like the premise of trying to make yourself more 'beautiful', but there were actually a lot of interesting points in this. And I felt more inclined to think of the message as how you can give to others better experiences, rather than thinking about making myself more appealing or 'attractive'. I found some of the examples thoughtless and lacking care for inclusivity and Edward de Bono does love to self-promote doesn't he? However, I do think this book has made me more reflective. I have spotted myself reflecting on how I'm thinking when I converse with people and aiming to improve the way I approach what I give to and gain from conversations and projects.
stagasaurus's review against another edition
3.0
This was okay. It has the wrong title though. It should be called How to Have a Beautiful Conversation. Edward de Bono should come to my knitting group and hear them hash out politics and I swear he’d learn a few things. Those women can explore a topic like no people I’ve ever met.
In all seriousness though, I do think it would make an excellent set of social stories for those with Aspergers on how to converse with others.
In all seriousness though, I do think it would make an excellent set of social stories for those with Aspergers on how to converse with others.