Mindfire
Big Ideas for Curious Minds
By: Scott Berkun
Published: October 26, 2011
Format: Paperback, 196 pages
ISBN-10: 0983873100
ISBN-13: 978-0983873105
Publisher: Berkun Media LLC
"Most days we avoid big thoughts. We stay busy with small things. Despite our wishes, we know real thinking takes us places we may not be prepared for", writes educator, thought leader, and blogger Scott Berkun, in his thought provoking and provocative essay collection Mindfire: Big Ideas for Curious Minds. The author presents the definitive anthology of his previously published essays where he challenges readers to think freely, create new ideas, question previously held beliefs, and live with passion.
Scott Berkun understands the importance of challenging the beliefs that many people consider universal truths. The author sometimes takes a contrarian position. He presents a completely alternative mode of thought in other essays. He shares life lessons and fresh approaches to living in still more entries. In each of the essays, Scott Berkun endeavors to reawaken thought in everyone, even if that new way of thinking is painful and difficult. Scott Berkun states at the very beginning of the collection that he is fine with people disagreeing with his point of view. He considers it almost a certainty that not everyone will agree with everything he writes. The point is to get people thinking, creating, and becoming independent in their entire mindset and worldview.
Scott Berkun (photo left) recognizes the value of being provocative to stimulate thinking and reassessing existing ideas. For the author, that desire to light a fire in the mind is reflected in the three overall essay categories. The three main essay categories are:
* Gasoline
* Sparks
* Fire
The author created the book title from the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, notably the landmark essay Self-Reliance. Scott Berkun points out that Emerson considered the creative mind to be a fire, and offered suggestions to ignite the creative spark. With that inspiration in mind, Scott Berkun presents his own version of creative inspiration to others.
For me, the power of the book is how Scott Berkun utilizes the essay genre so effectively in conveying his wisdom. While the entries have already appeared as blog posts, the thoughts and ideas they contain are timeless, providing relevance for readers at all times. The author divided the book into three overall groupings of ideas, but despite that framework, the essays can be read and contemplated in any order, and over as much time as required by the reader.
The author's stated goal was to provoke the readers, and make them think and reconsider their pre-existing ideas. The collection succeeds very well in achieving that goal. The writings were never intended by Scott Berkun to bring forth instant agreement, although in some cases that would be result. Instead, the author prefers to have readers ignite the flames of thought and creativity, and develop entirely new lines of thought and action. This book does precisely that; and more.
I highly recommend the wisdom filled and creative thought inducing book Mindfire: Big Ideas for Curious Minds by Scott Berkun, to anyone seeking an engaging and mind stimulating collection of essays. This anthology of writings and ideas will generate your creativity and light your mind on fire. That is a good thing.
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