Elastic cover art

Elastic

Flexible Thinking in a Constantly Changing World

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Elastic

By: Leonard Mlodinow
Narrated by: Leonard Mlodinow
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About this listen

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Elastic written and read by Leonard Mlodinow.

Includes a bonus PDF of graphs and diagrams.

What do Pokémon Go and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein have in common?
Why do some businesses survive, and others fail at the first sign of change?
What gives the human brain the edge over computers?

The answer: Elastic Thinking. It's an ability we all possess, and one that we can all learn to hone in order to succeed, at work and in our everyday lives.

Here Mlodinow, whose own flexible thinking has taken him from physics professor to TV scriptwriter and bestselling author, takes us on a revelatory exploration of how elasticity works. He draws on cutting-edge neuroscience to show how, millennia ago, our brains developed an affinity for novelty, idea generation and exploration. He discovers how flexible thinking enabled some of the greatest artists, writers, musicians and innovators to create paradigm shifts. He investigates the organisations that have demonstrated an elastic ability to adapt to new technologies. And he shows you how you can test your brain power.

By uncovering the secrets to flexing your own thinking, Elastic shows you how to adapt and thrive in an endlessly dynamic world.

 Biological Sciences Creativity Neuroscience & Neuropsychology Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Science Human Brain Computer Science

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Critic reviews

Timely and engrossing, Leonard Mlodinow's Elastic is a fascinating exploration of one of the most important topics: how the human mind deals with change (Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better)
A book of sparkling intelligence, written with humour and grace. If you read only one book of accessible science this year, let this be the one (Mark Williams, author of Mindfulness, Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Oxford)
A fascinating, useful look into how the brain works. Perfect for neophiliacs and everyone else who's dealing with a changing world (Seth Godin, author of Tribes)
Leonard Mlodinow never fails to make science both accessible and entertaining (Stephen Hawking)
Leonard Mlodinow will make you smarter (Seth MacFarlane, creator of Family Guy)
In this wise and persuasive book, Leonard Mlodinow calls for a change in the very way we think. Using a deft mix of science and storytelling, he shows the limits of linear thinking and the promise of 'bottom up' thinking that embraces ambiguity, asks the shrewd questions, and pursues novel answers to complex problems. Elastic is a book that will help you survive the whirlwind (Daniel H. Pink, author of When)
In a world in which advancing technologies, omnipresent social media, and fiery political landscapes can make us feel helpless and paralyzed, Leonard Mlodinow shows us how our most humanly traits such as novelty seeking, need for routine, and free range imagination have uniquely prepared us to thrive in an increasingly complex and ever changing world. Most importantly, in this groundbreaking book, Mlodinow shows us how to make the best use of our most basic human tendencies to find true happiness and success (Rudy Tanzi, author of Super Brain)
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I found this quite interesting but also very dry. my main problem was the accent of the narrator. I ended up being more aware of that than the contents of what he was reading

interesting

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An interesting read with some useful ideas I'll be looking to put into practice. Well paced and balanced.

Thought provoking

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It’s an interesting description of how one can expand elasticity of his/her brain for producing insights and novel idea

Elastic

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