Collection
Status
Available
Call number
Publication
HarperBusiness (2009), Edition: 1st Ed., 304 pages
Description
Meet Emily and Paul: The parents of two young children, Emily is the newly promoted VP of marketing at a large corporation while Paul works from home or from clients' offices as an independent IT consultant. Their lives, like all of ours, are filled with a bewildering blizzard of emails, phone calls, yet more emails, meetings, projects, proposals, and plans. Just staying ahead of the storm has become a seemingly insurmountable task. In this book, we travel inside Emily and Paul's brains as they attempt to sort the vast quantities of information they're presented with, figure out how to prioritize it, organize it and act on it. Fortunately for Emily and Paul, they're in good hands: David Rock knows how the brain works-and more specifically, how it works in a work setting. Rock shows how it's possible for Emily and Paul, and thus the reader, not only to survive in today's overwhelming work environment but succeed in it-and still feel energized and accomplished at the end of the day. YOUR BRAIN AT WORK explores issues such as: - why our brains feel so taxed, and how to maximize our mental resources - why it's so hard to focus, and how to better manage distractions - how to maximize your chance of finding insights that can solve seemingly insurmountable problems - how to keep your cool in any situation, so that you can make the best decisions possible - how to collaborate more effectively with others - why providing feedback is so difficult, and how to make it easier - how to be more effective at changing other people's behavior.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member motjebben
David Rock has written an entertaining book with immediately practical application for one's working and non-working relationships. He has synthesized much of the latest neuroscience, applying it, in particular and in a heretofore unique way to improving one's use of one's brain/mind, in working
That the eminent neuroscientist and mightsight expert, Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., wrote the Forward for the book is further testimony to the quality of David Rock's synthesis and application of the concepts.
Mindfulness is a key concept of the book - using one's "director" to observe one's mental processes and that the neuroscience explains how this works to improve ones mental functioning while at work.
I was, at first, concerned when I read that David Rock had structured the book like a "play" with"acts", thinking that such a construct would only distract and/or add "filler" to the concepts. However, I found that after reading only a few pages, I immediately liked his use of the play, because he did this so well. Furthermore, as David Rock points out (and I believe Daniel Siegel would agree) the brain "likes" stories, which help integration in the mind/brain.
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situations. That the eminent neuroscientist and mightsight expert, Daniel J. Siegel, M.D., wrote the Forward for the book is further testimony to the quality of David Rock's synthesis and application of the concepts.
Mindfulness is a key concept of the book - using one's "director" to observe one's mental processes and that the neuroscience explains how this works to improve ones mental functioning while at work.
I was, at first, concerned when I read that David Rock had structured the book like a "play" with"acts", thinking that such a construct would only distract and/or add "filler" to the concepts. However, I found that after reading only a few pages, I immediately liked his use of the play, because he did this so well. Furthermore, as David Rock points out (and I believe Daniel Siegel would agree) the brain "likes" stories, which help integration in the mind/brain.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Brumby18
Fantastic book - I am using the techniques to live. excellent.simple metaphor with good working examples - I didnt think it was a taex book/tutorial book but it worked out that way. very helpful for me. recommed to otheres to assist with focus. I wonder if the courses he does are as good?
LibraryThing member MicheleKingery
What good is knowledge if you can't do anything with it? Statements like we only use ten percent of our brain capacity are frustrating because they don't offer a solution for accessing the other ninety percent. Basically, what they amount to is like hearing: your brain function is roughly
Then along comes a book like David Rock's Your Brain at Work and the neurons start firing all over the place. The synapses start connecting so rapidly that my shriveled cerebrum can hardly keep pace. Answers, at long last!
It's like a Christmas miracle. All over again.
In clear, concise language Rock explains the physiology behind our lack of focus, constant frustration and befuddlement at missed cues, lost opportunities and the sense of feeling overwhelmed. Or as an old lady shuffling down the soup aisle in my local grocery store called it, "a brain fart".
Couldn't have said it better myself.
And yet. Rock offers hope in the form of lucid metaphors that expose our "stinkin thinkin" for what it really is. His central premise is that all the brain's a stage and all the thoughts merely players. It's up to us to get the most important players on stage at any given time. And keep the least helpful players off or on for the shortest amount of time. Once the brain latches onto an unhelpful thought, it quickly spirals down into more unhelpful thoughts until we're caught in a quagmire of our own making.
Rock offers a plethora of friendly suggestions:
...become aware of your own mental energy needs and schedule accordingly. Experiment with different timings. One technique is to break work up into blocks of time based on type of brain use, rather than topic. (p. 15)
When you sense a strong emotion coming on, refocus...quickly...before the emotion takes over. (p. 118).
Playing against yourself to improve your understanding of your own brain can be a powerful way of increasing your performance (p. 200)
Chapters are structured with dual scenarios; what happens when you're on autopilot (translation: using the same old ten percent) vs what happens when you understand how the brain works and capitalize on that. Each chapter ends with (a summary) "Surprises About the Brain" and "Some Things to Try".
I've been trying them. Rock's strategies work. With continued practice the other ninety percent of my brain might kick in more frequently, increasing my chances of completing all those unfinished projects.
Hold on world, here I come.
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equivalent to that of the Geico caveman. You might as well make peace with the stultifying universe of mediocrity and ennui you're doomed to inhabit.Then along comes a book like David Rock's Your Brain at Work and the neurons start firing all over the place. The synapses start connecting so rapidly that my shriveled cerebrum can hardly keep pace. Answers, at long last!
It's like a Christmas miracle. All over again.
In clear, concise language Rock explains the physiology behind our lack of focus, constant frustration and befuddlement at missed cues, lost opportunities and the sense of feeling overwhelmed. Or as an old lady shuffling down the soup aisle in my local grocery store called it, "a brain fart".
Couldn't have said it better myself.
And yet. Rock offers hope in the form of lucid metaphors that expose our "stinkin thinkin" for what it really is. His central premise is that all the brain's a stage and all the thoughts merely players. It's up to us to get the most important players on stage at any given time. And keep the least helpful players off or on for the shortest amount of time. Once the brain latches onto an unhelpful thought, it quickly spirals down into more unhelpful thoughts until we're caught in a quagmire of our own making.
Rock offers a plethora of friendly suggestions:
...become aware of your own mental energy needs and schedule accordingly. Experiment with different timings. One technique is to break work up into blocks of time based on type of brain use, rather than topic. (p. 15)
When you sense a strong emotion coming on, refocus...quickly...before the emotion takes over. (p. 118).
Playing against yourself to improve your understanding of your own brain can be a powerful way of increasing your performance (p. 200)
Chapters are structured with dual scenarios; what happens when you're on autopilot (translation: using the same old ten percent) vs what happens when you understand how the brain works and capitalize on that. Each chapter ends with (a summary) "Surprises About the Brain" and "Some Things to Try".
I've been trying them. Rock's strategies work. With continued practice the other ninety percent of my brain might kick in more frequently, increasing my chances of completing all those unfinished projects.
Hold on world, here I come.
Show Less
LibraryThing member capiam1234
This pertains to the audiobook version. The book felt like it held a lot of good information and maybe someday I'll pick it up and read it a second timeandappreciate the contents that you can find here.
But when the narrator has a very orang professor feel throughout the recording any student or
But when the narrator has a very orang professor feel throughout the recording any student or
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reader will fail to stay glued toll the facts being expressed here especially when your start referencing facts about the brain that the majority of those who picked this up withno beforehand knowledge of the biology of the brain would be put off by such a attempt. Show Less
LibraryThing member capiam1234
This pertains to the audiobook version. The book felt like it held a lot of good information and maybe someday I'll pick it up and read it a second timeandappreciate the contents that you can find here.
But when the narrator has a very orang professor feel throughout the recording any student or
But when the narrator has a very orang professor feel throughout the recording any student or
Show More
reader will fail to stay glued toll the facts being expressed here especially when your start referencing facts about the brain that the majority of those who picked this up withno beforehand knowledge of the biology of the brain would be put off by such a attempt. Show Less
LibraryThing member gaillamontagne
This is a book that assists the reader in becoming more aware of how our own brain works. Written with the lay person/non-medical person in mind, David Rock shares his research, insight and experience into common problems in processing thoughts and emotions. He names the "main character" of the
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brain the "director" . A "stage and actor" metaphor is used for explaining the brain processing information as it comes at us in our everyday lives, both personal and at work. Very easy to relate to the situations given. Show Less
LibraryThing member Razinha
Pleasantly surprised with this one. Saw it referenced in a webinar a few months back, looked it up and decided to put it on "the list". I wasn't keen on the actors device Rock used to bracket his point...thought them rather juvenile and distracting to the meat of the text...but I expect that he can
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reach a larger audience with it. Anyway, the science is good and he writes well. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jerry.Yoakum
Great advice but the presentation via examples made the material hard to endure. Also the examples were so extreme I found them to be a bit off-putting. They followed a pattern of saying that without the miracle techniques being presented in the book you would end up poor and unloved and it would
Don't get me wrong. There is undoubtable good advice in this book but results will vary. Some of the strategies will likely offend other people because they might feel that they are being manipulated. Read this book with a large pinch of salt.
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be your own fault. But by applying the strategies from the book you would be successful in business, friendship, parenthood, and you would have more sex.Don't get me wrong. There is undoubtable good advice in this book but results will vary. Some of the strategies will likely offend other people because they might feel that they are being manipulated. Read this book with a large pinch of salt.
Show Less
LibraryThing member donbarger
Great book on how to do work better - really enjoyed this
Awards
Axiom Business Book Award (2010)
Original publication date
2009
ISBN
0061771295 / 9780061771293
UPC
884328194067
Similar in this library
Call number
ROC-101
Pages
304