Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently

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Product Description
No organization can survive without iconoclasts -- innovators who single-handedly upturn conventional wisdom and manage to achieve what so many others deem impossible.

Though indispensable, true iconoclasts are few and far between. In Iconoclast, neuroscientist Gregory Berns explains why. He explores the constraints the human brain places on innovative thinking, including fear of failure, the urge to conform, and the tendency to interpret sensory information in familiar ways.

Through vivid accounts of successful innovators ranging from glass artist Dale Chihuly to physicist Richard Feynman to country/rock trio the Dixie Chicks, Berns reveals the inner workings of the iconoclast's mind with remarkable clarity. Each engaging chapter goes on to describe practical actions we can each take to understand and unleash our own potential to think differently -- such as seeking out new environments, novel experiences, and first-time acquaintances.

Packed with engaging stories, science-based insights, potent practices, and examples from a startling array of disciplines, this engaging book will help you understand how iconoclasts think and equip you to begin thinking more like an iconoclast yourself.

Customer Reviews: Read 19 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

A brilliant analysis of "the exceedingly rare individual" September 23, 2008
61 out of 67 found this review helpful

If I recall correctly, it was in a world history class in an elementary school in Chicago when I first became aware of the word "iconoclast" while reading about an Athenian political and military leader, Alcibiades (5th century BC), whose enemies charged him with sacrilege after seamen under his command became drunk while ashore and roamed the streets, smashing statues of various deities and dignitaries. Curious, I recently checked the Online Etymological Dictionary and learned that an iconoclast is a "breaker or destroyer of images" from the Late Greek word eikonoklastes. Centuries later, an iconoclast was viewed as "one who attacks orthodox beliefs or institutions." This brief background helps to introduce Gregory Berns's book in which he examines a number of people who in recent years accomplished what others claimed could not be done. When doing so, these modern iconoclasts attacked orthodox beliefs and, in some cases, institutions. "The overarching theme of this book is that iconoclasts are able to do things that others say can't be done, because iconoclasts perceive things differently than other people." Berns goes on to explain that the difference in perception "plays out in the initial stages of an idea. It plays out in how their manage their fears, and it manifests in how they pitch their ideas to the masses of noniconoclasts. It is an exceedingly rare individual who possesses all three of these traits."

I was already somewhat familiar with several of the exemplars discussed in this book but not with others. They include Solomon Asch, Warren Buffett, Nolan Bushnell, Dale Chihuly, Ray Croc, Walt Disney, David Dreman, Richard Feynman, Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King, Jr., Paul Lauterbur, Jim Lavoi, Stanley Milgram, Florence Nightingale, Branch Rickey, Burt Rutan, and Jonas Salk. According to Berns, these iconoclasts possess a brain that differs from other people's in three functions (i.e. perception, fear response, and social intelligence) and the circuits that implement them. Keep in mind, however, as noted earlier: "It is an exceedingly rare individual who possesses all three of these traits." Howard Armstrong, for example, was "the most iconoclastic and influential engineer of radio" whose inventions include FM. "But what is most interesting about Armstrong is the extent of his iconoclasm," so extreme that it "advanced radio technology but cost him his life." Berns's discussion of Armstrong (Pages 1-4, 9-10, 129, 131, and 151) explains why his story "is a cautionary tale" to those about to challenge conventional wisdom.

Berns makes an important distinction. "The iconoclast doesn't literally see things differently than other people. More precisely, he [begin italics] perceives [end italics] things differently. There are several different routes to forcing the brain out of its lazy mode of perception, but the theme linking these methods depends on the element of surprise. The brain must be provided with something that it has never processed before to force it out of predictable perceptions. When Chihuly lost an eye, his brain was forced to reinterpret visual stimuli in a new way." In this context, I am reminded that only after Sophocles' Oedipus gouged out his eyes and Shakespeare's Earl of Gloucester wandered sightless on the moors did these two tragic figures perceive the realities that, previously, their vision had denied or did not see.

No brief commentary such as this can possibly do full justice to the scope and depth of this brilliant book but I can at least suggest a few of the subjects that were of greatest interest to me:

1. How the brain receives, processes, and assimilates what is perceived
2. Given that, how and why people then manage their fears and people pitch their ideas to the masses differently
3. The relationship between imagination and the visual system
4. Why the brain can sometimes be "too efficient"
5. How the networks that govern perception and imagination can be reprogrammed
6. How fear can distort perception
7. Why an iconoclast's familiarity and reputation figure prominently in her or his success
8. The five attributes of innovation and their relevance to the iconoclast
9. How and why a few iconoclasts become icons
10. Why any/all of the three functions of the brain can "go awry" and how to correct the dysfunctionality

As I read the final chapter, "When Iconoclast Becomes Icon," I was reminded of Henry Chesbrough's insights concerning the open business model and his emphasis on the importance of developing an open mindset, one that is receptive to a variety of different points of view, and of Roger Martin's discussion of what he calls the "opposable" mind that is capable of considering contradictory ideas while making especially difficult decisions. I was also reminded of what Noel Tichy and Warren Bennis suggest in Judgment when asserting that effective CEOs "not only make better calls, but they are able to discern the really important ones and get a higher percentage of them right. They are better at a whole process that runs from seeing the need for a call, to framing issues, to figuring out what is critical, to mobilizing and energizing the troops." What Berns offers in this volume is a brilliant explanation of the neurological foundation for precisely what Chesbrough and Martin as well as Tichy and Bennis believe are common characteristics of a great leader. "For the iconoclast to become an icon," Kerns observes, "not only must he possess an especially plastic brain that can see things differently, but he must rewire the brains of a vast number of other people who are not iconoclasts."

This is not an "easy read." On the contrary, before beginning to compose my review, I re-read the book with special attention to the dozens of passages I had highlighted. To his great credit, and to the extent possible, Berns presents scientific material in layman's terms for those such as I who have little (if any) prior knowledge about neuroscience and especially about what the brain is, what it does, why people can perceive the same objects so differently, how and why people can respond so differently to fear, and why there are such significant differences between and among people in terms of their social skills. Because iconoclasts perceive the world differently, they have a different context in which to formulate their mindsets and world views, determine preferences, select objectives, and mobilize resources (including collaborators) when pursuing those objectives. Unlike Alcibiades'seamen who seem to be nothing more than drunken vandals, the contemporary iconoclasts of greatest interest to Berns are those who are visionaries, builders, and in some instances revolutionaries. His frequent use of the word "epiphany" is apt. Several of those whom he discusses experienced a "shock of recognition" that revealed both a profound insight and a compelling vision. Disney's epiphany occurred when images of a static cartoon projected on a movie screen changed his "categorization of drawing from one of static cartoons to that of moving ones - drawings that told stories in a narrative sense."

Presumably there will be many differences between and among those who read this book in terms of what they learn and how they then apply what they learn. Perhaps at least some of them are "regular" iconoclasts and a "precious few" among them are or will one day become icons such as Jonas Salk and Steve Jobs. As for the rest of us, none may ever "shatter conventional thinking" but, thanks to Gregory Burns, we will at least be much better prepared to understand, appreciate and support those who do.

2 out of 5 stars

Become and Icon by being an Iconoclast September 29, 2008
14 out of 26 found this review helpful

Iconoclast in the case of the book means One who attacks cherished beliefs. I think most entrepreneurs are good at this. They challenge the known and think creatively.

The following is a summary of Iconoclast from Oct 2008 Fast Company which I think touches most of the salient points:

-- The brain is fundamentally a lazy piece of meat. It doesn't want to waste energy.

-- In order to think creatively, you must develop new neural pathways and break out of the cycle of experience - dependant categorization. As Mark Twain said, "Education consists mainly in what we have unlearned." For most people, this does not come naturally. Often, the harder you think differently, the more rigid the categories become.

-- Fortunately, the networks that govern both perception and imagination can be reprogrammed. By deploying your attention differently, the frontal cortex, which contains rules for decision making, can reconfigure neural networks so that you can see things that you didn't see before. You need a novel stimulus -- either a new piece of information or an unfamiliar environment -- to jolt attentional systems awake. The more radical the change, the greater the likelihood of fresh insights.

-- Only when you consciously confront your brain's shortcuts will you be able to imagine outside of its boundaries.

So I know I want to "break the rules" and be creative. I even know a bit of how to do it like breaking routine and feeding myself knowledge. I think the book should have had more practical tips on how to do that.

I only gave the book 2 stars because it is a tough read. True scientists will like it more than I do.

5 out of 5 stars

Neuroscience Tips for Thinking Out of the Box October 30, 2008
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

Iconoclast, by Gregory Burns

Iconoclast (by Gregory Burns) was a fun book to read! The goal of the book is look at how Iconoclasts in society (those folks who do things others say cannot be done) think. The book describes famous iconoclasts and provides some insights into their thinking "out of the box" thinking abilities. Three factors limit the thinking of most of us: Flawed perception; Fear of failure; and the inability to persuade others (for example social intelligence). The more influential iconoclasts balance all 3 attributes to become hugely successful (think Noel Bushnell-Pong, Steve Jobs-Apple, Walt Disney-cartoon moving animations, Branch Rickey-Integration in baseball, Howard Armstrong-Super heterodyne Receiver etc). In the iconoclast the power of vision is especially enhanced and the brain neural circuits are more active. Perception is more than just seeing things. A key aspect is the ability to perceive things one sees in ways most people cannot. Thus the iconoclast is able to perceive what others believe cannot be done. Perception is intimately tied to imagination which is the key ingredient in imagination. The brain's need for energy efficiency works against imagination, since imagination involves stronger neural connections (and more focused attention) to create deeply imprinted and detailed visualizations. One of the important attributes for better perception is having many unique experiences (think about being a world traveler).

One of the big inhibitors of action is fear and the varied response folks have to stress. The author discusses the stress response in some detail, including neurotransmitters, and hormones involved, especially the correlation of dopamine with risk taking. He also discusses human tendencies to both fear the unknown and the tendency to project the present state into the future. The true iconoclast is able to get around these obstacles. In the financial markets, contrarians like Warren Buffet tend to bet that fear make most people make the wrong decisions about the future viability of current investments. The science of neuroeconomics is beginning to attempt to answer questions as to why many folks "act irrationally" when it comes to predicting the future, as a result of our built-in aversion to loss. The author examines one of the brain key elements (the Amygdala) in our "fear response." He also briefly discusses how we might be able to better control the Amygdala and thus our response to fear. Of course fear, will tend to distort perception (and make us more risk adverse), which in turn impacts our ability to fully utilize our imagination. There are some thought provoking research areas that are just being uncovered in this fascinating area of brain science.

The truly great global iconoclasts are also able to put together the right social network on a global scale. Iconoclast like Picasso, and Steve Jobs have the right social networking skills to "sell' their "out of the box" ideas. In this last area, is where many iconoclasts come up short (think of Howard Armstrong and Vincent Gogh who committed suicide and were not considered successful during their lifetimes).

The last chapter addresses drugs (pharmacology) which might have an impact on the 3 major attributes of an iconoclast. You would find the usual suspects, but there are also some surprises which are not widely known.

Overall, I found the book to be fast moving and informative. I highly recommend it.

3 out of 5 stars

Great Ideas and Hypothesis, But Doesn't Offer Much in Solutions October 23, 2008
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

Great antedotes of iconoclasts those extraordinary individuals among us that go out and do great things, regardless of the fear of failure, fear of embarrasement, and fear of the unknown. I thought I had to get this book as i am always interested in ways to go beyond fear. The writing style is easily comprehended, but still written like a scientist. If this book was written for the scientific community then so be it but for the masses it misses the mark. What we need are solutions to overcoming or managing our fears and what to do when we find ourselves in fearful situations or predicaments. The book breaks down the fears that prevent us from moving forward and for that its a good read, but otherwise for solutions look elsewhere.

4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable and well done book. But don't expect to find a way to become an iconoclast yourself in these pages November 4, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

"The brain is a lazy piece of meat" to quote the author. His premise is that
the brain quickly adapts to new stimulus and in doing so often misinterprets information
or fails to see new ways of approaching a problem.

His hypothesis is that iconoclasts are able to view the world through different viewpoints consistently. He provides many entertaining and informative examples of such individuals. The book is actually a fairly quick and enjoyable read for those with some science background.

Who this book is for:

*Readers interested in the brain and how it impacts perception, interpretation and viewpoints.

*Readers with a reasonably strong level of scientific understanding and vocabulary at about Scientific American level of reading for biology.

*Readers interested in how cognition impacts behavior.

Who this book is not for:

*Readers looking for a way to change their own brains.

*Readers looking for directly applicable solutions to becoming an iconoclast themselves.

I disagree with the section of the subtitle that indicates "a neuroscientist reveals how to think differently". This book will not teach you, as an individual, how to rewire your brain absent of mind altering drugs. He does explain very clearly and in an entertaining manner how many parts of the brain work, but this is not a "self help" book, so to speak.

The author does outline in the last chapter the effects that drugs have on the brain. One senses that he feels that pharmacology could provide some solutions in the future but wisely points out that bad side effects of currently available mind altering substances mostly preclude using them for this purpose. He does offer some suggestions for the short term calming of fears, both in using feedback and using drugs, in order to allow people to succeed as such worrisome tasks as public speaking.

As a side note I especially enjoyed the chapter on Space Flight. I live in New Mexico and I often wondered how it was that we ended up with a Spaceport. Now I know.

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