Fixed.
How to Perfect the Fine Art of Problem Solving
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
With Amy Herman’s Fixed., we now have access to what the FBI, NATO, the State Department, Interpol, Scotland Yard, and many more organizations and their leaders have been using to solve their most intractable problems.
Demonstrating a powerful paradigm shift for finding solutions, Herman teaches us to see things differently, using art to challenge our default thinking and open up possibilities otherwise overlooked. Her unexpected, insightful, and often delightful methodology is sought after by leaders and professionals for whom failure is catastrophic. Luckily for us, these tactics work— no matter the problem’s scale or complexity. And we don’t need an art degree or previous knowledge about art to benefit from her approach, only a willingness to open our eyes and our minds. Yes, things go wrong all the time. What matters most is what we do to fix them.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Art historian Herman (Visual Intelligence) suggests in this accessible survey that people can be better problem-solvers by following the examples of artists. Herman studies the way artists prepare, approach, and complete their works, starting with Théodore Géricault's The Raft of the Medusa, which depicts the aftermath of a shipwreck caused by terrible decision-making. She writes that the painting is the key to the "critical survival skill" that is problem-solving—which is often as simple as nurturing relationships with others and leaning on them when problems arise ("When in doubt, we must default to our humanity"). Herman presents a series of images and follow-up questions to help readers learn their tastes (which can "lead to better self-realization"), and offers a study in perspective intended to help one adopt different "vantage points." Along the way, Herman analyzes various works and their creators—Artemisia Gentileschi (from which the author draws lessons on "shifting... how others people see us"), Ai Weiwei, who dealt with much adversity before triumphing—and provides a wealth of context and art history. Timely and passionate, this candid look at generating solutions will please the creatively inclined.
