Today two business books are being released. One will already get a lot of coverage, but in my opinion the other is far more important and dare I say interesting.
Lean colleague and friend Matthew May's latest book, In Pursuit of Elegance: Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing is now available.
I've long been a fan of simplicity and elegance, and the value those concepts can create. There are obvious - or perhaps not - consequences for the manufacturing and business world, but also at home. My wife and I have been actively getting rid of the nonessentials to lead a simpler and less chaotic life. I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of the book for review and can highly recommend it to anyone interested in creating simplicity and elegance in their work and personal worlds.
From some of the initial reviews:
From the Publisher
What made The Sopranos finale one of the most talked about events in television history?
Why is Sudoku so addictive and the iPhone so irresistible?
What do Jackson Pollock and Lance Armstrong have in common with theoretical physicists and Buddhist monks?
Elegance.
In this thought-provoking exploration of why certain events, products, and people capture our attention and imagination, Matthew E. May examines the elusive element behind so many innovative breakthroughs in fields ranging from physics and marketing to design and popular culture. Combining unusual simplicity and surprising power, elegance is characterized by four key elements: symmetry, seduction, subtraction, and sustainability. In a compelling story-driven narrative that sheds light on the need for elegance in design, engineering, art, urban planning, sports, and work, May offers surprising evidence that what's "not there" often trumps what is.
In the bestselling tradition of The Tipping Point, Made to Stick, and The Black Swan, IN PURSUIT OF ELEGANCE will change the way you think about the world.
Advance Praise for In Pursuit of Elegance
"In Pursuit of Elegance is a fascinating intellectual romp that will change the way you look at your surroundings. As he takes readers from Jackson Pollock paintings to Dutch intersections to the secret menu at In-N-Out Burger, Matt May reveals the hidden elements beneath genuine innovation. This book is surprising, compelling, and, yes, extremely elegant."
Daniel H. Pink
author of A WHOLE NEW MIND and THE ADVENTURES OF JOHNNY BUNKO
“Elegantly written as it is provocative, In Pursuit of Elegance makes a convincing—nay, worldview-shifting—argument that less is best.”
Ori Brafman
co-author of Sway
“Enlightening. Makes a compelling case for doing more with less, by optimizing the expenditure of one’s assets and resources. That’s something anyone can and should put into practice.”
Kevin Hunter
President, Toyota Design Network
“What a masterpiece! The definitive guide to the ‘less is more’ mindset. I meant to only take a quick glance at In Pursuit of Elegance, but once I started reading it, I couldn’t stop. In a world where everything keeps getting more complicated and overwhelming, Matthew May shows us that if we start looking for things to take out, things to stop doing, and intelligent short-cuts, we will all be happier, do superior work, and live in a better world.”
Robert Sutton
Professor, Stanford University, author of The No Asshole Rule
“One of the more unique business titles in recent months…In Pursuit of Elegance is very entertaining when it comes to May's presentation of his thesis. His narrative grabs the reader's attention from the outset and, regardless of the complexity of his examples, he manages to hold one's attention by delivering astute observations on elegance.”
Soundview Executive Summaries