Thinking Like Einstein: Returning to Our Visual Roots with the Emerging Revolution in Computer Information Visualisation by Thomas G. West (PDF)

Description

Albert Einstein once said that all of his most important and productive thinking was done by playing with images in his imagination. Only in a secondary stage did he translate — with great effort, he says — these images into the language of words and mathematics that could be understood by others.According to Thomas G. West, Einstein was a classic example of a strong visual thinker, a person who tends to think in images and visual patterns, and sometimes has difficulty with words and numbers. In his awarding-winning book, In the Mind’s Eye, West discussed the connections between highly talented, visually oriented persons like Einstein and certain learning disabilities such as dyslexia. Now, in Thinking Like Einstein, West investigates the new worlds of visual thinking, insight, and creativity made possible by computer graphics and information visualization technologies. He argues that, with the rapid spread of inexpensive and powerful computers, we are now at the beginning of a major transition, moving from an old world based mainly on words and numbers to a new world where high level work in all fields will eventually involve insights based on the display and manipulation of complex information using moving computer images.West profiles several highly creative visual thinkers, such as James Clerk Maxwell, Nikola Tesla, and Richard Feynman, pointing out that there is a long history of using visualization rather than words or numbers to solve problems. Citing the longstanding historical conflicts between image lovers and image haters, West examines the relationship of art, scientific knowledge, and differences in brain capabilities – observing how modern visual thinkers with visualization technologies seem to have learned how to cut through the problems of overspecialization in academia and in the workplace.West predicts that computer visualization technology will radically change the way we all work and think. For thousands of years the technology of writing and reading has tended to promote the dominance of the left hemisphere of the brain, with its linear processing of words and numbers. Now the spread of graphical computer technologies is permitting a return to our visual roots with a new balance between hemispheres and ways of thinking – presenting new opportunities for problem solving and big picture thinking. Thus, he argues that the newest technologies will help us to reaffirm some of our oldest capabilities, allowing us to see previously unseen patterns and to restore a balance in thought and action.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Some of the concerns and questions from previous comments are covered in Dr. West’s previous book, In the Mind’s Eye. Indeed, in this book, he makes several references to his earlier work. If one wants more answers I would definitely recommend reading In the Mind’s Eye. Thinking like Einstein is a compilation of 2000 word articles he wrote for a magazine. As I myself have experienced, academia is indeed biased toward the verbal and the rote mathematical. Dr. West points out that such places as Johns Hopkins University has recognized the importance of visual thinking, and had begun testing for it. He does not say that we can make visual thinkers out of verbal thinkers. He merely points out that the increase in everyday computing power has led scientists, engineers and even financial experts to begin to see patterns and improvements that would not have been seen previously. It had also led to greater efficiencies, such as how Boeing now designs aircraft entirely on computers. Others can now see, albeit in a limited way, what only visual thinkers have been able to see in the past. On the other hand, many very brilliant people, such as Einstein, Tesla, Faraday, and Edison were indeed dyslexic. That one is dyslexic does not automatically make one a great visual thinker, and one need not be dyslexic in order to be a great visual thinker. However, in a great percentage of cases, there is indeed a correlation. The very things that wire a brain for visual thinking, often lead to issues with verbal, rote mathematical or social abilities. As a society, we are doing ourselves a great disfavor, if we reject the ability of many due to these limitations. Personally, reading is a chore for me. Sometimes the words even jump around on the page. I have always thought it incredibly inefficient to transfer knowledge and understanding via words alone. The words have to be translated to thoughts, then to visual images. Many who have trouble with this process, can indeed make great contributions to the betterment and advancement of the human race.

⭐The title of the book is very catchy. One tends to think the book is all about analyzing and dissecting thinking patterns and methods of Einstein and people like him, and how to apply this to our education and training so that the great masses can be benefited. But such is not the case with the book.The author’s biggest theme seems to be linking visual thinking with 3-D computer graphics, and suggesting that by using 3-D graphics, we can become visual thinkers. Firstly, multiple intelligence work done by Howard Gardner should have been very clear to the author that different people have different talents and not everyone can be a visual thinker. Secondly, cowboy clothes do not make one a cowboy; thus, not everyone who uses 3-D computer graphics can become visual thinkers. The second major theme of the author seems to be linking dyslexia people with visual thinkers. I don’t see a clear proof in the book.The author seems to branch out to many directions in this book and occasionally come back to discussions on visual thinkers. One of the strangest views suggested by the author is that cultures with verbal-emphasis are prone to warring with other nations. This is indeed a very peculiar viewpoint. The chapter on the Polynesian is also somewhat farfetched.However, I do agree with the author on one point: that we need to develop some tests to measure visual ability just like we have IQ tests measuring verbal and math abilities.To create a generation of visual thinkers, we need a societal change – education, cultural emphasis, jobs, tests, etc. Basically, we need to build up a whole system, starting with a clear understanding of how visual thinkers think; we then need to define or design tests that measures VQ (Visual Quotient) similar to IQ tests; at the same time, we need to train K-12 teachers on how to educate our next generations with visual thinking skills, along with verbal and mathematic skills; we also need to create jobs and compensation systems for these new skills, etc. The book did not cover all these areas.I think the author is starting in the right direction. But much more needs to be done. Even with so many defects in this book, I still recommend this book to parents and educators. Our society need to identify and cultivate visual thinkers.

⭐Must be an avid reader to enjoy this one.

⭐This book gives hope to mentally disabled people like myself. I have ADD due to trauma at 4.5 years. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

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