The Serendipity Mindset - by Christian Busch (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Good luck isn't just chance, it can be learned and leveraged, and The Serendipity Mindset explains how to use serendipity to make life better at work, at home-everywhere. Most of us think that the important decisions and events in our lives happen by chance, that they're out of our control. Often we think that successful people-and successful companies and organizations-are simply luckier than the rest of us. Good fortune-serendipity-just seems to happen to them. But is that true? Are some people naturally luckier than others? Or are they better at creating the conditions for coincidence to arise and taking advantage of them when they do? How can we connect the dots of seemingly random events to improve our lives? In The Serendipity Mindset, Christian Busch explains that serendipity isn't about luck in the sense of randomness. It's about seeing what others don't, combining these observations in unexpected and strategic ways, and learning how to detect the moments when apparently random or unconnected ideas merge to form new opportunities. Busch explores serendipity from a rational and scientific perspective and argues that there are identifiable approaches we can use to improve the conditions to let serendipity grow in our lives. The Serendipity Mindset offers a clear, engaging blueprint for how individuals, families, communities, and businesses can cultivate serendipity to increase innovation and influence. Drawing from the latest research in biology, chemistry, physics, management, and information systems, and using examples of people from all walks of life, Busch illustrates how serendipity works, in the process explaining how each of us can train our own serendipity muscle to use this powerful force in our own lives. Once we understand how serendipity works, Busch says, we become curators of it and luck is no longer something that just happens to us-it becomes a force that we can grasp, shape, and hone"--

Book Synopsis

Good luck isn't just chance--it can be learned and leveraged--and The Serendipity Mindset explains how you can use serendipity to make life better at work, at home--everywhere.

Many of us believe that the great turning points and opportunities in our lives happen by chance, that they're out of our control. Often we think that successful people--and successful companies and organizations--are simply luckier than the rest of us. Good fortune--serendipity--just seems to happen to them.

Is that true? Or are some people better at creating the conditions for coincidences to arise and taking advantage of them when they do? How can we connect the dots of seemingly random events to improve our lives?

In The Serendipity Mindset, Christian Busch explains that serendipity isn't about luck in the sense of simple randomness. It's about seeing links that others don't, combining these observations in unexpected and strategic ways, and learning how to detect the moments when apparently random or unconnected ideas merge to form new opportunities. Busch explores serendipity from a rational and scientific perspective and argues that there are identifiable approaches we can use to foster the conditions to let serendipity grow.

Drawing from biology, chemistry, management, and information systems, and using examples of people from all walks of life, Busch illustrates how serendipity works and explains how we can train our own serendipity muscle and use it to turn the unexpected into opportunity. Once we understand serendipity, Busch says, we become curators of it, and luck becomes something that no longer just happens to us--it becomes a force that we can grasp, shape, and hone.

Full of exciting ideas and strategies, The Serendipity Mindset offers a clear blueprint for how we can cultivate serendipity to increase innovation, influence, and opportunity in every aspect of our lives.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Serendipity Mindset:

"In this incisive book, Christian Busch reveals that luck isn't always dumb. People who can see what others don't--who are awake to the high probability of the improbable--can achieve and contribute in ways their more blinkered colleagues cannot. The Serendipity Mindset is a bracing and hopeful antidote to a world addicted to efficiency and control." --Daniel H. Pink, author of When and Drive

"In The Serendipity Mindset, Christian Busch shows us that understanding how serendipity works can change the way we work and live. Drawing from both cutting-edge science and real-world examples, The Serendipity Mindset is a wise, exciting, and life-changing book." --Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post and founder and CEO of Thrive Global

"Why is the serendipity mindset that Christian Busch describes so important? To fully leverage the discoverability and connectivity that today's mobile networked world enables, you must hone your ability to connect the dots of chance encounters and seemingly random information in creative and productive ways. This book can help you do that. Highly recommended." --Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and coauthor of Blitzscaling

"How to create the opportunities for a successful and fulfilling life? Christian Busch shows convincingly that it's more than blind luck in The Serendipity Mindset, which offers excellent practical guidance for all." --Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever and cofounder of IMAGINE

About the Author

Christian Busch, PhD, is an internationally known expert in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship. He is the director of the Global Economy Program at New York University's Center for Global Affairs, and also teaches at the London School of Economics. A cofounder of Leaders on Purpose and the Sandbox Network--and former co-director of the LSE's Innovation Lab--he has worked with senior executives around the world. He divides his time between New York and London.