The Seventh Sense - (Columbia Business School Publishing) by William Duggan (Paperback)

About the Book

The first book to apply advances in neuroscience to the greatest problem of personal strategy: "What should I do with my life?"

Book Synopsis

Flashes of insight--the "Eureka!" moments that produce new and useful ideas in a single thought--are behind some of the world's most creative and practical innovations. This book shows how to cultivate more and better flashes of insight by harnessing the science and practice of the "seventh sense."

Drawing from psychology, neuroscience, Asian philosophy, and military strategy, William Duggan illustrates the power of the seventh sense to help readers aspire to and achieve more in their personal and professional lives. His examples include Gandhi, Joan of Arc, Starbucks founder Howard Shultz, and executives and students he has taught in his classes. His book presents specific steps in the form of three practical tools to help prepare the mind, see and seize opportunity, and follow through on one's resolution. Based on Duggan's perennially popular Columbia Business School course, this book teaches the mental skills and discipline that power the seventh sense.

Review Quotes

Duggan succeeds in explaining the cumulative natutre of insight and conveying the importance of freeing the mind to create space for such flashes to break through.-- "Success"

We all have a hunch that insight is important. But by naming insight as our seventh sense; digging deep to explain how it works in crystal-clear language; and sifting through science, history, sports, and military practice for effective illustrations, William Duggan has produced a gem. By showing how you can purposefully combine your experiences with a heightened awareness of 'presence of mind' and the 'resolution to act, ' The Seventh Sense may be the first book about the power of insight powerful and insightful enough to actually change people. A 'must read' for those who want a life more closely connected to their unique passions and creative abilities.--Stephen Cummings, professor of strategy and International Council of Management Consulting Institutes Academic Fellow, Victoria Business School

We all search for a way to make the big decisions in our lives. With a unique blend of ancient wisdom and current research, William Duggan shows how to approach these decisions and presents an intensely practical roadmap for guidance. Read this book if you want better answers to the questions that matter.--James E. Schrager, University of Chicago Booth School of Business

William Duggan's deep insight into creativity as a process that yields flashes of insight will ring true to the reader. The best part of this accessible book is a terrific platform for training the mind to generate better ideas and then selling them to others. Hint: put aside your smart phone and give your brain permission to wander, explore, and make creative connections.--George Day, codirector of the Mack Institute for Innovation Management and Geoffrey T. Boisi Professor Emeritus at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

About the Author

William Duggan is on the faculty of Columbia Business School, where he teaches the seventh sense in graduate and executive courses. He has given talks and workshops on the seventh sense to thousands of executives from companies in countries around the world. He is the author of Strategic Intuition: The Creative Spark in Human Achievement (Columbia, 2007), which was named Best Strategy Book of the Year by Strategy+Business, and Creative Strategy: A Handbook for Innovation (Columbia, 2012)