How does one see what isn't there? One metaphor I like to use is the example of negative space. Look at the picture to the right. Do you see a vase or do you see two faces? The answer, of course, is that both images are there. I now want you to keep this metaphor in…

Let me begin by laying my cards fully on the table: I am not a supporter of President Obama's health care reform plans. Nevertheless, I believe reasonable people can reach different opinions on the issue and, therefore, I am a proponent of honest and thoughtful debate. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of misinformation being brandied about by…

Quick. I want you to say aloud what color you see in every word in the chart to the right. Do not say the word you read. (For example, sometimes the word "white" will be in the color red so you would say "red.") The quiz, better known as the Stoop task, is a classic…

The illiterate of the twenty-first century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn. —Alvin Toffler   In a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists. —Eric…

The most interesting news is often found in the smallest articles. Buried deep inside today’s Wall Street Journal is a tiny article entitled Starbucks Tests Stealth Outlet. Apparently, in an effort to boost lagging sales, the mega-coffee chain is conducting an interesting test. It is dropping it’s name from a local Seattle store and replacing it with…

Carl Sagan once advised the public to “never underestimate the power of exponential.” It was sound advice. Unfortunately, as with so much other wise counsel, it is easy to dismiss. You shouldn’t. Consider just a few recent examples of exponential growth. In 1998, a small Silicon Valley start-up was conducting 25 million web-based searches a…

The Wall Street Journal had an interesting review of the book, Mr. Gatling’s Terrible Marvel, a while back. It is a history of the world’s first machine gun. Interestingly, although the gun was patented during the Civil War and Mr. Gatling urged the Union Army to adopt it—arguing that it would "save lives, wounds and…

On December 30, 1936, over 17,000 fans packed into the old Madison Square Garden to watch Long Island University, the country’s top-ranked basketball team, take on Stanford. It was slated to be a great game. Long Island was putting up its 43-game winning streak up against the reigning Pacific Coast Conference champions. More than that,…

Malcolm Gladwell has an outstanding article in this month's New Yorker entitled "How David Beats Goliath." It is an excellent primer on the concept of unlearning and I can't recommend the article highly enough. If, however, you don't have time to read the full article here's the operative quote: "When underdogs choose not to play…

Are you one of those people who drives around a parking lot looking for the "perfect spot" in the hopes of saving time and/or effort? Well, if you are it is a habit that you might want to unlearn because it isn't saving you any time. The following is a passage from the new book…