A perfect mess : the hidden benefits of disorder : how crammed closets, cluttered offices, and on-the-fly planning make the world a better place /

This book combines counterintuitive thinking with stories from everyday life to provide a striking new view of how our world works. Ever since Einstein's study of Brownian motion, scientists have understood that a little disorder actually makes systems more effective. With anecdotes and case st...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Abrahamson, Eric, 1958- (Author)
Other Authors: Freedman, David H., 1954-
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: New York : Little, Brown, [2006]
Edition:1st ed.
Subjects:
Online Access:Table of contents
Publisher description
Description
Summary:This book combines counterintuitive thinking with stories from everyday life to provide a striking new view of how our world works. Ever since Einstein's study of Brownian motion, scientists have understood that a little disorder actually makes systems more effective. With anecdotes and case studies of the useful role mess can play, here is an antidote to the accepted wisdom that tight schedules, neatness, and consistency are the keys to success. Drawing on examples from business, parenting, cooking, and the war on terrorism, coauthors Abrahamson and Freedman demonstrate that moderately messy systems use resources more efficiently, yield better solutions, and are harder to break than neat ones. This book will forever change the way we think about those unruly heaps of paper on our desks.--From publisher description.
Physical Description:327 pages ; 22 cm
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references (pages 311-314) and index.
ISBN:0316114758
9780316114752
0316013994
9780316013994