Customer Reviews

The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies (New Edition)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Are two heads better than one? Or do too many cooks spoil the broth? For a large class of problems, argues mathematician and social scientist Scott E. Page, two heads are better. That is the benefit of diversity, particularly cognitive diversity. Skeptical? You won't be after you follow Page's methodical, quirky and often funny analysis of diversity's logic. We recommend this book to readers who want a truly rigorous, formal description of how diversity brings benefits to organizations. Be prepared, however, to encounter much math-speak (for example when he asks readers to "Consider an arbitrary sno-cone design denoted by P"). The author also notes that some of the models showing the impact of diversity that he cites in the book have been tested via computer simulation only, and not in practical settings. Still, Page's results are innovative and beautiful, he maps out inviting avenues for further exploration, and brings welcome clarity to the important and contentious issues raised by human diversity.

Diversity matters, in law, in politics, in employment, in criminology, in sports, in media or entertainment, and in residential neighborhoods! But how? Why? When? Where? Under what conditions? For whom? These are the salient questions or issues addressed cogently by Professor Scott E. Page, using mathematical logic and rigorous empirical research. Instead of relying on vain rhetoric, legal gymnastics, simplistic anecdotes, and stylized moral platitudes, Page engages our thinking about diversity matters (such as affirmative action) with game theory and a plethora of experimental findings. Firstly, he contends convincingly (given the preponderance of the evidence cited) that diversity often matters more in problem-solving or in stimulating tangible innovations than reliance on individual ability alone. Secondly, he asserts that "the benefits of diversity also apply within individuals." In short, Page demonstrates that diversity is one of the most potent social forces available to human beings, vastly superior to the typical provincialism of homogeneity.

Page urges us to ponder the implications of diverse mindsets, toolkits, heuristics, and outcomes. Amazingly, he instantiates these complicated ideas into plausible theorems that constructively guide the reader's assessments. Obviously, the United States and many nations around the world have incorporated increasing, albeit exponential, levels of complexity and diversity due to immigration and ethnic heterogeneity. Given the demographic trends that are influencing the future of populations in societies worldwide, Page has taken us where angels and traditional intellectuals fear to venture! He points us to the positive potential of diversity as it is negotiated within schools, firms, and societies. This monograph ought not to be dismissed by any rigorous scholar, policymaker, community leader, and citizen grappling with the perplexities of diversity in the 21st century. It empowers!

Viva la Difference! Scott Page takes us on a really enagaging tour that examines why diversity matters. You thought the subject was simple? Well it is if you think in terms of the usual ways we pigeon-hole each other (gender, race) but as Page quickly shows us - diversity can be framed in many, many more ways: and more than that - he can show proof after proof for why it makes a positive difference.

What I love is his entertaining command of language, his knowledge of the subject and his clear enthusiasm for the topic. This is one of those books that, alongside the likes of Blink, Wisdom of Crowds and Tipping Point, deserves wide reading and social influence. In many ways it is an unabashed (and welcome) celebration of human-ness. Recommended.

I am not a fan of much of the work on diversity. It tends to distort reasonable choices and is imbued with a host of PC language which makes gross leaps of faith. But I believe very deeply in assuring the widest range of people the broadest range of opportunity. Scott E Page, a faculty member at Michigan has done a wonderful book which in a careful way demonstrates significant benefits from encouraging a wide variety of backgrounds and approaches to participate in decisions. Page is a researcher, so he carefully lays out his research. But he also adds to it a thoughtful framework for his thinking.

This book could be read in parallel with The Wisdom of Crowds, James Suroweicki's excellent book on the increasing need for shared decisions and the ultimate ability of rightly structured groups to make better decisions than individuals. But Page adds to Suroweicki's original ideas. I bought several copies of Page's book for my friends.

If you want true, mathetical proof that diversity leads to greater innovation and to better business solutions, Scott Page's brilliant book is for you. Feed your inner geek -- you will just love the bona fide mathematical equations complete with root numbers, co-efficients -- a trigonometric paradise. And if trigonometry was your high school academic Waterloo, Page is such a lucid, spirited writer that concepts of what he is proving will leap off the page and the seemingly incomprehensible equations will trigger a "Cool, I'm glad he proved that!" Finally, the payoff in the last fifth of the book -- which is all about application -- is sweet and powerful.

In his latest book, "The Difference", Scott Page does a magnificent job of tackling the issue of whether or not there are any real benefits to having a diverse and inclusive learning or workplace environment; or is it all about political correctness. Page takes a scientific approach to showing how and why it is important to have people teamed together who see things differently and process information differently. He defines, models, and links both identity differences and cognitive differences. He shows how diverse teams often come to more creative and effective solutions than teams composed of people who all have similar backrounds,education and experiences. This book takes a complex subject and turns it into easy reading.

The Difference is a surprising book in that it is written in a manner that is is approachable by a fairly broad audience, but it does not sacrifice much in the way of the rigor that is expected from a book written for an academic audience. I am glad that this is the case, as this book deserves a wide readership. It provides a systematic case for the practical benefits of diversity. Insofar as we can think of ourselves as facing sufficiently difficult epistemic problems - particularly those of prediction - we can make ourselves better off by ensuring that our groups of problem-solvers are diverse in relevant respects. Page puts forth two major claims in the book, but unlike most, his claims are backed both by computer simulation and mathematical proof. The first claim is that diverse agents can do better in predictive problems than homogeneous groups. The second, far more interesting claim, is that diverse groups can do better than groups comprised of the most "able". Naturally, these claims must be understood within their scope. Page is scrupulous about demonstrating when these theorems obtain and when they do not.

This book is particularly exciting for its potential to change the frame of several large debates. Insofar as his theorems can apply to real social situations, we can see that, for purely epistemic reasons, we all have something to gain from diverse teams and societies.

Page's The Difference is a neat attempt to bring political science research to a mass audience in a really accessible way. The writing is not only clear but also funny. His main point is that a diverse group of individuals can sometimes solve problems better than a single exceptional individual. Don't fool by the lighthearted tone though because the book makes a deep point and references real mathematical and game theoretic research. Recommended.

Written by a professor of complex systems, political science and economics at University of Michigan and a member of the Santa Fe Institute, this is well written and can be read for an overview of ideas or more deatiled proofs. It covers in depth some of the ideas mentioned in Surowiecki's Wisdom of Crowds. The key idea is that appropriately structured diverse groups can be better at solving complex problems and making predictions than experts, or groups composed of highly capable but undiverse groups.

Page provides a useful model for thinking about diversity involving Perspectives (ways of looking at things); Heuristics (simple rules of thumb through to complicated algorithms); Interpretations (ways of categorizing or making generalizations); Predictive Models (ways of inferring causation to make predictions). The author notes that to be diverse and effective groups mostly need to share Fundamental Preferences (common goals).

I am using this book to help teach teambuilding concepts. It provides a solid theoretical basis for diversity. Written in an engaging style with lots of interesting examples.