In Pursuit of Elegance: Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing [Paperback]

Matthew E. May (Author), Guy Kawasaki (Foreword)

Book Description

Release date: September 7, 2010

What made the Sopranos finale one of the most-talked-about events in television history?

Why is sudoku so addictive and the iPhone so darn irresistible?

What do Jackson Pollock and Lance Armstrong have in common with theoretical physicists and Buddhist monks?

Elegance.

In this thought-provoking exploration of why certain events, products, and people capture our attention and imaginations, Matthew E. May examines the elusive element behind so many innovative breakthroughs in fields ranging from physics and marketing to design and popular culture. Combining unusual simplicity and surprising power, elegance is characterized by four key elements—seduction, subtraction, symmetry, and sustainability. In a compelling, story-driven narrative that sheds light on the need for elegance in design, engineering, art, urban planning, sports, and work, May offers surprising evidence that what’s “not there” often trumps what is.

In the bestselling tradition of The Tipping Point, Made to Stick, and The Black Swan, In Pursuit of Elegance will change the way you think about the world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Advance Praise for In Pursuit of Elegance

“In Pursuit of Elegance is a fascinating intellectual romp that will change the way you look at your surroundings. As he takes readers from Jackson Pollock paintings to Dutch intersections to the secret menu at In-N-Out Burger, Matt May reveals the hidden elements beneath genuine innovation. This book is surprising, compelling, and, yes, extremely elegant.”
—Daniel H. Pink, author of A Whole New Mind and The Adventures of Johnny Bunko

“As elegantly written as it is provocative, In Pursuit of Elegance makes a convincing—nay, worldview-shifting—argument that less is best.”
—Ori Brafman, coauthor of Sway

“Enlightening. Makes a compelling case for doing more with less by optimizing the expenditure of one’s assets and resources. That’s something anyone can and should put into practice.”
—Kevin Hunter, president, CALTY Design Research, Inc., Toyota Design Network

“What a masterpiece! The definitive guide to the ‘less is more’ mind-set. I meant to only take a quick glance at In Pursuit of Elegance, but once I started reading it, I couldn’t stop. In a world where everything keeps getting more complicated and overwhelming, Matthew May shows us that if we start looking for things to take out, things to stop doing, and intelligent shortcuts, we will all be happier, do superior work, and live in a better world.”
—Robert I. Sutton, Stanford professor and author of The No Asshole Rule


From the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

MATTHEW E. MAY is the author of the critically acclaimed The Elegant Solution, which won the Shingo Research Prize for Excellence. A popular speaker, he lectures to corporations, governments, and universities around the world, and is currently Senior Lecturer on Creativity and Innovation at Pepperdine University Graduate School of Business. He spent nearly a decade as a close adviser to Toyota, and his articles have appeared in national publications such as USA Today, Strategy+Business, and Quality Progress. He has appeared in The Wall Street Journal and on National Public Radio. A graduate of the Wharton School of Business, he lives in Southern California.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Crown Business; Reissue edition (September 7, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385526504
• ISBN-13: 978-0385526500
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.5 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #400,810 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

MATTHEW E. MAY is is the author of THE LAWS OF SUBTRACTION: 6 Simple Rules for Winning in the Age of Excess Everything, as well as three previous, award-winning books: The Elegant Solution, In Pursuit of Elegance, and The Shibumi Strategy. A popular speaker, creativity coach, and close advisor on innovation to companies such as ADP, Edmunds, Intuit, and Toyota, he is a regular contributor to the American Express OPEN Forum Idea Hub and the founder of Edit Innovation, an ideas agency based in Los Angeles. His articles have appeared in national publications such as The Rotman Magazine, Fast Company, Design Mind, MIT/Sloan Management Review, USA Today, Strategy+Business, and Quality Progress. He has appeared in The Wall Street Journal and on National Public Radio. A graduate of the Wharton School of Business and Johns Hopkins University, he lives in Southern California.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 57 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars I beg to differ May 24, 2009

By Martin P. Cohen

Format:Hardcover

I fail to see what is so great about this book. The idea of elegant solutions is nothing new. The author's definition of elegance is anything but elegant. Consider this definition of elegant instead - "simple, intuitive and powerful."

The book did a lot of rambling. It could be cut by at least a third without loss. I found many of the examples to be contrived, like the California fast food joint with the small menu and an additional secret menu. Does this strike you as elegant?

The one thing that I have praise for is the presentation of the concept of symmetry. The author showed how mathematicians came up with a definition for a term that many may initially feel is undefinable. The mathematical definition of symmetry is a good example of elegance. I disagree, however, with the insistence that elegant solutions must always be symmetric.

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Much better than some of the reviews would imply October 21, 2009

By Mark W. Richards

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

First of all, I have well over 2000 biz books in my library and this is one of my favorite books. It takes a very difficult subject, elegance, and does a credible job explaining what it is and what it isn't.

This is not a step by step book to creating elegant solutions or products. Rather, it presents a compelling argument on why subtraction can lead to elegance. Why doing nothing is so difficult for humans and organizations but is many times the right thing "to do". Why in-action or restraining your brain from wanting to add can lead to breakthroughs in elegant design.

The author works hard to give examples from a wide range of disciplines. Because of this broad stroke of the brush, the only complaint would be that he does not delve deep enough into some of these examples. But by leaving some space, it made me want to dig deeper into some of the examples. Engaging a readers curiosity to seek more is exactly what elegance is all about. And I think the author balanced this perfectly.

Do yourself a favor...ignore the negative reviews on here. Under no circumstance does this book deserve less than 4 stars. It is easy to read and engages your brain in a provocative way...what more can you ask from a book?

20 of 27 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Inelegance in action May 28, 2009

By Guy in Pants

Format:Hardcover

There is a core of good observation lost in a kerfluffle of inelegance in this book. An illuminating presentation would be watching a good editor go over In Pursuit of Elegance in pursuit of some elegance, demonstrating how an excess of adverbs weakens, how sloppy use of adjectives obscures, how whipping up a froth of examples demonstrates the absence of the elegance praised. We would end up with a pamphlet of richness and evocation, but not with this book. What is before us is of publishable book length, I suppose, but is an unintentionally comical example of the opposite of what it extols.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Not just about lean. May 21, 2009

By Daniel Markovitz

Format:Hardcover

To say that his book is about lean would be a disservice. It's much more than that. The stories and analyses record Matt's search for creative ideas and innovative solutions to problems in a surprisingly wide range of fields, from Jackson Pollack to the Sopranos, from traffic circles in Europe to video rental stores, from sudoku to corporate HR policies. I don't buy into all of his examples, but the overall force of his argument is compelling and very, very thought-provoking. Certainly, I won't look at a product boasting a "New & Improved!" sticker in the same way again.

Matt proposes that truly "elegant" solutions have a wonderful -- and elusive -- combination of simplicity and power. We don't have to lard up a product with new features to solve customer problems any more than we need a 175-page employee manual to tell workers what we expect them to do.

What I love about the book -- and what I'm still thinking about two weeks after reading it -- is the challenge of creating elegant solutions to the ongoing information management problems I see everyday.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars I had high hopes, but not to be realized August 8, 2009

By Don V

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The reviews of this book seem to be bipolar. You either love it or not. I'm with the latter. I had to force myself to keep reading it. I kept stumbling over historical examples that were then force-fit into the author's categories and I found it nearly impossible to take away anything from each chapter. For me, the best reading was the chapter on Laws of Subtraction and even that left me feeling empty. I have to agree with others that that the author rambles and doesn't even follow his own principals in attempting to write the book in an elegant manner. The best example is the chapter on Seeking Symmetry. He attempts to conclude the chapter with "There are a few valuable points to take away..." and then goes on to ramble for another 6-7 pages with more trivia. The book drove me nuts. If you're looking for a book with practical takeaways, this is not it.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Everyone is likely to take away something different from this book November 8, 2009

By Paula L. Craig VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

I have an interest in urban design. The discussion of the Monderman intersection and why it works so well in handling traffic and preventing accidents is worth the price of the book all by itself. (This is a roundabout-style intersection paved with a textured surface, lacking a traffic light.) Since I read this book, I can hardly pass an intersection without thinking how much better it would work as a Monderman intersection, and how easy and cheap the conversion would be. Maybe you're not interested in traffic flow, but May puts in enough off-the-wall examples to get nearly anyone thinking. Recommended.