Customer Reviews

Shadows of the Neanderthal: Illuminating the Beliefs that Limit Our Organizations

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David Hutchens brings new insight and twists to an age old metaphor. This book begins with a humorous tale whose analogy, to the world in which we live and the mental models which we hold, will hit you between the eyes. The writer quickly points out problems every organization battles with to improve performance and grow. While the business culture has become so overwhelmed with change, many leaders have embraced their current state of affairs. Holding tight to what we have, we spend much of our energy trying not to lose market share. This book gives insight into why and when this happens and how to move from there. "In a world of chaotic information, the mind instantly locks onto that which it already knows--and simply filters out other data." (from Shadows of the Neanderthal) I'm glad I bought it. Thom Hazelip, Arthur Andersen LLP

I really enjoyed this book! The author's clever sense of humor and the great illustrations make a difficult subject--mental models--fun and easy to learn about. I think the book would help any company, family, or even couple get better at exploring why they think the way they do, and how to communicate better with colleagues and loved ones. The discussion guide at the end of the book makes it easy to start using the ideas in your day-to-day life.

Simple, yet powerful. A fun way to learn and very effective for group discussion.

As an Organizational Development Specialist for more years than I wish to count, I've been exposed to many ideas, concepts, techniques, etc. What stands out for me are things like paradigms, mental models, dialogue, and personal growth through exploring how others see the world. David has a knack of taking sometimes complex concepts and making them simple to understand and explore. "Shadows of the Neanderthal" is one of several publications by David that are fun to read AND educational.

As usual, David begins this book with a delightful story whose roots drive deep into western philosophy. If you took freshman philosophy in college, you'll recognize Plato's Cave Parable. But then David takes the story to a less philosophical and more practical understanding about how each of us sees the world through an incomplete paradigm. He shows the reader how we mistake OUR paradigm as THE paradigm...and this can have disastrous effect, not just in our personal lives, but in our organizational lives as well.

David follows the story with the principles and abbreviated illustrations of the concepts. In this little book, you'll learn seven key principles of "mental models," or the way we see the world. One of the most useful tools in improving communication with others (at home or at the office) is "the ladder of inference" (Chris Argyris). This is one of the clearest explanations of how we can explore another's thinking process, and share our own as well.

To close out the book, David invites readers to use some simple yet powerful questions to explore others' mental models, and how to get more information on the table in order to make better decisions.

David has published several of these easy reads. I've purchased two others and plan to purchase more. Wonderfully done, easy to read, and educational. Great job on tough topics, David!

Plato's allegory of the cave is a story that everyone must read in order to claim to be educated. In it, people are permanently located in a cave with their back to the entrance. The shadows of what takes place outside the cave appears on the wall and the residents use that information to reach conclusions regarding what is outside. It is designed to show you that much of what you think you know is only a faint shadow of what the world really is.
This story begins in that vein; Unga, Bunga, Oogie, Boogie and Trevor are cave dwellers with a fear of the outside. They watch the shadows and reach conclusions and each has a different opinion regarding what terrible fate would befall them if they ever set foot outside their domain. They eat only what blows into the cave, so their diet consists largely of dried plant life and dead insects.
Eventually, Boogie expresses a desire to explore the exterior world, an opinion that immediately gets him ostracized. When he leaves, he discovers an amazing world of animals and vegetation. He wanders until he encounters a wise man named Mike, who tells him how it used to be.
In the old days, there was a major civilization that built towers to see what was beyond their immediate vicinity. In one direction, there were enormous herds of wild animals and in the other direction there were abundant fruits and vegetables there for the harvesting. There were two groups, each of which looked in only one direction. This led to an immediate split, one group wanted to build spears and other hunting tools while the other wanted to build baskets for gathering. Neither side would budge from their position, which led to a battle for control. This battle led to separate groups retreating into caves, where they remained to this day.
After the initial story of the cave dwellers, there is a serious discussion of the meaning of the tale. You are asked to ponder the significance of the story and how it relates to the modern business world. With the advent of global markets and the instantaneous transfer of information, for most companies a strategy of staying put is suicide. Each and every day, someone in the company must be examining all of the fundamental assumptions used to justify the business decisions.
This is a short book that is perfect for the half-day management seminar. Illustrated and only 81 pages long, it can be read in about an hour and is packed with information designed to get you thinking about your approach to life, work and career.

Fun and easy read but compelling! This is a book that I will want to keep on my bookshelf and revisit. A must read for managers, educators, and leaders.
Just as enjoyable and illuminating, Outlearning the Wolves, again, by David Hutchens.