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In Pursuit of Elegance: Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing
by
Matthew E. May,
Guy Kawasaki (Goodreads Author)
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 i...more
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 i...more
Paperback, 224 pages
Published
September 7th 2010
by Crown Business
(first published 2009)
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Community Reviews
(showing
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572)
Dec 01, 2010
Justin Douglas
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
psychology-neurosci
For those who already knew that less is more, but couldn't pinpoint exactly why. Anecdotes on a variety of topics from traffic to video rentals show how Daoist principles such as "wu-wei" (doing by non-doing) can be applied (or non-applied) to modern life. A fascinating Gladwell-esque companion to the Dao De Jing, Chuang Tzu, Book of Tea, Science of Happiness, etc.
A book about elegance - mostly in a business context.
Matthew May begins by giving lots of examples of elegant ideas, that is, ideas that are simple, symmetric and powerful - and that in most cases reduce complexity rather than increasing it. Factories in the US, Europe and Japan that went from money-losing to money-making by cutting out bureaucracy and radically reducing the number of job titles. Apple's relentless removal of 'indispensable' features, like keypads on the iPhone, and its surprisi...more
Matthew May begins by giving lots of examples of elegant ideas, that is, ideas that are simple, symmetric and powerful - and that in most cases reduce complexity rather than increasing it. Factories in the US, Europe and Japan that went from money-losing to money-making by cutting out bureaucracy and radically reducing the number of job titles. Apple's relentless removal of 'indispensable' features, like keypads on the iPhone, and its surprisi...more
very thought-provoking ideas and insights -- applicable to business model, app, interface, or even artistic design!
Here were my key takeaways:
Key elements of Elegance: Symmetrical, Seductive, Subtractive, Sustainable
- have a Stop-doing List as well as to-do list: eliminate bottom 20% of to-do list forever.
- great art is also composed of what is not in final piece...
- familiarity with a principle means not having to know all of its applications
- difference between East and Western mindset: seeing...more
Here were my key takeaways:
Key elements of Elegance: Symmetrical, Seductive, Subtractive, Sustainable
- have a Stop-doing List as well as to-do list: eliminate bottom 20% of to-do list forever.
- great art is also composed of what is not in final piece...
- familiarity with a principle means not having to know all of its applications
- difference between East and Western mindset: seeing...more
A book about elegance should be elegant, right? I mostly just found this book to be very tidy. I haven't read any Malcolm Gladwell, but this author seems to be camping under similar stars. I read it in one sitting and liked it. My brain feels, if not reformatted, then carefully adjusted, like I went to the brain chiropractor.
He defines elegance as a quality that falls under four annoyingly alliterative words: symmetry, seduction, subtraction & sustainability. For the rest of the book, pulls...more
He defines elegance as a quality that falls under four annoyingly alliterative words: symmetry, seduction, subtraction & sustainability. For the rest of the book, pulls...more
May 12, 2009
Brian
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
change-and-improvement-books,
read-in-2009
I loved “In Pursuit Of Elegance” by Matthew E. May. This book will provide a basis for a whole new kind of thinking. I can not think of an audience that would not benefit from reading this book because it can apply to business, art, home-life, and many other ventures.
One thing I found brilliant about the book is that it doesn’t offer specific steps to follow. This is not a “go and do” kind of book. What is NOT in the book is what makes this powerful (and elegant). May provides many case examples...more
One thing I found brilliant about the book is that it doesn’t offer specific steps to follow. This is not a “go and do” kind of book. What is NOT in the book is what makes this powerful (and elegant). May provides many case examples...more
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This is a book -- like Omnivore's Dilemma -- that really makes me rethink and change the way I see things. May gives examples of elegance, and the power of it, and its roots in simplicity -- how leaving something out, or simplifying something and eliminating the endless barrage of information, can make it easier to communicate and function in the world. He focuses on four concepts: symmetry, seduction, subtraction and sustainability.
He makes a compelling argument about a busy traffic circle in t...more
He makes a compelling argument about a busy traffic circle in t...more
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 complai...more
The author works hard to give examples from a wide range of disciplines. Because of this broad stroke of the brush, the only complai...more
A nice (I suppose you could say elegant) little book about why less often is more. Anecdotal, well-written, with at least some examples I found very interesting (the "shared space", rule-free concept of traffic regulation exemplified in the Laweiplein crossing - see it on Youtube - for example, as well as the Nigerian clay pot vegetable coolers,) some I found rather repetitious (the iPhone's elegant simplicity) and others done better elsewhere (Christopher Alexander's pattern language approach t...more
This was wide-ranging and very interesting, although I think it's possible that May has given some odd significance to events. For example, his use of the example of what happens at busy intersections if traffic signals and signs are eliminated, to me shows not "symmetry" but libertarianism. :-) But still, how can you not love a book that manages to tie together neuroscience, cycling, Jackson Pollock, traffic patterns, architecture, the iPhone, fractals and the Sopranos? Fun and interesting view...more
I checked out the audio form of this book from the library quite by chance, and was pleasantly surprised by the premise and breadth of material for his chosen topic. He talks about four key elements of elegance: seduction (appealing to the senses), subtraction (keeping to the minimum but still achieving effectiveness), symmetry (necessary for all beauty) and sustainability. I slipped it in on a recent long drive thinking I would just listen to "some of it" but it kept my interest arrested all th...more
I found the beginning of this book a little painful to read, even though the stories and examples told were interesting. That's because the author talks about the "three S's" of elegance: symmetry, seduction, subtraction. This felt to me like a forced attempt to work what he'd seen into an easy to remember, packable concept. Once you move on from this forced concept, the book becomes more interesting. He begins to discuss how you think to get toward an "elegant" concept. And while not super in-d...more
the book is thought-provoking but seems quite light compared to the other business books i've read. so is it because there's not much to say or because he applies the principles of seduction and subtraction and so forces one to develop the ideas for oneself? while the ideas resonate, it would have been handy if he could have described some tools to apply these principles. maybe in the second book?
May addressed another imperative interrogative that I dwell upon daily when I design garments. How to make things elegant and timeless. His tone is a little bit cocky and dismissive towards the reader which makes the book hard to get through, yet he gives very clear examples on how to address this idea of subtle elegance that is so hard to attain. Strongly recommended for Sudoku lovers.
Most definitely changed the way I approach design! As an engineer I used to think more is always better. After reading this book, I know and fully understand this is not always the case. In my designs, whether I am creating a Kit for education or curriculum I now apply the priniciples outlined in the book. Terence - www.creatrex.com and www.raspberrycopilot.com
Interesting book on why we need elegance and how to achieve it. Elegance is defined as "cleverly apt and simple" and is achieved through symmetry, seduction, subtraction, and sustainability. I liked the big idea of the book and enjoyed the many examples, but did not always see the connection between the two.
"The power of elegance is achieved when the maximum impact is exacted with the minimum input." (need to work on my wordiness)
Why we need elegance: "Because by nature we tend to add when we s...more
"The power of elegance is achieved when the maximum impact is exacted with the minimum input." (need to work on my wordiness)
Why we need elegance: "Because by nature we tend to add when we s...more
May discusses the concept of elegance by using 4 broad components: symmetry, seduction, substitution, & sustainability. I was especially struck by his chapter on sustainability and his discussion on observation and how human beings are wired to think and do quickly, but many flashes of insight only occur after we observe and think, and ask "Why."
A key theme in the book is that often elegance comes from what you take out rather than keep adding on.
Some interesting thoughts:
1.) What's a free way that an old VHS video store could guarantee that all tapes are rewound? (hint: "be kind, please rewind" stickers and incentive programs didn't work.. additionally tape rewinding machines aren't free)
2.) Imagine letters are made up of sticks. What's the fewest number of sticks you need to move to make this Roman numeral equation true: "XI + I = X"...more
Some interesting thoughts:
1.) What's a free way that an old VHS video store could guarantee that all tapes are rewound? (hint: "be kind, please rewind" stickers and incentive programs didn't work.. additionally tape rewinding machines aren't free)
2.) Imagine letters are made up of sticks. What's the fewest number of sticks you need to move to make this Roman numeral equation true: "XI + I = X"...more
what not to do, less is more, traffic flow min lights safe sim to phone case, lights out flow, roller rink, react vs think elevator, addiction to addition vs subtraction, double pot evap cooling, tendency to satisfice, remove minor crimes, observe vs act, circle why T, play pump.
I was shocked to see so many of the ideas and concepts I'd been considering explained, with examples. I was impressed by the book, though I thought it was a bit longer than necessary (I still gave it five stars because I liked the extra personally, if not professionally).
Elegant solutions to problems employ symmetry, seduction, subtraction, and sustainability. Typically our problem solving embraces two obstacles: acting and adding, thereby satisficing instead of stopping and reflecting long enough to come to an elegant solution.
Hmmm...This book seemed really Master of the Obvious...Not all of the examples matched the concept of elegance...I guess my only real complaint was that the entire book could have been written in one chapter...And I already knew about the concept of elegance & have thought about it so I wasn't particularly illuminating.
Really well done, easy to read. I liked the thesis and it was well worked out. We certainly need to solve more problems by removing layers of complexity rather than just adding more and more laws, rules or activities.
I read quite a bit and many books suffer from "me too" complexes. Not this one. An amazing read with applications to so many areas of life. May proves that, in fact, less may be more. Strongly recommended.
“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
—Daniel H. Pink, author of A Whole New Mind and The Adventures of Johnny Bunko
I love this book!
I have always valued elegance very highly but would have been hard-put to define it well. I can now do that and actively seek it in my work, because I understand that symmetry, sustainability, subtraction, and seduction are its defining characteristics.
I have always valued elegance very highly but would have been hard-put to define it well. I can now do that and actively seek it in my work, because I understand that symmetry, sustainability, subtraction, and seduction are its defining characteristics.
Wow--
From the book, Prologue:
"But why, you might still be wondering, is this so important?...Because we need some way to consistently replace value-destroying complexity with value-creating simplicity. Because we need to know how to make room for more of what matters by eliminating what doesn't." p.12
An exploration of why some plans, actions, etc capture our attention and become innovation--breakthroughs if you will.
4 key elements--
seduction, subtraction, symmetry, and sustainability.
Something I...more
From the book, Prologue:
"But why, you might still be wondering, is this so important?...Because we need some way to consistently replace value-destroying complexity with value-creating simplicity. Because we need to know how to make room for more of what matters by eliminating what doesn't." p.12
An exploration of why some plans, actions, etc capture our attention and become innovation--breakthroughs if you will.
4 key elements--
seduction, subtraction, symmetry, and sustainability.
Something I...more
Nov 30, 2011
Jillian
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
self-help-how-to-s,
business
If you're looking for a Tipping Point-like book, this isn't it. There are a few interesting facts intermingled with common sense advice like, "don't over-think it" and "elegance is simple." Nothing too ground-breaking.
Jul 29, 2010
Hippopottoman
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
nonfiction,
library
A little disappointing. Not a bad read, and many of the anecdotes were interesting, but that's as far as it goes. I didn't find that there was a unifying theme threading between the stories - many of the ideas didn't seem to have obvious elegance or even anything missing. For example, the factory without an HR department - I guess it's missing an HR department, but it's not missing the HR role - they just moved it around. It's perhaps not a bad idea, but I think the story glossed over was was pr...more
Easier said than done ideas. I'm not too into the business-y self help kind of books anyway.
Some great stories about how removing things can make projects/companies/designs better. Nice ideas, but ultimately started to drag on.
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