Numbskull at Play
Hi there! Welcome to my sandboxNumbskull enacts a new genre of literature and a new paradigm of social science. It tells the story of my lifetime search for the secrets of timely and transforming action, hitting my head in various literal and metaphorical ways along the way.
The main body of the book is autobiographical in nature, intended to help readers reflect on the developmental rhythms of your own lives and loves, and those of the organizations where you work.
The Postscript, by my friend and colleague Aftab Erfan, an Iranian woman half my age who currently serves as Chief Equity Officer for the city of Vancouver, offers several of her own developmental stories, illustrating a differently reflective, first-person voice and, at the same time, pointing toward the global, intergenerational, and intergendered reach of the theory.
The Endnotes to each chapter, written by friends in my community of inquiry, support your (readers’) self-reflection by showing how my experiences both led to, and embodied, the leadership and organization development theory I eventually formulated. (My friends also at times become critical in their assessment of my actions!)
The appendixes of the book outline the full range of my philosophical theories of ontology, epistemology, learning, interpersonal efficacy, cybernetic feedback, ethics, justice, and a new paradigm of social science that integrates action and inquiry.
You may wonder about the bronze merman head-standing on the front cover. It was fashioned by my friend Peter Haines (a character in the book) with me as the model (long ago when I was not yet ‘Old Father William’ and could still stand on my head). It represents the time I addressed the Harvard Philosophy and Aesthetics Colloquium on the topic “Standing Philosophy on Its Head.” And yes, I did stand on my head on the seminar table at a certain point during the event. And yes, that did, to my astonishment, drive the philosophers out of the room. Read the book for more details.
The main body of the book is autobiographical in nature, intended to help readers reflect on the developmental rhythms of your own lives and loves, and those of the organizations where you work.
The Postscript, by my friend and colleague Aftab Erfan, an Iranian woman half my age who currently serves as Chief Equity Officer for the city of Vancouver, offers several of her own developmental stories, illustrating a differently reflective, first-person voice and, at the same time, pointing toward the global, intergenerational, and intergendered reach of the theory.
The Endnotes to each chapter, written by friends in my community of inquiry, support your (readers’) self-reflection by showing how my experiences both led to, and embodied, the leadership and organization development theory I eventually formulated. (My friends also at times become critical in their assessment of my actions!)
The appendixes of the book outline the full range of my philosophical theories of ontology, epistemology, learning, interpersonal efficacy, cybernetic feedback, ethics, justice, and a new paradigm of social science that integrates action and inquiry.
You may wonder about the bronze merman head-standing on the front cover. It was fashioned by my friend Peter Haines (a character in the book) with me as the model (long ago when I was not yet ‘Old Father William’ and could still stand on my head). It represents the time I addressed the Harvard Philosophy and Aesthetics Colloquium on the topic “Standing Philosophy on Its Head.” And yes, I did stand on my head on the seminar table at a certain point during the event. And yes, that did, to my astonishment, drive the philosophers out of the room. Read the book for more details.
Published on May 05, 2021 10:19
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