Making the Invisible Visible: Essays by the Fellows of the International Leadership Forum
edited by Richard Farson. Western Sciences Behavioral Institute. 2009. 153 pages. $29.
We cannot reliably forecast the future unless we understand the present, says Richard Farson, president of the Western Sciences Behavioral Institute, a nonprofit foundation that explores ways to improve human life. In Making the Invisible Visible, he brings together essays from 29 Institute fellows, who share their perspectives on current challenges. Among the contributing authors are:
• Ralph Keyes, freelance writer, describes a trend of increasing groupthink throughout society.
• Lawrence Solomon, management consultant, wonders at the human mind’s capacity to simultaneously comprehend reality and distort it.
• Michael Crichton, the late physician and author, states his concern that our society is losing its tolerance and respect for opposing ideas.
• Jane Poynter, aerospace engineer, debunks the common belief that we must choose between the environment and human welfare.
• Carlos Cardozo Campbell, urban planner, notes the toll that mass urbanization takes on human and environmental health.
• James Cramer, co-founder of the journal DesignIntelligence and co-chairman of the Design Futures Council, considers the pros and cons of society’s fixation on speediness.
The authors eloquently address deep ideas to general audiences, in thought-provoking essays that are good for reflection, discussion, and community action.
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