Practical Intelligence: The Art and Science of Common Sense Hardback - 2007

Practical Intelligence

KARL ALBRECHT'S BESTSELLING BOOK Social Intelligence showed us how dealing with people and social situations can determine success both at work and in life. Now, in this groundbreaking book Practical Intelligence, Albrecht takes the next step and explains how practical intelligence (PI) qualifies as one of the key life skills and offers a conceptual structure for defining and describing common sense.

Throughout Practical Intelligence, Albrecht shows how people with practical intelligence can employ language skills, make better decisions, think in terms of options and possibilities, embrace ambiguity and complexity, articulate problems clearly and work through to solutions, have original ideas, and influence the ideas of others. Albrecht shows that everyone's PI skills can be improved with proper education and training and challenges all of us--from parents and teachers to executives and managers--to upgrade our own skills and help others develop their own PI abilities.

In his highly readable and thought-provoking style, Karl Albrecht describes the actual structure of common sense. He outlines the four key mental habits that can unlock mental capacity: developing mental flexibility; affirmative thinking; adopting language habits that are semantically sane; and valuing ideas. Then he shows us, step-by-step, how to develop the four integrative "mega-skills" of Bivergent Thinking, Helicopter Thinking, Intulogical Thinking, and Viscerational Thinking. Albrecht shares plenty of examples, illustrations, stories, and exercises to guide us to ever higher levels of practical intelligence.

Albrecht explains the scientific aspects of practical intelligence and brings it down-to-earth with concrete examples, stories, cases, and practical exercises. Practical Intelligence is the perfect companion of anyone who wants to learn how to think more clearly and effectively.