Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives
by Tim Harford
The case for mess: improvisation, diverse teams, untidy desks, Keith Jarrett's broken piano. Entertaining and a useful counterweight to optimization culture.
Read it if…
you over-organize and under-create.
See the book →
Skip it if…
you need more structure, not less.
Try instead: The Data Detective →
Three things you will actually use
- Disorder sparks creativity.
- Diverse teams are uncomfortable and better.
- Resist premature tidiness.
Do this first
Read the chapter on the Köln concert.
Our verdict
In praise of mess.
See the book →
Compare with other Mindset books
Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much
Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir · Mindset
The psychology of too little.
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