KNOXVILLE — The future belongs to a different kind of person with a different kind of mind: artists, inventors, storytellers, according to author Daniel H. Pink. In A Whole New Mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future, Pink makes a convincing argument for an ongoing shift to the dominance of right-brainers in the modern world. Join Amy Broyles, county commissioner, 2nd district, for a discussion of this book on Wednesday, January 21, noon in the East Tennessee History Center auditorium, at this month’s Books Sandwiched In, a program series of Knox County Public Library.

“This is a quick and entertaining read, but don't let that fool you - the concepts Daniel Pink outlines are complex, innovative, and sure to make you rethink your view of the future,” Broyles says. “Working from his premise that the world has moved beyond the Information Age to the Conceptual Age, Pink shows us not only what abilities are necessary for a fulfilling life and successful career, but also how to cultivate them and put them to use.”

And the shift to a “Conceptual Age” empowers those who are right-brain dominant, according to Pink. Creative and empathic ‘right-brain’ thinkers, those whose abilities mark the fault line between who gets ahead and who doesn't, will dominate. Lawyers, accountants, and software engineers used to be the careers coveted by parents for their children. No longer true, Pink says.

Drawing on research from around the advanced world, Daniel Pink outlines the six fundamentally human abilities that are essential for professional success and personal fulfillment - and reveals how to master them.

Amy Broyles has served on the Knox County Commission since 2008, representing the North Knoxville area. Her background is in social services, and her interests range from religion, economics, and anthropology to physics, communication, and art. She grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and has traveled extensively within the United States. During her time on commission, she has worked to improve the dynamics of legislative and governmental bodies, and to highlight the issues of underrepresented groups.

Books Sandwiched In continues on February 18, when Michelle D. Commander, University of Tennessee Assistant Professor of English and African Studies, will discuss: Lose Your Mother: A journey along the Atlantic slave trade by Saidiya Hartman. On March 18, Dawn Distler, Knoxville Director of Transit, will discuss Happy City: Transforming our lives through urban design by Charles Montgomery. And on April 15, Knoxville Attorney Wanda Sobieski will discuss A Call to Action: Women, religion, violence and power by Jimmy Carter.