Messy

The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives

By: Tim Harford

Narrated by: Nicholas Guy Smith

“Utterly fascinating. Tim Harford shows that if you want to be creative and resilient, you need a little more disorder in your world.” —Adam Grant, New York Times-bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take

“Engrossing.” —New York Times

From the award-winning columnist and author of the national bestseller The Undercover Economist comes a provocative big idea book about the genuine benefits of being messy: at home, at work, in the classroom, and beyond.

Look out for Tim's next book, The Data Detective.

Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives celebrates the benefits that messiness has in our lives: why it’s important, why we resist it, and why we should embrace it instead. Using research from neuroscience, psychology, social science, as well as captivating examples of real people doing extraordinary things, Tim Harford explains that the human qualities we value – creativity, responsiveness, resilience – are integral to the disorder, confusion, and disarray that produce them.

From the music studio of Brian Eno to the Lincoln Memorial with Martin Luther King, Jr., from the board room to the classroom, messiness lies at the core of how we innovate, how we achieve, how we reach each other – in short, how we succeed.

In Messy, you’ll learn about the unexpected connections between creativity and mess; understand why unexpected changes of plans, unfamiliar people, and unforeseen events can help generate new ideas and opportunities as they make you anxious and angry; and come to appreciate that the human inclination for tidiness – in our personal and professional lives, online, even in children’s play – can mask deep and debilitating fragility that keep us from innovation.

Stimulating and readable as it points exciting ways forward, Messy is an insightful exploration of the real advantages of mess in our lives.

Formulaic Review of Randomness

I found it a bit amusing that book ascribing the value of mess, or as a scientist would call it "random noise" has such a predictable pattern. That is, this book like the vast number of other pop psychology and behavioral economics books out there all follow the same pattern: key in on a few personal and emotionally appealing anecdotes and make sweeping generalizations on human behavior based on these isolated stories. In fact, more than a few of the stories were borrowed from other pop psych books. That said, the stories are entertaining and the narrator has a pleasant, baritone voice (with a hint of a British accent) that made this book easy to listen to on my daily commute: which by the way I am very certain is the fastest way to/from work since I ride a bike everyday and have systematically reviewed all routes possible! Enjoy the ride.

So great to hear

Incredible, validating, and enlightening book on the value of messiness. Good examples and explorations. Highly recommended.

I'm a neat freak with three kids...

Would you consider the audio edition of Messy to be better than the print version?

Yes, listening to the British accent of the narrator is soothing for considering the idea of thinking different to accept that sometimes Messy is just the right challenge to make us excel.

Which scene was your favorite?

Chapter 7 & 8 discussing the AirFrance flight 447 tragedy. It was an interesting and overwhelming doing a step by step of the final moments wishing you could help them.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

To consider that when I've been confronted with a mess, the best choices I've ever made were to take a deep breath and get to work.

Any additional comments?

As a mom of twin toddlers, I've had to give up my neatness, and it's not been easy to accept the 'mess' this helped me understand the positive side of that, and how I've thrived in the chaos.

Must read

Learned a lot.
Great narration.
I’d recommend it.
Life is messy, it’s what makes us human and at the cutting edge.

I live in chaos and succeed, now I know why

I’ve spent the better part of 5 decades trying to conform and tidy around me, attempting to “fit in” in a most uncomfortable way.

Messy, not only explains the organization of chaos, but gave me permission to just do what I do. I’ll never keep an organized office, but clearly I don’t need to. My success isn’t hindered by my chaos, my messy, it is because of it.