Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future

In wide-ranging conversations held over a year and a half, organizational learning pioneers Peter Senge, C. Presence is an intimate look at the development of a new theory about change and learning. The book introduces the idea of “presence”—a concept borrowed from the natural world that the whole is entirely present in any of its parts—to the worlds of business, education, government, and leadership. Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski, and Betty Sue Flowers explored the nature of transformational change—how it arises, and the fresh possibilities it offers a world dangerously out of balance. By encouraging deeper levels of learning, we create an awareness of the larger whole, leading to actions that can help to shape its evolution and our future. Drawing on the wisdom and experience of 150 scientists, social leaders, and entrepreneurs, including Brian Arthur, Rupert Sheldrake, Buckminster Fuller, Lao Tzu, and Carl Jung, Presence is both revolutionary in its exploration and hopeful in its message. This astonishing and completely original work goes on to define the capabilities that underlie our ability to see, sense, and realize new possibilities—in ourselves, in our institutions and organizations, and in society

Yet so many institutions seem to run people rather than the other way around. Mainly theoretical, it does not offer specific tips that organizational managers or directors can apply immediately; rather, it offers powerful tools and ideas for changing the mindset of leaders and unlocking the latent potential to "develop awareness commensurate with our impact, wisdom in balance with our power." --Shawn Carkonen. The authors view large institutions such as global corporations as a new species that are affecting nearly all other life forms on the planet. Raising this awareness is what Presence seeks to achieve. This is not a typical business book. In this illuminating book, the authors seek to understand why people don't change s

A Deeper Learning Theory! The central theme in this book is to present a new theory - the U movement - around how collective change occurs. The theory presents a new way for us to look at current reality and understand how we are contributing to it, but more importantly how we can re-shape it to what we want it to be. One of the fundamental underpinnings of this theory is that, while we usually break down systems into their individual parts to understand them, this decomposition does not work effectively for understanding living systems. As the authors state: "living systemscreate themselves". Therefore a deep. Did Not Enjoy, Did Not Feel Informed Aaron U. Bolin I was excited at the thought of reading a really profound book (based partly on other reviews and Peter Senge's involvement), but I was really disappointed. I'm sure the gurus and guru-worshippers imagine that I'm just too dense to get it.In all fairness, there are probably two or three sentences that are really profound. The rest of the book, in my opinion, is just ephemeral fluff.I started this book three different times and tried to force myself to read it. I just did not enjoy it at all; the hokey-ness of it just could not hold my attention. It could be me, but the book just reeke. Fails to develop its themes enough to connect Having not read Peter Senge since he first came on the business scene with The Fifth Discipline, I choose this book curious to what has evolved in his work. Part Buddhism, part Spirituality, part New Business, this book centers around conversation amongst the four authors as they address concerns of the future, not necessarily of business concern, but more so from the perspective of institutions and communities within the development of the global world. The discussion of this profound topic would arouse deep passionate discussion, and indeed, this is what the authors are proposing in