Integration

We are all shaped by the expectations of our families and the society in which we grow up; also by the experience of separation from a sense of belonging that is our evolutionary heritage. This book considers the sense of separation in the light of our evolutionary development, focusing on the imbalance between left and right hemisphere thinking identified by Iain McGilchrist and giving rise to the idea of being co-active as an integration of right and left hemispheres. Indeed, integration is the central theme of the book, as the title suggests. This has the four dimensions of self, others, the world and God. The second part of the book is devoted to the practicalities of being co-active and achieving an appropriate balance between the Default Mode Network and the Task Positive Network in the brain. Various stories illustrate imbalances in one direction or the other, but it is always important to harmonise these capacities both in life and at work. The authors describe the four cornerstones of the philosophy with practical tips for their implementation. We need to treat people as creative, resourceful and whole, dance in the moment, focus on the whole person and evoke transformation. It is also important to forge consciously designed alliances in order to enhance the cornerstones. They also suggest five keys to integration: listening, intuition, curiosity, deepening the learning and self-management. This practical approach informed by neuroscience can help readers refine their approach whatever their situation. There are some interesting quotations in the book, but I was surprised to see a quotation from the Gospel of Thomas attributed to Daniel Pinchbeck. (p. 36)