A Perfect Mess

A groundbreaking book that sheds new light on ideas of order - and shows how disorder and mess make our world a better place! Ever since Einstein's study of Brownian Motion, scientists have understood that a little disorder can actually make systems more effective. But most people still shun disorder - or suffer guilt over the mess they can't avoid. No longer! With a spectacular array of true stories and case studies of the hidden benefits of mess, A Perfect Mess overturns the accepted wisdom that tight schedules, organization, neatness, and consistency are the keys to success. Drawing on examples from busines, parenting, cooking, the war on terrorism, retail, and more, Eric Abrahamson and David H. Freedman demonstrate that moderately messy systems use resources more efficiently, yield better solutions, and are harder to break that neat ones. Applying this idea on scales both large (government, society) and small (desktops, garages), A Perfect Mess uncovers all the ways messiness can trump neatness, and will help you assess the right amount of disorder for any system. Whether it's your company's management plan or your hallway closet that bedevils you, this book will show you why to say yes to mess.