Working Wonders

Ryszard Praszkier is an emeritus professor at the Institute for Social Studies, University of Warsaw, Poland. He has merged decades of practical experience in the field of social innovation with his passion for academic research and connecting theory with practice.

• Introduction; Part I. Those Who Made the Impossible Happen: 1. 'The purpose of work is to feel good about life'; 2. Bringing empathy to schools; 3. 'Moving the world with one hand'; 4. Those who made the impossible happen: drawing conclusions; Part II. Entrenching and Defending the Fortress: 5. Brain unmalleability; 6. Keep it consistent; 7. Majority influence; 8. Connections that close the mind; 9. Personal book on shared reality; Part III. Opening the Mind: Possibilitivity: 10. They did it!; 11. Brain plasticity; 12. Creativity opens closed doors; 13. Complexity, inconsistent thinking and paradoxes; 14. Minority influence; 15. Networks that boost creativity; 16. Sync your mind with others; 17. Opening the mind: possibilitivity; Part IV. Do-It-Yourself Tips: 18. Precondition one: building a supportive ambience; 19. Forest for the trees; 20. The opening value of allegories, metaphors and paradoxes; 21. Games and simulations; 22. Joy and dancing: a royal way to opening the mind; 23. A flexible body opens the mind; 24. Imagination as a key to the impossible; 25. Summary: training possibilitivity; Précis; Appendix: measuring possibilitivity.

'How do you learn from actual stories? When reading through Working Wonders by Ryszard Praszkier, you cannot but learn about real people and new ideas. Humanity is always progressing and human ingenuity can transform the impossible. The book is an invitation to be taken seriously by persons and institutions alike.' Andrea Bartoli, Professor and Dean, School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Seton Hall University, New Jersey