The power of mess

Why do we resist mess instead of embracing it?

Discover the benefits that mess brings to our lives and how it allows us to achieve new goals.

Messy celebrates the benefits that mess brings to our lives. Based on findings in neuroscience, psychology, and social sciences, illustrated with cases featuring personalities from business, politics, and the arts, Tim Harford, author of The Undercover Economist, explores why mess is important, why we resist it, and why we should stop doing so.

And this provocative and revealing praise for the magic of mess, and the advantages it brings to our lives in the professional and personal spheres, invites us to accept unexpected changes of plans, the intrusion of unfamiliar people, or unforeseen events that will be key to generating new ideas. Because highly valued human qualities such as creativity, resilience, and innovation capacity are intrinsic to mess, and the successes that inspire our admiration often arise from improvisation and confusion.

With this book, we will discover that some of the most creative people in the world have already known how to leverage the power of mess to achieve new goals.

Reviews:
"Absolutely fascinating. Tim Harford shows that to be creative and resilient we must introduce mess into our world."
Adam Grant, author of Give and Take

"Masterful."
The Economist

"A new book by Tim Harford is always a cause for joy."
Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers

"A very, very good, witty and insightful book."
Brian Eno