Thriving on Overload: The 5 Powers for Success in a World of Exponential Information
Ross Dawson
McGraw Hill (September 2022)

How to reframe perception of experience from one of overload to that of abundance

Place a glass in the sink and pour water into it from the faucet. Soon it will be filled and then the glass cannot contain any more water. Or turn the glass upside down and pour water atop it. These two simple examples illustrate what happens to the mind when it experiences information overload or, in some instances, an inability to process or even consider [begin italics] any [end italics] additional information.

Why did Ross Dawson write Thriving on Overload?  “The objective of this book is not to help you find your life’s purpose. I*t is to help u thrive in a world in which information is the very essence of 0ur lives and livelihoods.” Dawson focuses on what he characterizes as “the five powers of thriving on overload.” Adding, “these five powers are inseparable. They are parts of a whole, the elemental capabilities that, when integrated, create the superpower of thriving amid excessive information.”

Here are the five powers: Purpose (Pages 13-35), Framing (37-78), Filtering (79-117), Attention (119-154), and Synthesis (155-188). He devotes a chapter to each. They are separate but interdependent and most effective when used in coordination. Dawson urges his reader to keep in mind that information worthy of consideration and application must meet criteria that include these: it must help to answer a important question or solve a serious problem; it must be relevant to the given context; it must survive rigorous scrutiny; and it must strengthen skills essential to the four levels of discourse: exposition, description, narration, and argumentation.

When feeling overloaded by information, one of the best ways to manage it is to classify it in terms of relative need and importance. There is always somewhere to assign information if it isn’t needed NOW and one of those options is to ignore it. I agree with Warren Buffett: “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.”

These are among the other passages of greatest interest and value to me, also listed to suggest the scope of Dawson’s coverage:

o The Five Powers of Thriving on Overload (Pages 4-8)
o Expertise (22-24)
o Concept Frameworks (40-41)
o Creating Knowledge (41-44)
o The Power of Visual Thinking (44-46)

o MIind Maps (54-56)
o Networks (56-59)
o  Systems (60-64)
o Creating Your Own Visual Fireworks (72-76)
o Transcending Bias (84-88)

o Algorithmic Input (101-104)
o The Power of Curation (109-111)
o The Six Attention Modes (122-125)
o Deep-Diving(132-135)
o Enhancing Serendipity (136-137)

o The Value of Information Routines (139-141)
o Beyond Information Addiction (144-147)
o Strengthening Your Attention (147-149)
o Synthesis and Human Progress (157-161)
o Integratiive Thinking (170-172)

I also commend to your attention Dawson’s inclusion of more than a dozen exercises (notably those on Pages 33-35, 777, 114-117, 153-154, 187-188, and 201) which serve two very important purposes: they stress key points or concepts, and, they invite the reader to interact directly and meaningfully with the material in the given chapter.

Here are two suggestions to help you and others who read Thriving on Overload to manage the abundance of information, insights, and counsel that Ross Dawson provides. First, highlight key material. Also,  keep a lined notebook near at hand in which to record your own comments, questions, and page references as well to complete the aforementioned exercises.