A “Visually Intelligent” Book

In a short time, Todd Cherches has become one of my favorite people on LinkedIn. His epic book VisuaLeadership: Leveraging the Power of Visual Thinking in Leadership and in Life is the subject of a “Great Books, Great Minds” feature piece I wrote last March during the pandemic lockdown. 

What I particularly love about Todd is his insatiable thirst for great books. His goal this year (as it’s been since 1998) is to read a book a week. 

Given his bibliophilic proclivities, I have asked Todd to send me his book recommendations each month so that we can feature them here on “Great Books, Great Minds.”  So without further adieu here is his inaugural review.

The title of the book is Visual Intelligence: Sharpen Your Perception, Change Your Life by Amy Herman. She is a noted art historian who has trained experts in many fields to perceive and communicate better. By showing people how to look closely at images, she helps them hone their “visual intelligence,” a set of skills we all possess but few of us know how to use effectively. 

Todd was introduced to Visual Intelligence by a few fans of his book Visual Leadership. Says Cherches:

“I was immediately intrigued with “Visual Intelligence.” And I ended up LOVING it!”

Cherches notes that while people commonly talk about intellectual intelligence (IQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ), the concept of "visual intelligence" ("VQ") he believes is often overlooked. 

He concludes:  

“By drawing on examples from the world of art, Herman's book teaches us to see more skillfully, and to enhance our powers of perception, making us more aware of what we are seeing...and what we are not. This engaging, entertaining, and enlightening book is both informative and -- yes -- eye-opening."