Rating: 
Summary: Explains complicated subject with clarity
Review: Barker has the rare gift of explaining a complicated subject with clarity. He states that when the rules change, ie., paradigm change, the whole world changes. Perhaps the most interesting statement the author makes is that we must accept new paradigms as an act of faith. If one waits until all the evidence is presented it will result in being left behind as the competition gets a head start. One particular insight was very useful for church leaders. Barker points out that many businessmen (and church leaders too) tend to take culture paradigms and turn them into sacred icons that must be protected at all cost. I was very pleased that the author did not fall into the post modern spirit which declares that truth is relative; rather, he forcibly declares that there is an objective knowable universe. One page 172 he states the most logical anti-public gambling argument I have heard. Barker sees a rosy future, perhaps he is right. What he fails to address, however, is that new paradigms are two-edged swords, bringing post prosperity and doom. His belief in the innate goodness of human nature is misplaced. His presumption that nation health care swill be an effective way of controlling cost is absurd. Reading between the lines I got a hint of New Age thought. It almost seems that he believes in he potential omniscience of man. Some insights that were of help were: It is often the outsiders to come up with new paradigms. It is not accident that many growing churches are bypassing traditional seminaries as a source of personnel. It also explains the fierce resistance to change within any organization. Those who have been there the longest have the most invested and also the most to lose if change occurs. The new outsiders have very little invested and much to gain. I also learned that the future is coming faster than we realize. If we wait to see what is coming, we will be left behind. Growing churches must be on the cutting edge of what God is doing.
Rating:
Summary: Paradigm 102--what is it?--how can I see it coming at me?
Review: Barker writes this basic guide to paradigms and shiftingin plain English and uses lots of examples. Being apradigm pioneer is a useful concept. Barker states that managers work within a paradigm, leaders lead between paradigms. There is a section on looking into the future which he calls the "art of strategic exploration". There may be a lack of "how-to" suggestions, but then, they would probably not get you into a new "how-to", which is why you would read the book.
Rating:
Summary: A very important book.
Review: For years I wondered why it is often very difficult to convince even highly-intelligent of a new fact or idea, no matter how much evidence there may be supporting the new concept. Then I read this book and learned that even intelligent people often find it difficult to even hear or see evidence for anything which lies outside their current mindset -- or "paradigm." Even great scientists and astute business men time and again fail to see or hear compelling evidence for new concepts that lie outside their current paradigm -- and, thus, significant ideas and opportunities are lost to them. However, in the present time of rapid change, we simply cannot continue to be held back by our old paradigms. This book is essential reading for those who wish to be able to cope with the rapidly-changing present and future.
Rating: 
Summary: Hegelian dialectics for Dummies
Review: I spent much of one grad school course being assailed by Barker's prognostications, which are essentially the entire body of Hegel's dialectical philosophy distilled to the lowest common denominator (Hegelian Cliff Notes?).
Once upon a time, western civlization had intellectuals, and now we have wonks. Once upon a time, members of the business community were actually challenged to think, and now they are required to memorize trite management babble like "paradigm shift".
As a side note, one of the most incompetent executives I've ever met had, as a stock answer to any question that required contemplative thought, "that's a paradigm shift!".
Unfortunately for office brown nosers enchanted with Barker, other guru flavors-of-the-month have long since supplanted his musings, so you aren't likely to score any points.
Rating:
Summary: Not a book of 2004
Review: Its November 2004, and I just read this book. And what I understood firstly is: I should shift my paradigm that there are business classics, which was written several years ago and stil valid. The best example of such a book, so called "business classic" is Competitive Strategy, from Porter, but the book is so outdated that, when I read "Mind of Strategist" from Ohmae, I said yeah this is strategy book, so simple, so clever.
By this book, I swear that I will never give money to the books which are not written in last 2 years. (I just guess 2 years, no magic).
First of all.. all the books tell about Swiss vs Japan watches, history of TQM, kaizen, etc. etc... I re-read them again with a headache and in a very old format.. (believe me that I really felt not good reading so many "paradigm" words in the book)
Secondly, after reading this book I believe that there is no paradigm, there is only Strategic Thinking. In the book it is written that us (United States) have found lots of things.. I could believe even the writer calls that origin of Kaizen had been found by US... So what? Are the japanese people just copy and execute people? What about Toyota? Mitsubishi? Malezian economy? etc. etc. Are they only getting the pardigms shifts from US and just pionneering? I just laugh by now -2004.
As a person working in a US company, as I wrote above, and I have written in several comments, please read "Mind of Strategist" by Ohmae, and its over. You know how to think, you will not need such a book called as paradigm, since this book is an old pardigm.:) If you want to shift your paradigm in life, please read the "Flashes" by Said Nursi.
Rating: 
Summary: Good reading for those interested in Futurist studies
Review: Joel Barker does a nice job of explaining paradigm shifts and how to look for and anticipate the shifts. As he says, "You cannot know who is going to bring you your future. You cannot qualify them in advance by looking at degrees or experience, or gender, or race. You can only listen." And what do you listen for? You listen for people messing with the rules, because that is the earliest sign of significant change. I found the book very interesting until about half way through. After that, it seemed the author had explained the bulk of his theory and had to add stuffing to complete the book. However, I do recommend this as reading to anyone interested in futurist studies. The book is very easy reading and can be read from cover to cover in about 1-4 hours for even the moderate reader.
Rating:
Summary: Good reading for those interested in Futurist studies
Review: Joel Barker does a nice job of explaining paradigm shifts and how to look for and anticipate the shifts. As he says, "You cannot know who is going to bring you your future. You cannot qualify them in advance by looking at degrees or experience, or gender, or race. You can only listen." And what do you listen for? You listen for people messing with the rules, because that is the earliest sign of significant change. I found the book very interesting until about half way through. After that, it seemed the author had explained the bulk of his theory and had to add stuffing to complete the book. However, I do recommend this as reading to anyone interested in futurist studies. The book is very easy reading and can be read from cover to cover in about 1-4 hours for even the moderate reader.
Rating:
Summary: Simply A Revolutionary Book - Highly Recommeded
Review: One of the most influencial books I have ever read. This blew me away with pratical new ways to look at situations. - DaveDavidson.com
Rating:
Summary: Paradigms, paradigms, paradigms
Review: Paradigmatically speaking, paradigms are everywhere in Joel Arthur Barker's pageantry to all things paradigm. In the end, I'm not really sure what this book does for you? It seems that Barker keeps the language annoyingly ultra-simplistic while trying to present the paradigm philosophy by repeating the word paradigm as much as can be linguistically saturated in the holdings of 211 pages. Barker's concept that the most difficult problems in business are waiting for someone to come around and break all the rules and infuse new life into an organization and rewrite the procedural bible. And as soon as that is running smooth, a new paradigm is up for the offing. Along the way Barker even comes up with his own paradigm for the paragraph with these scant gems (mind you they are complete paragraphs)-- "It won't work that way next time around." and the ever-succinct-- "The answer--Switzerland." While he is busy rewriting the rules of English composition, Barker takes the time to hail the Japanese TQM revolution economic miracle and the eventual dominance of paradigm breaking e-publishing. The Asian market turned out to be not necessarily infallible and I can't remember the last time I wanted to read an entire book on a computer screen or LED screen. But such is the hazards of a futurist, that your future predictions can be steam-rolled ten years down the line by armchair pundits gazing through 20-20 hindsight binocs. It's not fair, but a warning is out there Barker's book is dated. The ideas are good and well enough...don't turn a blind eye to innovation, seek out the voice in the wilderness, listen to outsiders, quality, quality, quality. But there are timeless books like Robert Pirsig's, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance," that do much the same but cry out with skill and art through the lens of a story. Barker's work is thinnish, wanting for the meat and potatoes and grist of a bright idea worded well.
Rating:
Summary: Paradigms, paradigms, paradigms
Review: Paradigmatically speaking, paradigms are everywhere in Joel Arthur Barker's pageantry to all things paradigm. In the end, I'm not really sure what this book does for you? It seems that Barker keeps the language annoyingly ultra-simplistic while trying to present the paradigm philosophy by repeating the word paradigm as much as can be linguistically saturated in the holdings of 211 pages. Barker's concept that the most difficult problems in business are waiting for someone to come around and break all the rules and infuse new life into an organization and rewrite the procedural bible. And as soon as that is running smooth, a new paradigm is up for the offing. Along the way Barker even comes up with his own paradigm for the paragraph with these scant gems (mind you they are complete paragraphs)-- "It won't work that way next time around." and the ever-succinct-- "The answer--Switzerland." While he is busy rewriting the rules of English composition, Barker takes the time to hail the Japanese TQM revolution economic miracle and the eventual dominance of paradigm breaking e-publishing. The Asian market turned out to be not necessarily infallible and I can't remember the last time I wanted to read an entire book on a computer screen or LED screen. But such is the hazards of a futurist, that your future predictions can be steam-rolled ten years down the line by armchair pundits gazing through 20-20 hindsight binocs. It's not fair, but a warning is out there Barker's book is dated. The ideas are good and well enough...don't turn a blind eye to innovation, seek out the voice in the wilderness, listen to outsiders, quality, quality, quality. But there are timeless books like Robert Pirsig's, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance," that do much the same but cry out with skill and art through the lens of a story. Barker's work is thinnish, wanting for the meat and potatoes and grist of a bright idea worded well.
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