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    The Power of Dyslexic Thinking
    The Power of Dyslexic Thinking
    The Power of Dyslexic Thinking
    Ebook122 pages2 hours

    The Power of Dyslexic Thinking

    By Robert W. Langston

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    In The Power of Dyslexic Thinking, Robert Lanston shares the inspirational stories of people who overcame the hurdles of living with dyslexia to become influential business and cultural leaders. From Kinkos founder Paul Orfalea to prominent financier Charles Schwab to Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Mike Peters, Langston profiles some of the biggest players in the business world and elsewhere to paint amazing portraits of courage and dedication.

    Through both research and personal experience, Lanston has come to believe that dyslexia is a condition that does not need curing, but rather a greater understanding of the different capabilities and skills it can provide those who have it. He hopes that understanding more about the creative and intuitive benefits of dyslexia will allow educatiors and parents, as well as dyslexic.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAuthorHouse
    Release dateApr 26, 2012
    ISBN9781468553949
    The Power of Dyslexic Thinking
    Author

    Robert W. Langston

    Robert W. Langston is the founder of the For the Children Foundation and president of The Langston Company, Inc. A highly in-demand speaker and the author of For the Children, Langston has used the story of his personal battle with dyslexia to reach over 400,000 young people in the United States with his inspirational message of perseverance. He is also a resource consultant for Vistage, an organization for the professional and personal development of CEOs, presenting his “Action Initiative Program” to CEOs across the country. Langston lives in Athens, Georgia, with his wife, Jeannette and their two children.

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      Book preview

      The Power of Dyslexic Thinking - Robert W. Langston

      The 

       Power of 

       Dyslexic 

       Thinking 

      How a Learning DisAbility Shaped Six Successful Careers

      Robert W. Langston

      AuthorHouse™ 1663

      Liberty Drive Bloomington, IN47403

      www.authorhouse.com

      Phone: 1-800-839-8640

      © 2012 by Robert W. Langston. All rights reserved.

      No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

      Published by AuthorHouse 02/13/2012

      ISBN: 978-1-4685-5395-6 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4685-5394-9 (e)

      Please visit www.RobertLangston.com for more information

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only. Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      Contents

      Foreword

      Introduction

      Chapter 1

      Paul Orfalea and the Science of Dyslexic Thinking

      Chapter 2

      Rob Langston

      Chapter 3

      Paul Smith and the Power of the Charismatic Adult

      Chapter 4

      Phil Jacobs and the Dyslexic Mind in Perspective

      Chapter 5

      Charles Schwab and the Importance of Dyslexia Resources

      Chapter 6

      Mike Peters and the Creative Mind of the Dyslexic

      Chapter 7

      Conclusion

      Special thanks to The Marilyn Kent Byrne Student Success Center in the College of Education and Human Development, Texas A&M University, as well as Artie and Dorothy McFerrin.

      Foreword

      Understanding the beauty and the frailty of the learning process is the motivation behind why people enter the field of education and commit to lifelong service. Rob has lived both sides of the learning coin, first as a struggling student with dyslexia, and now as an eloquent and outstanding ambassador for students with disabilities. As I listened to his stories of the time he chose to invest in speaking at schools, businesses, prisons, and other venues, I realized that he was inherently a caring person. He is a dedicated soul in the support of people nationwide who struggle, like he did, each and every day to overcome obstacles in their learning.

      This book is yet another chapter in Rob’s quest to share his knowledge about living with and overcoming learning disabilities. It is a hallmark in his untiring and unyielding effort to bring to light methods for prevailing over the obstacles that millions of people face each day.

      It is a glimmer of hope, and a blueprint for a new consciousness with respect to learning disabilities. Knowing that any obstacle can be conquered is Rob’s philosophy, and he gives readers the tools and guidelines necessary to overcome their own barriers in life.

      Rob’s dedication to excellence, expectation of success, and compassion for all is both remarkable and commendable. His example of service should be the watchword for all educators to live by and lead.

      Dr. Dave Louis

      Director

      Marilyn Kent Byrne Student Success Center College of Education and Human Development Texas A&M University

      Introduction

      What does it mean to think like a dyslexic? How is the way a dyslexic thinks different from the way everyone else thinks, and what can we learn from this difference? This book is going to answer these questions. I’m going to discuss a theory I have about dyslexia and what a person with this disability can do with the right motivation. In my opinion, there’s nothing wrong with the dyslexic mind. I believe it’s an absolutely fine mind to have. The problem is that our education system and society in general have put a huge emphasis on reading, writing, and math as the ultimate signs of intelligence. This sets up dyslexic children for poor grades and poor self-esteem, and, in many cases, they end up not trusting or appreciating the unique way their minds process information and view the world. People with dyslexia can be highly successful—the trick is learning to embrace thinking like a dyslexic. For those dyslexic kids who can survive their schooling years with their self-esteem intact, the world is theirs for the taking. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that the dyslexic mind is well suited for people with conceptual-thinking and people-driven jobs, such as business leaders, artists, and even motivational speakers. I know, because I’ve met these people and seen what they’ve done in spite of—and because of—their disability.

      The intuitive side of me says there’s enough smoke here to suggest a fire, and I think this theory will be proven over time. The science to back up this theory is still forthcoming, and because there aren’t definitive longitudinal studies behind it, the experts can’t emphatically support it. Nevertheless, I believe it’s important for everyone to hear this now. The way science understands dyslexia has changed dramatically in the last decade, even in the last five years. But the way dyslexia is understood and viewed in schools and society has been slow to catch up, and the kids with learning disabilities are the worse for it. They need us to become informed now, and I’d like to help make that happen.

      Seven years ago, I wrote my first book, For the Children, which chronicled my mom’s and my efforts to get me through school—all the way through college—even though I didn’t have any reading, writing, or arithmetic skills to speak of. My first and most important goal in writing For the Children was to raise awareness about dyslexia and the need for better, smarter accommodations for children with learning disabilities in the school system. My second goal was to get in contact with the movers and shakers in the business and education world—the kind of people who could help me put the programs I was envisioning into schools.

      It turned out that the book was exactly what I needed to accomplish both goals. Since then, I’ve shared the platform with the top researchers and educators in the field of learning disabilities, and dyslexia in particular. I’ve been able to address all the national conferences: IDA (International Dyslexia Association), CEC (Council for Exceptional Children), and LDAA (Learning Disability Association of America). I’ve been able to visit private schools and colleges all over the country and learn about how all these institutions, organizations, and people are dealing with dyslexia. I’ve seen the new research that doctors like Sally and Bennett Shaywitz are conducting with fMRI scans to physically map how the dyslexic mind works.

      I’ve also had the privilege of meeting with some really great and inspirational business leaders, who all have one thing in common: they credit at least part of their success to dyslexia. These are people like Paul Orfalea, who founded Kinko’s; Paul Smith, whose management style landed Kroger a mention in Jim Collins’s Good to Great; and Charles Schwab, whose remarkable foundation work has improved the research and resources available to kids and parents who are dealing with dyslexia and other learning disabilities.

      There is a huge population of people out there struggling with learning issues, and what I’ve been privy to and privileged to be a part of over the past seven years shouldn’t be kept to one person. I want to share what these years have given me with the people who are like me, as well as their parents, their teachers, their bosses, and everyone else. So, I am going to share some stories about the people I’ve met and the places I’ve been, as well as some of the insights I’ve gained from those experiences. I think I have a unique perspective on what’s going on in the field because I’m not an educator or a tester or a school psychologist. I’m just a guy with dyslexia who’s been able to look in on what’s out there, to see what’s being done, and to know what still needs to be addressed. I know what it’s like to think dyslexic.

      Paul Orfalea

      Paul Orfalea is the founder of Kinko’s, the world’s top business services chain. Kinko’s is currently owned by FedEx and boasts over 1,700 locations worldwide. Paul has coauthored three books. The first, Copy This! Lessons from a Hyperactive Dyslexic Who Turned a Bright Idea into One of America’s Best Companies, chronicles his personal challenges on the way to starting a successful business; the second, The Entrepreneurial Investor: The Art, Science, and Business of Value Investing, offers advice to investors; the third, Two Billion Dollars in Nickels, reveals Paul’s philosophies of an idea-driven company and how the value of devoting oneself to the welfare of customers and coworkers can bring great financial and personal success. In 2000, Paul and his wife Natalie started the Orfalea Family Foundation, and in 2003 they also founded the Orfalea Fund, known collectively as the Orfalea Foundations, to support educational and community-oriented nonprofit programs in the Santa Barbara area. In recognition of his philanthropy, the business school at California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo) was renamed in his honor. Currently, Paul is a visiting professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara, the University of Southern California Marshall School

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