Toronto Idea Exchange

The Toronto Idea Exchange is a seasonal event, organised by the Treehouse Group, which allows people from diverse disciplines to come together to trade ideas, network, and be exposed to new skills.

   The Treehouse Group wishes to extend a BIG thank-you to everyone who participated in the Toronto Idea Exchange at the MaRS Discovery District on March 2. It was a huge success.

   You may read more about the event here.

   Without the participation of such an eclectic and dynamic cross-section of thinkers from across the city, our event wouldn’t have been nearly as exciting. Instead, we chatted about how insects have sex, analyzed toy cars, cut up magazines, drummed on our tables and argued about environmentalism.

   Together, we just barely scratched the surface of the potential we have to create innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing social problems. And we can have fun while doing it.

   The big question is where to go from here. If you have any comments, questions, or queries concerning the Toronto Idea Exchange, don’t hesitate to email treehouse@treehousegroup.org.

   A special thank-you is in order to Dr. John Evans, Chairman of MaRS, for his introductory talk on the power of multi-disciplinary collaboration, and to Tim Brodhead, Chairman of the McConnell Foundation, on the intersection of socially responsible projects with the world of business.

   Below you will find pictures of the event, our collectively created book-list, and the names of some of the people you met. If you missed this one, don’t fret: more events are in the making.

Hope to see you soon in the Treehouse.

 

Agenda

2:00 What is the Treehouse Group?

2:10 John Evans, Chairman of MaRS.

2:20 Finding the Intersection.

2:50 Beerology.

3:00 The Great Magazine Mash-up.

3:30 Let's Get It On: An intimate view into the lives of insects.

3:40 Modelling Problems; Modelling Solutions.

4:10 How to do a Drum-Roll.

4:20 Tim Brodhead, The McConnell Foundation.

4:30 Continuing the Conversation (with a glass of wine.)

 

Pictures

 

Collective Booklist

 

The Davinci Code  by Dan Brown
This book demonstrates how a poorly-written work can still be compelling and popular, based solely on a plot driven by puzzle-solving.  It's not about the aesthetic; it's about the genre.  —Michael Chaiton-Murray

The  Mystery Guest  by Gregoire Bouiller
 —Kathy Grant

The Kite Runner  by Khaled Hosseini 
It is a very passionate story about redemption and forgiveness.   —Kawsar Abdi

Social Problem Solving: Theory, Research and Training  by Edward C. Chang
Provides a nice balance of theory and research in social problem solving, as well as practical methods and training approaches.  —Chike Agbasi

Mutants: On Genetic Variety and the Human Body  by Armand Leroi
A fascinating scientific and social perspective on genetic variations in humans.  —Sabrina  Amato

Team of Rivals  by Doris Kearns Goodwin
This book describes leadership within a team dynamic.  —Casey  Antolak

Iron John  by Robert Bly
A book that examines the power of myths and how they influence the conscious decisions, and unconscious beliefs, that impact our ideas and creativity.  —Andrés Aquino

The  Know-it-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World  by A.J. Jacobs
After I read The Year of Living Biblically I wanted to see what else Jacobs had done, and this book was the first I came across. It is simultaneously a memoir and a series of facts; a travel journal of a trip the author took through the Encyclopedia Britannica.  It's funny and personal, and joins effectively a mass of random facts into a coherent story.  Great!  —Lindsay Archibald

The  War Room  by Warren Kinsella
The book informs us where business and politics are going in terms of strategic communications.  —Joseph  Belfontaine

Lord of the Flies  by William Golding
This is a fascinating book about leadership, cruelty, and power.  It provides an interesting insight into the human condition and how we interact with each other.    —Sacha Bhatia

Fugitive Pieces  by Anne Michaels
I chose it because it contains heartbreakingly lovely writing - the topography of the self overlapping with place/location.  Simply, I wish with all of my being that I had written this book.  —Birgitta Bisztray

The  Omnivore's Dilemma  by Michael Pollan
A relatively unbiased look into the food we consume, this book provides insight into how convenience, price, and perceived health affect the choices we make when decideding what to eat.  It's an interesting exploration of how food and its consumption have changed over the course of civilisation - from ritual celebration to eating fast food while in the car.  You'll never look at corn the same way again.  —Patrick Brealey

Pride and Prejudice  by Jane Austin
A simple and timeless portrayal of human interaction  —Mary  Brodhead

A Whole New Mind  by Daniel Pink
A book about why right-brainers will rule the future.  —John  Brodhead

The Fabric of the Cosmos  by Brian Green
Space-time, quantum physics, parallel worlds… this book upsets all your assumptions and understandings of the universe.  In short, it blows your mind.  —Tim Brodhead

Me to We  by Craig & Marc Kielburger
The founder of Free the Children, Craig Kielburger, inspires the reader to make a difference.  Me to We also contains contributions from some interesting people.  —Colette  Brown

The Sirens of Titan  by Kurt Vonnegut
I'm a huge fan of Vonnegut.  I've decided to list this book because he says it's his best work, and I agree.  I read it on the beach in Costa Rica, which is a strange place to read about space travel.  Every time I brush my teeth I think of this book.  —Adam Clare

The Golden Spruce: A True Story Of Myth, Madness, And Greed  by John Vaillant
A true Canadian story: well-told, historical, and factual.  This is a gripping tale of passion, intrigue, and remorse about the devastation of Canada's forests.  —Eli Craig

Eat Love Pray  by Elizabeth Gilbert
This journey through self-improvement is enlightening.  —Pierina DeCarolis

Team of Rivals  by Doris Kearns Goodwin
 —John  Evans

Touch of the Dragon  by Karen Connelly
I read this book in my early teens and the adventures, global experiences, and life choices the young women had and made inspired me to live my life in a similar vein.  Beautifully written, insightful and inspirational.  —Martha  Garriock

Punchline  by Joey Slinger
Punchline's Central Message (as far as I'm concerned), is that one is never to old to start living.  For us twenty/thirty somethings, it's an extremely relevant reminder.  Also, it has dark (very dark) humour, which I like.  —Chris Harper

28 Stories of Aids in Africa  by Stephanie Nolen
This book, and Stephanie Nolan's work generally, gave me incredible insights into the life experiences of ordinary people with HIV/Aids in Africa.  Nothing else I've read has had as much of an impact on me, or made me feel more devastated, horrified, inspired, angry, hopeful, etc.  —Tamar Heisler

Getting to Maybe  by Frances Wesley/ Brenda Zimmerman
This book is most relevant to my current field of work.  It shows social entrepreneurs not as heroes, but as everyday folks with great ideas who are able to see their dreams come to fruition by working "outside the box," and by working hard.  —Allyson  Hewitt

One Cosmic Instant  by John Livingston
A fascinating examination of the North American concept of the environment.  —Greg  Hill

The Power of Now  by Eckhart Tolle
I've read a few spiritual books with a Budhist bent.  Eckhart has a poignant How to Be in the Present moment - a simple but incredibly important thing.  As a busy person, this book inspired me to meditate, and focus on what's important and how powerful the mind can be.  —Brad  Josling

Fast Food Nation  by Eric Schlosser
This book has changed the way I eat out!  It has also helped shape the way I teach one of my units in a high school biology course.  It was an awakening.  —Aarti Kumara

The Population Bomb  by Paul Erhlick
This books expands on Thomas Malthus's theory that eventually, if left unchecked, human population growth will eventually outpace the planet's ability to regenerate the components of its complex life support system.  —Aaron Liscum

Parting the Waters  by Taylor Branch
An extraordinary insight into the life of Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement in general - from grassroots efforts like voter registration and the freedom rides, to the power struggles betwen the African American church community and the Kennedy administration.  —Andrew Macdonald

The Playboy Interview: Marshall McLuhan  by Playboy
It changed how I understand media and technology.  Don't believe the things they say about McLuhan!  —Eli Malinsky

Roads to Riches  by Peter Jay
A great summary of the world's economic growth, from 10,000 B.C. to the present.  A great summary of the industrial revolution and the implications of technological change on society.  There are interesting parallels with some of today's challenges in international development.  —Parker Mitchell

Nights at the Circus  by Angela Carter
This novel taught me that brilliant, complex, post-modern writing and rip-roaring entertainment do not have to be mutually exclusive.  Ferociously feminist and fabulously funny.  —Jeremy Murray

The Alchemist  by Paulo Coelho
This book motivated me to make much-needed changes in my life.  It inspired me, and made me realise that all the things I have done happened for a reason and have led me to this moment.  —Julie Phelps

A Fine Balance  by Rohinton Mistry
It is a real portrayal of Indian society, and of the hardships that the lowest of the low go through in the city.  These hardships are often forgotten; overshadowed by its tourist destinations and the Bollywood industry.  —Ebadur Rahman

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers (P.S.)  by Loung Ung
An amazing story of sheer determination in the face of such pain and fear.  —Melanie Robert

Bookseller from Kabul  by Agne Seirstad
It's FANTASTIC!  And it has a good side-story on ethics in journalism - or lack thereof.  The author lived with a bookseller's family in Kabul for a few months in 2001/2002.  The story mostly looks at this family and their day-to-day lives.  —Lucas Robinson

The Bluest Eye  by Toni Morrison
I chose this book because of its stunning portrayal of the experience of racism - its personal and (small 'p') political dimensions - and because it is brilliantly written.  —Norman Rowen

The Apology of Socrates  by Plato
The virtues of the examined life: consistency, loyalty, and taking one's beliefs seriously.  Plus, it's easy to read.  —Daniel Santoro

Pedagogy of the Oppressed  by Paulo Friere
The book captures the hearts of individuals involved with the struggle for social justice, and reveals drama and forum theatre as being means of engaging marginalised populations.  —Saara Siddiqi

Get Smarter  by Seymour Schulich
This non-fiction work, by one of Canada's most respected businessmen, is set up in the form of short chapters, which make it a quick read.  Schulich has the ability to explain very complex situations across all aspects of business life.  He also has terrible advice on women!  —Ryan Smith

The Power of One  by Bryce Courtney
The Power of One is a novel about an individual who strives for his goals, and must learn to overcome difference through communication.  Of course, there's a bit more to it, but you'll have to read the book to find out...   —Zenia Wadhwani

Let's Talk About Love  by Carl Wilson
This book is about why hipsters hate Celine Dion. (A: They're snobs.)  —Joe Wilson

Why Mexicans Don't Drink Molson: Rescuing Canadian Business From the Suds of Global Obscurity  by Andrea Mandel-Campbell
The book takes a critical look at aspects of the Canadian character, and examines how they influences our competitiveness in the global economy.  —Richard Yee

History of the World in 6 Glasses  by Tom Standage 
It shows how you can take a different approach to history by looking at how stories can be told using "ahistorical" objects.  In this way, history is made based on the evidence we select - this can be applied to any experiential knowledge.  Also, this book is a great introduction for "non-historians" to consider the importance of the "small" things in life.  —Nick Yeo

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