KNOWLEDGE is no longer power. A self-help book has become an unexpected hit with the prediction that success in the 21st century will depend on the ability to tear up the rules and think laterally.

The book, A Whole New Mind, argues that we need to develop the “soft” skills in the right side of the brain. These, says Daniel Pink, the author, will eclipse the analytical ability controlled by the left side.

The traditional knowledge-based professions that control the western world — banking, law, management and engineering — will go the way of most blue-collar jobs, taken over by computers or cheap Asian competition, the author argues.

Pink’s book, published last autumn, has become a word-of-mouth success and is already into its eighth print run in America, where it first appeared. He says that as knowledge turns into a commodity owned by all, a flexible, unpredictable creative edge will become a necessary attribute for success.

“The first people who develop a whole mind will do extremely well,” said Pink. “The rest, who move slowly or not at all, will suffer.”

Some of the trends identified in Pink’s book are already under way. One reversal for “left brain” people came in 1997 when a computer annihilated Garry Kasparov, the chess grandmaster.

The power of computers, harnessed through the internet, is posing a threat to the livelihood of millions of professionals.

“Lawyers may feel they are through the revolution already, but there is more to come,” said Richard Susskind, a consultant on information technology to international law firms. “Advanced systems will enable a shift from bespoke advice to commoditised legal service.”

Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology at Lancaster University Management School, said: “This is a hot topic. In the 1980s Japan and Germany dominated and they approached business in a very systematic way. Now everyone has roughly the same amount of knowledge, thanks to the internet, so what differentiates you is how creative you are. You need the creative spark to compete, to capture new markets, and that involves the right-hand side of the brain.”

Britain may be adapting to the new demands. James Dyson combined advanced technology with fresh design to challenge the dominance of Hoover, one of the blue-chip firms of the 20th century.

According to Dan Holliday, director of The Fish Can Sing, a marketing agency, Jamie Oliver demonstrates the success that comes to those who are not bound by rules. “Jamie Oliver has transformed cooking,” Holliday said. “Last century it was all about rules and recipes and specific amounts, and he’s turned all that on its head and freed everyone, using phrases like ‘bash it about’ and ‘chuck some in’.”

Pink bases his arguments on analysis of the brain’s capabilities, which has shown that while the left side analyses details in sequence, the right side sees the bigger picture at the same time. This means that the left side takes a leading role in processing text or speech, while the right handles more complex multi-faceted tasks such as interpreting facial expression and intonation.

Results from more than 2m participants in the Myers-Briggs test used by employers to vet job applicants have shown that in both Britain and America, analytical types outnumber creative personalities.

“If you asked the first group to talk about an apple, they would give you the facts,” said Sebastian Bailey, a psychologist. “They’d say, it’s green, it grows on trees.” He said that the second group, better adapted to the challenges of the 21st century, would talk about other elements such as the environment, or a Greek legend about awarding an apple to the most beautiful goddess.

The best thinkers, said Bailey, can routinely switch between both ways of thinking.

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