Ofer Grosbard, Babel: A Guide to the East–West Encounter

In the scientific community, the constructs of Individualism and Collectivism arouse particular interest, so that the amount of literature produced is large and diverse. Many authors contributed to the development of the construct both in terms of theoretical validity and on measurement techniques and tools. Ofer Grosbard's book Babel-A Guide to the East-West Encounter is an example of this trend. Starting from the proposal of new principles characterizing the two different paradigms of thought (Eastern-Collectivist, Western-Individualist), the author coined the term Thinking Vector which can be oriented externally or internally depending on the individual's mode of thinking. The author also proposes a questionnaire for measuring the Thinking Vector and suggestions for an optimal encounter between individuals with different paradigms of the mind. The book offers the opportunity to reflect on the explanatory significance of the constructs of Individualism and Collectivism on both a theoretical and methodological level.