Know-What vs Know-How

“As Socrates was passing through the fair at Athens, and casting his eyes over the shops and customers, 'how many things are here', says he, 'that I do not want!'” – Dr. Johnson, The Adventurer A couple weeks ago, I received a know-how writing request from an old colleague, a person well versed in know-how. I replied if he looked carefully across these writings, like that crazy 19th century German I must be read carefully, you'd find plenty of know-how. However, if you first don't know-what, the know-how put forward is easy to ignore and disregard. I've taken strongly to Professor Norbert Wiener's admonishment that “the American worship of know-how as opposed to know-what” is the greatest obstacle to meeting the challenges we face, thus I’ve tried to focus writing on know-what.