'The Area of Enlightenment,' by C. Norman Winningstad.

C. Norman “Norm” Winningstad, one of Oregon’s most prominent entrepreneurs, holds a book signing for his new book on conflict resolution from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, July 10 at Godfather’s Books, 1108 Commercial St.

Winningstad’s book, “The Area of Enlightenment: Don’t Confuse Me with the Facts, I’ve Already Made Up My Mind,” was published in 2005 by Dancing Moon Press. The book is appropriate for those in the business of conflict resolution, as well as for individuals needing to learn new methods of problem solving to ease problems in personal relationships, work environments or community service.

Winningstad has had a distinguished career as an engineer and as a highly successful technology-based entrepreneur. He was a principle founder in three Oregon companies: Floating Point Systems, Lattice Semiconductor Corporation and Thrustmaster, all of which he took public on the stock exchange. In 1986, he started Moderator Inc. and became an early investor in BlackLight Power, a private energy and chemical company. Winningstad has been an arts philanthropist in Oregon, donating the money for the construction of Portland’s Winningstad Performing Arts Theatre and hundreds of other cultural projects as well as serving on the boards of numerous arts and community organizations.

Winningstad’s professional path exposed him to a broad range of arguments, often apparently insolvable. Towards the end of his engineering career, Winningstad learned about the strategic practices of Count Otto von Bismarck, the Prussian Chancellor who conquered Paris in 1870. Applying von Bismarck’s theory that a whole universe of solutions exists surrounding each line of contention, Winningstad says he was able to become a benevolent family man, a successful entrepreneur and a productive community contributor.

“I was drawn to study why some problems seem intractable and how people fail to communicate, even when both parties had their facts straight and their logic was correct,” Winningstad said. “My goal in writing this book was to introduce this new technique of problem solving, especially during such a volatile time in U.S. history and people’s lives. The ‘Area of Enlightenment’ method of analysis can take the most confusing and emotionally charged conflicts and in minutes determine additional options.”