5 comments about The Artist's Way at Work: Riding the Dragon.

1. This is the second Julia Cameron book I have read. It is very much like Artist's Way except it is for the artist in the work place. All of Cameron's books talk about the artist within but it is for those who are looking for self. Self is what you are going to find. It is getting rid of what is unimportant and focusing in on the important making a complete and happier person. I am not quite done with this book but have devoured it and shared it as I did with her first book.



2. Reading the book for a masters level creativity class so I started out a skeptic. While much of the reading in the class has turned out to be very interesting, this book just hasn't struck any chords for me.
   
   Some of the poeple in the class seem to appreciate it so it gets an extra star... but I'd suggest reading some of it before picking it up. If it works for ya, go for it. Otherwise, be cautious.



3. These books were ordered to be used in a weekly group discussion. The response was well received.



4. This excellent book has been og enormous help to me in making me aware of all the things I put up with, and what it was I really wanted ! A great investment in living a happier life!



5. What an incredible book and the DVD with printable workbook is a MUST! There are so many insights from successful artist's that show us the strength behind the methods taught. Thank you Mark Bryan and Julia Cameron for bringing the world of a working artist and those with creative ideas to a place where the thought process can be described in terms that help so much for the end goal of success at what we do. Understanding creative minds for what they are and how the process of work relates to all minds creative process is a huge benefit for all.
   Artists don't come in one shape or color, nor do they in 10, but in infinity of preferences, passions, drivers, careers, and personalities. Artist's Way At Work helps us to see how mutually driven all people are to make the most of the creative genius within, and how to keep it thriving, successful, and happy.
   The nonlinear walk of The Artist Way At Work by Mark Bryan has taken the original work of the Artist's Way to ten years later, in addition to a level where we get to see how all people are `creative' equally in the struggle. The direction in which we move towards this individual creativity in common steps is defined in a way that promotes the ability to overcome traps as a common problem between all creative minds not limited to just writers, painters, singers, and dancers, but also the creativity that feeds the flow in all businesses from scientists to production plants. He teaches us that the psyche of the human dilemma which includes living a paradox creatively and trying to balance real life can be common between all people no matter what job type is involved. He provides structure to work with the well founded "3 C's".
   Mark Bryan is a warm, funny and charismatic man with such passion to drive artists to meet with success. We can overcome our paradox through the ongoing use of the teachable, trackable success doing the daily reflections, reframe our failures, and leverage our strengths. His work has led many, including myself, to a far great future. Using his methods daily will inevitably help to consistently overcome what stops us from true creative genius and will lead to both happy and well lives.
   His innovative methods to bring artistically creative people to this place of peace, with quality in life, are highly recommended.

5 comments about Fearless Creating: A Step-by-Step Guide To Starting and Completing Your Work of Art.

1. I teach Creativity at a University so I am constantly on the lookout for new and improved texts to use in my courses. For over ten years I have used this same book because I have not found a better one.
   
   I give the students a choice between this and Julia Cameron The Artist's Way. The latter is more "spiritual" in tone ("inner" this and "within" that, and let your "higher self" speak, etc.) and Fearless Craeting is more "secular" ( the occasional PG swear word, painting naked, etc.) so they appeal to different types of students. They are still the 2 best books I know to actually enhance your creativity. (Nor have the authors in my opinions, surpassed them in their subsequent books.)
   
   The only drawback is that the student only have to pay $15.00 for this text. They are used to paying $95.00 so this can be upsetting to them.



2. The author encourages us to recognize that making mistakes is part of creating. Experimenting, finding what works and what doesn't work, and going on is the process of creativity.
   This book is useful for the beginning and the experienced artist.



3. Buying this book is simply the first step on a journey toward meaning. Taking action begins there, and will continue as you give yourself permission to create.



4. A timeless book suggesting ways for self confidence with one's artistic work. It is most important for recognizing the value of anxiety as a stimulus to work one's art. It offers self-directed suggestions for deepening the ability to apply oneself.



5. This book is helpful on many levels. First as a philosophical treatise on creative acts, then a well indexed guide to specific processes. The side tabs are intriguing, but I did't try baking the potato, imagining it was enough.
   
   
   
   
   
   

5 comments about The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity (Inner Workbook).

1. A good accompany piece to The Artist's Way book. Can't use this instead. So much is left out but she hits some key points.



2. Julia Cameron's book was the reason I've been able to create plays, acting jobs! I can only say this: IT WORKS! I'm living proof! For anyone who is blocked, these tools used over years creates a strong powerful base upon which to create work!The Green Room



3. Just get it.
   
   The first chapter as I remember was a little bit boring for me and when I start complaining to my friend, she told me :"Just read it."
   And that was the best advice she ever gave me.
   I gained a lot of self-confidence as an artist and person, came to conclusion in a lot of things that bothered me for a long time, it truly gave me a peace of mind.
   
   So, for you, my friend:"Just ge-e-et it".



4. This is my second copy of this book. I've worn one out already. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough. It is life altering!



5. I can't even explain how much change I've made in my life since reading this book. Julia Cameron says things that every artist wants to hear. The main things I've taken from this book are Morning Pages, Artist Dates and going on walks - those three simple things have totally centered me. I wasn't even necessarily diligent with all the other worksheets.
   
   Even if you don't care to increase your creativity, it will help anyone to live life!

5 comments about Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide to Better Ideas.

1. This book is great for a lot of different industries. I am in the software industry. James Adams has some great ideas on creating great ideas. This is a book that makes the phrase "think outside of the box" make sense and puts some content to the cliche. This book is a very good book for inventors or anyone in the creative frame of mind. We all have some values we hold and it is the ability to re-evaluate these values to create that breaks us out of our molds. In other words, our perspective on the world can actually inhibit or assist us with creativity. Mr. Adams helps to put these values in a container to assess what is helpful and which are not. I keep a copy of this book for occasional reference.



2. I found this book excellent for expanding one's intellectual arsenal of problem-solving skills. As the author himself admits, no single person will benefit from all the techniques described in this book, since every person has a unique way of thinking. Nevertheless, becoming familiar with the existing techniques will allow you to pick and choose the ones that work for you. Personally, I found many of these techniques to be applicable in every-day situations, in addition to solving scientific problems.
   As an added bonus, the book includes a list of excellent references to cognitive science and psychology material for the interested reader.
   
   The only minor complaint I had was that the material could be a bit better organized. Sometimes it reads more like an enumeration of techniques rather than a coherent text.



3. My dad gave me a copy of this book for Christmas in 1978 when I was a junior in college. I enjoyed reading it then, and I've read it numerous times since. I can say now with some length of perspective that in my opinion it's a definitive classic on this topic and I'd say it is probably the most influential single book in my engineering career. It's enabled me to think of things of that no one else does, and more often than not it's because of ideas I picked up here. The solutions are enduring too. The nine-dot problem, the ping-pong ball in the tube, the spacecraft panels opening without a damper are examples I think back to when faced with technical challenges that have no apparent easy answer.
   
   I cringe inside when people want and push for systematic and methodical ways to solve problems. It's almost a religon to some that the pretense of an imagined rigor akin to mathematical proof will always lead them to "correct" answers. It's not that those methods are wrong but they're quite incomplete and tend to only reinforce the mental blocks you already have.
   
   If you want to unconfine your thinking and leverage the power of both halves of your brain, then put this book in your cart, buy it, and read it.



4. This book approaches from a different prespective the question of how a person or an organization can become more creative. Most creativity books give you techniques that will trigger creative ideas - brainstorming, picture prompts, role playing. These are all good techniques, but Adams addresses creativity by answering the question: What are the factors (conceptual blocks) that keep us from being creative in the first place? Knowing these factors - cultural or professional bias, fear of looking silly - for example, allows us to move beyond them. To my mind, this knowledge and the use of creativity techniques are a one-two punch that gets you creative results. The book does have its share of creativity techniques, but the most important knowledge to walk away with is the knowledge of those things that hinder our creativity. Edward de Bono, another creativity guru, also explores on the reasons why people's creativity is stifled, but his approach is somewhat narrower, focusing more on the default mechanism of the mind that tends to focus on pattern recognition and therefore on pursuing the routine rather than the different (see Mechanism of Mind and Lateral Thinking: Creativity Step by Step (Perennial Library). Adams' book, in contrast, is more comprehensive in dealing with the various conceptual blocks. If you want to be more creative, I highly recommend this book as a starting point or as a close companion to other books that have creativity techniques and exercises.



5. I wish I had read this book 20 years ago! A very easy book to read that captivated me with its common-sense approach to finding solutions to challengens by approaching the issue from different perspectives. It also reveals thinking patterns to be aware of that can work against creativity. I just bought 4 copies to hand out to friends.

5 comments about Free Culture: The Nature and Future of Creativity.

1. This book is worth the price just to hear the constant process of American culture - be a pirate, fend off "the man" to build your industry, become "the man," then go after the pirates who are presumably cutting into your business. Money makes hypocrites of us all. Please, RIAA, don't sue me for reading this book (although I'm sure you'll find a way, if there aren't any grandmothers or poor college students you can harass).



2. This book is not only a history lesson on copyright, but it shows how big corporate enterprises obtain and used material, through the same methods they now want to deny the general public, in order to get to the powerful presence they are today.
   
   Example: Disney using lots of old fairy-tales which were in public domain. And today they fight for everything never to go into public domain in order to keep profit to themselves, while at the same time going after creative use that would expand our culture and art.



3. This is a must read as the issues that Lessing addresses have implications that go way further than the entertainment industry. I agreed with almost all of his argument although I did find at some point he was pushing it BUT overall he makes a righteous argument and I choose that word "righteous" carefully. This is an issue that effects all of us in everything from education to health care and his arguments resonate in these times of wars for oil and legalized dope dealing by the health care industry. Freeing Mickey is really the least of it but nevertheless lies at the center of the issue and makes a great symbol. However I caution the potential reader to not multitask and read this book while viewing The Pirates of The Caribbean as the outcome is that they will go on to raise the colors and break the law!



4. It is indicative of the widespread misconceptions about the nature and purpose of intellectual property law that Bill Gates could get away with so foolish a statement as to conflate the open source movement with communist dogma.
   
   And it is to such misguided notions that professor Lessig responds with this work. The issue at stake with the current debate on copyright, Lessig contends, is not a simplistic battle of unrewarded creators against thieving pirates, as the content industry would have us believe. Nor is it a conflict between those who support individual property rights and aspiring property abolitioners. If anything, such strawmen have been set up for no other purpose than to vilify moderates on the copyright debate and frame discourse on a divisive ideological basis.
   
   Contrary to media perceptions, those attempting to subvert the status quo have been the intellectual property extremists who favor limitless copyright terms, instead of the careful balance between incentives for creative work (through the state-enforced copyrights), and infusion of creative work into the public domain after a reasonable time frame.
   
   That balance has been the rationale behind modern copyright law, and not the misguided notion that a corporation may hold perpetual ownership of the ideas conceived by its employees - "for ever minus one day", per Jack Valenti's infamous quip. This latter restrictive, extremist approach to copyright, Lessig argues, would hamper the fertilization of public domain with new ideas, stifle innovation and go to the face of copyright law's goals.
   
   "Free Culture" provides numerous examples of how the eventual flow of copyrighted works into the public domain buttresses innovation and creativity ; how the staunchest sponsors of limitless copyright extensions have they themselves tapped into the public domain for some of their most cherished values, and how creativity, just as much as artistic and individual liberties are compromised by the tidal wave of copyright extremism.
   
   In light of the encroachment upon consumer rights, creative freedom and the public domain by such restrictive measures as anti-circumvention laws and retroactive copyright extensions, Lawrence Lessig's book is an eloquent, indispensable call for some long-needed moderation in copyright policy.



5. our culture is becoming increasingly digitized and intellectual property is an oft-disputed domain. this book is absolutely essential if you have any concern towards media and policy regarding said media.

5 comments about The Courage to Create.

1. 
   Have you ever wondered how people have creative ideas? This books tells you step by step how. Using anecdote after anecdote from the past and the present May builds a montage portrait of creativity that convinces. Even the prophetesses at the Oracle of Delphi turn out to be relevant.
   
   How exactly can we be more creative? The first step is to spend an extended period of time concentrating on the ins and outs of your problem. The next time you have a difficulty to solve spend all morning on it 'hot-housing' the question.
   
   This book is probably May's most readable and entertaining work. It is ideal for students, academics, and managers. It will also suit those with every day living problems that never seem to get solved.



2. Courage to Create has been on my to-read pile for quite some time. Strongly recommended by several friends, I was very curious to read it. This despite an admitted suspicion of books that address creativity from a psychological perspective.
   
   I found the book interesting and relatively clearly written. May resisted the temptation to pad out the work, and its 140 pages are perfectly adequate to make its point. The book is divided into seven sections; they run from "The Courage to Create" to "A Passion for Form".
   
   I found the sections relevant to creativity and the unconscious the least interesting parts of the book. This may be, in part, because the book was early enough (1975) that many of the concepts in those chapters feel a little bit like open doors. Courage to Create has been a very influential book and over the years a number of its themes have been picked up and expanded on-- sometimes in a more complete way. I was quite interested in May's thoughts linking form to creativity. Again, they weren't new ideas, but I found he articulated them clearly and with some perspectives that I hadn't considered until reading the book.
   
   Despite my reservations I would still recommend the book to readers interested in the roots of creation and creative ability. It isn't a lengthy read, and requires more time for consideration than it does for the actual reading.



3. Years ago, perhaps in the sixties or early seventies, Dr. May gave series of lectures at the New School in New York on this exact topic which I attended. I got a feeling then that here was the most brilliant individual I'd ever listened to. This book covers the matter of artistic creation pretty much as his lectures did and you learn a lot about what is required of the artist. When I ordered this book, I read an internet bio of Dr. May and I was surprised to read he was a Native American. An Indian? I had no idea.



4. Two things really shine in this slim but rich volume: Rollo May's insight as a psychologist, and his basic decency & empathy as a human being. His exploration of the sources of creativity is one of complete engagement with subject & reader -- for all his obvious education & experience, he never succumbs to a detached & superior academic tone. He speaks to each reader as one human being to another.
   
   Be warned: this is not a how-to or self-help book. (But it's likely to help you far more than an entire shelf of self-help books.) What May delves into is the nature of creativity -- what drives it, why it's a necessity to both the individual & society as a whole, and the complex, delicate balance of powerful psychological forces it must negotiate.
   
   May explains how creativity enriches & enlarges our lives ... but it's not always easy, as it demands working in uncertainty, a kind of pregnant, hopeful doubt. We never know if what we're creating is actually worthwhile, or merely fairy gold that turns to ashes at dawn. Yet the heroism of it is that we work on through that doubt & despair to produce our work. And of course this not only applies to creative work, but the work of life itself. And perhaps the two are not so far apart?
   
   Formatted in a few short chapters, each of which is a complete essay in itself, this remains the single best book on creativity I've ever read. It's one I return to on a regular basis, considering it a work of art itself. It won't give you any simple step-by-step instructions -- but it'll make you think, and contemplate, and deepen your understanding. And in the long run, that'll do much more to awaken & nurture the creative spirit.
   
   Most highly recommended!



5. What's it like to have painted, written, drawn or created something? You have been, writes Rollo May, "like God in the Book of Genesis, creating order out of chaos." Nice work if you can get it - and you can. What it takes is COURAGE - having the fear (of failure, embarrassment or coming up blank) but doing it anyway. This book will help you to conquer that fear. Looking for more inspiration? There's a musical - yes, a musical! - that's all about the "courage to create." Check out Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park With George (2006 London Revival Cast) Looking for still MORE inspiration? See: Shake That Brain: How to Create Winning Solutions and Have Fun While You're At It

5 comments about Living Out Loud.

1. I love Keri Smith's books! I bought "Wreck This Journal" first at SFMOMA and fell in LOVE!!! This book rocks...the projects are fun and not time consuming. I do things like this with my husband or when friends come over. It feels wonderful to spend time and have a product or experience rather than an empty tub of popcorn or wine bottle. Try it!



2. This book has some okay ideas, but overall I was disappointed. It's not really what I thought it would be. I was expecting it to be sort of on the order of Wreck This Journal (which I love), but it sort of reminds of a self help book.



3. I was looking for something "different" for journal writing and art. Kerri is just amazing. . .



4. I like the size of this book, its small enough to throw in my bag and take with me to the park and write in. but i am not too enthused with the layout or design as its a little boring on the design side. and the art isn't all that great. but it does have some fun projects in it. Its not so much a book about how to create or do art projects but more about different things you can do around your house to make it more creative, or things to do with friends to be creative together. Its just so-so as far as creative books go.



5. Keri's book is one I refer to all the time - as an artist, a writer, a teacher and someone who loves to live out loud as much as possible. Excellent!!

5 comments about How to Get Ideas.

1. "Albert Einstein said his best ideas came to him while he was shaving," Jack Foster writes in "How to Get Ideas" (2nd ed.). When I read that line, what could I do? I put the book down for a moment and went to shave.
   
   That's about the only time I stopped reading though, and you won't be able to put it down either. For boosting creativity, this book is a lifesaver.
   
   Foster's advice is simple -- have fun, think like a child again, open your mind to new possibilities -- but not necessarily obvious. Most of us do the same old things and think in the same old ways. Foster aims to help us spot these unhelpful patterns, then break out with easy-to-follow tips and stimulating exercises.
   
   And anecdotes. Foster draws on decades of experience as a top creative hand in major advertising agencies, where he encountered guys and gals driven by curiosity -- people who found out how much a ten-gallon hat will hold (three-quarters of a gallon) and how many times per day an African elephant will defecate (16). Illustrating how to solve a problem by stepping around it, Foster tells the story of the woman who solved the slow-elevator problem in her building -- by mounting mirrors in the lobby. (How did she do it? See P. 134.)
   
   You'll discover how to overcome the fears that keep you from thinking creatively ... easy ways to gather information ... combining unrelated facts for new ideas ... the five steps for getting great new ideas ... and how to put them to work for YOU.
   
   You'll finish reading "How to Get Ideas" in an hour or two. But you'll benefit from its advice for the rest of your life.



2. 
   This is a really good book. It was entertaining to read while also educational. The first edition came out in 1996 I think, and this edition just came out earlier this month. The new edition has two new chapters, 5 and 8, which were added because readers thought the information they contain was missing from the first edition.
   
   The book is split into two parts. The first part covers 10 ways you can "search for ideas." And it is by the far the longer of the two parts. The second part explains the five steps of how to get ideas:
   
   1. Define the problem
   2. Gather the information
   3. Search for the idea
   4. Forget about it
   5. Put the idea into action
   
   Theoretically, I suppose, the book could have been set up so the second part was actually the first. And the first part could have been relegated to the end. I say this because the first part is really just an expansion of the "third step" of the five steps.
   
   I enjoyed the humor, the quotes, and the stories included in the author's discussion regarding 10 ways to search for ideas. And thus it made perfect sense to me why he put that material at the front of the book. I read the book to see if it would have some practical use to my SCORE clients who are wanta-be entrepreneurs and small business owners. I think there is a practical use, and I recommend that my clients and similarly situated people read this book. It will help them create their business plans and revamp those plans as time passes. 5 stars!



3. I tend to be skeptical of titles suggesting easy answers to broad problems, but darned if this one doesn't really deliver! Foster's guidelines often fall into the category of "That's pretty obvious, why didn't I think of it?". And therein lies its real beauty: his suggestions are practical, accessible, workable, and often downright ingenious. And not at all limited to his field of advertising.
   Furthermore, the book is a delightfully entertaining read. That man can write!



4. This book is a great book to read, the best thing it includes are quotes of famous people, which are mainly funny. Personally I do not believe that this book provided me with any new ways or measures of thinking to get more ideas, it's more of a different theories of people on how to think!!!!
   
   If you are interested in having a good read buy this book, but don't put your hopes up high......



5. There are many well known techniques for developing new ideas; however, producing high-quality and effective ideas is not always so straightforward. Jack Foster provides effective methods for producing valuable ideas in a very enjoyable book packed with examples, applicable stories, real world applications and a good deal of humor.
   
   The advertising/marketing field is among the most idea intensive industries requiring a steady supply of inspiration for mere survival in the profession. Foster details his numerous experiences in advertisement agencies as well as his management roles in marketing firms providing significant insight on how ideas are formed for profit in the business world. Foster and his associates have often had to dig deep to continuously develop high-quality ideas and he shares the tactics and devices that proved most effective.
   
   This book is not long and can be read in short order, but do not let this fool you; the content is packed with many useful tidbits on generating ideas that if put into practice will have your mind actively producing effective ideas at once. There is no doubt if you are just searching for a better way, are stuck in a rut, or looking for that life changing idea, then this book will be an asset.

5 comments about Coloring Mandalas 2.

1. I found colored pencils worked best for getting into some of the tiny lines and tight corners of these mandalas. I found coloring them to be almost medatative.



2. If coloring calms you and you like art this is the book for you.



3. Though I've just begun using it, I bought the Mandala Coloring Book to aid me in relaxation after hectic days and before bed. It is intriguing, to say the least. While coloring the intricate designs, I'm not able to think of much else, making it easier to wind down and "turn off" my head.



4. Recovering from back surgery, I knew my artistic mind needed a more relaxing, yet retain a stimulating art media to keep my interest. This book does it! Mandalas do have spiritual or rather meditative foci that can help increase healthy thinking as one heals, but the FUN I have had using my professional color pencils, watercolor pencils and a bit of charcoal, chalk, and pastels on the quality paper in this book have really taken my mind off my pain. The mandala images are all on one side of the paper throughout the book, so no bleed through and as I mentioned, the paper quality is not cheap newsprint common of other coloring books. Since getting this book (and a few others!!), I have recommended them to several family members and now they are checking out this great way to relax and use their right "side of the brain" in more ways than one. One additional component of this book are the several pages of blank circles at the book's end where YOU can design your own meaningful mandalas...something many self-help instructors and counselors encourage people to do.
   
   This book is definitely worth every penny and is one of the best of the adult coloring books available. I also wish retirement centers would provide this type of quality art books for residents to provide healthy mind stimulation and possible growth and/or mainttenance.



5. I am really into geometrical and prism designs...they have an unspoken pull on me...the main challange for me when I color them is to balance somehow the color hues and tones with the geometrical segments of the design...so in the end to be able to get something stunning...the main drawback is when I let myself think too much about what goes with what...I like complex designs, they are more challanging...I use this hobby as a form of active yoga meditation(shutting off my mind while I focus on the design)...all in all, this coloring hobby is the simplest and effective way of gradually developing an inner sense of order, harmony and discipline...

5 comments about Think Better: An Innovator's Guide to Productive Thinking.

1. Think Better: An Innovator's Guide to Productive Thinking
   
   This book is based on the outstanding premise that how we think is more important than what we know. Tim explains why thinking skills are likely to be even more important in the rapidly changing future. The book then expands on exactly what productive thinking is and why we need to do it! Although initially based on the proven concepts of the Osborne Parnes Creative Problem Solving Model, Productive Thinking takes the ideas of divergent and convergent thinking, and together with an excellent choice of thinking tools and techniques, weaves them together in the 6 step Productive Thinking Model. Elegant in design, thoroughly researched and proven in practice. An easy to read and very informative piece of work. Well done Tim.
   
   Ken Wall - Australia



2. what a fascinating book! unfortunately it is littered with typographical errors which are REALLY irritating. examples: "The stem brain or gator brain processes and teacts to sensory input(p. 21)"..."Nothing is perfect. The word is full of things we can do better(p.7)."..."As Nicholas Negoponte, the founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab, has written...(p.43)"
   
   such a shame. if there is ever a second printing, perhaps these and other unnecessary errors can be corrected.



3. 
   Tim Hurson explains that the premise of this book "is that success in our business, professional, and personal lives is less a matter of what we know than of how we think. If we can develop the thinking skills to generate more options and then evaluate those options more effectively, we can all live richer, fuller lives - and so can the people around us." The focus of the this book is on the thinkx Productive Thinking Model (PTM), developed by Hurson and his colleagues after rigorously evaluating a number of other methodologies that include the Creative Problem Solving Process (CPS) and Integrated Definition (IDEF).
   
   There seems to be greater emphasis on improving problem solving than on improving any other function of better thinking (e.g. generation, evaluation, and selection of innovative ideas), although the PTM process consists of six interlocking steps that can help to achieve a variety of objectives. Each step includes a variety of tools and techniques that Hurson explains, citing relevant real-world examples throughout his narrative to illustrate how various companies have used the PTM. Hurson devotes a separate chapter to each step.
   
   For example, Step One responds to the question "What's Going On" and requires a situation analysis. Here are some issues to address at the stage of the process:
   
   1. "What's the Itch?" (i.e. problem to be solved, question to be answered)
   2. "What's the Impact?" (i.e. pay-off, benefits, improvements)
   3. "What's the Information?" (i.e. what is currently known about the situation)
   4. "Who's Involved?" (i.e. Who are the stakeholders? Who else will be affected?)
   5. "What's the Vision [or "Target Future]?" (i.e. ultimate objective as well as its implications and consequences)
   
   In Chapter 13, Hurson recaps the Productive Thinking Model (PTM) and offers a number of observations and suggestions to those who are considering use of this model as well as those who have made it commitment to it and are now engaged in the difficult but necessary processing of making appropriate modifications of it to accommodate the needs, resources, and objectives of their own organization. Then in Chapter 14, Hurson suggests four essential criteria for developing productive thinking skills and embedding productive thinking in organizational cultures.
   
   In this final chapter, he also asserts that -- as practiced in much of corporate America -- training "is an astonishing waste of resources" when there is no follow-through on front-end training to embed and then strengthen even more the skills taught. In fact, the word "training" has lost its meaning because it is now more commonly used to refer to information transfer rather than skill development. "Hurson prefers the word "entraining." Why? "In chemistry, to entrain means to trap suspended particles in a solution and carry them along. This concept is an apt metaphor for skill development...Entraining results in a new and different workflow. Keeping those new skill particles suspended in your workflow requires the forging of new synaptic connections, new neural pathways."
   
   Hurson includes an especially apt quotation that I now use also when concluding this review:
   
   "In theory there's no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is." Yogi Berra
   
   * * * * *
   
   Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Tom Kelley's discussion of how IDEO conducts brainstorming sessions in his two books, The Art of Innovation and The Ten Faces of Innovation. I also recommend two of Henry Chesbrough's books, Open Innovation and Open Business Models, as well as John Medina's Brain Rules, Howard Gardner's Five Minds for the Future, and Creativity in Business co-authored by Michael Ray and Rochelle Myers. Those feeling especially frisky and convinced they are up to the intellectual challenge are encouraged to consider reading Gerald Edelman's Bright Air, Brilliant Fire and Albert Borgmann's Holding On to Reality. Most of these books are available in a paperback edition.



4. The last book from my `vacation reading list" is Think Better: An Innovator's Guide to Productive Thinking by Tim Hurson. Some of you may remember a brief mention of this book in a post titled "Critical Thinking vs Creative Thinking".
   
   This is a very interesting book full of great information....kudos go to the author for writing in a style that is engaging and easy to read.
   
   The premise of the book is to stop trying to think `creatively' or `critically'....start thinking productively. The author introduces the "Productive Thinking Model" that helps to combine and balance both creative thinking and critical thinking.
   
   This model is made up of six steps, which are outlined below.
   
   Step 1: What's going on?
   
   In this step, you are encouraged to answer five questions to get a feel for what issue you are trying to resolve. These questions are:
   
   * What's the Itch? This question helps you determine what needs to be fixed or improved.
   * What's the Impact? This question makes you think about how the issue is affecting you.
   * What's the Information?This question forces you to examine the information that you have about the issue to determine if you have enough information to address the issue.
   * Who's Involved? This question takes a look at the stakeholders and what might be at stake for each one.
   * What's the Vision?This question helps you make the switch from `what is' to `what might be' by asking things like "What would the future look like if the issue is resolved?"
   
   Step 2: What's Success?
   
   Using the Vision developed in Step 1, begin to think about the future if the issue is resolved. Begin to imagine what life would be like with the problem solved. Once you've got a good feel for how life might change, you would then create a list specific, measurable outcomes.
   
   Step 3: What's The Question?
   
   In step 3, you begin to develop the questions that must be answered in order to reach the vision of success that you developed in Steps 1 & 2. During this step, you rephrase each issue/problem as a question to help your subconscious understand there is something `to work on'. An example conversion given as the Problem Statement "We don't have enough budget" can be converted to the Problem Question "How might we increase our budget?". During this step, you would try to generate as many problem questions as possible....you want a long long list. Once you've exhaustively listed your questions, you can then begin to narrow them down to the two key questions that would have the most impact on the issue.
   
   Step 4: Generate Answers
   
   This is where you generate the ideas to answer the questions created in step 3. You again create a very long list of answers and then sift through them looking for the most ideal and promising answers.
   
   Step 5: Forge the Solution
   
   This step is where you take your most promising answers from step 4 and develop them into a robust solution.
   
   Step 6: Align Resources
   
   This final step requires you to identify the necessary steps and resources for implementing your solution. In addition, you ensure that all implementation steps are assigned to a designated resource who will be held accountable for their implementation.
   
   With these six steps, the author has provided a framework for thinking more productively. The key throughout all six steps is to keep an open mind at all times. Do not criticize ideas. Do not discard ideas. By keeping an open mind, you'll be amazed at how many ideas you are able to generate.
   
   If you are the least bit interested in the topic of creative/critical thinking, go buy this book.



5. This is basically a 'self help' sort of book. According to the author, if you buy this tome, read it, and apply the contents, something great will happen.
   
   So I bought it. And I read it. And I applied the contents.
   
   What this book is about is thinking more creatively, not thinking more deeply, as it were.
   
   The core premise of the book is that typical thinking relies heavily on what we've done previously. Learning by experience is what humans do. Hurson calls this 'reproductive thinking' as it reproduces the past. This is frequently a good way to do things. But no amount of reproductive thinking will turn an adding machine into a spreadsheet. To make this leap, you need "productive thinking."
   
   The crux of the book is how to think this way. Suppose you have some problem. You assemble your team of people (works individually too, but that isn't his focus) and write down every solution the team can think of to that problem. Analysis is not allowed - just raw ideas. Within a few minutes, people have called out the obvious solutions. The leader of the group keeps writing them down and asking for more using a number of techniques in the book. Before long, people will start giving dubious solutions. This is good. Finally, at some point, the answers become bizarre. This section is what Hurson calls the "third third" of the list. He posits that the good stuff - the truly innovative solutions - are at the bottom of the list. Most of the time, they are worthless. But if you allow these fledgling ideas to live for a while, sometimes they attain flight status.
   
   While we had our power outage, I had 9 days to try this. I am designing some software. I started making a list of the solutions to my problems (this software has many facets which constitute many problems.) I wrote down ideas, concerns, drawings - anything. What I found was that once I ran out of ideas, I'd make some connection, and I'd get 25 more ideas. Then I'd be empty. But the next day it would happen again. It was difficult, but I finally - finally - made it to 100 ideas and thoughts, an arbitrary goal designed to make me stretch. Then I saw another connection and wrote down 30 more ideas! I stopped because the ideas, if valid, were straying from the actual problem domain and started applying more to an alternative piece of software.
   
   I ended up with 3 really good innovations. (I'm sure others would think of these things instantly, but by God they were new to me!) One of these innovations would allow the software to perform a seeming completely different function with only trivial modifications - if it's built right.
   
   There's a lot more to the book, as it talks about how to make the ideas to concrete solutions, walking through phases of idea-to-solution. Again, posing each step a problem then using these free-flowing lists of solutions to find the most innovative answers to problems.
   
   So, the pros:
   
   1. The technique seems to work for me as an individual.
   
   2. Trying it is cheap. You need a) the book and b) office supplies. You do not need a guru, a Change Process Facilitator, pure Tibetan mountain spring water, or to sacrifice a chicken.
   
   3. There are probably 6 phases and numerous sub-phases in the full solution process. So there are other parts of the book that I didn't mention but are worthwhile. For example, he mentions that some people in the organization may work against you. Commendably honest. Such a person is treated as a problem to be solved. You write this person's name down so you can make lists of solutions to this persons behavior. This section is short and I can't help but feel he stopped short for political correctness - and perhaps legal reasons!
   
   The cons:
   
   1. The book is almost certainly a sales tool for the author's consulting company which he mentions repeatedly. Perhaps the book is an answer to the problem, "How can we educate people about our system and thus make more money?" in which case it's a very practical proof of concept!
   
   2. I can't imagine a team of people using this technique because it feels 'new age.' You'd have to have a lot of trust among coworkers.
   
   3. The book is repetitious. Make lists! Make lists! Blah.
   
   4. TMCBSHA. I mean, Too Many Cute Business Self Help Acronyms. The industrial strength solution he discusses has many phases and sub-phases. It seems like every one of them as some hokey acronym associated with it. examples:
   IF (imagined future)
   DRIVE (do, restrictions, investment, values, essential outcomes)
   AIM (advantages, impediments, maybes)
   
   Now, each of these sections may be worthwhile but my god it's killing me. This is what makes me suspicious about the technique. I feel like he's putting the sizzle before the steak. I don't need sizzle to work a problem. But Hurson might need it to sell his book!
   
   5. The numerous steps (and their acronyms!) in the full solution need to be in a diagram so I can follow them.
   
   Finally, if you make your living by thinking (versus, say, by chopping off ninja heads) and you're in a rut, consider _Think Better, an Innovator's guide to Productive Thinking_ by Tim Hurson. I give it a 4 of 5, where no such book can possibly score a 5 due to the built-in hokiness and cheerleading of it all.
   
   http://tony-stormcrow.blogspot.com/2008/10/think-better-innovators-guide-to.html