I found this book as an excellent resource for creative thinking. The best part is the write up and the exercises use the "Power/Law of Simplicity" in a way that you would be surprised at many instances. His examples of rabbit and duck and about the staircase on page 52. They make you smile and the smile is actually a realization about the possibilities the life has in store for everyone.
" + "This has helped me in changing my perception about many things. At least now I have more than one way to think about any situation. I firmly believe his theory of "Challenge Your Assumptions."
" + "You might be aware of the concept of "Mind Mapping" by two British authors Tony and Bary Buzan. The mind mapping has helped me always, not just in planning my work but even my personal life. It's like you have all the things that is going on in your mind about a particular subject on just one paper. Once you have it in front of you, earlier I simply used to feel relaxed and follow my assumptions. However, now I simply explore the possibilities.
" + "To be very brief about the book, your business, work, daily life, everything that you do, you would find yourself trying out as many possibilities as you can and you would choose from the best one.
"; x++; TT_RevCredit[x] = "Amazon website"; TT_RevPubDate[x] = "11/27/07"; TT_RevHeader[x] = "Playing with toys on company time"; TT_RevItself[x] = "Michael Michalko's Thinkertoys is aimed at businesspeople who want to stretch their creative muscles and come up with new and better ideas. Writers who are used to very playful approaches in their creativity books might find some of the business-speak off-putting, but the exercises are as valid and useful for them as they are for business folk or anyone else looking for a creative solution to a problem.What amazes me most about this book is the sheer volume of ideas, exercises, suggestions, and entertaining anecdotes. Certainly it stands as a testament to the validity of Michalko's work that he can come up with this many pages jam-packed full of idea-generating goodness.
" + "Michalko believes we're best served by blending the linear and intuitive when stimulating creativity, so he provides a great many Thinkertoys in both the linear and intuitive sections of this book and suggests that we go back and forth in our use of them.
" + "Each Thinkertoy comes with a basic explanation of how it works, a blueprint for applying it to a wide variety of issues, and examples showing it in use. Many of these examples are real-world historical items that can give you great insight into how to apply seemingly abstract techniques to very real problems. There are more than 15 linear toys, each one a complete blueprint for brainstorming everything you need to tackle a problem.
" + "The intuitive section includes more than ten toys, ranging from relaxation techniques to analogies, hypnogogic imagery to psychosynthesis. These are the ones that might feel a bit funny to the dyed-in-the-wool businessperson, but they're well-formulated to walk you through the process and familiarize you with letting go.
" + "The inclusion of both types of Thinkertoys is one of the things that makes this book truly stand out from others I've read. Most creativity books aimed at non-artistic types tend largely toward the linear exercises, while those aimed at artistic types tend largely toward the intuitive. It's very handy to have such a blend of both in one place, with tips on integrating them.
" + "The book includes four chapters on brainstorming in a team-based approach, which is particularly useful in a business setting. These chapters include not only specific exercises, but also plenty of tips on getting folks to loosen up and produce their best work in these settings.
" + "Finally, the book wraps up with some material to help you evaluate the ideas you've come up with.
" + "I highly recommend reading the introductions to all of the major sections of the book, then skipping around to use various Thinkertoys as the mood suits you.
" + "My only (very minor) quibble with the book was its occasional lack of clarity. Now and then Michalko off-handedly described something in a manner such that I really had no idea what he meant. Luckily this tended to occur in his examples, or in his instructions for viewing an optical illusion, not in the instructions for the actual Thinkertoys.
" + "This is an incredibly handy book. The anecdotes are entertaining, the exercises are inspiring, and the wide variety will keep you busy for a very long time.
"; x++; TT_RevCredit[x] = "Amazon website"; TT_RevPubDate[x] = "11/27/07"; TT_RevHeader[x] = "Pure Adrenalin - Supercharge your Creativity!"; TT_RevItself[x] = ""Your future depends on great ideas, and to come up with consistently great ideas, you can't rely on chance."Thinkertoys will Supercharge your Creativity. Ideas are the fuel for the new millennium. This book is a power tool that will help you tap into hidden resources inside your head.
" + "No matter what you do for a living, this book will inspire you. For starters, it will open your mind to new ways of thinking. On average, we tap into so little of what the human mind is capable of. You can plod along inch by inch or you can create breakthrough ideas that will transform whatever you're doing.
" + "Managers and aspiring entrepreneurs should grab this book today. Regardless of your industry, I know this - there's never a shortage of competitors. Creating a competitive advantage is all about creativity and innovation. Thinkertoys can help you shift your mental gears. Thinkertoys is so jam-packed with ideas it's hard for me to say what's most inspiring. Here's a few that inspired me the most:
" + "Chapter 3 - Challenges. "He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot will be victorious" - Sun Tzu. This is the essence of dealing with competitors. You must know their capabilities and your own. Michalko talks about creating a challenge, then how to stretch and squeeze the challenge.
" + "Chapter 9 - Scamper. A collection of techniques for transforming any object, service, or process into something new.
S = Substitute?
C = Combine?
A = Adapt?
M = Modify? = Magnify?
P = Put to other uses?
E = Eliminate? or minify?
R = Reverse? = Rearrange?
All in all, Thinkertoys is awe-inspiring with such gems as "In what ways might I ...? Most people seem to spend their time trying to figure out why things don't work and why things can't be done. Michalko aims to put a stop to this way of thinking.
" + "I'll leave you with this: "The greatest waste in the world is the difference between what we are and what we could become." - Ben Herbster
"; x++; TT_RevCredit[x] = "Amazon website"; TT_RevPubDate[x] = "11/27/07"; TT_RevHeader[x] = "Together with Cracking Creativity ... dynamic duo ... consider them among the best in the genre!"; TT_RevItself[x] = "The first time I encountered Thinkertoys it was actually the first edition released during the early 90's, when it was also about the time I began to explore the various options with regard to my mid-life transition. In fact, I had initially spotted an interesting review in the Entrepreneur magazine.I managed to trace the publisher & had immediately ordered the first 100 copies for my debut bookstore. It became the best seller in my store for many years. Then came Cracking Creativity a few years later as well as the accompanying brainstorming card deck, Thinkpak, to Thinkertoys.
" + "What impressed me most is not so much the creativity tools outlined in both books. In fact, the most productive learning experiences I got out of both books are a few very important things, which I would like to share with readers.
" + "Let's take a look at Thinkertoys. In the Introduction, the author started off with a visual puzzle: "Can you identify the figure below?"
Only by shifting your focus, you can then see the hidden word within the figure.
In the author's own words, "...by changing your perspectives, you can expand your possibilities..."
Let's move to Cracking Creativity. In the Introduction, the author introduced a simple arithmetic equation: "What is half of thirteen?"
The subsequent passages as outlined in Part I: Seeing What No One else in Seeing, & Strategy I: Knowing How to See, by the author revealed the secrets to getting many possible answers (or perspectives) to the above equation.
No creativity tool outlined in the above two books (or elsewhere in the world, for that matter) can help you to become more creative until you fully understand - & appreciate - what the author is trying to drive home in his two books.
" + "In a nut shell, it basically boils down to one important thing: Use - & enhance - your power of vision! or power of observation!
" + "The author may not be the first person to postulate this crucial aspect of creativity. I would consider Leonardo da Vinci to be the first person to have understood & practiced it religiously. He said, among a few other things, LEARN TO SEE THE WORLD. In fact, he put a lot of emphasis on using your senses, especially your sense of sight.
" + "Edward de Bono had also broached this valuable concept in his groundbreaking series of lateral thinking books, starting with 'Mechanism of Mind' in the 70's.
" + "I have always believed that you can't do things differently until you can see things differently.
" + "Learning to see the world anew & from different perspectives is imperative if one wants to be more creative.
" + "According to de Bono, creativity starts at the perceptual stage of thinking. He terms it, First Order Thinking. He added very beautifully: "This is where our perceptions & concepts are formed, & this is where they have to be changed. Most of the mistakes in thinking are inadequacies of perception rather than mistakes of logic."
" + "The creativity tools, whether they are from the author's books or elsewhere, will then automatically fall into place & make more sense when you have first exercised your power of vision or observation.
" + "Using any tool is a piece of cake, but changing one's perception - & maintaining fluidity of perception as well as having multiple perceptions - takes concerted efforts.
" + "It is also important to take note that when things (or tactics) don't seem to work out as planned, always remember to check out your observations of the world first. Simply ask:
- what do you CHOOSE to see?
- where do you DIRECT your attention?
The second most productive learning experience I got from the above two books is realizing that all thoughts are simply feats of association &/or juxtapositions - & the crux of creativity (in fact, also learning) are making associations &/or juxtapositions. [Tom Peters, in his wonderful book, Liberation Management, drives home with this insightful nugget: "The essence of creation - in all endeavors - is chance connections between ideas and facts that are previously segregated. Entrepreneurship is the direct by-product of chance, of convoluted connections among ideas, needs and people." According to Leonardo daVinci, everything is connected to everything else. My question: CAN YOU SEE IT?] The creativity tools outlined by the author are specifically designed for this purpose.
" + "The third most productive learning experience for me is understanding the differential between productive & reproductive thinking. To paraphrase the author: "...in productive thinking, one generates as many alternative approaches as one can, considering the least as well as the most likely approaches... in contrast, reproductive thinking fosters rigidity of thought..." More relevant aspects about the significance of & more specific strategies to develop productive thinking are excellently covered by the author in Cracking Creativity.
" + "To end this review, & in the light of what I have written, I would consider the author's two books as the dynamic duo ... to be among the best in the genre!
"; x++; TT_RevCredit[x] = "Amazon website"; TT_RevPubDate[x] = "11/27/07"; TT_RevHeader[x] = "In what ways might I write this review?"; TT_RevItself[x] = "Cracking Creativity was the first book I read, and reviewed from Michael Michalko, and what a book! Thinkertoys is Michael's first book and my second read. I also own Thinkpack, a creative card deck. All spectacular!In general, I would say that Thinkertoys is similar to Cracking Creativity, but Thinkertoys offers varied and many different creative techniques, "business creativity for the 90's." Michael explores artists, scientists, and numerous other creative thinkers to which seems the basis of his work. It's amazing the amount of material that was put into this book. Numerous quotes by Sun Tzu, there are also numerous diagrams and puzzles throughout this book. These mindbenders always seem to be related to the chapter, or the discussion at the time. These drawings, puzzles, and brainteasers really convey the message of what this whole book is about. That is what I like about this book is because it shows you, and you have to figure some things out.
" + "The book is set up into 4 different parts. Part One: Linear Thinkertoys, Part Two: Intuitive Thinkertoys, Part three: Group Thinkertoys, Part Four: Endtoys. And in these areas there are numerous techniques, storylines, brainteasers, and flaming hot ideas. It's not hard to try most of the techniques. Most of them merely require a pencil, a piece of paper, a problem or an idea. Michael gives a "Blueprint" (i.e. summary) of every major technique that he covers in the chapters.
" + "I have read other creativity books but Thinkertoys is very exceptional because it seems to me to be more proactive, I see the techniques and I immediately want to try them for myself. Thinkertoys is not just some dry language with endless paragraphs of explanation, as with some creativity books I have read. None of these other books will be mentioned here.
" + "As I have used many of the techniques, I personally like SCAMPER. In addition, I also use "6 Questions" with SCAMPER, and I also use "In what ways might I?" I have set it up and I use like this: For example, I use SCAMPER first on a problem. If I'm stuck on SCAMPER, or the problem, I move to the "6 Questions." If I am still stuck, I then move and use "In what ways might I?" They are all interchangeable, and can be moved or reversed.
" + "See, SCAMPER > 6 Questions > "In what ways might I?"
" + "A powerful combination: SCAMPER
S = Substitute?
C = Create?
A = Add?
M = Modify
P = Put to other uses?
E = Eliminate?
R = Rearrange or Reverse?
6 Questions
Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
In what ways might I?
" + "This is my own little way to use some of the techniques. There is a large amount of techniques in Thinkertoys and some critical analysis may be in order when reading this book for deciding on which techniques to use. Simply, I use what I like most.
" + "Michael Michalko was interviewed one time and asked about the vast amount of techniques available, his response was: "What's important, I feel, is that readers and clients should not try to memorize specific techniques; rather, they should try to remember the basic principles around which my work in creativity is structured." He also responded, and in essence, I think this comment covers Thinkertoys in general, Michael also said: "Once the basic principles are understood, I always encourage my clients to invent their own creative-thinking techniques."
" + "After using quite a few of the techniques in Michael's two books, I have found some of the techniques becoming easier and reflexive. I have found myself seeing ideas and problems very differently without even concentrating on them; also, I have come up with my own ways to use some of techniques.
" + "This book is a special find. Period.
"; // x++; TT_RevCredit[x] = "WordPress website"; TT_RevPubDate[x] = "12/03/07"; TT_RevHeader[x] = "Business Practices That Change The World"; TT_RevItself[x] = "I chose to pick up this example on reversing a challenge from the great book ThinkerToys, a bible for any persons looking for improving their creative abilities or any entrepreneurs looking for new opportunities. I really enjoy reading and exercising with this book written by Michael Michalko.
"; x++; TT_RevCredit[x] = "Epinions website"; TT_RevPubDate[x] = "12/05/07"; TT_RevHeader[x] = "Epinions"; TT_RevItself[x] = "Pros
An incredible range of inspiring exercises with many suggestions and fascinating anecdotes
Cons
Very occasional mild confusions
The Bottom Line
A very thorough and useful book of creativity exercises for anyone.
Full Review
Michael Michalko's "Thinkertoys" is aimed at businesspeople who want to stretch their creative muscles and come up with new and better ideas. Writers who are used to very playful approaches in their creativity books might find some of the business-speak off-putting, but the exercises are as valid and useful for them as they are for business folk or anyone else looking for a creative solution to a problem.
What amazes me most about this book is the sheer volume of ideas, exercises, suggestions, and entertaining anecdotes. Certainly it stands as a testament to the validity of Michalko's work that he can come up with this many pages jam-packed full of idea-generating goodness.
" + "Linear Thinkertoys
Michalko believes were best served by blending the linear and intuitive when stimulating creativity, so he provides a great many Thinkertoys in both the linear and intuitive sections of this book and suggests that we go back and forth in our use of them.
Each Thinkertoy comes with a basic explanation of how it works, a blueprint for applying it to a wide variety of issues, and examples showing it in use. Many of these examples are real-world historical items that can give you great insight into how to apply seemingly abstract techniques to very real problems. There are more than 15 linear toys, each one a complete blueprint for brainstorming everything you need to tackle a problem. Lotus Blossom teaches you a diagramming technique; Brutethink uses random stimulation; Ideatoons make use of pattern language; and Think Bubbles introduce you to mind mapping. Some of these you'll probably have heard of and used before, but I find it unlikely that you'll be familiar with all or even most of them.
" + "Intuitive Thinkertoys
The intuitive section includes more than ten toys, ranging from relaxation techniques to analogies, hypnogogic imagery to psychosynthesis. These are the ones that might feel a bit funny to the dyed-in-the-wool businessperson, but they're well-formulated to walk you through the process and familiarize you with letting go. As a writer I was most familiar with these already, but Michalko puts his own spin on them and, again, includes plenty of interesting and handy insights and anecdotes.
The inclusion of both types of Thinkertoys is one of the things that makes this book truly stand out from others I've read. Most creativity books aimed at non-artistic types tend largely toward the linear exercises, while those aimed at artistic types tend largely toward the intuitive. It's very handy to have such a blend of both in one place, with tips on integrating them.
" + "Teamwork and Endings
The book includes four chapters on brainstorming in a team-based approach, which is particularly useful in a business setting. These chapters include not only specific exercises, but also plenty of tips on getting folks to loosen up and produce their best work in these settings.
Finally, the book wraps up with some material to help you evaluate the ideas you've come up with.
" + "I highly recommend reading the introductions to all of the major sections of the book, then skipping around to use various Thinkertoys as the mood suits you.
" + "Illusions, Sun Tzu, and Anecdotes
There are a couple of trends in creativity workshops and business that haven't thrilled me overall. One is optical illusions -- I've seen writers who seem to think these things make great creativity spurs in and of themselves, which personally I don't agree with (to each his own, I guess). Michalko uses many optical illusions, but he does so in a way that I can agree with -- he uses them to illustrate aspects of how the brain operates. Then he goes on to provide the actual related exercise. This is a use for optical illusions that I can certainly understand, and it makes the book a more interesting read.
The use of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" in the business world has, to my mind, been overdone. Sure, you can apply his brilliant insights to almost anything, including business, but too many business folk seem to get a wee bit too much into seeing themselves as warriors on the battlefields of business, and it makes me roll my eyes after a while. Michalko starts off each section with a quote from Sun Tzu, but again, I like how he uses them -- he applies them to creative problem-solving in general. And since Sun Tzu's words have such a broad wisdom to them, this seems like a particularly apt use for them, since creativity can be applied to solve any problem.
" + "The anecdotes that Michalko liberally sprinkles throughout the text serve several purposes. For one, they lend credibility to his theories. It's easier to believe that a method of brainstorming has merit when you learn that it, or something like it, was used to come up with something that literally changed the world. It's also easier to understand that we can imitate such wildly successful creative people as Einstein, Edison, and DaVinci once we better understand how they did what they did. The best part about the anecdotes, however, is that they make the book incredibly fun to read. I found myself relating stories to my husband from chapter after chapter as I read this book.
" + "Overall
My only (very minor) quibble with the book was its occasional lack of clarity. Now and then Michalko off-handedly described something in a manner such that I really had no idea what he meant. Luckily this occurred in his examples, or in his instructions for viewing an optical illusion, not in the instructions for the actual Thinkertoys, making it mostly a trivial nuisance.
This is an incredibly handy book. The anecdotes are entertaining, the exercises are inspiring, and the wide variety will keep you busy for a very long time.
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A breakthrough book!
'withrshins' (Buffalo, NY USA)
Thinkertoys brings creativity to the business world with highly productive problem solving applications. This is truly a breakthrough book!
Unlike the dry, pedantic tomes that compete with or preceded Thinkertoys, Michalko's book brings hands-on creative thinking to today's corporate America.
My office copy is always within arm reach because the book gives me the tools needed for productive problem solving; my competitive edge!
Creativity Handbook Indeed!
lizzz 'beentjes' (Halfweg, Netherlands)
If you have a problem channelling your creativity: buy this book! Loads of methods on generating as many ideas as possible, which is what you're ALWAYS looking for if your work involves communications in all of its shapes and forms.
I myself, as an interaction designer, have been able to make more use of my own creativity. If you feel you're not creative, buy this book too!
You'll feel differently after you've tried a few techniques that are in this book!
Lots of Tools
S. A. Corning (Gurnee, IL USA)
I coach an innovation workshop and provide each participant a copy of this book. The chapter on SCAMPER is worth the price alone.
You will find each too well explained with examples. The 'Ideabox' is one of the best tools you can use which also has a section with good examples.
The author's second book Cracking Creativity repeats most of the tools with less examples and more theory.
I highly recommend this book as a reference for innovation tools.
Fantastic
Karan Singh (Jakarta, Jakarta Indonesia)One of the most stimulating books that I've read. The analogies are so apt. Michael Michalko has revealed a process to something that many feel is abstract and unreachable.
It’s not too difficult to come across posts or comments to posts at other librarian blogs where there is a good deal of whining about the inadequacies of an LIS education. The number one complaint is something along the lines of "I didn’t learn anything." Well, that’s unfortunate, but my reaction is "Were you listening or thinking while you were doing all that reading, writing and fieldwork?" None of us recalls everything that happened in LIS school, or from our undergraduate days for that matter, but I have several memorable experiences that were indeed excellent learning events.
" + "One came in my now ancient PL1 programming course. The instructor was awful, but trying my hand at computer programming languages taught me a great life lesson: to solve problems you must look at them from a completely different perspective and the more complex the problem the more perspectives one must think through. When my programs failed to run, and how I dreaded re-doing those punch cards, I realized the only way to attack my failure was to stop my linear thinking and turn the problem completely upside down. I had no idea then, but I was using a Thinkertoy technique to release my inner creativity.
" + "I had never heard of Thinkertoys until I came across an interview at IdeaConnection with the author of the book. Michael Michalko has put together an interesting collection of techniques for creative thinking, and collectively he refers to them as Thinkertoys, which is also the title of his book on creative thinking. While some of the suggestions will come off as platitudes (e.g., creative thinkers are positive thinkers), others are rather thought provoking. For example, one of our greatest barriers to creativity is our own expertise. It leads us to use the same experiences and resources to approach problems in the same ways we have always used them. Sometimes that approach works fine, but mostly for simple decision-making scenarios. In other words it is critical to understand the context of the problem. If you attempt to resolve a problem with a complex context with your techniques that work well in the simple context, you will likely fail (for more on this see an excellent article titled "A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making" in the November 2007 issue of Harvard Business Review). Michalko says "Learning how to look at problems in different ways with different perspectives, and learning how to generate a multiplicity of ideas is the key to solving any problem."
" + "What I found really interesting was the link between one of Michalko’s techniques for improving creativity to solve problems and Roger Martin’s new book on the opposable mind. Both propose that in order to release creativity in problem solving one must be able to resolve "two opposite or contradictory ideas, concepts or images that exist simultaneously and that may even be beyond logic" (Michalko). This approach is what moves creative thinkers into the realm of seeing totally new perspectives on their existing problems in ways that free them from the biases of their routine approaches. We think there can’t possibly be another solution, that we’ve thought it all the way through. But when we explore options that are in complete opposition to our existing solutions, and then make the effort to resolve the two opposites a new solution is able to emerge. [NOTE - in the HBR article the authors pose that some decision-making situations are so utterly complex that one can only create an environment that allows solutions to emerge from the people affected by the problem; master problem solvers and highly creative individuals have the knowledge and experience to both establish the right environment and avoid the urge to impose their own solution].
" + "I believe this is what I experienced in my PL1 course when I learned that in order to get a non-thinking, highly logical computer to do what I wanted I needed to stop reading the code commands in the book and instead attack my challenge from a completely different angle that had never before occured to me. Unfortunately, that would usually happen only after many hours of frustration. But like Edison I suppose I was only exploring all the ideas that didn’t work before I found the one that did. Michalko has other good examples of this that are based on the methods of creative thinkers such as Leonardo daVinci and Albert Einstein.
" + "But is what Michalko has to offer anything more than what I might summarize as "think outside the box" which is simply a platitude that suggests we need to move beyond our inner biases and mental limitations? He even gives such basic advice as reading beyond the boundaries of one’s own profession (that’s a key element of the keeping up philosophy that I’ve been imparting for years) or seeking out experts from other fields for advice in solving problems. In seeking the answers to these questions I will need to read the book, and explore more of his creative thinking techniques. When I get to the end of it I will hope to be the monkey, not the kitten, when it comes to creative problem solving. Monkeys? Kittens? Go read the interview.
"; x++; TT_RevCredit[x] = "Simple Dollar website"; TT_RevPubDate[x] = "04/10/08"; /* originally 11/27/07 */ TT_RevHeader[x] = "Looking Into A Box Of Thinkertoys"; TT_RevItself[x] = "Each Sunday, The Simple Dollar reviews a personal productivity or personal development book.
" + "Several times a week, I get an email from a beginning blogger who asks a number of questions about how to get started with their own blog or their own fledgling writing career. Usually, I point them towards my series on building a blog, but there's one question that I have a very hard time answering directly.
" + "That key question, the one that really drives The Simple Dollar, is where do I come up with all of the ideas? I manage to post twenty-five times a week and while a few of them may seem redundant to long-time readers, most of them are reasonably good and new ideas. Given that I spend so much time writing just to get them out there, how do I possibly have the time to come up with so many ideas so quickly?
" + "The real answer is that I spend a lot of gap time (time spent doing things like commuting, waiting for appointments, and so on) formulating new ideas for The Simple Dollar. I try a wide variety of different techniques for coming up with ideas, from watching people to thinking about my own recent behavior, but the things that really get me going are simple creative thinking exercises that I've picked up over the years.
" + "Thinkertoys is the best single collection of quick creative thinking exercises that I've found in a single book, ever. It's not a be-all end-all compendium of these exercises, but many very good ones are in the book, including a few great ones that I knew before reading it and several more that I added to my repertoire after reading it.
" + "So what's inside? Are the exercises actually good, or am I a flake? Let's dig in and find out!
" + "Looking Into A Box Of Thinkertoys
Most of Thinkertoys (excepting a "think positive" introduction) is a series of chapters that outline specific creative thinking exercises. I picked out five of the chapters (there are roughly thirty five of them) and have outlined them below to give an idea of the contents of Thinkertoys.
Chapter 9: SCAMPER
SCAMPER refers to taking any specific idea and asking a series of questions of each specific part of the idea:
Substitute something.
Combine it with something else.
Adapt something to it.
Modify or Magnify it.
Put it to some other use.
Eliminate something.
Reverse or Rearrange it.
Here's an example. Let's say I make $35,000 a year and I have two debts, a $20,000 debt at 10% and a $15,000 debt at 8%. I also want to buy a house in 5 years. What should be my plan? I start moving through this situation determining that with such high interest rates, debt repayment will put me in the best position to buy a house in five years because the debts are so large in comparison to my salary. But what changes if I substitute a higher salary? Why does that change happen? What if I reduce the interest rate on both debts? Why? When I start mixing up a scenario like that, I start to come up with some pretty interesting questions that usually form the nucleus for new writings.
" + "Chapter 13: Lotus Blossom
Quite often, we have giant, grand ideas that are far too nebulous to really implement. I've often thought of series for The Simple Dollar that, if I implemented them, would go on to be series with a hundred posts. That doesn't mean that the idea should be discarded; it just means that you need to break it down a little bit.
A "lotus blossom" is easy. Just state your main idea, then surround it with a series of six to eight bubbles that each state a specific element of that general idea. So, let's say I was going to write about mutual funds. I might surround this idea with individual elements like fees, how they're taxed, how dividends work, fund types, investment strategies, and so on.
Then, take each of these individual ones and use it at the center of its own blossom. So, I might have a blossom that starts with "mutual fund investment strategies." I would then mention tax-deferred accounts (like 401(k)s or 403(b)s), ETFs, self-managed accounts, and so on. I might then start some lotus blossoms for these individual leaves, too. Then, I go through and just cross off ones that I've either already written about detail or don't find too interesting.
Using this can break down a very general idea into lots of specific ones. I find this to be very powerful when I do a theme week (like the mutual fund week I did a while back) or a long series like 31 Days to Fix Your Finances.
Chapter 16: Future Fruit
Remember that scenario I talked about earlier, with the two debts and the desired house? I often start my brainstorming with a very simple scenario like that and use various techniques to mine ideas from it. The "future fruit" technique is actually very useful for illustrating things like risk.
Here's how it works: once you have a basic scenario in place, like the one I talked about with the debts, imagine where that person might be in five years. Make a list of several different potential outcomes. What happens if he loses his job? What happens if he is left a giant inheritance. What happens if he suddenly gets married and has two children? Imagine what will happen to our little straw man if these things happen to him. Envisioning a large number of potential outcomes for a scenario helps you to plan for as many outcomes as possible in great detail. This is a brilliant exercise for any scenario in your own life, or any situation that you can imagine.
Chapter 17: Brutethink
I've used this technique to develop ideas for many years and it always produces something that is at the very least interesting.
Here's how it works. Let's say you have a general topic in mind that you want to write about. For The Simple Dollar, that topic is usually personal finance related.
Then simply sit back and come up with a random word. What I usually do is grab a magazine, flip open to a random page and glance at the first word I see on it. I then attempt to mix that word in with what I already have in my head.
Here's an example. I was trying to come up with a post about frugality, but nothing was coming into my head was literally standing at a newsstand about a week ago, so I reached over, picked up a random periodical, an opened it to a random page. I glanced through it very fast and the first word that stood out at me was golf. That got me thinking about golfing and frugality and some of the things I've done to save money golfing and this was the end result.
Chapter 28: Dreamscape
This is an idea I've turned to more than once when I've been very desperate for ideas. It's completely wacky but it has bailed me out a few times in the last few months.
All you do is set your alarm for a half hour earlier than usual, then go to sleep with a notepad beside your bed. Setting your alarm early means that you're more likely to be woken up in the midst of a dream than when your subconscious is beginning to realize that your normal "wake up" time has arrived.
When the alarm goes off and you first struggle into consciousness, try and hold on to any dream that you might be having. Lay there for a minute and concentrate on remembering as much of the dream as you can, then sit up and jot down as much of the dream as you can on that notepad. Record details. Then, after a bit of time has passed and you move through your morning routine, get a general topic in mind and return to that dream attempting to connect the dream details to the topic.
I've found a few gems this way that have turned into some really interesting posts. This post about my grandfather's garden was pure dreamscape. I had a dream where I was a little kid again in his garden and he was there chasing me with a sprinkling can, but in a fun way, and I could hear my grandmother telling us to come in for biscuits. The garden was really wet and muddy and I could smell compost - it was so strong that I actually felt like I could still smell it when I woke up. That dream, along with a bit of research and reflection on my grandfather, became this post.
Buy or Don't Buy?
If a significant part of your life requires creativity, particularly creativity that is attached to solving real-world problems, this book is tremendous. It offers tons of creative exercises along with a lot of detail on how to really squeeze the juice out of each one. It's basically a book where you can sit there and try several specific techniques on each page as you read it.
My biggest complaint about Thinkertoys is that it often is written as though the reader is a businessperson, even though the techniques seem to work well for any creative position. This tone, particularly when obsessing on sales, is a bit of a turn-off - I think the writer was trying to take some very useful techniques and mold them directly for businesspeople who may be a bit weak in getting started with creative thinking.
Aside from that, though, this book is truly wonderful for teaching techniques that can help produce ideas. If you do anything in your life that requires that you come up with ideas, Thinkertoys, perhaps coupled with Made To Stick (which I also enjoyed), is a wonderful and very useful read.
This book breaks down any road blocks to thinking (by Gary Dale)
" + "Do you need any new ideas for practical designs? How about when something is wrong with your business and you cannot put your finger on it? Did you ever need to brainstorm but not have anyone else around? Have you ever been stuck with writer's block and for the life of you could not get back to work? In other words, have you ever been stuck with any mental problem that you felt that you cannot solve? If this is the case I think you should have a look at Michael Michalko's latest book, Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques.
" + "Thinkertoys is a great play on words - anyone who grew up in the United States playing with Tinker Toys would not have a hard time remembering the name of this book. But beyond the title, Michael Michalko has done better than a yeoman's job of cataloguing tried and true techniques and exercises that work individually and for groups. Not a left brained person you say? You don't need to be. Not a right brained person? Again, you don't need to be. These tools that Michael Michalko provides puts you in a position that the outcome will be the product of great creative thinking as long as you actually do the thinker work that goes along with the exercise. The entire book pushes the reader to think outside of his or her comfort zone when solving problems, creating ideas, etc. Some of these tools I have already been working on and implementing myself. Let me give you an example.
" + "In addition to my other work I recently have become a monthly columnist with a magazine where I give advice based upon my knowledge and experience. But to be a columnist is very difficult in a way because you have to remain fresh - the material much be both focused and new every issue. Many regular columnists (and bloggers) use different methods to do this. For instance, Jack Welch actually goes on Twitter and asks followers to send him interesting questions or problems. As such I turned to Michalko's book and found an exercise that really helped to generate ideas for the column. (If you want to know specifically which tool this was contact me through my website and I will give a full explanation). Because of this tool though I not only found enough ideas, but rather more than enough ideas. I have now written several columns in advance for the magazine and am pretty much finished with the entire year's work. This is the kind of result you can get from sitting down and working with Thinkertoys - I can personally attest!
" + "Also, Michael Michalko has a related product called Thinkpak: A Brainstorming Card Deck. I went out to my local bookstore and bought this card set. It is a great companion to Thinkertoys because each card is directly related to a principle or tool in Thinkertoys. So I carry this card deck with me now along with a list of issues I need to resolve when I travel. Sometimes I pull this book or these cards out because I have work to do and sometimes I do it because, dammit, it is just a good workout for the old noggin!
"; x++; TT_RevCredit[x] = "Amazon.com website"; TT_RevPubDate[x] = "03/02/11"; TT_RevHeader[x] = "Top Ten Book, Period. Buy It."; TT_RevItself[x] = "Top Ten Book, Period. Buy it. (by Bradley Bevers "LucidBooks.net")
This is one of my top ten books, period. It's a book that is hard to describe, because I don't know of anything else like it out there. Essentially, it is a book that boils the art of creativity down into exercises that anyone can use to fuel their own creativity.
To take a subject that is so high-concept and write a book with concrete tools that anyone can use is not easy. Michalko has written a book that will change the way you think, no matter what walk of life you come from. You will be smarter after reading and implementing this book, even if you just use one or two of the more than 40 tools he gives for creative thinking.
I've owned this book for a couple of years and am still not all the way through it, mainly because after each chapter there is so much information to digest and work on. Just using the very first technique in the book I was able to quickly come up with hundreds of ideas; ideas that never would have crossed my mind without this book.
To put it as simply as possible . . . Buy It.
"; x++; TT_RevCredit[x] = "Chief NetWeaver"; TT_RevPubDate[x] = "03/22/11"; TT_RevHeader[x] = "THINKERTOYS - A Handbook of Business Creativity"; TT_RevItself[x] = "Excerpt from summary by Bob Littell
" +"This month’s book I’m featuring for our “Don’t Need to the Read the Book” book club is designed to change. . .or expand. . .the way you create new ideas and as the author suggests, “change the way you perceive your own creativity, while stripping creativity itself of its mystique”
The author, Michael Michalko will give you techniques for how to come up with new ideas and whether your prefer more traditional ‘linear’ techniques (i.e. manipulating existing information to come up with new ideas or different ways to do something) or ‘intuitive’ ones (i.e. using your intuition and imagination). He will explain both, and you can choose which suits you best, if not both.
" +"Do you exercise regularly? Do you try and eat most of the right foods? Most of us try to do both. But, with the incredible pace of change today – with seemingly constantly increasing layers of activities – business and personal - which seem to load up every corner of our waking hours, we sometimes skip doing one or both of those." +"(by Arun Thaploo)
" +"I rate Michael Michalko's book on creativity as a must read. Period. It will simply blow your mind. The book is organized in a very easy to digest format and every chapter focuses on one specific creativity technique. This book will definitely expand your level of thinking and you will see a problem with an entirely different perspective. As a companion guide I will also recommend buying a card deck by the same author. It's called Thinkpak. "; x++; TT_RevCredit[x] = "Amazon.com"; TT_RevPubDate[x] = "03/14/11"; TT_RevHeader[x] = "Great Book."; TT_RevItself[x] = "(by Obi Ogbanufe)
" +"This is a great book. It's not the kind you lay down to read. You'd need all your senses and be seated with a notepad and pen to really capture what's in this book. It's a read and do book. I'm re-reading it again after a few years."; x++; TT_RevCredit[x] = "Amazon.com"; TT_RevPubDate[x] = "03/08/11"; TT_RevHeader[x] = "Great book!"; TT_RevItself[x] = "(by 'thinker')
" +"Still reading through it (almost done) and absolutely love it! Buying another one as a gift for a good friend. If you are curious and like to think and especially think outside the box, this book is a treasure. It will give you tons of ideas and tools on improving your creativity. Very well written and keeps you interested. Would recommend it to anyone. The best part is that you can come back anytime and read/use it again. BTW, it's a great gift for anyone who likes to use their brain. Buying the cards too this time."; TT_RevItemCount = TT_RevCredit.length - 1; for (var i = 0; i <= TT_RevItemCount;i++) //--- Load in reverse order so most recent is listed first (oldest is last) { TT_RevNewCount += (StillNew(TT_RevPubDate[i])) ? 1 : 0; } All_NewRevCount += TT_RevNewCount; //---------- Define and Load Identification arrays for CRACKING CREATIVITY Reviews var CC_RevHeader = new Array (); //--- Title used for the top of the review's display var CC_RevCredit = new Array (); //--- Credit given to the review's source website var CC_RevItself = new Array (); //--- Review body's text and some minor HTML formatting var CC_RevPubDate = new Array (); //--- Date the review was published on Review page (mm/dd/yy format) ... used for item "newness" var CC_RevItemCount = 0; //--- Total Number of CRACKING CREATIVITY reviews var CC_RevNewCount = 0; //--- Number of reviews whose CC_RevPubDate is less than 30 days old x = 0; CC_RevCredit[x] = "Barnes & Noble website"; CC_RevPubDate[x] = "11/27/07"; CC_RevHeader[x] = "Superb!!!"; CC_RevItself[x] = "This book has changed the way I look at the world and the way I think. I've gifted copies to all my friends and relatives."; x++; CC_RevCredit[x] = "Barnes & Noble website"; CC_RevPubDate[x] = "11/27/07"; CC_RevHeader[x] = "Spectacular Book"; CC_RevItself[x] = "The first book I purchased after reading Michael Michalko's Thinkertoys was the author's Cracking Creativity. And the first thing I discovered was that this book is not Thinkertoys revisited. This book is both fresh and different. A series of nine interconnected strategies are proposed, each designed to parse the creative process. Then, in turn, each strategy is examined, actually deconstructed, to reveal its essential elements. The result is spectacular. Once again, Mr. Michalko offers a wonderful collection of visual and textual examples. The result is another fine book."; x++; CC_RevCredit[x] = "Barnes & Noble website"; CC_RevPubDate[x] = "11/27/07"; CC_RevHeader[x] = "Has Given Me the Confidence"; CC_RevItself[x] = "This book has changed the way I think about creativity. Understanding how these great people thought throughout history has inspired me to become creative in my own right. It confirmed what I always intuitively felt and now I have the confidence to create and achieve."; x++; CC_RevCredit[x] = "Amazon website"; CC_RevPubDate[x] = "11/27/07"; CC_RevHeader[x] = "Remarkable"; CC_RevItself[x] = "I'm career military intelligence. Michalko is a legend in intelligence, so I was pleasantly surprised to find out he's written books about creative thinking. I read Thinkertoys as soon as I discovered he wrote the book, and have just finished Cracking Creativity. Both books are remarkable."; x++; CC_RevCredit[x] = "Amazon website"; CC_RevPubDate[x] = "11/27/07"; CC_RevHeader[x] = "Paves the Way"; CC_RevItself[x] = "Michael Michalko is an inspiration for others like myself who research and write about creative practices and processes ("IdeaSpotting: How to find your next great idea," and "Zing! Five steps and 101 tips for creativity on command"). As demonstrated in Cracking Creativity, Michalko's advice is practical, to-the-point and entertaining. He's the real deal."; x++; CC_RevCredit[x] = "Amazon website"; CC_RevPubDate[x] = "11/27/07"; CC_RevHeader[x] = "A classic"; CC_RevItself[x] = "I've read over 30 books on the subject of creativity, and this one stands out as one of the best. It contains some fantastic ideas and exercises for training creativity. Teachers and trainers who are interested in developing student creativity should get this book."; x++; CC_RevCredit[x] = "Amazon website"; CC_RevPubDate[x] = "11/27/07"; CC_RevHeader[x] = "Practical Techniques to Boost Creativity"; CC_RevItself[x] = "Author Michael Michalko delivers his best performance to date in this book. The book is filled with information on, and techniques for using, our creative processes. Many of the techniques are easy to learn, requiring only a little bit of practice to get used to them. Most of the book centers around: helping an individual generate many possible ideas about something, which will be critically evaluated at a later time; visualizing the problem and potential solutions; seeing from another's perspective, even the problem's in one case (quite effective sometimes); collaboration and creativity. This book already helped me deliver a 5 star essay on a very controversial subject. I followed its advice, producing as many ideas as possible in a short time, without rejecting any at first. Also, visualizing the data, as recommended, formed the basis for my later outline, which was complete enough that a rough draft was no work at all. So, for me, buying this book paid off already. I think anyone buying this will read it for a few minutes and then recognize they have a winner in their hands."; x++; CC_RevCredit[x] = "Amazon website"; CC_RevPubDate[x] = "11/27/07"; CC_RevHeader[x] = "I was taken aback."; CC_RevItself[x] = "A book for inventors, craftsmen, artisans, scientists, businesses, teachers, and most of all us students. Michael Michalko's book made many areas fall into place for me, not to mention assisting my individual creative landscape, exercising my field of study, and mobilizing my creative engine." + "Over the past year, I have been heavily engaged in memory improvement. Busy in such areas as loci mnemonics, peg systems, hypnosis, and many other regions. Cracking Creativity showed how rigid my thinking had become. For example, pg.42 there is an experiment where students were separated into two groups. The groups were asked to read a passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. One group was asked to simply learn the passage and the other group were asked to read from "multiple perspectives," example: an author's perspective, another person perspective, also including their own perspective. Which group learned more information? Of course, the group that used multiple perspectives outperformed the other group. Furthermore Michael elaborates on this process and places many ideas on the table. He called this subchapter "DaVinci's Multiple Perspectives," further along the chapter he elaborates "Take on a Different Role," then "Imagine You Are the Problem" and many more areas further along that blend to create a vast pool of creative thinking. I found this particular area very useful. Michael does not simply show problems in creativity without a creative plan-of-action for facilitation. He brings creative solutions to mind and elaborates on them in detail. He gives many examples for looking at a problem or solution, in many different perspectives.
" + "Strategy Six: Looking At The Other Side, is an outstanding section in which paradoxes are shown and analyzed. A spectacular section of most importance, which I will not detail, one must read for themselves.
" + "To my pleasure Michael thoroughly discusses, displays, and employs Mind Maps (Tony Buzan). Before Mind Maps are discussed, Michael shows a similar technique of Mind Mapping called "fishbone." Fishbones are similar to Mind Maps and are an excellent idea organizer very similar to Mind Maps. Having read a number of books on Mind Mapping, I now recommend Cracking Creativity as "high priority Mind Map reading material." I rank this book second, only to be in favor of Tony Buzan's book "The Mind Map Book." This book offers many creative ideas that are shown for Mind Mapping.
" + "There are many different techniques for creative insight located in this book, so many in fact, I only scratched the surface. Michael frequently comments on famous inventors, thinkers, and artists from science, mathematics, history, etc. in order to further his point of creative thought throughout this book.
" + "For consideration: anyone reading this book should have a proactive mind and a healthy dose of perspiration otherwise an individual may not use the techniques provided. Many of the techniques provided require a pencil, notebook, and very little mental capacity. Group techniques are also extensively employed. Michael Michalko shows us the tools but they are useless if unused. More importantly this book showed MY OWN SELF how to think differently, analyze problems, create solutions, and even create more problems for which my mind now can easily produce solutions. In asking the right questions, Michael Michalko showed me perfectly.
" + "I would like to recommend the hardcover edition of Cracking Creativity. Having not read the paperback edition, I found the hardcover edition of pleasurable type, large pages and diagrams nicely represented.
" + "If I were to summarize this book, I would use the statement on pg. 158 under strategy five: Connecting the Unconnected
"Using this model, it is possible to see what can be done about randomly connecting unrelated subjects in thinking. The first step is to be aware that there is the possibility of this thinking strategy. The second step is to learn how to do it. The third step is to use this strategy as often as you can and to get rid of any inhibitions that interfere with your using it."