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Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques (2nd Edition) (Paperback) (Paperback)
by Michael Michalko
| Category:
Business, Innovation, Thinkertoy, Creative thinking |
| Market price: ¥ 218.00
MSL price:
¥ 208.00
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 Good for Gifts |
MSL Pointer Review:
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.
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Author: Michael Michalko
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Pub. in: May, 2006
ISBN: 1580087736
Pages: 394
Measurements: 9.5 x 7 x 1 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BA01035
Other information: 2nd edition
ISBN-13: 978-1580087735
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- Awards & Credential -
An updated edition of the best-selling business creativity book, with more than 30 brainstorming techniques and hundreds of creative-thinking tips and tricks. Revision includes new techniques, examples, and sections on group brainstorming and endgames.
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- MSL Picks -
"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, 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,
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.
Target readers:
General readers.
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MICHAEL MICHALKO is a leading creativity expert who specializes in leading creative thinking workshops, seminars on fostering creativity, and think tanks. His clients range from Fortune 500 corporations such as DuPont, Xerox, Kellogg's, General Electric, Kodak, Microsoft, Exxon, General Motors, Ford, AT&T, WalMart, and Hallmark to governmental agencies. As an officer in the U.S. Army, Michalko organized a team of NATO specialists and international academics in Frankfurt, Germany, to research, collect, and categorize all known inventive thinking methods. After leaving military service, he was contracted by the CIA to facilitate think tanks and brainstorming sessions. Michalko currently works with clients worldwide.
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From the Publisher:
This new edition contains updated examples, three new Thinkertoys and an entirely new group brainstorming section with five new chapters. Michael is also the author of Thinkpak (A Brainstorming Card Set), which is a novel creative-thinking tool that is designed to facilitate brainstorming sessions and Cracking Creativity (The Secrets of Creative Geniuses) which describes the common thinking strategies creative geniuses have used in the sciences, art, and industry throughout history and shows how we can apply them to become more creative in our business and personal lives.
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| View all 8 comments |
J. Reich (MSL quote), USA
<2007-07-04 00:00>
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.
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S. A. Corning (MSL quote), USA
<2007-07-04 00:00>
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 tool 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.
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Mary Roush (MSL quote), USA
<2007-07-04 00:00>
As a learning solutions designer and trainer and as a targeted innovation facilitator, I have found this book of immense value for almost a decade. It provides step-by-step instructions for linear, lateral, and more intuitive thinking techniques - the closest thing to a step-by-step no-fail cookbook approach. The techniques are even organized (transparent to the non-professional user) to correspond with the KAI style-of-creativity scale. In other words, if you are left-brained OR if creativity means "make the thing better", you will like the techniques at the front of the book. The more naturally "right-brained" you are (i.e. Improve = make it different), the farther toward the back of the book you might want to go. There are also great business examples in this book - they illustrate applied creativity to create value in business...no taint of tutus and crayons and "far out" ideas here...the stuff that alienates some business folk from valuing the relevance of creativity in the workplace.
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Steven Chambers (MSL quote), USA
<2007-07-04 00:00>
It's rare to find a truly practical book, full of exercises to stimulate creative thinking and problem solving. Having used this book to lead small groups in problem-solving, and brainstorm techniques, I can say with confidence the exercises are intriguing, fun and effective. A great book. |
View all 8 comments |
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