Customer Reviews

Archimedes' Bathtub: The Art and Logic of Breakthrough Thinking

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is about what the author calls breakthough thinking. If you haven't heard the idea before, it's the moment that usually comes after years of getting stuck about a problem. Usually in a snap, you figure out the solution and wonder: why didn't I think of it earlier?

Well, Perkins gives us four reasons, and reasons to think about them. Knowing them, you can change your thinking habits to incorporate them and improve your solving skills. 1. Think far and wide, explore as many and as diverse possibilities as you can. 2. When you're stuck, try to think about why you are stuck and focus on hidden clues (this is where background knowledge is useful, like Sherlock Holmes). 3. Rethink the problem in a different framework: are you assuming too much? did the problem really say it had to be this way? 4. Don't get stuck on a solution that ALMOST works; if it won't work, it's worthwile to forget it altogether and explore widely different possibilities.

Now for the critic. The book IS helpful, but if you're a mathematician (like me) you already know most of that. You may however be interested by the parallel the author draws between evolution a la Darwin, problem solving, the emergence and evolution of ideas, and the Klondike gold rush. I found the book well argumented, challenging, and fun through the sprinkle of problems (whose solution is not immediately given). But somehow I had heard these ideas before, and at the end of your reading, you may wonder if you really learned that much. The first chapter was the most interesting to me. After that, the author embarked on a dissertation on the analysis of thinking pattern that is more systematic, a little academic at times, although thought-provoking all right. Still, you'll be challenged at times, and it's a fun reading.

If you're not too good at problem-solving, or wonder why you should be, the book argues that it's really more than just a skill, it's a way of life. Assuming less, you will see hidden connections between things you do and care about, that may have nothing in common to these puzzles. But you could get your lucky break with a little practice at breakthrough thinking. In this dot.com age, there should be ample opportunities. So what are you waiting for?

A last note: if you want more puzzles like this, try the Lateral Thinking Puzzles by Paul Sloane (several books). This book is not a puzzle book. Rather, it is an analytical discussion of puzzles, and the puzzles are there only to support the discussion.

I really enjoyed Mr. Perkins' theme and thoughts in this book. He did a good job of breaking down how he looks at breakthrough thinking, and outlining a good methodology for overcoming seemingly unsolvable problems. These theories are then demonstrated through several fairly quickly worked through puzzles that demonstrate how to make use of these problem solving techniques. The books is written in a fairly standard format, with the introduction outlining the 'big picture' and subsequent chapters breaking out details of Mr. Perkins problem solving approach in more detail.

I did have some concerns about the book, the most notable being its repetitious nature. It almost seems as if the author has written a guide to teaching one's self this methodology rather than a book designed to explore the subject in depth. I believe that the author could wrap up his thesis and explain the methodology in probably 1/2 of the space that he has chosen, however, instead he has stretched out the context to fill some 260 pages.

There were two academic areas that I had hoped to see a bit more of. The first was the author's brief review of the similarity in break through thinking with evolution, specifically with the theory of "punctuated equilibrium" which has long been put forth by the author's fellow Harvard Professor Mr. Stephen Jay Gould. Mr. Perkins throws out the similarity as well as a couple of other thoughts on the matter, but never really crystalizes a thesis. One would have hoped that the two professors proximity would have allowed a more mature discussion. The second, which I had hoped would have been developed, was the oddly parallel development of most of the world's major inventions. The printing press of Gutenberg and the heavier-than-aircraft of the Wright brothers were both developed amidst furious competition, as if the time of development for these inventions had finally been "right". It seems as if somewhere in this history there would be a logical point for Mr. Perkins to have developed.

Again, I liked this book, but would have hoped for some more tangible support of his theories, either through experimental results or more first-hand interpretation of historical events. Where Mr. Perkins touches on the subject he does so with a very light brush stroke, and in doing so decreases the potency of what is otherwise an interesting piece of work.

What a smart book! It's fun to read and it will help you exercise your brain! If you like solving puzzles, tackle difficult hyphothetical problems, you'll love this book! It is very good on explaining all the science and math behind the intersting problems that have challenged brilliant scientists and thinkers in the past. And it is also a very nice brain-teaser! Also, the author is not only interested in showing you how other geniuses have solved their problems, but teaching you how you can do these things yourselves by applying his logical thinking steps in your life. So the book is useful and also very fun at the same time!

This book itself is a breakthrough. I have yet to read a book on creativity that so effectively combines real-world advice on how to achieve breakthrough thinking in such an engaging and clearly presented way. As a book which is targeted toward the business person, rather than the academic, it does an excellent job of focusing on the key points and practical applications of breakthrough thinking without getting bogged down into too much detail.

The authors start out by drawing you in with simple and compelling points on creativity and problem solving along with simple exercises to illustrate each point. They then build from there to elaborate and drive home both the techniques and the rationale behind those techniques in a way that continues to be engaging.

As with any book of this sort, 50% is stuff you already know (but may not be practicing). However, I'll bet the other 50% will really make you to think about ways to improve your personal and your company's ability to achieve breakthrough thinking.

This book is about what the author calls breakthough thinking. If you haven't heard the idea before, it's the moment that usually comes after years of getting stuck about a problem. Usually in a snap, you figure out the solution and wonder: why didn't I think of it earlier?

Well, Perkins gives us four reasons, and reasons to think about them. Knowing them, you can change your thinking habits to incorporate them and improve your solving skills. 1. Think far and wide, explore as many and as diverse possibilities as you can. 2. When you're stuck, try to think about why you are stuck and focus on hidden clues (this is where background knowledge is useful, like Sherlock Holmes). 3. Rethink the problem in a different framework: are you assuming too much? did the problem really say it had to be this way? 4. Don't get stuck on a solution that ALMOST works; if it won't work, it's worthwile to forget it altogether and explore widely different possibilities.

Now for the critic. The book IS helpful, but if you're a mathematician (like me) you already know most of that. You may however be interested by the parallel the author draws between evolution a la Darwin, problem solving, the emergence and evolution of ideas, and the Klondike gold rush. I found the book well argumented, challenging, and fun through the sprinkle of problems (whose solution is not immediately given). But somehow I had heard these ideas before, and at the end of your reading, you may wonder if you really learned that much. The first chapter was the most interesting to me. After that, the author embarked on a dissertation on the analysis of thinking pattern that is more systematic, a little academic at times, although thought-provoking all right. Still, you'll be challenged at times, and it's a fun reading.

If you're not too good at problem-solving, or wonder why you should be, the book argues that it's really more than just a skill, it's a way of life. Assuming less, you will see hidden connections between things you do and care about, that may have nothing in common to these puzzles. But you could get your lucky break with a little practice at breakthrough thinking. In this dot.com age, there should be ample opportunities. So what are you waiting for?

A last note: if you want more puzzles like this, try the Lateral Thinking Puzzles by Paul Sloane (several books). This book is not a puzzle book. Rather, it is an analytical discussion of puzzles, and the puzzles are there only to support the discussion.

Inventors differ from the average person because they practice an art and logic that enables them to make breakthroughs in solving problems which ordinary reason and common sense fail to solve. This author selected as a prime example of such insightful thinking the oft told story of how Archimedes, some 2200 years ago, determined if the king's crown was made of pure gold. As you may recall from elementary school, as Archimedes lowered himself into his bathtub, the water rose and an insightful thought occurred to him. He realized the volume of the irregularly shaped crown could be determined by how much water it would displace and with knowing the density of pure gold he could establish what the crown should weigh for its volume.

The book is devoted to answering the question of how breakthrough thinking works. Many examples of such thinking are given and analyzed. The author notes five stages or steps that many breakthroughs seem to follow: "Long search, little apparent progress, precipitating event, cognitive snap, and transformation". He cites Leonardo's helicopter and the Wright brothers as examples.

He offers Edison's search for a practical light bulb filament as an example of the long search process. He notes that Edison called his systematic scanning process "draghunt".

The author uses the Great Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-1899 to illustrate four basics that underlie breakthrough thinking. He calls these the "wilderness of possibilities, the clueless plateau, the narrow canyon of exploration, and the oasis of false promise. He applies these four "Klondike logic" elements to many examples of problems requiring breakthrough solutions. He suggests how detecting clues, reframing, and decentering can put an end to going in circles.

To avoid being dry and abstract, the book contains many simple puzzles that illustrate how these analogies and techniques can be applied. Some will amuse you and some may infuriate you. We, as humans, tend to look only for the reasonable solution and miss the "unreasonable".

The book also looks at several of the familiar idea producing and creative problem solving techniques such as brainstorming and techniques not as not as well known such as bisociation, Synectics, and the triarchic theory of intelligence. He examines both their positive and negative aspects.

The author compares how mother nature has solved problems with human solutions. For example, how by evolution the insects and birds have achieved flight.

Much effort, through the years, has been devoted to trying to understand how insightful thinking takes place and how it might be acquired. For example, in 1927, a German psychologist studied the familiar observation that we remember unsolved problems better than we remember solved problems (Zeigarnik effect). Why do impasses seem to circulate in our memory banks and can we utilize this trait better?

The author calls attention to the fact that "knowing too much for your own good" can be a villain in problem solving. A mental set may prevent trying different approaches.

In fairness, the author also examines the point of view that some scientists hold that sudden discovery is really a myth and that sequential reasoning is the proper technique. The author concludes "...the cognitive snap is alive and well in the world of science, as in other worlds". Archimedes'Bathtub.

Puzzle lovers will be delighted to see the classic nine dot problem has two solutions whereby one straight line can connect all nine dots instead of the usual four straight lines solution!

The author has a Ph.D. in mathematics and artificial intelligence, yet his book can be read by a high school student. This book will be a real delight to anyone who has ever tackled difficult and "unreasonable" problems. It can be read as recreation or as a serious approach to understanding the mysterious phenomena of sudden in-sight.

This is a great book that will help you refine your mental process and develop your potential for break-through thinking. The author provides many examples of break-through thinking and all of them are very interesting examples of real geniuses thinking up really brilliant solutions to problems that have stumped ordinary people. I highly recommend this book. It is fun to read and it will lubricate your rusty brain!

I did not like this book. It's not that it was bad, it was not what I expected. I think it's a fine book for the right reader. It's business self-help, not a manual for puzzle lovers.

The author is a lively and polished writer, who has thought long and hard about creative thinking. He mixes puzzles with strategies for solving them with accounts famous and not-so-famous inventors. There is plenty of good practical advice, it's obvious that he's spent time working with smart people who needed breakthroughs. If that's you, this book is just what you need.

If you're a puzzle lover, you will be disappointed. First of all, the puzzles are mostly old and all extremely easy. The solution strategies are deeply tedious. I'm sure they work, for machines and humans, and particularly for groups of humans. But they can't compete with the flash of insight experienced puzzlers can bring to bear.

There's nothing wrong with paint-by-numbers if you need to make a painting and have no talent or artistic ability to bring to the canvas. For the same reason it's great that we have musical instruments that light up to show you how to play the notes, and Wolfram Alpha for the quantitatively challenged. Just don't confuse that with what painters, musicians and quants do.

I wish itbhad more studies and less examples, the Klondike example was nice just needed more analysis along those lines

Excellent book by David N. Perkins who explores "breakthrough" thinking. The author reflects a "need to understand" demeanor that is profoundly the essence of real learning. Archimedes'Bathtub expresses the contemporary motivation of the intelligent person's need to understand. Don't put the book away until you really make a "connection" to what the author is saying. He is brilliant. When does one know the moment, they cross the invisible line of "affluence" to "opulence"?

...Rob Harriman, Ed.D.
Solana Beach, California USA