Customer Reviews

The Back of the Napkin (Expanded Edition): Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Like many books, "Back of the Napkin" seems to have begun with a brilliant very short concept that someone (correctly) thought would sell like hotcakes if padded out into a full-length book. The author really does present significant insights, but the irony is that they would have been best summarized literally on the back of a napkin, rather than dragging them out into full book form. So it reads like a 300-slide PowerPoint presentation advocating brevity.

The sequel, "Unfolding the Napkin" (which I also read) is better thought out, serves more as a method, and contains more visual examples - but it still rehashes pretty much the same material as the first book in order to make its point, so reading both books was redundant in my opinion.

If money or portability are your primary considerations, then get a used copy of the first edition, as it communicates the central ideas in an almost identical fashion and is easier to carry around. However, if a few more dollars and a slightly-bigger book don't bother you, consider buying this new edition, as it's subtly-revised diagrams and improved explanation of key brain science concepts make it easier to understand on the first read. For more detail on the differences between this and the previous edition, read on...

Both books are hardcovers and much of the content (including, sadly, the Resources listed in the Appendix) is the same. However, there are a number of important differences between these editions:

SIZE

At 8.2 x 8 x 1.3 inches, it is bigger than the first edition, which clocked in at 7.1 x 7.1 x 1 inches. While this does allow for the pictures to be bigger and slightly easier to see, it also means a larger, oddly-shaped book to carry around. This only matters if, like me, you like to schlepp your favorite books around and carry them on the bus.

PAGES & TEXT

Includes more pages at 304 pages, rather than the previous edition's 278, making it a mere 0.2 pounds heavier. 10 of those additional 26 pages are the new "Appendix A: The Ten (and a Half) Commandments of Visual Thinking." This is a very useful set of 11 rules of thumb to keep in mind when applying Roam's visual thinking technique. Most, if not all, of these rules are mentioned elsewhere in the book, so don't let this appendix be your only reason for purchasing the newest edition. In addition, these 11 rules are summarized nicely in a slideshow elsewhere on the internet ([...]/visual_think_map/the-10-12-commandments-of-visual-thinking-the-lost-chapter-from-the-back-of-the-napkin). Nonetheless, it is helpful to have them laid out, visually, in one place. Another 8 pages are the new Foreword, which explains Roam's experience of visually attempting to sell the idea for this book to the publishers at Penguin. While interesting and a good example, it is also not a reason to buy this edition.

COLOR & PICTURES

Instead of just black text/pictures, red is now used to highlight chapter headings and subheadings, as well as help readers distinguish between parts of Roam's originally-all-black illustrations and diagrams. This is astonishingly helpful - as it is much easier to understand his diagrams at first glance. Given the table on page 66 (identical to that on page 72 in the first edition), it is no surprise that a small change in color makes it easier for our eyes to distinguish among the parts of his diagrams. In addition, he has added some additional sketches in the book to better visually explain some of his concepts. I was particularly impressed by his improvements to chapters 4 and 5 on how to look better and see sharper. Both his pictures and his text in this section have been revised to provide more clarity for potentially-confusing sections that are partially dependent on communicating a few key brain science concepts. His diagrams illustrating the 6 ways of seeing/showing are also a bit clearer than in the first edition.

OUTLINE OF BOOK CONCEPTS
For an outline of the major concepts in the book, see my blog post ([...]/blog/review-back-of-the-napkin-solving-problems-and-selling-ideas-with-pictures-expanded-edition-2009) for more details.

It must be great to be in the audience when Dan Roam gives a presentation and when you in the audience share the same kind of visual sense. On the other hand, if you do not share that sense, that way of structuring the topic under consideration, then you might well want to be beamed somewhere else.

This is a great book, extremely useful and thought provoking. The structuring of problem-solving into a six by five visual codex makes enormous sense; you can literally see the evolution of the thought processes and the development of the insights take shape through the pages. It is not the kind of book that you can dip into. There is a structure and that structure has to unfold and be assimilated by the reader before there can be any translation into action and effect. I think that there is no "quick fix" for someone who wants to animate or rejuvenate their presentations with a rapid read. The art of solving problems has to be developed through the acquisition of the skills protrayed in these pages. And that takes time and effort. And it also needs a sense of congruity between the visual sense of the author and that of the reader. Pictures can convey so much that words cannot evoke. But some pictures and representations succeed and others fail, otherwise there would be no evolution of art and expression.

Be wary of this book on face value. The editorial recommendations of the book do not necessarily reflect the content. Simply to say, as does one commentator, "So if you want to make a point, do it with images, pictures or graphics.", is true only to a point. It is not necessarily the case for all readers, all viewers and certainly not for all people who need to make a presentation. The person who gives the presentation with pictures that reflect their own representation of the topic without engaging the representation or ability of the audience will fail. The presentation must be expressive, not merely reflective.

But that aside, if after searching through this book you get a sense of affiliation with the ideas and concepts, then I have no doubt that you will gain enormously in quality of communication with your audiences. This book is a challenge that can lead to greater insight. But the dictum "caveat emptor" applies, as always. But also remember, books such as this always present the ideas as though they were tried and true. There is rarely evidence as to the efficacy of the methods in getting the message across, as against the satisfaction that an audience may gain. Roam does list references in an appendix to other works that are based on empirical evidence (for example Wainer's Graphic discovery and Tufte The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, 2nd edition, but there is nothing about his own evidence. A reading of this excellent book benefits from a parallel reading, and reality check, of Tufte's little monograph on the dangers of Powerpoint (The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint: Pitching Out Corrupts Within, Second Edition.

Every now and then a book comes out that sheds new light on an old issue. Back of the Napkin is such a book because it provides a new way of approaching problems. Roam explains how the way we physically see can translate into creative thinking. For example, he explains how the basic process of seeing - looking, seeing, imagining and showing - converts easily to problem solving: observing the situation at a very raw level (looking); seeing patterns, relationships, etc, in the information that start us thinking (seeing); imagining ways in which what we learned by seeing can help our problem (imagining); and, finally, demonstrating to ourselves or others how these ideas will work or what our findings mean (showing). Combining this with the hand-eye coordination involved in drawing simple pictures triggers creative inspiration. Roam also shows how, when we look at something or imagine something, we are, roughly in this sequence, looking at who/what, how much/many, where, when and why. These ways of seeing fit neatly into the way problems break down. They also apply to each of the ways that information can be presented. A where problem, for example, can be depicted in a map; a how issue can be drawn in a flow chart. These can be combined to reflect more complicated relationships, if necessary. And, for each of these six ways of seeing, there are 5 options in how your picture is drawn (thought they may not apply fully to each way of seeing). Here he introduces the SQVID, which is an acronym for the 5 scales, so to speak, which can be used: S - Simple or Complex; Q: Qualitative or Quantitative; V - Vision or Execution; I - Individual or Comparison; and D - Change (Delta) or Status Quo. So for example, you can draw an execution flow chart that shows the status quo, or you can draw a vision flow chart for the future, and each can be drawn at a high level (simple) or at a very detailed level (complex). Bringing all these visual thinking components together - the seeing process, the six ways of seeing, the five ranges of presentation, stimulate both right and left brain thinking and thus bring out better ideas.

When I switched to another book while reading this one, I noticed myself thinking in pictures, and absorbing the material more deeply. I am looking forward to re-reading this book again to fully grasp all the concepts, and to begin applying the steps.

The book started off great with information about how to use basic visuals (instead of complicated PowerPoint and Keynote slides) to communicate your ideas. However, about one-third of the way into the book it starts to get complex. "For this type of presentation, consult the matrix."I started to lose myself in the details. The author should read Dan and Chip Heath's books (Made to Stick and Switch). I think they even recommended this book. I normally don't stop reading books once I have started, but I decided to save myself the time.

The first time I noticed Dan Roam's name and the title of this book was from his liner notes on the back of Ken Watanabe's book - Problem Solving 101 (also an excellent book on its own).

I went curious since his liner notes there is quite different (instead of using words and sentences, he used hand-drawn images) and later on browsed his name thus stumbled upon his website ([...]).

Impressed with the website contents (which practically is the glimpse what the book contains), I immediately take a decision to purchase this book in Indonesia (where I live) but failed due to no stock in any Indonesian bookstore.

This book really changed my way of looking at things, perspectively speaking. It teaches me how to think in a more simple fashion. I am an in house lawyer of a multi-national company, dealing with complex problems everyday, raised by people from many different cultures and mother language to speak (and listen). This book really helps me in such a way I am now able to deliver improved and constructive advices by graphical and visual form - and I am talking about legal advices here!

Read the first chapter and go forward and you will come back for more. This book never find dust on the top of my desk, functioning as my daily reference. It also help in my coaching to my subordinates too.

First time I thought, well... problems now seemed easier to solve. Actually it is not. It was me (or all of us) who had not yet see the problems in a different perspective, instead to think more simple and efficiently. Previously I made a lot of presentations with zillions of slides with tons of boring descriptive sentences/words, but now everything been kept simple in just 3-4 slides - and GRAPHICAL. No more heavy and lengthy words in a legal presentation session - you cannot just imagine if you have not read this book.

I have to admit that this book was my first attempt of online purchasing via Amazon (another kudos to Amazon for convincing me to come back and buy more for sure).

Good content, but faaarrrr too much talk about it, thus the rating. If this book were 10 to 30 pages in length, I would definitely give it five stars. But shame on the author for all his self back-patting and lengthy writing. Disappointed!

Basically, don't be afraid to try to visualize your ideas. Even if your drawings are crappy, they'll be a reference point to talk and develop from.

I read The Back of the Napkin (Expanded Edition) on my Amazon Kindle Basic. While I love to read books on my Kindle, I would have to say that charts and most pictures are basically lost when using the Kindle. That being said, I have to say I enjoyed the book.

This book takes the reader on a little journey. Dan Roam shows us how he came up with the concept of using simple, basic, pictures drawn by hand to illustrate the concepts he was wishing to convey to his audiences.
Our author gives us several examples of how to illustrate problems and offers some interesting anecdotes to help make his point.

I think that The Back of the Napkin would be worthwhile reading, but I suggest reading it in the print version rather than on a book reader.

Book Review Policy
My policy on book reviews is to give you my honest opinion of the book. From time to time publishers will give me a copy of their book for free for the purpose of me reading the book and writing a review. The publishers understand when they give me the book that I am under no obligation to write a positive review.

If you will look at all my reviews, you will see that there have been occasions when I have written a negative review after having been given a book.

I often provide links to books on Amazon.com where you can purchase books and help support the continued operation of this blog. However, I strongly encourage you to check out your local library. Many libraries now offer electronic borrowing for free.

I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255
I obtained this book through the Wharton County Library. whartonco.lib.tx.us

Coaches and consultants use multiple techniques for brainstorming and solving problems, including the "Five Whys" technique, the "Fishbone" diagram, and mindmapping. Adding to those ideas, Dan Roam published his own problem-solving system in a book called The Back of the Napkin.

The main idea of the book is the usefulness of drawing simple pictures when analyzing the root cause of a problem, brainstorming solutions, and presenting proposed solutions to senior management. Roam's system is straightforward, creative, and replicable over time. He helps focus problem-solvers on the classic questions associated with any problem: who/what, where, when, why, how, and how many.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be incorporating some of the ideas into my own toolkit. Whether you work with flip charts, Post-it notes, a whiteboard with different colored dry markers, or Roam's system of visually portraying the relevant variables, stimulating creativity can be invaluable when analyzing and solving problems.

Note: The review that follows is of the Expanded Edition, published in 2009.

I read the original (published in 2008) and then this second edition with increasing admiration. As I began to work my way through Dan Roam's lively narrative, I was reminded of an incident years ago when a prominent venture capitalist found himself trapped by a young entrepreneur at a cocktail party. "This is my lucky day! I have been trying to get to see you for months! I have a great investment for you!" The VC asked if the young man had a business card. "You bet!" and offered one. "No, please, here's what I want you to do. Explain on the back of the card why I should be interested." Astonished, the young man replied, "That's impossible!" In response, the VC said, "Then I have no interest."

In essence, this anecdote suggests Roam's key insight: To answer a question, to solve a problem, to persuade others, or to achieve another goal, express its essence. What the French characterize as a precís. For example, formulate it as a simple drawing. You may claim that you have no skills for drawing. That's good news. Why? Roam asserts that less-sophisticated drawings have greater impact because those who see them can more easily identify with stick figures, for example, and focus more readily on the relationships suggested, such as between and among options to be considered, implications and consequences, and cause-and-effect relationships. Simple drawings accelerate both inductive and deductive reasoning.

There is another reason that, in my opinion, is more important than any other: If the objective of the drawing is to simplify a situation (e.g. question, problem, opportunity, peril) by focusing on what is most important, a simple drawing is most appropriate. Roam agrees with Albert Einstein: "Make everything as simple as possible...but no simpler."

Throughout Roam's lively narrative, he provides his reader with a full complement of "tools" and carefully explains how and when to use each. They include:

o The six problem "clumps" (i.e. who and what, how much, when, where, how, and why)
o Why "the hand is mightier than the mouse"
o Self-assessment exercises (e.g. Pages 26-27)
o A four-step guide to visual thinking
o "How to Look Better: Four Rules to Live By"
o "The Six Way of Seeing"
o "The Six Ways We See"
o What S-Q-V-I-D stands for and how to use it effectively
o The five S-Q-V-I-D questions "in action"
o "Whiteboard Workshop"

Roam provides all this (and much more) in the first six of 16 chapters, then in Appendix A he identifies and discusses what he characterizes as "The Ten (and a Half) Commandments of Visual Thinking." Again as he has throughout the previous material, he stresses the importance of mastering the basic skills of visual thinking and then apply them effectively guided and informed by these core principles:

1. There is no more powerful way to discover a new idea than to draw a simple picture.

2. There is no faster way to develop and test an idea than to draw a simple picture.

3. There is no more effective way to share an idea with other people than to draw a simple picture.

In this book and in its sequel, Unfolding the Napkin, Dan Roam explains how to achieve these objectives by (you guessed it) drawing a series of simple pictures. Bravo!