Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide to Better Ideas [Paperback]

James L. Adams (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 23, 2001

James Adams's unique approach to generating ideas and solving problems has captivated, inspired, and guided thousands of people from all walks of life. Now, twenty-five years after its original publication, Conceptual Blockbusting has never been more relevant, powerful, or fresh. Integrating insights from the worlds of psychology, engineering, management, art, and philosophy, Adams identifies the key blocks (perceptual, emotional, cultural, environmental, intellectual, and expressive) that prevent us from realizing the full potential of our fertile minds. Employing unconventional exercises and other interactive elements, Adams shows individuals, teams, and organizations how to overcome these blocks, embrace alternative ways of thinking about complex problems, and celebrate the joy of creativity. With new examples and contemporary references, Conceptual Blockbusting is guaranteed to introduce a new generation of readers to a world of new possibilities.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James L. Adams is professor emeritus at Stanford University, where he has chaired several programs, taught courses on design and creativity, and participated in many executive programs. Trained as an engineer and artist, he has conducted corporate workshops around the world. He lives on the Stanford campus.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; Fourth Edition, Fourth Edition edition (October 23, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738205370
• ISBN-13: 978-0738205373
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #90,196 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eye and Mind Opening, February 7, 2000

By 

Robert Alan Black (Athens, GA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide To Better Ideas, Third Edition (Paperback)

James Adams' classic book, Conceptual Blockbusting, is a definite read for people who want to expand and deepen their true creative thinking skills. Since reading it many years ago I have re-read it often, then referenced it and recommended it to others in general, workshop participants plus students. Managers will benefit greatly by reading and re-reading this book to discover how they are squelching, killing or sideswiping creative thinking in the people they are responsible for managing. All others can benefit by becoming more aware of the well-structured approach he has used to depict the many varied forms of creative blocks Adams discovered during his many years of teaching. No this is not a book for those who already think they are as creative as they can be, nor is any other book actually.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cultivate Your Thinking!, March 16, 2007

By 

S. Thomas - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide to Better Ideas (Paperback)

My dad gave me a copy of this book for Christmas in 1978 when I was a junior in college. I enjoyed reading it then, and I've read it numerous times since. I can say now with some length of perspective that in my opinion it's a definitive classic on this topic and I'd say it is probably the most influential single book in my engineering career. It's enabled me to think of things of that no one else does, and more often than not it's because of ideas I picked up here. The solutions are enduring too. The nine-dot problem, the ping-pong ball in the tube, the spacecraft panels opening without a damper are examples I think back to when faced with technical challenges that have no apparent easy answer.

I cringe inside when people want and push for systematic and methodical ways to solve problems. It's almost a religon to some that the pretense of an imagined rigor akin to mathematical proof will always lead them to "correct" answers. It's not that those methods are wrong but they're quite incomplete and tend to only reinforce the mental blocks you already have.

If you want to unconfine your thinking and leverage the power of both halves of your brain, then put this book in your cart, buy it, and read it.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful, July 20, 2005

By 

A. S. Johnson "seeking change" (Anchorage, AK) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide to Better Ideas (Paperback)

I found this book to be very helpful with expanding my abilities to think creatively. I think that, as we work our way through the school mill and then on in to jobs, a lot of our natural creativity is pushed to the background. We learn to get things right - whatever right is. Making mistakes becomes bad. This book helped me recognize my own unwillingness to have what might be considered bad ideas. It helped me become a little more exploratory in my thinking.