Customer Reviews

Why Didn't I Think of That? Think the Unthinkable and Achieve Creative Greatness

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WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT: THINK THE UNTHINKABLE AND ACHIEVE CREATIVE GREATNESS by Charles W. McCoy, Jr.

Reviewer: Dr. Bob Krone, Emeritus Professor, University of Southern
California, USA.

In drafting an essay for the American society for Quality on "Quality Thinking," Judge Charles W. McCoy, Jr.'s 2002 book title captured my attention. It turned a Los Angeles to Frankfurt flight into extremely valuable "Thinking Lessons."

The major problem with thinking in today's world of complexity, uncertainty, adversity and 15-second information media-bits is that we lose the ability to think rationally about thinking. Those of us in education leadership positions have the advantage of being continually challenged to think about the theories, concepts, judgments, assertions and ideas of our colleagues and students. Even with that requirement the dynamics of living and working force us to shortcut the "evidence-to-conclusions-and- recommendations" cycle we traverse frequently every day. Sometimes those shortcuts lead to "costly errors" as Judge McCoy points out in his Imtroduction (p. x).

Here's is why I recommend Why didn't I think of that ... to you, whatever your professional and personal roles involve:

* We all must solve problems daily .. whether it is freeway driving or
a decision on a heart surgery .... We cannot avoid the requirement
To think.
* Judge McCoy leads us to a systems approach to thinking that takes
inputs from all our senses: seeing, concentrating, asking penetrating questions,
using logic, analysis and imagination, listening, double-checking facts, and considering intuition, but cross-checking first impressions and feelings.
* And he does it with an impressive array of illustrative examples from his
own experience and his research.
* He advises us to "lead with your mind, follow with your heart" (p.33).
* He cautions us to "understand before judging" (53). ... that sounds
very logical but most of us fail to fully understand at some critical
decision points in our lives.
* Asking the right questions is a very special skill. Judge McCoy ends
each section with a set of critical questions to help you improve the
quality of your thinking.
* Being also a university professor he includes "learning from failures"
in our thinking. It's a fact that we think more about failures than
successes.
* Study the thinking processes of others and how they react to you
and thinking the unthinkable are valuable inclusions.

Having had considerable experience with book reviews I will end with a comment about the Frank LaForge review of this book also here in Amazon.com. The purposes of a book review are to accurately summarize what the author has done to help prospective readers make their own decisions about the book purchase and to help the author with constructive criticism. LaForge's personal attack on Charles McCoy and the other reviewers of his book fails to meet either of those purposes. I recommend discounting his review.

...falls short of delivering. First, the book does not cover creative thinking, or creative greatness. You better look for other great books on building creative thinking like "Cracking Creativity". Second, every page confirms the writer's background of a lawyer. While thinking, especially the unthinkable is undeniably very important in the court, the writer is kind of trapped in a "black/white" world. True vs. lie with topics such as "concentrate on crucial facts" or "always make sure..". Well, that might work in the court, but helps one little in thinking out of the box / thinking creatively. Thus, worst rating possible.

Page after page in this book bristles with anecdotal evidence of the obvious: that critical thinking pays, while uncritical thinking bodes disaster. But who ever would have guessed that a book on critical thinking could be, not just cerebrally challenging, but pleasurable as well? From law to business, from the Bible to the checkered history of war, there is sheer joy in eavesdropping on the best and worst of human thinking. I confess I found myself too mentally lazy and impatient to solve the scores of brain-twisters and visual conundrums generously provided throughout the book (lending embarrassing support to McCoy's basic thesis), but I was clearly inspired to use my mental capabilities and intuition in far more productive ways than in the past. The key word being inspired. McCoy has that gift. Which is why he wrote the book, and-ruefully-I didn't. As an author myself, page after page I kept saying to myself enviously, "This book was a great idea. Why didn't I think of that!"

F. LaGard Smith
Scholar in Residence for Christian Studies
Lipscomb University, Nashville, TN

I've read this book in a short couple of weeks and was so captured by it's ideas that I couldn't put it down. Everything is so real. As a scientist, engineer, (six sigma) master black belt, and research department manager, I found McCoy's insightful historical examples very meaningful and can't wait to apply the concepts to improve my own critical thinking skills. The tests and quizzes throughout the chapters on "Why didn't I..." were great entertainment, and a few kept me thinking for days for the solution. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to improve their grasp of facts!

I really enjoyed this book. It's a publication that sits somewhere between the likes of Gelb, Buzan and co - nothing really taxing, no great epiphanies but some simple, experiental advice on how we can all avoid some of the most common thinking problems.
What I always enjoy is providing some solid examples of each type of thinking as an introduction to each theme. Mr McCoy does just that and they serve as solid real life examples (a blessed relief from 'out of the box' thinking puzzles.)
There aren't too many books on this topic that I find 'hard to put down.' But this one was close - fun, educational and stimulating. Bingo!

As a trial lawyer, my success depends on the quality of my thinking. Judge McCoy has tried lots of cases, and done lots of thinking. His engaging book enriched my thinking, and thus adds to my litigation arsenal. I am a Winston Churchill enthusiast, and I especially enjoyed the book's fresh insights into how Churchill, and many other great thinkers from Albert Einstein to Mahatma Gandhi, achieved the extraordinary successes we now admire. This book will help all its readers emerge as better thinkers in many ways -- clearer, more accurate perceptions of people and their motives; more focused concentration under pressure; a deeper appreciation of intuition and its vital contribution to sound thinking, to name a few. The insights on intuition were particularly inspiring. I enthusiastically recommend "Why Didn't I Think of That?" to people in all walks of life, from professionals to managers, teachers to students, homebuilders to homemakers, lawyers to, yes, even judges -- everyone who realizes the indispensability of top-quality thinking for achieving real success in today's highly competitive, fast-changing world.

As a trial lawyer, my success depends on the quality of my thinking. Judge McCoy has tried lots of cases, and done lots of thinking. His engaging book enriched my thinking, and thus adds to my litigation arsenal. As a Winston Churchill enthusiast, I especially enjoyed the book's fresh insights into how Churchill, and many other great thinkers from Albert Einstein to Mahatma Gandhi, achieved the extraordinary successes we now admire. This book will help all its readers emerge as better thinkers in many ways -- clearer, more accurate perceptions of people and their motives; more focused concentration under pressure; a deeper appreciation of intuition and its vital contribution to sound thinking, to name a few. The insights on intuition were particularly inspiring. I enthusiastically recommend "Why Didn't I Think of That?" to people in all walks of life, from professionals to managers, teachers to students, homebuilders to homemakers, lawyers to, yes, even judges -- everyone who realizes the indispensability of top-quality thinking for achieving real success in today's highly competitive, fast-changing world.

As a third-year law student preparing to begin my career as a lawyer, I am increasingly eager to learn how I can become a better thinker. Charles W. McCoy Jr. is a professor of mine, and I am continually inspired by the knowledge, wisdom, and insight he shares in class on that very subject. I was thrilled then to discover he had written a whole book detailing his thoughts and advice on becoming a more perceptive, judicious thinker. "Why Didn't I Think of That" is great for anyone who aspires to sharpen their thinking, make wiser decisions, and tackle difficult problems with greater confidence and finesse. Each chapter offers systematic methods for thinking more clearly and creatively and tests such theories with challenging mental exercises designed to help the reader become more conscious of his or her thought process. McCoy is a captivating storyteller and he reveals the book's principles through fascinating accounts of some of man's great accomplishments and defeats in history, all which turned on the sharp or reckless thinking of individuals. The advice and techniques offered in the book are practical, straightforward, and can be easily applied to improve one's decision making process, while the book's theories can be studied and reflected upon one chapter at a time. "Why Didn't I Think of That" is a truly useful book and a pleasure to read. I intend to keep this book on my shelf so that I can refer to McCoy's useful insights and techniques throughout my career in law, for inspiration when making personal decisions in life, and for remembrance of one of my greatest teachers.

How should you think, according to this book? You should think perceptively, deliberately, systematically and empathetically. Also, you must control the quality of your thinking, use your imagination, listen to your inner voice and look before you leap. You can get a lot from this book because it provides you with a comprehensive toolkit for making better decisions. It comes replete with examples to illustrate the application of the various methods the author expounds. Some are so well chosen that they help remind the reader of the methods themselves. There are examples of statesmanship (Franklin, Johnson, Churchill, Gandhi), judges in action (Solomon, Learned Hand and the author), marketing strategy (Intel vs Motorola, Coke vs Pepsi, Ford vs GM), productivity enhancement (Ford again), military strategy (from WWII and Vietnam, mostly, but also "The Charge of the Light Brigade" from the Crimean War), space exploration (three Apollo missions) and environmental disasters (the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska and the Chernobyl nuclear reactor meltdown in Ukraine). The book contains firsthand account of court cases the author has been involved with, both as a lawyer and as a judge. The author even details to us some errors he made and learned from. And he provides exercises to allow us to do the same with ours and to plan ahead. This is one of the most interesting features of this book for me, because I have made errors too and I sure wish to avoid falling into the same rut again. The book also contains interesting mind stretchers. Solutions to the exercises are provided at the end of chapters and some alternate solutions are given at the end of the book. Practice will improve your decision making skills.

As a junior at Azusa Pacific University planning on attending law school within the next year, it goes without saying that I have anxieties about the academic demands I will face within the next few years. This book outlines practical and feasible techniques that taught me how to think perceptively and logically. As my legal professor, Judge McCoy institutes the same principles from "Why Didn't I Think of That?" into our course material. The purpose behind both the book and his teachings is to assist people in unwrapping the potential that they never knew existed. Every practice that is outlined in the book is realistic and sensible and has given me the confidence that I can tackle any intellectual obstacle I face. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who is willing and ready to realize their full intellectual capabilities!