Written by Jack Foster, a creative director for various advertising agencies with more than 40 years experience, How to Get Ideas (over 90,000 copies sold and translated into 15 languages) is a fun, accessible, and practical guide that takes the mystery and confusion out of developing new ideas.
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Editorial Reviews
From Scientific American
Quite simply, the best book on creativity I have ever seen.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
How To Get Ideas answers the basic questions of where do ideas come from, why do some people get so many of them, and is there some secret technique to getting more of them. How To Get Ideas answers these questions and demonstrates that any reader, regardless of age or skill, employment or training, can come up with more ideas, faster and easier than ever before in his or her life. Author Jack Foster shows how to condition the mind and become "idea-prone"; how to make the child within us and our sense of humor work for us; how to develop our curiosity, visualize our goals, rethinking our thinking, combine different ideas, and overcome our fear of rejection. How To Get Ideas provides a five-step procedure for solving problems and getting ideas, a proven procedure that takes the mystery and anxiety out of the idea-generating process, a procedure that works. How To Get Ideas should be in every school, community, and corporate library across the country. How To Get Ideas is the ideal place to start for anyone seeking to make improvements in the world around them. -- Midwest Book Review
If I had money enough to buy only one book, it would be Jack Foster's How to Get Ideas. It is a quick read for a quick start, a motivator to make you more productive and more secure. This book should be re-read every four or five months as food for the rest of your life. -- Dennis F. Holt, Chairman and CEO, Western International Media --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
If I had money enough to buy only one book, it would be Jack Foster's How to Get Ideas. It is a quick read for a quick start, a motivator to make you more productive and more secure. This book should be re-read every four or five months as food for the rest of your life. -- Dennis F. Holt, Chairman and CEO, Western International Media --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
41 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"Albert Einstein said his best ideas came to him while he was shaving," Jack Foster writes in "How to Get Ideas" (2nd ed.). When I read that line, what could I do? I put the book down for a moment and went to shave.
That's about the only time I stopped reading though, and you won't be able to put it down either. For boosting creativity, this book is a lifesaver.
Foster's advice is simple -- have fun, think like a child again, open your mind to new possibilities -- but not necessarily obvious. Most of us do the same old things and think in the same old ways. Foster aims to help us spot these unhelpful patterns, then break out with easy-to-follow tips and stimulating exercises.
And anecdotes. Foster draws on decades of experience as a top creative hand in major advertising agencies, where he encountered guys and gals driven by curiosity -- people who found out how much a ten-gallon hat will hold (three-quarters of a gallon) and how many times per day an African elephant will defecate (16). Illustrating how to solve a problem by stepping around it, Foster tells the story of the woman who solved the slow-elevator problem in her building -- by mounting mirrors in the lobby. (How did she do it? See P. 134.)
You'll discover how to overcome the fears that keep you from thinking creatively ... easy ways to gather information ... combining unrelated facts for new ideas ... the five steps for getting great new ideas ... and how to put them to work for YOU.
You'll finish reading "How to Get Ideas" in an hour or two. But you'll benefit from its advice for the rest of your life.
That's about the only time I stopped reading though, and you won't be able to put it down either. For boosting creativity, this book is a lifesaver.
Foster's advice is simple -- have fun, think like a child again, open your mind to new possibilities -- but not necessarily obvious. Most of us do the same old things and think in the same old ways. Foster aims to help us spot these unhelpful patterns, then break out with easy-to-follow tips and stimulating exercises.
And anecdotes. Foster draws on decades of experience as a top creative hand in major advertising agencies, where he encountered guys and gals driven by curiosity -- people who found out how much a ten-gallon hat will hold (three-quarters of a gallon) and how many times per day an African elephant will defecate (16). Illustrating how to solve a problem by stepping around it, Foster tells the story of the woman who solved the slow-elevator problem in her building -- by mounting mirrors in the lobby. (How did she do it? See P. 134.)
You'll discover how to overcome the fears that keep you from thinking creatively ... easy ways to gather information ... combining unrelated facts for new ideas ... the five steps for getting great new ideas ... and how to put them to work for YOU.
You'll finish reading "How to Get Ideas" in an hour or two. But you'll benefit from its advice for the rest of your life.
44 of 49 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"I spent 6 years as the Advertising Creative Director for Disneyland and 20+ years in the advertising agency business. I can comfortably say that I know the power of an idea. I know that what most people call ideas aren't real ideas. A real idea is quite rare, very precious, and requires careful nurturing so it can grow into a powerful force. Jack's book outlines the process of what it takes to come up with a real idea - and how to persevere until that idea has a life of its own. Jack's book is a must read if you want to get in (or want to stay in) the idea business."
23 of 27 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Jack Foster's book "How to get ideas" helped our company create the atmosphere that we needed to generate excitement and, of course, ideas. I didn't think it was possible to teach others how to get ideas until I read Foster's book. I used to think that ideas just happened or that some people were naturally more creative then others.
Foster suggests excercises and step by step instructions in a format that is fun and easy to read.
My biggest temptation was to rip through the pages without taking the time to stop and absorb what I had just read. So I read it twice. Make that three times.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who has to get the creative juices going but just doesn't know how. If you're naturally creative but run into an occasional roadblock this book will suggest a detour to get you back on track. 5-stars.
17 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It's a shame that some readers might overlook this book as just another entry into the super-saturated and rarely enlightening field of creativity. Using quotes and examples drawn from the origins of well known - and even life-altering - ideas, creations and inventions, Jack Foster has crafted an educational, entertaining and inspirational book. He gets right to the point, makes you laugh and never descends to the level of psychobabble. He is aided and abetted by illustrator Larry Corby. We [...] recommend this book to all readers - Even if you aren't transformed into an idea fountain, you'll enjoy yourself, and probably learn something.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I'm another teacher who agrees with the one from Omaha. This little book would make an excellent textbook for three reasons: 1. It is fun and easy to read. 2. It is inspirational. 3. It teaches one how to think. And it doesn't make any difference how old your students are. Even ten year olds could learn a whale of a lot. An incredible little book!!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The original book came out in 1996. This new version only has 1 review so far - so I wrote a second.
May 21, 2007
Format:Paperback
This is a really good book. It was entertaining to read while also educational. The first edition came out in 1996 I think, and this edition just came out earlier this month. The new edition has two new chapters, 5 and 8, which were added because readers thought the information they contain was missing from the first edition.
The book is split into two parts. The first part covers 10 ways you can "search for ideas." And it is by the far the longer of the two parts. The second part explains the five steps of how to get ideas:
1. Define the problem
2. Gather the information
3. Search for the idea
4. Forget about it
5. Put the idea into action
Theoretically, I suppose, the book could have been set up so the second part was actually the first. And the first part could have been relegated to the end. I say this because the first part is really just an expansion of the "third step" of the five steps.
I enjoyed the humor, the quotes, and the stories included in the author's discussion regarding 10 ways to search for ideas. And thus it made perfect sense to me why he put that material at the front of the book. I read the book to see if it would have some practical use to my SCORE clients who are wanta-be entrepreneurs and small business owners. I think there is a practical use, and I recommend that my clients and similarly situated people read this book. It will help them create their business plans and revamp those plans as time passes. 5 stars!
The book is split into two parts. The first part covers 10 ways you can "search for ideas." And it is by the far the longer of the two parts. The second part explains the five steps of how to get ideas:
1. Define the problem
2. Gather the information
3. Search for the idea
4. Forget about it
5. Put the idea into action
Theoretically, I suppose, the book could have been set up so the second part was actually the first. And the first part could have been relegated to the end. I say this because the first part is really just an expansion of the "third step" of the five steps.
I enjoyed the humor, the quotes, and the stories included in the author's discussion regarding 10 ways to search for ideas. And thus it made perfect sense to me why he put that material at the front of the book. I read the book to see if it would have some practical use to my SCORE clients who are wanta-be entrepreneurs and small business owners. I think there is a practical use, and I recommend that my clients and similarly situated people read this book. It will help them create their business plans and revamp those plans as time passes. 5 stars!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
An idea is nothing more nor less than a new combination of old...
The book opens with defining of the concept of an idea and from there goes on to give a step by step process idea conditioning your mind. Read more
Published 1 month ago by nick drinks
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book
I have read many many books on idea generation and creativity. This book is simple but filled with good ways to get your creative juices flowing.
Published 1 month ago by NiceGuy
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Good
The book gave me some great and realistic insight into the creative process. I'm actually going to re-read the book because there's so much great info to absorb!
Published 2 months ago by KW
4.0 out of 5 stars
Informative, inspiring, and enjoyable
Foster really knows what he is talking about, and he expresses it eloquently with a colloquial voice and just the right amount of humor. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Krista Delaney
4.0 out of 5 stars
Challenging
This book is a must read and very challenging. It's gone beyond motivation. It's the needed book for all time.
Published 4 months ago by Lee Edward
4.0 out of 5 stars
Find The Ideas You Are Looking For
This was a fun book to listen to. Narrator Johnny Heller sounds like a crusty of ad man which is how Foster portrays himself in the book. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Gilbert Michelini
4.0 out of 5 stars
Slow start, good end
This book has two sections. The first is section is slow and doesn't have a lot of substance. The second section actually talks about how to get ideas. Read more
Published 4 months ago by JSizzle
3.0 out of 5 stars
A little more of the same
I thought this book would be better. It's a little obvious the things the writer states. Plus he uses a lot of quotes, makes me fell like I'm reading a resume of other books... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Ana Júlia
4.0 out of 5 stars
good book
I haven't read many books about innovation in the last year or so, so I thought I would pick this one up and see what it was about. Read more
Published 5 months ago by mbd
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, thorough, simple
This is a really interesting book - if you've never read the literature on ideas then this is a great place to start. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Richard Seglenieks
