The Nature of Creative Development [Hardcover]

Jonathan S. Feinstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 2006

The Nature of Creative Development presents a new understanding of the basis of creativity. Describing patterns of development seen in creative individuals, the author shows how creativity grows out of distinctive interests that often form years before one makes his/her main conributions.

The book is filled with case studies that analyze creative developments across a wide range of fields. The individuals examined range from Virginia Woolf and Albert Einstein to Thomas Edison and Ray Kroc. The text also considers contemporary creatives interviewed by the author.

Feinstein provides a useful framework for those engaged in creative work or in managing such individuals. This text will help the reader understand the nature of creativity, including the difficulties that one may encounter in working creatively and ways to overcome them.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I consider [The Nature of Creative Development] to be an important step in attempting to understand individual differences in the creative process. Feinstein adopts a theoretical framework which integrates both rich case study detail regarding the individual, and the wider cultural and environment place of these individuals in society. The text is highly affordable and a recommended read."—The Psychologist

"Feinstein has done yeoman work here and should be applauded for bringing the study of creativity, long the preserve of humanities students, into a business school setting. "—The Jewish Journal

"The material presented by Feinstein offers a unique and rich perspective on creative development. The Nature of Creative Development is a highly valuable contribution to the field of creativity studies."—Ronald E. Purser, San Francisco State University

From the Inside Flap

The Nature of Creative Development presents a new understanding of the basis of creativity, describing patterns of development of individuals engaged in creative endeavors. The author shows how creativity grows out of distinctive, unique creative interests individuals form, often years before they make their main contributions, which grow out of their interests. He describes how individuals' interests spark creative responses, as well as ways in which individuals are guided by their interests and values.

The book is filled with case studies analyzing and describing the creative developments of individuals across a wide range of fields--individuals famous for their contributions in the arts and sciences, social sciences, technology, and business, including Virginia Woolf, Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Thomas Edison, John Maynard Keynes, William Faulkner, the Wright brothers, Piet Mondrian, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Rachel Carson, Hannah Arendt, Pierre Omidyar, and Ray Kroc, as well as contemporary individuals interviewed by the author.
This book provides a useful framework for those engaged in creative work or managing individuals engaged in such work. It will help the reader understand the nature of creativity, including difficulties they may encounter in their work and ways to overcome them.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 572 pages
• Publisher: Stanford Business Books; 1 edition (June 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804745730
• ISBN-13: 978-0804745734
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,026,092 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A creative endeavor...., June 21, 2006

By 

Susan in Sacramento - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Nature of Creative Development (Hardcover)

The detailed analysis of both well-known and lesser- known individuals' creative thought processes is interesting and thought provoking. Examples are drawn from diverse fields from biology to art to literature and social science. Select individuals are followed throughout the book with emphasis on different facets of creativity and how their discoveries relate to each. I particularly enjoyed the live interviews with current researchers; their explanations of how they had become interested in their chosen fields and what factors lead to their contributions. My favorite was Susan Ferguson, a literary scholar, who combined an interest in literature with linguistics and anthropology. Her thought processes, discoveries, and creativity are traced through various chapters in the text. The exhaustive scope and depth of the research into the underlying motivations of those studied is impressive and when combined with the author's own theories of creativity generate a note worthy work.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring book, June 21, 2006

By 

The Octogenarian - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Nature of Creative Development (Hardcover)

This impressive book is an attempt by the author to identify the elements which contribute to creativity in a wide range of diverse fields. His tracing the development of specific individuals from Virginia Woolf to Albert Einstein makes for fascinating reading whether or not one agrees with all of his premises.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Impressive Work by a onetime innovator, June 27, 2006

By 

innovator "Joe" (Palo Alto, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Nature of Creative Development (Hardcover)

This book provides insights into the interests and motivations of a wide group of individuals - most historical and some based on personal interviews by the author. The diversity of subjects tackled cover art to literature to science and business. The extent of the research required to substantiate the conclusions reached by the author is truly impressive.