Shake That Brain: How to Create Winning Solutions and Have Fun While You're At It [Hardcover]

Joel Saltzman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 3, 2006

Joel Saltzman teaches readers how to create "surprising, yet inevitable" solutions, no matter the challenge or task at hand. Easily. Consistently. And economically.

Shake That Brain! is a collection of creative and inspiring tips and tools for finding solutions in a variety of areas-from sales, marketing, and product creation to ethics, innovation, and the bottom line. Backed by powerful and compelling examples from a wide variety of real-life applications, Joel Saltzman delivers energy, edge-and lots of fun-as he guides readers through a series of proven formulas for creating outstanding solutions, from harnessing the power of opposite thinking to turning your worst ideas into your best ideas ever. Filled with exercises, easy-to-apply formulas, entertaining pop-quizzes, and eye-opening teaching examples from the world of business, technology, advertising, and more, here's a solution-finding guidebook that can be used for succeeding on the job or at home.

Joel Saltzman is a professional speaker, consultant, and bestselling author. He has conducted Shake That Brain! programs for Grey Advertising International, Harley Davidson, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and Warner Bros. Studios. His work has been called "witty and rewarding" by People Magazine and he's the recipient of a national Audie award for "Best Educational and Training Audio." His website is www.shakethatbrain.com

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Each Shake That Brain! strategy is backed by compelling examples from a wide variety of real-life applications—from World's Worst Pizza and Seeing Eye Ponies . . . to why it can be a good idea to turn to your mate and say, "Shut up!"

Guaranteed: You'll learn to create surprising yet inevitable solutions no matter the challenge or task at hand. Meanwhile, you'll be entertained AND enlightened—with plenty of energy, edge, and just plain FUN.

Shake That Brain! will broaden your mindset and strengthen your upper-body solution-finding skills. You'll learn to:

• Shake, rattle, and question your assumptions—they're crippling you!
• Turn your worst ideas into GREAT ideas
• Learn the power of "Opposites Thinking"
• Have "Yes" meetings only
• Generate and implement bold new solutions—by using just what's in the room

Along the way, you'll learn to: ask great questions, never take "Yes" for an answer, turn any crisis into a great opportunity, and harness the brain power of experts for ZERO dollars a day. You'll get exercises, easy-to-apply formulas, entertaining pop-quizzes, and eye-opening teaching examples from the worlds of business, technology, advertising, and more—all designed to make the reading experience both profitable and fun!

Who'll profit most from this book?

People in business (large or small) and people with a life outside of work. After all, whether it's business or the business of life, we're forever challenged to find creative solutions. So sit back, relax, and get ready to have more than a few laugh-out-loud moments while learning to Shake That Brain! Pretty soon, you'll have people saying to you, "Gee, why didn't I think of that?"

From the Back Cover

—Alan Weiss, PhD, author, Million Dollar Consulting

"Do not miss this opportunity to have your brain shaken AND stirred to new levels of business achievement."
—Don Wilson, President & CEO, Association of Small Business Development Centers

"A smart, provocative read, filled with practical ideas from a uniquely entertaining writer and speaker. And it's fun!"
—Allen P. Adamson, Managing Director Landor Associates

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (February 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471742104
• ISBN-13: 978-0471742104
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,279,086 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:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, stimulating read, February 12, 2006

By 

Roger E. Herman (Greensboro, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shake That Brain: How to Create Winning Solutions and Have Fun While You're At It (Hardcover)

The subtitle tells part of the story on this book: "How to create winning solutions." The other part: and have fun doing it. Salttzman must be a little bit wacky-as you might expect from a really creative person who guides others down the path of generating ideas and solutions. His photo on the back of the book jacket is unconventional, and so is the book.

You wouldn't expect pages of straight text in a book with a title like Shake that Brain. Instead, we have a design presentation that made me feel like I was listening to a carnival hawker. The type face changes to a bold font you might expect to see on a poster promoting a circus. Very appropriate, since the book "moves" like a circus as ideas and techniques parade by.

Each chapter in this book is seasoned with examples that bring the creative processes to life. The True Story feature and other call-outs and pop quizzes keep this book moving so it's a fast read. At the same time, the reader may be slowed by the valuable content-worthy of highlighting, page marking, and note taking.

The three parts of the book provide a sensible organization: attitude, actions (the how-to), and selling (getting others to buy into your ideas). You'll get a lot out of this book. Having read a number of books on creative thinking, problem-solving, and similar themes, it was fun to be peppered with a great refresher-with some new stuff-in an easy-to-read book.

Recommended for individual reading, as well as team reading in organizational settings.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BUY THIS BOOK!, March 1, 2006

By 

Monica Anderson (Stevens Point, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shake That Brain: How to Create Winning Solutions and Have Fun While You're At It (Hardcover)

I saw Joel Saltzman speak about 10 years and ago immediately became a fan. As soon as I saw this book, I bought it and haven't put it down since. This book will help you think outside the box and develop your own abilities in fun and productive ways. SHAKE THAT BRAIN is full of timeless wisdom but has a down to earth and engaging style. This is a laugh out loud book that is full of valuable insights and attitudes that can help you to reach your goals. If there is a better book on creative problem solving than this one, I don't know what it is. Everything in the book that I've tried works. I highly recommend this book. I'm sending it to all of my friends.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to break through limitations and have more fun, March 5, 2006

By 

Sara Hunter "sarahunter" (South Natick, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shake That Brain: How to Create Winning Solutions and Have Fun While You're At It (Hardcover)

Well known speaker, corporate motivator, and creative coach, Joel Saltzman, blasts through all barriers and blocks to success in this supremely accessible and FUN book. Prepare to be whisked away on a wave of L.A. energy as the author challenges your assumptions, injects hi-test creative fuel into your system, and reminds you that achieving your goal is not only doable, it's a BLAST! Inspiring quotes (the kind you stick on your mirror or monitor) are generously interspersed with observations from the author's experience along with helpful "chapter take-a-ways". After reading this book, I'm ready to conquer the world - or at least finish the book I've been working on!