And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared: TRIZ, the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving [Paperback]

Genrich Altshuller (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0964074028 | ISBN-13: 978-0964074026 | Publication Date: May 1996 | Edition: 2nd

This legendary book was first published in English in 1990. It has been re-translated and extensively revised, including material not found in the original translation. It is Altshuller's most popular book in Russia on how to become an inventor, and how to solve technical problems. The translator, Lev Shulyak, is himself an accomplished inventor, engineer and TRIZ expert.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

TRIZ (the Russian acronym for Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) was developed by this book's author, Genrich Altshuller. Studied and respected around the world, TRIZ shows that technical systems evolve following predictable patterns. Consequently, inventiveness can be learned by anyone. Developed underground by Russian scientists, TRIZ has validated itself by solving thousands of difficult technical problems. Over 60,000 engineers world-wide are trained in TRIZ. In 1984, Lev Shulyak, translator of this book, taught the first U.S. TRIZ course. This edition has recently been translated into Japanese, Chinese and Spanish.

From the Inside Flap

"This is an astonishing piece of work. It not only suggests and explains many effective thinking strategies for inventing, it introduces many resources like physics, chemistry and geometry as tools for solving invention problems and for predicting solutions for problems as yet unrecognized! "In addition, it organizes into a coherent theory a great many of the ways a thinker can develop skill in approaching a problem where there is "no answer" -- where invention is necessary. "And, to put the frosting on the cake, all of this is presented by inviting the reader to learn be doing. The author presents a marvelous variety of real problems where an invention is needed, and asks the reader to use one or another of the TRIZ techniques to invent a solution. "The method is based on a study of thousands of inventions and provides many general principles for reducing a problem to its essentials, reexamining it with fresh eyes, and guiding the would-be inventor to specific areas of technology that are likely to help. "I know of no other approach to inventing that offers such a rich arsenal of both practical and imaginative thinking tools. "In a word, TRIZ is a treasure." Sincerly, George M. Prince, Co-founder of Synectics, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 171 pages
• Publisher: Technical Innovation Center, Inc.; 2nd edition (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964074028
• ISBN-13: 978-0964074026
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,453 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brief introduction of Deceptively simple material, September 26, 2005

By 

John C. Cox (Seneca, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared: TRIZ, the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (Paperback)

Don't be fooled by the description as an "introduction" in the same way most technical fields have "Executive level" texts written for them.... By introduction, the meaning is more "Brief explanation" and "Brief" being in contrast to "Wordy" rather than "Simple, dumbed down but useless in practice."

There is an immense amount of information in the few pages, and the concepts are deceptively simple.... I find I can only make it through a chapter or two at a time before my brain is full from thinking about how to use the ideas offered.....

I am surprised that this sort of material has not been offered at the University level to engineering students -- it would be a perfect fit.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for pupils, November 30, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared: TRIZ, the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (Paperback)

This book, written by Altshuller (the creator of TRIZ) under a pseudonym, is aimed at secondary school students and while not rigorous in its development, provides an entertaining look at how the methods of TRIZ can be applied to a variety of problems. Semyon D. Savransky, Ph.D. (TRIZnik)

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best TRIZ introduction available., February 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared: TRIZ, the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (Paperback)

This is the best introduction to TRIZ available. H.Altov (G.Altshuller) explain many aspects of TRIZ, but don't expect to become a TRIZ master with only this lecture. I recommend this book for those TRIZ is a new subject. Engineers! It's a must have!