Customer Reviews

What a Great Idea! 2.0: Unlocking Your Creativity in Business and in Life

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm the author of Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques and other books on and about creative thinking and as such I pretty much read everything that is published these days. This book by Chic Thompson is truly an outstanding book. If you interested in becoming more creative in business, this book is your ticket.

Really good book, easy read. You have to be somewhat brave to actually try the techniques in your office, but it can pay off. I find myself looking for innovation in my personal life too now.

Length:: 0:51 Mins

A useful and insightful tool for anyone working with creative people or think more creatively.
Nigel Collin
[...]

What a Great Idea! 2.0: Unlocking Your Creativity in Business and in Life
by Chic Thompson

When the first edition of 'What a Great Idea' was released in the mid-nineties, I was actually overwhelmed by a few exciting stuff in the book:

- an exclusive & relatively exhaustive interview with Dr Yoshiro Nakamatsu, inventor extraordinaire from Japan, with more than 3,000 inventions to his credit; it was great fun to read about his creative antics & productive idiosyncracies; incidentally he also invented the Love Jet Spray, a no-side-effect alternative to Viagra!

- an exposition on 'Killer Phrases' & 'Fight Back Phrases' which eventually led me to procure the author's second book, 'Yes, But...The Top 40 Killer Phrases & How You Can Fight Them';

[For the uninitiated:

a Killer Phrase: n. 1. A knee-jerk response that squelches new ideas; most commonly said by bosses, parents, and government officials. 2. A threat to innovation.

Fight Back Phrase: n. 1. words that launch ideas into reality; usually said by achievers, leaders, and entrepreneurs. 2. the self talk of champions.]

- introduction of the idea mapping process, the author's unique variation of mind-mapping, which goes beyond the traditional Buzan routines;

I recently read his supposedly & newly revised & expanded edition & regret very much to report that the book is substantially the same book as the earlier edition. The same stuff are still there & there are no new insights or developments for readers.

What a disappointment!

Length:: 1:33 Mins

Some of the key points that made the original a classic, reviewed in sixty seconds (more or less) by Jurgen Wolff, author of "Creativity Now!" Creativity Now: Get inspired, create ideas and make them happen now!

What a Great Idea! 2.0
My name is David Marquet, from Practicum, Inc and we help our customers develop solutions to problems. One thing almost all our customers are interested in is how to be more creative, and how to use groups to solve problems. In doing so, there is invariably a balance between structure, constraints, and expansive thinking.

We don't read What a Great Idea! by Chic Thompson. Instead, we use it more like the toolbox you keep in your garage - with screwdrivers, hammers, and fasteners you pull out for the appropriate job.

Chic presents a coherent structure for unlocking creativity based on the four broad steps progressing from freedom, to expression, to creation, and ultimately to action. For each step, Chic provides the reader with highly usable activities to exercise your mind which we use to good effect with our clients.

These specific tools and techniques are very valuable. However, what creeps up on you, but what is ultimately more powerful, is the irrepressible optimism that permeates the book that EVERYONE can be creative. Creative people can be more creative and people who've been boxed in can break out. It's never too late.

When I talked with Chic about his book, he didn't deny that and went further - "I think there's a connection between overall health and creative health." He opined. He views creativity and lifelong learning not as things that we do to achieve project goals, but processes we apply to living fuller and healthier lives. Oh, and by the way, his optimism and infectious enthusiasm is definitely genuine.
At one point in the book, Chic suggests we be "curious first, critical second." Even, now, it's an approach I wish I embraced more often.

What I liked about this book is that it is very easy to read. Some of the techniques that Chic Thompson presents are very interesting and helpful. However, I do not think that all of his techniques are useful to everyone such as the frequently mentioned naps.

This is truly a great book for anyone interested in creativity. I highly recommend it and Chic Thompson's website [...]

Chic Thompson has done it again, sharing his masterful blend of clear, compelling, and enjoyable creativity approaches THAT WORK. This is a must for anyone in need of invigorated, limitless thinking, including business planners, government strategists, leaders, and managers. It is also essential reading for Generation Me types who sincerely believe they already have all the answers. At Vanderbilt I use this as an MBA sparkplug for my students. Chic makes creativity a robust and exciting celebration.