A Kick in the Seat of the Pants (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Jack's mind felt like a head of wilted lettuce..." (more)
Key Phrases: trigger concepts, idea doctor, creative performance, World War, Jack's Visit, New Year's Eve

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Hard-hitting and practical approaches to becoming more innovative." -- -- Doug King, Vice President, American Electronics Association

"In A Whack on the Side of the Head we looked at getting ideas through play; in A Kick in the Seat of the Pants we look at the four roles of the creative process." -- -- Bob Metcalfe, Chairman, 3Com Corp

"Kick's made my people more creative, and it's a lot of fun to boot." -- -- Bill Samuels, President, Maker's Mark Distillery

"Roger Von Oech has won a loyal following around the country." -- -- Business Week.

Product Description

When was the last time you had a creative idea? This morning? Last month? Last year? Sometimes you need A Kick in the Seat of the Pants to get your thinking going. This book does just that by taking you on a guided tour through the four roles of the creative process-Explorer, Artist, Judge, and Warrior.

When it's time to seek out new information, adopt the mindset of an Explorer. Get off the beaten path, poke around in outside areas, and pay attention to unusual patterns.

When you need to create a new idea, let the Artist in you come out. Ask what-if questions and look for hidden analogies. Break the rules and look at things backwards. Add something and take something away. Ultimately, you'll come up with an original idea.

When it's time to decide if your idea is worth implementing, see yourself as a Judge. Ask what's wrong and if the timing's right. Question your assumptions and make a decision.

And when you carry your idea into action, be a Warrior. Put a fire in your belly, eliminate your excuses, and do what's necessary to reach your objective.

Kick provides exercises, stories, tips, and Roger von Oech's proven techniques to help you strengthen each of your own creative roles.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; 1 edition (February 12, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060960248
• ISBN-13: 978-0060960247
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #42,700 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First a Whack...Then a Kick, May 6, 2000

By	Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This book should be read in combination with A Whack on the Side of the Head...preferably after you have read that book. At least that's my suggestion. In Kick, first published in 1986, von Oech introduces four stereotypes:

The Explorer

The Artist

The Judge

The Warrior

Von Oech devotes a separate chapter to each. Also, he assigns to each quite different values, priorities, mind sets, predispositions, and parameters relative to creative thinking. This is a brilliant conceit. In varying proportions, each of us is (simultaneously) an Explorer, an Artist, a Judge, and a Warrior. Each plays an important role in the creative process. Von Oech explains how and why.

As in A Whack on the Side of the Head, he provides various exercises in combination with a rigorous analysis of each of the four stereotypes. As is true of Whack, Kick will be immensely valuable to executives in any organization which needs a culture within which to generate and then nourish fresh ideas and new perspectives. The same is true of all self-employed people (especially independent consultants) whose customers or clients expect them to address the same need. Finally, I think that school, college, and university classroom teachers can devise all manner of appropriate applications of von Oech's ideas.

I strongly suggest that you buy both Whack and Kick. Also Roger von Oech's Creative Whack Pack. Read and then re-read all three. Absorb and digest the material. Let the ideas percolate for a while. (The material in all three is remarkably cohesive...and intellectually combustible.) Then try this experiment the next time you and others in your organization get together to brainstorm. Whoever chairs the discussion is designated the Judge. Depending on the size of the group, designate one or two others to be (respectively) the Explorer, the Artist, and the Warrior. Require everyone to think and comment ONLY within the strict limits of each assigned role. After about 15-20 minutes of brainstorming, re-assign all roles. Same requirement: each must think and comment only within the strict limits of her or his role. No exceptions.(Once you read Kick, you'll know exactly what I am suggesting...also why.) I'll bet you a beverage of your choice that the results will surprise and delight everyone involved. Also, and more to the point, it will prove to be the most productive brainstorm session that anyone in the group had as yet participated in. Just think (creatively, of course) how much more will be accomplished at the next session!

In addition to von Oech's A Whack on the Side of the Head, there are other excellent books also worthy of your consideration. They include those written by Edward de Bono, Guy Claxton, Michael Michalko, and Joey Reiman.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Primer For The Creative-Challenged, July 24, 1998

By A Customer

"Whack" is just plain good. With an entertaining manner, the author gives the nuts-and-bolts of being creative. A fast reader will get through it in an hour or so, but everyone should slow down and think about what Von Oech says.

I personally credit this book with showing me how to excercise my creativity, which had always yielded uneven results before. Even more, I've taught the techniques and know they can help everyone from gifted artists to techno-geeks to MBAs.

Hooray for Roger Von Oech!

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Suckers Will Buy Anything, April 15, 2005

By	Inner City Teacher (Carson, CA) - See all my reviews

I was a huge fan of von Oech's "A Whack in the Side of the Head." That is why I was bitterly disappointed by "A Kick in the Seat of the Pants." It is ironic that a book about creativity is almost a carbon copy of its predecessor. "A Kick.." has at least 50 percent of the text and cartoons from "A Whack." I feel robbed, as this book is little more than a revised edition of "A Whack."

If you already read "A Whack" and feel like you are experiencing deja vu while reading "A Kick", you are not alone. This book is a rip-off. How would you like to pay to see "The Empire Strikes Back," only to find that half of the movie is footage from "Star Wars?'" Shame on von Oech and the publisher for tricking me, and shame on me for being duped. Anyone who enjoyed this book either failed to read "A Whack on the Side of the Head" or has extremely short term memory.