Understanding Creativity (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Creativity is fashionable these days..." (more)
Key Phrases: divergent production tests, figural intelligence, captive inventors, New York City, Sun of Chance, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"!!!!!Must Read" -- Today's Books

"I can't imagine a more complete publication anywhere about creativity" -- CAG Communicator, Summer, 2004

"I know of no textbook on creativity as comprehensive as this one." -- Dean Keith Simonton

"a breeze to read...a student's dream textbook...a reader's ideal book about creativity." -- CAG Communicator, Spring, 2004

"a unique adventure into the world of creative individuals, past and present...a valuable addition to the field of education." -- Colleen Harsin, Davidson Institute

"accessible to teachers, parents, and general readers" -- Reference and Research Book News, August 2004

"issues she raised were very real, and they resonated with my observations and experiences with creative personalities, children and adults." -- Gifted and Talented International, Spring, 2004

"many hidden treasures...an excellent book for anyone interested in creativity" -- Northwestern University, Center for Talent Development

"offers advice on how to plan adventures while incorporating creativity values into one's own family or classroom culture...entertaining." -- Gifted Child Today, Fall, 2004

With "Understanding Creativity", Jane Piirto undoubtedly makes a significant contribution to the field of creativity studies." -- Roeper Review, Winter, 2005 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

In this highly readable yet comprehensive book, parents and teachers will find many suggestions for enhancing a child's creativity.

"Understanding Creativity" offers advice on how to plan adventures, value work without "evaluation", set a creative tone, and incorporate creativity values into one's own family or classroom culture.

Readers will learn how to spot talent through a child's behaviors and how to encourage practice. Real-life examples of artists, musicians, dancers, entrepreneurs, architects, and authors are included. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 521 pages
• Publisher: Great Potential Press (June 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0910707596
• ISBN-13: 978-0910707596
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #202,653 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Full of cliche anecdotal generalizations, March 19, 2007

By	Mickel E. Knight "Mickel Knight" (Humboldt, TN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In my opinion the author uses anecdotal information to support sweeping, and oten stunningly cliche, generalizations. Too poorly supported to be considered a scientific text, and two scattered to be a good overview of creativity, this book is largely a stew of factoids. If I had not read a few texts on creativity prior to this one, I would have had a hard time picking out the germain points in the book. A much better overview of creativity can be found in R. Keith Sawyer's 'Explaining Creativity.'

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How parents and teachers can enhance creativity, February 7, 2004

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Understanding Creativity (Hardcover)

Understanding Creativity is an examination of the psychological impulses that drive the quality in human beings broadly labeled as "creativity," which also covers how parents and teachers can enhance creativity, as well as the cognitive aspect of creative writers, scientists, musicians, and physical performers, as well as ways to assess and train creativity. Author Jane Piirto, a teacher of the College of Education and the Director of Talent Development Education in Ashland University, offers a wealth of research, theory, and a guideline around the Seven I's - Inspiration, Imagery, Imagination, Intuition, Insight, Incubation and Improvisation - to form the foundation of a solid creative process. Understanding Creativity needs to be carefully read by anyone charged with the responsibility of recognizing talent in children, setting a creative tone with children, and encouraging children to utilize their creativity in their personal lives.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars enhancing your own creativity, May 12, 2005

By	Douglas Eby "Talent Development Resources" (Beverly Hills, CA USA) - See all my reviews

With extensive scholarship, Dr. Piirto relates a fascinating overview of approaches to creativity, from the mystical to the pragmatic, the psychodynamic and psychometric to the cognitive. She notes that psychologist Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi makes a distinction of "Big C" creativity (eminent people making significant contributions to a domain), and "little c" creativity "by which human beings lead their everyday lives."

She cites the work of social psychologist Dean Keith Simonton showing that "creativity is the work of a life... from birth to grave" and "a form of leadership... the creator is a persuader."

For anyone wanting to enhance their creative lives and talents, the book provides a wealth of concrete and practical ideas from experts, such as divergent thinking exercises of the Odyssey of the Mind program, and strategies used by Dr. Piirto in her own classes.