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Roger Von Oech

The Creative Contrarian: 20 "Wise Fool" Strategies to Boost Creativity and Curb Groupthink 1st Edition

by Roger von Oech (Author)

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Tackle your thorniest problems using the Wise Fool’s savvy Strategies!

The Wise Fool is the archetypal contrarian known for his creativity, irreverence, and humor. He looks at life in unorthodox ways and pushes back against the status quo. Throughout history, powerful decision-makers (Egyptian pharaohs, Chinese emperors, Persian sultans, and European kings) consulted Wise Fools to question the assumptions that kept them mired in stale and obsolete solutions.

In The Creative Contrarian, best-selling author (A Whack on the Side of the Head), speaker, and toy designer (Ball of Whacks) Dr. Roger von Oech provides readers with a fully-illustrated “Wise Fool Guide” to challenge established procedures and engage in creative thinking.

Roger shows how to gain the confidence to speak up in “groupthink” situations ― and boldly present a different perspective. From laughing at your most beloved ideas to test their validity to adding constraints to problems to reveal new solutions, he offers a framework for creativity that works in business, design, education, and anywhere new ideas are required ― and appreciated!

Employing a wealth of stories and examples, The Creative Contrarian presents 20 Wise Fool Strategies:

Some offer ideas to enhance your creativity (“Reverse Your Perspective,” “Look for Ambiguity,” and “Kiss a Favorite Idea Goodbye”)
Some provide tips on how to break away from the herd (“Buck the Crowd,” “Flex Your Risk Muscle,” and “Seek Other Right Answers”)
And still others convey prudent warnings in an unpredictable world (“Exercise Humility,” “Imagine Unintended Outcomes,” and “Develop a Thick Skin”)

Together, these jewels of insight will help you see things from the Wise Fool’s perspective! As the Wise Fool puts it: “Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it’s the only one you have”; and “Every ‘right’ idea eventually becomes the ‘wrong’ one.”

The Creative Contrarian: 20 “Wise Fool” Strategies to Boost Creativity and Curb Group think is an indispensable resource for anyone seeking fresh solutions to common problems at the office, in the classroom, or at home.

ISBN-10

111984326X
ISBN-13

978-1119843269
Edition

1st
Publisher

Wiley
Publication date

October 12, 2021
Language

English
Dimensions

5.6 x 0.8 x 8.6 inches
Print length

208 pages
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Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

If you don’t ask “why this?” often enough, somebody will ask “why you?”

The Creative Contrarian is for people who like to “think differently,” and also for those looking for ways to hone their creative edge.

If being innovative is part of your job―engineers, entrepreneurs, managers, programmers, designers, teachers, parents, coaches, artists, and students―then this book is for you!

Using a fun and engaging style, Roger von Oech presents 20 “Wise Fool” Strategies to boost yourcreativity and curb groupthink.These include: “Use your forgettery,” “Flex your risk muscle,” “Drop what’s obsolete,” “Laugh at it,” and “Reverse your perspective.”

Jam-packed with innovation boosters for taking the initiative, this book provides practical tips to help you develop a “how-else-can-I-look-at-this?” attitude. Reading it will make you a little less dogmatic, and a lot more playful; less convinced you’ve already got the best answer, and more skeptical of “received truths.”

You can’t see the good ideas behind you by looking twice as hard at what’s in front of you.

From the Back Cover

PRAISE FOR Roger von Oech:

“Roger von Oech has won a loyal following
around the country.” ―BusinessWeek

“Using von Oech’s ideas may beat
consulting the I Ching.” ―Fortune

“Roger von Oech runs laps around everyone else in the
creativity consulting business.” ―San Francisco Examiner

Be a Creative Contrarian:Consult Your Wise Fool!

The Wise Fool is the archetypal contrarian known for his creativity, irreverence, humor, and candor. This character looks at life in unorthodox ways, and pushes back against the status quo. Throughout history, powerful decision-makers (Egyptian pharaohs, Chinese emperors, European kings) consulted Wise Fools to challenge the assumptions that kept them mired in stale and obsolete solutions.

This book presents 20 Wise Fool Strategies to provoke your thinking. Some offer ideas to enhance your creativity. Some provide tips on how to break out of groupthink situations. And still others convey prudent warnings in an unpredictable world. These jewels of insight will help you see things from the Wise Fool’s perspective.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wiley; 1st edition (October 12, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 111984326X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1119843269
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.6 x 0.8 x 8.6 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #714,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #569 in Popular Psychology Creativity & Genius
- #1,850 in Decision-Making & Problem Solving
- #2,053 in Creativity (Books)

Customer Reviews:
28 ratings

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4.9 out of 5

28 global ratings

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Taylor Floyd

Treasure

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 15, 2023

Verified Purchase

perfect score for a great book, useful for consultation long after use

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 12, 2021

Verified Purchase

Being true to yourself sometimes involves seeing and acting contrary to the mainstream. You may need to "develop a thick skin" or "flex your risk muscle" to navigate uncharted waters. Roger offers these and 18 other "Wise Fool" strategies in this delightful and inspiring book to help us be more creative in our work and personal lives.

He shares stories from across many field and periods of history when some people chose to "drop what's obsolete" and "use their forgettery" to discover unimaginable solutions to problems. When we employ these and other strategies, we can more easily traverse the rapids of our lives. Just imagine what new realities we can create when we "find what's out of whack," "exercise humility" and "laugh at it."

I've enjoyed all of Roger's previous products from the ground breaking book "A Whack on the Side of the Head" to the idea stimulating magnetic manipulative toy, the Ball of Whacks. Thank you Roger for this artistically designed, well-researched and playfully crafted revivification of the Wise Fool. May it help us all break through our logjams and flourish!

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Mary Gospe, Principal, KickStart Alliance

Empowering and entertaining!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 25, 2021

Verified Purchase

The Creative Contrarian is a fun and practical book that had me laughing out loud while learning tools and techniques to challenge my thinking, ignite my creativity and question the status quo. The book is packed with interesting examples and stories spanning from ancient times to current business and world events. The 20 "Wise Fool" Strategies may be consulted as an oracle or one selected as a daily mantra to assist you with problem-solving and idea generation. This has become a "go-to" book that resides on my desk, rather than the book case.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

MRQ

Empowering Strategies for These Times

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 9, 2021

Verified Purchase

These past two years I have felt more alone in my perspective on the world. I’ve wondered: has the world gone mad, or have I???
Roger von Oech has delivered a timely and powerful message to us “contrarian thinkers”. He has absolved our self- doubt, and empowered us to critically question, observe and respond authentically from our truth. Bravo & kudos to this author! I will be purchasing copies of this book as holiday presents for my family & friends.

Helpful

Bookish One

Get your wise fool on

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 13, 2021

Verified Purchase

This book is a valuable tool for looking at old -- or even new -- situations in a completely different way. An intelligent, wise guide that almost all of us can use to get out of the groupthink rut. Especially appreciate the way von Oech applies his knowledge of great thinkers and philosophers to illustrate his points.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Brown Brown store

ancient proverb wisdom... with a sense of humor!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 12, 2021

Verified Purchase

I have been a fan of the Creative Whack series for years, and von Oech's latest is his sharpest yet. Combining ancient proverbs, historical anecdotes, and a wry sense of humor; von Oech inhabits his "wise fool" persona and lends advice for enhancing creativity on every page of the book. I loved it.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Terri Feinberg

Bust out of your box

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 19, 2021

Verified Purchase

Such a good book. A quick read with lots of visuals and memorable stories to inspire you to break out of your box. Ultimately this is meant to be a habit-buster, a how-to book designed to help you discover your creative self and grow your good ideas!

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kelly

An easy read that might help you solve some hard problems!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 31, 2021

Verified Purchase

Lots of good ideas and food for thought!
I have used Roger's stuff with some of my professional organizations.
I will be sending a copy to one of the most creative persons I know - I think he will enjoy it!

One person found this helpful

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