Share <Embed>

Buy New

$13.28

List Price: $17.00
Save: $3.72 (22%)

Only 19 left in stock (more on the way).

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

This item ships to France. Want it Friday, Oct. 12? Order within and choose AmazonGlobal Priority Shipping at checkout. Learn more

Deliver to France

Buy Used

$7.97

FREE Shipping on orders over $25.

Deliver to France

Used: Good | Details

Sold by gatecitybooks

Fulfilled by Amazon

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Other Sellers on Amazon

Add to Cart

$6.93
+ $49.99 shipping

Sold by: LOBook

Add to Cart

$6.95
+ $28.98 shipping

Sold by: AceBook

Add to Cart

$9.84
+ $27.70 shipping

Sold by: indoobestsellers

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 2 images

A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative Paperback – May 5, 2008

by Roger von Oech (Author)

122 customer reviews

See all 9 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$7.83

—

—

Paperback

"Please retry"

$13.28

This is the 25th anniversary edition of the creativity classic by Dr. Roger von Oech.

Over the years, A WHACK ON THE SIDE OF THE HEAD has been praised by business people, educators, scientists, homemakers, artists, youth leaders, and many more. The book has been stimulating creativity in millions of readers, translated into eleven languages, and used in seminars around the world.

Now Roger von Oech's fully illustrated and updated volume is filled with even more provocative puzzles, anecdotes, exercises, metaphors, cartoons, questions, quotations, stories, and tips designed to systematically break through your mental blocks and unlock your mind for creative thinking. This new edition will attract an entire new generation of readers with updated and mind-stretching material.

Frequently bought together

+
+

Total price: $39.87

One of these items ships sooner than the other. Show details

Buy the selected items together

This item:A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative by Roger von Oech Paperback $13.28
Only 19 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
A Kick in the Seat of the Pants: Using Your Explorer, Artist, Judge, and Warrior to Be More Creative by Roger Von Oech Paperback $16.99
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
Creative Whack Pack by Roger Von Oech Cards $9.60
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Roger Von Oech

67

Cards
$9.60
Roger Von Oech

27

Paperback
$16.99
Roger Von Oech

16

Cards
$14.92
Josh Linkner

71

Hardcover
$17.89
Chris Grivas

15

Hardcover
$14.99
Francis Cholle

17

Hardcover
$16.11

Sponsored products related to this item (What's this?)

Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1

Feedback

300

$18.95
Feedback

$11.18
Feedback

7

$18.45
Feedback

1

$9.67
Feedback

16

$42.99
Feedback

$22.90
Feedback

15

$49.98

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Roger von Oech is the president of Creative Think, a California-based consulting firm that has conducted creativity seminars with such companies as American Express, Apple Computer, AT&T, CBS, IBM, NBC, and NASA. He earned his doctorate from Stanford University in a self-conceived program in the history of ideas.

Product details

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; Anniversary, Revised, Updated edition (May 5, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446404667
ISBN-13: 978-0446404662
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 122 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #133 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Psychology & Counseling > Creativity & Genius
- #215 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Social Work
- #414 in Books > Self-Help > Creativity

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

Be the first video

Your name here

Sponsored products related to this item (What's this?)

Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1

Feedback

300

$18.95
Feedback

$11.18
Feedback

7

$18.45
Feedback

1

$9.67
Feedback

15

$49.98
Feedback

$49.99
Feedback

$22.90

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars

Write a customer review

See all 122 customer reviews

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Didn't find it very helpful

October 2, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I read through the book and tried to apply it's ideas to some projects I was working on, but didn't find it very useful - I found the humor style pretty corny, and the techniques it talks about seem mostly to be the author amusing himself with his personal fascination with metaphors. "How is your problem like an eggbeater" doesn't generate that many useful ideas for me, compared to many other possible, more focused techniques and thinking tools - I think our brains are naturally good at metaphors, but that doesn't mean we should sit down with a list of random things and try to connect them together by force of will - better to let the brain find connections naturally I think, from its years of experience and memories of the world.

It's core principle of "what's your 2nd and 3rd idea" (paraphrasing) is a useful one though - think of many possible solutions instead of just going with the first one.

The writing style was a bit tedious to me too - take one theory or statement, like "people use metaphors", and then fill pages upon pages of anecdotes that support that theory ("when people are tired they say *burning out*"). Plus some name-dropping of big corporations he's taught seminars too. Felt like the signal-to-noise ratio was low - the number of useful ideas & techniques was small compared to the amount of redundant pontification on each one.

I also read "Conceptual Blockbusting", and that book has been more helpful for me - covers a wide range of possible techiques and approaches, and creative blocks to watch out for, where this one seems to focus on just a tiny subset of that book's breadth, despite a similar number of pages.

A lot of people found the book entertaining and helpful obviously - maybe the style just didn't resonate with me personally, or covered stuff I already feel like I have a handle on.

16 people found this helpful17 people found this helpful

Ouch! I'm More Creative!

June 13, 2010

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Sometimes you just need a whack on the head to unleash your inner creativity. Not literally of course - I'm speaking metaphorically (which I learned is an important tool of creativity). This classic book originally came out in 1983 and was updated and republished for it 25th anniversary. It is an engaging quick read, filled with quirky drawings and fun facts that will hopefully jolt you out of your comfort zone and inspire you to be more creative. It is structured as 10 mental locks which you can train yourself to recognize and "unlock". They are: 1) The Right Answer 2) That's Not Logical 3) Follow the Rules 4) Be Practical 5) Play is Frivolous 6) That's Not my Area 7) Don't Be Foolish 8) Avoid Ambiguity 9) The Err is Wrong 10) I'm Not Creative.

Don't think that I gave everything away. You actually need to read the book and do the exercises to benefit from the author's wisdom and experience - he has had a long career as a consultant to companies that want to teach their employees how to be creative. Like any self help book, the difficult part is making a change in your thinking and sustaining that change. I like the last part of the book called "A Whack on the Other Side of the Head" which addresses the fact that creativity alone is not enough - you actually need to implement your best creative ideas.
I am going to focus on one mental lock at a time, starting with the "Right Answer" Lock. The idea is that when you think you have arrived at the right answer, ask youself "What is the second right answer?" And just keep generating ideas.

2 people found this helpful3 people found this helpful

Armando Mayorquin

It's a great way to look at things differently

June 2, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This book is old but wow. It's a great way to look at things differently. The writer must of been a neat guy. It will help you think outside the box for sure. Also, it's full of good facts about how people think and how to find answers in places you never thought of before.

One person found this helpful

Creative Problem Solving

February 21, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I think everyone should read this book. The contents open the readers mind to ways to avoid a mental rut and open their minds to new possibilities for creative problem solving.

One person found this helpful2 people found this helpful

The Best Book on Creativity Ever! Very Very Stimulating!

July 26, 2011

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

As a reader from HK, I actually read it over at least 5 times in the past.

Every time I got new things out of it. I'm Loving it!

So happy to have this ebook version now. Waiting for Roger's Kick in the Seat of the Pants
ebook version!

All Roger's books, app, and Whack tools are far far more than 5 Stars!

Very very stimulating.

Whack the left and right side of my head, especially the right side.

Thanks a lot, Roger for your timeless great work!

4 people found this helpful5 people found this helpful

David A. Markley

A good thought provoker (whack)

October 23, 2012

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I found this to be a very entertaining read and did often have me looking at things from a different perspective. I will have to take a look at the author's whack pack to see if it can help stimulate more ideas.

I found a lot of value at the end of the book when covering the second whack. Understanding where you are taking your ideas is key and knowing when you need to be in explorer, artist, judge, or warrior mode is a great way to think about it.

3 people found this helpful4 people found this helpful

Enduring Classic

January 30, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

A great work that is as relevant now as when my father read it to me when I was ten.

One person found this helpful2 people found this helpful

One of the best...

August 1, 2012

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Read this book a long time ago in the first printing about 20 yrs ago.
It is an easy, funny read. The principles are simple and sound.

Everyone should read this book; we need more creative solutions in this world.

The "Whack Pack" is great. I still got mine in my top desk drawer for when I need some creative problem-solving inspiration.

2 people found this helpful3 people found this helpful

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative

Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway

This item: A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative

Set up a giveaway

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Roger Von Oech

67

Cards
$9.60
Roger Von Oech

16

Cards
$14.92
Roger Von Oech

27

Paperback
$16.99
Rolf Smith

22

Paperback
50 offers from $3.48
53
2 offers from $60.10
Stuart R. Levine

26

Hardcover
$16.99

Pages with related products. See and discover other items: innovation management, creative business

English United States

Conditions of Use
Privacy Notice
Interest-Based Ads
© 1996-2018, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates