What's unique about this book?

 

- It's compiled by a professional writer, not a guru with a single message.

- It claims to give a "concise and practical overview".

- In summary; a well researched book, that's easy to read.

 

From the start, Ros Jay shows a practical understanding of the subject, and business

 

"Creativity is certainly a skill and not simply a talent you are born with. Although some of us practice it more than others, we can all become creative thinkers with a little training. And creativity is fast becoming an essential skill that we must all learn. It is no longer enough to have a few creative people in the organization; you need to have an organization of creative people. The pace of change in business is accelerating, and creative ideas are essential for keeping up with that pace. Businesses around the world - including your competitors - are learning to create a culture of creativity. Organizations like 3M, Hewlett-Packard and Texas Instruments have led the way, but soon creative organizations will be the norm.".... Ros Jay

 

The book has 36 chapters, each dealing with a different technique. Chapters are typically 5 pages, making the book a good quick reference guide. Where Edward De Bono takes a book to describe Six-Thinking-Hats, Ros Jay neatly takes less than 4 pages (wisely she also recommends reading de Bono's own book for details).

 

As you may expect from a researched work, there are no new techniques. However the book is current, giving some references to software, and web sites. To help you choose a technique for any situation there is a handy matrix of techniques:

 

Group + Individual + Problem-Solving + Idea-Generation.

 

In conclusion, the book is a resource of creative techniques. It isn't a recipe designed to change a company. If you happen to be the head of a company, it won't tell you how to make a creative organisation. There are no discussions on human behaviours, or cultural changes. It may however inspire you to look further. For those who' have never read anything on creative thinking skills, enjoy.