Creativity Books

As a 50-year-old guy, I'm not in the typical demographic for this book. Nevertheless, I found it to be a real hoot.

The Red Hat Society started in 1996 as a sort of joke between frieds. Sue Allen Cooper had read Jenny Joseph's poem, "Warning" which threatened all sorts of self-indulgent and unladylike behavior -- including wearing purple clothes and red hats -- when she grew old enough to get away with it. Cooper started giving red hats to her friends as they turned 50. The silliness and liberation that this unleashed quickly became contagious. In a few months, the idea of forming rule-less girls-only clubs had spread across the country and around the world. The joy, release and sisterhood that these women have found is very inspiring and fun to watch. Rather than making middle- and old age a thing to dread, these women have found joy and camaraderie in their later years.

The book tells of the story of the group and divulges the homemade rituals and customs of this fabulous "disorganization" It gives helpful tips on how to form a group of one's own, and of all things that go along with being a Red Hatter - the regal wave, the motto, the song, the vows and regalia.

I truly enjoyed the freewheeling wackiness that has been a hallmark of the group from the beginning. The group names are a riot - "The Scarlett O'Hattas," "The Red Hat Tamales," and the "Ladies of the Purple Sage" are just a few of the whimsical names that the women have given themselves. Not to mention the personal titles! Women are bestowing upon themselves titles from Lady to Queen and everything in between. "Countess Can't-be-bothered" and "Lady Lie-about" were two of my favorites.

The Red Hat Society is a breath of fresh air and sisterhood to what can bee a depressing and lonely stage in a woman's life. The Red Hatters are giving themselves permission to get old, permission to age gracefully and permission to bring joy into their own lives.

You go, Highnesses!

This book is full of typos; what happened to proofreading...is that a lost art/job?

This book is also a good example of what Andy Rooney spoke of; authors making thousands on the backs of others. Nothing is original by the author in this book; it is merely a compliation of the works of others. You would think at least, since the author did have to compose anything, she could have at least proofread it.

This is a wonderful book for those ladies approaching the dramatic age of "50". It's uplifting, funny and positively great for boosting morale. Almost like turning 21 again! We have a new look on life and plan to strut with our Red Hats often. Already my friends and I have chartered our membership and have officially named ourselves the "Fabulous Diva D'Lites". An article was printed recently in our local newspaper with a photo of our Queen Mum and all the Divas! So far, we've had a ball! I highly recommend this book...

I have heard of this 'movement' for several years, and finally started my own chapter...but I guess its going to be slow-going cause no one has joined me yet...but I will continue to wear my purple, plus my red hats...and maybe those I invited will loosen up for some nice fun times...thanks for this book...it was a source of encouragement; gave me the guts to go for it...so give my Chapter a gander...join the Rockin' n Rollin' Reds in Arvada, CO. Way to go, Queen Sue Ellen!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Light hearted good fun with lots of ideas for Red Hat Ladies.
Loved the section on the names.

This book is excellent. I have read many self-improvement type books; most of them are written well but are superficial, or are deep and insightful, but are not written well at all. This book by Richio is the exception - it is well written AND very deep and insightful. The book is about recognizing the "shadow" element in us, bringing it to light, and then "befriending" it; that is, coming in terms with it and figuring out how to live a purposeful life despite our shortcomings. The perspective of the author is that of a Jungian psychologist with a slight Buddhist tinge. His analysis and explanations of why we act the way we do are right on target and I learned much from reading this book. The author has included several exercises at the end of each chapter, and almost all of them are very good and by going through them I learned many things about myself I did not know. While working through this book I kept a notebook, and wrote down several quotes from the book and wrote out all the exercises; altogether I wrote out about 250 pages! I found it best to go through this book very slowly, and don't rush through the exercises. I HIGHLY recommend this excellent and extremely insightful book, and I am very interested in reading more books by this author. If you are interested in doing your own self examination, buy this book now...you will gain many insights into your self, your hidden self, and the motivations which underlie your day to day behavior.

This is an excellent book for self-exploration and self-development. It provides a thorough explanation of the concept of the shadow in Jungian theory and introduces us to various practical exercises to explore our own shadow. Though I'm not really a Jungian, this was a very interesting book that gave me lots to think about. If you'd like a more simplistic but nevertheless absolutely excellent explanation of the psyche, try reading "The Ever-Transcending Spirit" by Toru Sato. It is an amazing book that explains almost everything you wondered about in a concise and down to earth way! Five stars may not be enough for this one.

While I admire the author's sincerity, I found the writing to be bogged down with righteousness and preachiness. His writing relies more on quotes than speaking from the heart. I thought the exercises were useful and wished there were more of them. I had hoped for a much deeper and more personal exploration into my own Shadow.

This book is typical of David Richo's work: pretty good. His writing is very very scholarly and intellectual. I often wish he'd step out of his head more often and more frequently share how what he's saying directly can effect me as a person. (For application of work presented here the reader might also want to read Susan Campbell's "Getting Real", as that would give you the skills to own your anger in the moment, for example). As a therapist, I often find that some clients know a lot about whats going wrong, but they need skill building to go along with the insight. He starts applying the shadow material, and the book really gets going, only at about page 150. I felt there was too much background material on how the shadow works, which leaves me afraid to offer this book to a client; Its boring in the beginning. All in all, its a really great expository work on Jungian theory and the Shadow, and he does a great job applying Shadow concepts to real life. I love how he frames projections, and I think this is one of the better works on understanding how projection works in our lives. From a theoretical perspective I learned a lot about the shadow and applications to other cultures and sometimes my own life. After reading this book I felt intellectually overwhelmed, tired, and smarter. Fundamentally a great scholarly work, even though not really a true self-help book.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2MYI4ASBHLWR8 Threads, Knots, Tapestries: How A Tribal Connection Is Revealed Through Dreams And Synchronicities

Opening up this book and reviewing the pages will unleash inspiring thoughts of creativity! Upon looking at these ideas, I felt compelled to try some fabric investigations. I was able to get another artist to join me in committing to a monthly art quilt to try our hand at these unique types of ideas. Whether you appreciate Williamson's visionary style or not, you WILL gain ideas on working in your own style. CAUTION: Every day items in your life will now become potential objects of art. OH! what a fun journey each day becomes as you collect these objects with your new vision. If you have a creative spirit, traditional or modern artist styles, you will surely find this book enlightening!

It appears I fall on the "liking it quite a bit" pendulum swing of opinion here. Some seem very angry about not liking it. Interesting. Worst case, one shouldn't have any trouble selling it on Amazon. I, like many, enjoy her "what if I....." approach. Definitely not traditional quilting and perhaps more toward the mixed media and art quilt audience.
No, it's not a "beginner's" book, though, perhaps, it should be to open newbie eyes to the possibilities.
It's creating outside the lines, the box, the cube, ... for me.. after all this is my review.
Listen to some favorite music and let your inner child out to play!

This book was a disappointment, sorry to say. I love art quilts, however, I did not find these appealing at all. I did not find anything that I wanted to try out. I was so disappointed that I resold the book immediately.

If you want to be truly inspired to play with texture, color, personal journaling and simply making art, get a copy of THE UNCOMMON QUILTER by Jeanne Williamson (Potter Craft, Random House). Jeanne has been creating small quilts every day for years, each one a page in her life.
I do not make quilts. I am a beader, but let me tell you, THE UNCOMMON QUILTER still gets my fires burning! Jeanne's explorations make me want to MAKE stuff. The book itself is superbly designed; modern and bright, it seduces you with lush full page, full color images and easy to follow projects. Yes, this is a HOW TO book! What it really teaches amidst the step by step projects is how to make your own creative discoveries, walking by Jeanne's side as she has made hers.

Share a remarkable journey with a highly creative artist, and become one yourself, with THE UNCOMMON QUILTER.
[...]

There's been a lot of hype online about this book, and I think for the most part it lives up to it. It's great for helping you to think outside the fabric box and look to alternative materials in your process . . . in fact, it's a good read for people interested in any artistic process. I only wish the book was better as a product. I've written to Random House about my disappointment with no response natch, but it seems unfortunate that such good ideas should be given such a poor showing. The text is chock full of typos and the images are flat and sometimes out of focus. A terrible editing and printing job. I hope she finds a better publisher for her next project.

Actually, I would give this "book" NO STARS, but there's no tab for that.
Let's begin with the title to Chapter 29: "Who Needs N*ggers?". I asterisked that so it wouldn't get edited out - he of course spells it out. That should pretty much wrap up the essence of this fabulistic screed of pseudoscience, limp-wristed white racism, anti-semitism and a surprising anti-Christianity. This epistle to the mindless is at least written so that its target audience can read it: it is an endless series of single paragraphs. I am presuming this is so it can be read with one's finger pointing out each word, and thankfully for that same audience there aren't any big words, either.

If, as a previous "reviewer" said this is "the second greatest book ever written", obviously that Dick and Jane reader was the only other book they ever read - and slowly at that. What "white man's bible" seems to mean - not to give away anything important - is that the existing bible is too "polluted" with Jews. What a briliantly racist revelation! Or is that Revelation? The only other major criticism is that the paper is too stiff to replace that Sears catalog that's hanging in the outhouse...

Without a doubt a brilliant book.One in a series of great works done by the very observant Ben Klassen.This literature is a culmination of seeing the problem and making a solution.This is a very "down to earth" religion focusing on the preservation of the White Race.As you read through,you will be transported into the past,the present,and the future.The way Klassen has predicted events will give you shivers and make you really assess the situation.Read if you want a life-changing outcome.

It made me much more racially aware and politically active than I ever thought I would become before reading it in 1997. I even lost over 100 lbs following the raw food diet, which Klassen recommends as the ideal diet for the white man. I have more self-respect as a result of my increased awareness of the great heritage of my ancestors. Thank you Amazon for selling this book! The court system ordered all copies destroyed in 2003, but it's wonderful to see the age of banning subversive books is over!

This is the most important book that a member of the human species (whites) can own. In the Twenty-First Century, we of the proud Europian ancestry stand on the brink of extinction, because over the period of the last seventeen hundred years, we have been in the slow process of destroying our survival instincts in favour of brotherly love, thanks to Jewish Christianity and other programs of propaganda that are now culminating with alarming acceleration. Ben Klassen takes you through the whole story of our decline as a people, citing examples of self-destructive thinking, and never failing to define what should have always been the obvious line between fact and fancy. He even includes a letter published in Century Magazine in 1928 by a Jewish writer, one Marcus Eli Ravage, who confesses very boastfully about the great Jewish plot (Christianity) on their enemy, the Romans, and how they have continued throughout the centuries with similar, quiet, insidious schemes to bring down the white race, not the least of which is the mongrelization and eventually outbreeding of our genes by encouraging us to mix with other races (except their own).
The author goes back again and again to the inarguable laws of nature, showing numerous examples analagous to the human situation with its cousins, making it very clear that every species has a natural enemy, ours being no exception.
Even though I have long regarded our public schools as an institution designed solely to program our children into good, mindless drones who will think what the media tells them to think without question, I was several times surprised to discover new lies our teachers told us and truths their text books conveniently forgot to mention. Ben Klassen's work starkly shows how dull and listless we have all become to desiring to search for the truth. From beginning to end he pulls back the wool we've allowed them to place over our eyes for so long, and reveals a whole new world. The fact that the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the book destroyed, screams confirmation of that fact. Or the fact that the leader of the movement, Matt Hale, was convicted of terrorism on the preposterous charge of trying to bribe an F.B.I. agent to assassinate a judge when this book, his bible, explicitly describes how and why the F.B.I. cannot be trusted by whites who have caught onto the truth, only further confirms the tremendous conspiracy. An hardcopy of the book for a realistic price is next to impossible to find, but google "The White Man's Bible" and exit the Matrix.

Please ignore the monkeybrain reviewer below, this person is obviously an idiot to have picked up this book in the first place (check out his other reviews, that says enough!) This book is a must read for all Indo-European people who are not afraid to stand-up and be proud of their ancestry and race. Mr. Klassen was a brilliant writer and educated man who felt the need to spread the truth of how the new generation of white people are brainwashed in the melting-pot of today's America. It touches on many, many subjects and every spingle page of this thick book is an excellent read. Unfortunately, it is out of print and most likely it'll never be re-printed (yeah, and this is called 'free country') but it can be downloaded for no cost at the site. Highly recommended.

I've read this book in a short couple of weeks and was so captured by it's ideas that I couldn't put it down. Everything is so real. As a scientist, engineer, (six sigma) master black belt, and research department manager, I found McCoy's insightful historical examples very meaningful and can't wait to apply the concepts to improve my own critical thinking skills. The tests and quizzes throughout the chapters on "Why didn't I..." were great entertainment, and a few kept me thinking for days for the solution. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to improve their grasp of facts!

I really enjoyed this book. It's a publication that sits somewhere between the likes of Gelb, Buzan and co - nothing really taxing, no great epiphanies but some simple, experiental advice on how we can all avoid some of the most common thinking problems.
What I always enjoy is providing some solid examples of each type of thinking as an introduction to each theme. Mr McCoy does just that and they serve as solid real life examples (a blessed relief from 'out of the box' thinking puzzles.)
There aren't too many books on this topic that I find 'hard to put down.' But this one was close - fun, educational and stimulating. Bingo!

...falls short of delivering. First, the book does not cover creative thinking, or creative greatness. You better look for other great books on building creative thinking like "Cracking Creativity". Second, every page confirms the writer's background of a lawyer. While thinking, especially the unthinkable is undeniably very important in the court, the writer is kind of trapped in a "black/white" world. True vs. lie with topics such as "concentrate on crucial facts" or "always make sure..". Well, that might work in the court, but helps one little in thinking out of the box / thinking creatively. Thus, worst rating possible.

WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT: THINK THE UNTHINKABLE AND ACHIEVE CREATIVE GREATNESS by Charles W. McCoy, Jr.

Reviewer: Dr. Bob Krone, Emeritus Professor, University of Southern
California, USA.

In drafting an essay for the American society for Quality on "Quality Thinking," Judge Charles W. McCoy, Jr.'s 2002 book title captured my attention. It turned a Los Angeles to Frankfurt flight into extremely valuable "Thinking Lessons."

The major problem with thinking in today's world of complexity, uncertainty, adversity and 15-second information media-bits is that we lose the ability to think rationally about thinking. Those of us in education leadership positions have the advantage of being continually challenged to think about the theories, concepts, judgments, assertions and ideas of our colleagues and students. Even with that requirement the dynamics of living and working force us to shortcut the "evidence-to-conclusions-and- recommendations" cycle we traverse frequently every day. Sometimes those shortcuts lead to "costly errors" as Judge McCoy points out in his Imtroduction (p. x).

Here's is why I recommend Why didn't I think of that ... to you, whatever your professional and personal roles involve:

* We all must solve problems daily .. whether it is freeway driving or
a decision on a heart surgery .... We cannot avoid the requirement
To think.
* Judge McCoy leads us to a systems approach to thinking that takes
inputs from all our senses: seeing, concentrating, asking penetrating questions,
using logic, analysis and imagination, listening, double-checking facts, and considering intuition, but cross-checking first impressions and feelings.
* And he does it with an impressive array of illustrative examples from his
own experience and his research.
* He advises us to "lead with your mind, follow with your heart" (p.33).
* He cautions us to "understand before judging" (53). ... that sounds
very logical but most of us fail to fully understand at some critical
decision points in our lives.
* Asking the right questions is a very special skill. Judge McCoy ends
each section with a set of critical questions to help you improve the
quality of your thinking.
* Being also a university professor he includes "learning from failures"
in our thinking. It's a fact that we think more about failures than
successes.
* Study the thinking processes of others and how they react to you
and thinking the unthinkable are valuable inclusions.

Having had considerable experience with book reviews I will end with a comment about the Frank LaForge review of this book also here in Amazon.com. The purposes of a book review are to accurately summarize what the author has done to help prospective readers make their own decisions about the book purchase and to help the author with constructive criticism. LaForge's personal attack on Charles McCoy and the other reviewers of his book fails to meet either of those purposes. I recommend discounting his review.

How should you think, according to this book? You should think perceptively, deliberately, systematically and empathetically. Also, you must control the quality of your thinking, use your imagination, listen to your inner voice and look before you leap. You can get a lot from this book because it provides you with a comprehensive toolkit for making better decisions. It comes replete with examples to illustrate the application of the various methods the author expounds. Some are so well chosen that they help remind the reader of the methods themselves. There are examples of statesmanship (Franklin, Johnson, Churchill, Gandhi), judges in action (Solomon, Learned Hand and the author), marketing strategy (Intel vs Motorola, Coke vs Pepsi, Ford vs GM), productivity enhancement (Ford again), military strategy (from WWII and Vietnam, mostly, but also "The Charge of the Light Brigade" from the Crimean War), space exploration (three Apollo missions) and environmental disasters (the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska and the Chernobyl nuclear reactor meltdown in Ukraine). The book contains firsthand account of court cases the author has been involved with, both as a lawyer and as a judge. The author even details to us some errors he made and learned from. And he provides exercises to allow us to do the same with ours and to plan ahead. This is one of the most interesting features of this book for me, because I have made errors too and I sure wish to avoid falling into the same rut again. The book also contains interesting mind stretchers. Solutions to the exercises are provided at the end of chapters and some alternate solutions are given at the end of the book. Practice will improve your decision making skills.

This book takes too long to get to the point and repeat it at least 20 times! The author should take a course in the art of writing educational books!

This a book with a fresh, powerful message and tools for leaders everywhere. It is especially valuable in the Agile community where we are trying to clearly define and capture what leadership and innovation mean on Agile projects.

I found myself drawn in page after page as stories of "reframing", "appreciating the positive", and "seeing how the future unfolds from the present" unfolded to to articulate the contruct (not concept) of Appreciative Intelligence.

In my opinion, the latter half of the book is better suited for those interested in practical application. Also be warned that the considerable erudition of the authors shows up in a flood of references that might slow down your reading.

All in all, a great book with fresh thinking and tools for those interested in leadership and innovation.

[...]

In this ground breaking book, Tojo Thatchenkery and Carol Metzker integrates the cutting edge research from cognitive sciences and social psychology to identify and describe an ability that enables some people to take new or challenging circumstances and turn them into successful experiences, while others waver at similar situations. This ability called `Appreciative Intelligence' helps one to perceive and realize the positive generative potential within the present.

In a lucid and compelling fashion, the authors describe how people with high levels of appreciative intelligence see mighty oak in the acorn. They also go beyond to explain how to plant and preserve the acorns to help them grow and thrive despite challenging circumstances.

Read and more importantly, practice these ideas. You will be amazed at the positive possibilities of your present situation - no matter what your profession is.

As background, I have worked with Tojo Thatchenkery on teaching Appreciative Inquiry here in India.

Having always been fond of the subject, I continued to be diappointed that the field had relatively little concrete theoretical foundations. With this book, the authors have helped to create the requisite conceptual backing for the field of AI.

The book is well researched and structured, thus making it very interesting to read. I would recommend it to everybody who is passionate about harnessing human potential to the benefit of humanity.

In a remarkable turn of events, this week's Fortune magazine cover article highlights the ways that former GE CEO Jack Welch's management maxims, once taken as gospel by leaders around the world, are now being questioned and even rejected. Welch is credited with reinvigorating Six Sigma, the penultimate tool set for organizational improvement. It's probably no coincidence that Tojo Thatchenkery and Carol Metzker's new book on Appreciative Intelligence (Seeing the Mighty Oak in the Acorn) should emerge at the same time to offer a powerful alternative to traditional forms of management thinking that have spawned problem solving, "forced ranking," and other deficit-oriented approaches to organizational change.
Appreciative Intelligence is defined by the authors (full disclosure: Thatchenkery and I were in graduate school together nearly twenty years ago but have had virtually no contact since then) as consisting of three components: reframing, appreciating the positive, and seeing how the future unfolds from the present. The book is full of wonderful case examples, both for-profit and non-profit settings, of how the principles of Appreciative Intelligence can be understood and practiced. There are simple methods for profiling one's own levels of Appreciative Intelligence, awareness and action.
While researchers will find several chapters digging into the biological basis for Appreciative Intelligence of considerable academic interest, probably the biggest payoff of this book for organizational practitioners is the last chapter on how to apply the principles to employee development efforts. As the process owner for career development within a major global technology company, this book provides powerful support for continuing to find ways to build on the internal talent that many companies and organizations possess by focusing on future potential - seeing the mighty oak in the acorn - and helping to realize that potential in ways that benefit the individual and the enterprise.

The Art of Embroidery: Inspirational Stitches, Textures, and Surfaces
I took this book out of a library for a couple of weeks and needed to extend the time because I loved it so much. The thought process and fiber manipulation taken from nature and developed into many different types of product, are fab. I am continually looking at this book again and again and always find it inspiring and motivating. If you love to design and create using your own ideas this is a must have. Not a "how to" book with little in the way of instructions. You need to have a sound understanding of embroidery, both hand and machine to help you nut out what they have done to achieve the results shown. An amazing book of photos, ideas and exploration to take you where you may not have thought to go.

I adore this book! It is really and truly inspirational. As someone else said, it is NOT a how to book - and it is not meant to be. It is what it says - inspiration. If you are a creative stitcher you will love this book and it will be like mine, a constant companion, even in your dreams.
The stunning photographs of the natural world and their translation into stitch is excellent, informative and again, inspiring. The ideas are innovative, modern and lead you into your own creative pathways. The photography is excellent and if stitch instruction are sparse you can see what to do from the pictures. Colour use is great and again, you can learn a lot just from the pictures.

Highly RecommendedThe Art of Embroidery: Inspirational Stitches, Textures, and Surfaces

If an artsy representation of nature in embroidered forms is your thing, and you have every other possible embroidery publication, buy this one--but only if you want a complete literature on the subject. It is not a 'how-to' and not particularly inspirational unless you are a student of textile arts.

As a new hand to embroidery I bought several books with stitches and then got stuck with what next? Not being prone to use kits and wanting to explore nature with texture and stitches, The Art of Embroidery seemed the perfect choice. The photos of nature and of her designs reproducing nature with stitches on fabric are incredible! My sewing background helped when it came to filling in the details of the instructions from time to time. I have already made several things inspired by this book AND I have preordered her next book on felt!

This is not a "how to" book. No patterns here. It's a wonderful exploration of breaking boundries, and moving away from rules. A great book for those seeking inspiration to look beyond the norm. Love it, but not for everyone. Lucious photography in the 'artsy' mode. A great companion the the 'The Art of Knitting' book by the same author.

Came average speed, the book wasnt that bad in condition. Overall decent.

My mother enjoyed it, so I guess thats the plus.

Awakening at midlife is an intelligent book. Instead of focusing strictly on physical changes, it touches on issues that affect us, both men and women in midlife, in a larger sense: the search for wholeness, losses and death, continuing growth strategies, and relationships. It then goes on to give us techniques for enriching our lives that include dreamwork, creativity, and spirituality.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in making the second half of their life as rich as or richer than the first half. Too often the focus at this time of life is on our losses--physical changes, death of friends and family members, role changes, and career stagnation. This book shows us how to focus on the positive aspects of growing older. It's a time when we can recreate our lives in the present, discover our true potential, and return to who we really are.

I read the book and was disappointed in the content. Didn't say anything I didn't already know and wouldn't have bought it if I'd had a chance to check it out in a book store.

Awakening at Midlife is a call to meaning. As an author, therapist, and speaker on midlife choices, I have witnessed the transition Kathleen Behony is talking about. She gives us a thorough look at why midlife is a fruitful time to assess our choices. She also gives some practical ways to explore.
I particularly liked how she wove her journey through the book.
Karla Freeman, Creating Magic in Midlife: 101 Questions and Answers to Reinvent Your Work, Relationships, and Life!

Midlife crises are usually acknowledged as depression symtoms. Kathelee Brehony presents a new approach to midlife crisis as a call-up to change in our lives. A wake-up call to be ourselves by begining to accept and expose our inner hidden feelings and self that have been concealed due to society pre-established norms. Definitely, a useful guide to personal growth and development.

I learned about this book from my boss work. I wasn't sure I wanted to take the advice to see if it would help me get my career on track. Now I'm glad I did. It not only helped me get the fun back into my career. It also helped me with numerous other areas of my life. I would recommend it highly.

I needed to know what to do with my life to get out of a rut and start working at things that really mattered to me. This book was a tremendous help in that effort. The exercises in the chapter on finding your purpose in life were worth the price of admission alone. Each chapter can stand alone or be used with the others. The chapters cover things like relationships, creativity, spirituality (not religion), and careers. I've used the drills in four of the chapters so far and loved the results. There are still six more chapters to go and I will probably do them all. I'm glad I bought the book!

I read this book about a year ago when I was trying to help a client get back on track career-wise. He had no idea what he really wanted to do with his life and was bouncing back and forth between wanting the security of staying where he was and wanting the freedom to do something more exciting and challenging. There are some very simple but powerful prodedures in this book that can be used to help yourself or a friend (or client) discover their real passion in life. It's a great book for career counselors or other people in the helping professions. Use it for yourself or to help another. Very powerful stuff!!!

I purchased the book to gain a deeper understanding of the drivers that lead to burn out to help me avoid finding my way into being burned out again.

What I found was a book that said the same thing chapter after chapter with no new information to solve the problems. I felt like there was no coverage of identification of burnout (or only passing references) and there weren't any real suggestions, only exercises which served to identify the things which were important to you.

I also found that the table of contents didn't match the page numbering and the index had no page numbers at all. Add to this the difficult in finding headings and it made the book a nightmare to navigate.

The one redeaming quality is that the book allows someone who's not sure what their goals are a structured way to discover them.

This book doesn't tell you what to do, it doesn't give advice, and it doesn't evaluate your situation for you. But it does give you all the tools you need to do the job yourself! I had so many realizations while doing the exercises included, I wouldn't trade them for all the advice in the world. I just needed a few tools and then I could see for myself very clearly what caused my feelings of burnout and what to do to feel good again. I really prefer to get my help that way. Sort of like being taught to fish rather than handed a fish. If you prefer to have ideas handed to you on a platter, you might not care for this book. But if you'd prefer to be given the tools to come up with some great ideas on your own, you will like this book and it will be useful. It's as simple as that.

This is a great introduction to creativity and innovation for individuals, teams, and leaders. It is a refreshingly upbeat take on the creative process--highly recommended.

As the author of "Thinkertoys (A Handbook of Business Creativity)" and "Cracking Creativity (The Secrets of Creativity Genius)," I rarely recommend books about creative thinking, because, after all they compete with my books. With this book, I must make an exception. It's a superb book on brainstorming. If you want to become more creative in your business and personal life, buy this book. I guarantee that you won't be disappointed.

Collaborative Creativity is a wonderful resource for leaders of creative teams. The book is a great read for managers, providing an introduction to the creative process and tips on how to enable the creative process in your organization. Ricchiuto's "Idea Garden" offers practical examples to help managers identify pitfalls to creativity.

Collaborative Creativity is an insightful resource. Members of my creative staff found the book to be a catalyst for brainstorming sessions on how to improve the flow of ideas and creativity in our large, nonprofit organization.

Collaborative Creativity is a concise, practical introduction to the creative process.

As a marketing professional for the past 15 years, I am always looking for innovative and exciting ideas. Jack Ricchiuto's "Collaborative Creativity" offers beginners and seasoned professionals with new ideas that have proven successful in my workplace. The "idea garden" and "random words" are two tools that haved worked for me and my staff, and at the same time are fun to use. I was introduced to this book through an Executive MBA program and know that my classmates too, have found the power from "Collaborative Creativity."

At best, half this book directly involves collaboration. The half that doesn't is handled in a much more interesting way by Mike Michalko and others in the field. Also, to say that there are 72 essays is very misleading- many of these 'essays' are three paragraphs long and one is only three sentances. There are some good things in here, and Ricchiuto is probably a very good consultant, but I have to agree with the reviewer who said most of it is not really very new.