Creativity Books

If you've never done any creative writing beyond high school, or if you're a creative writing teacher, this book is probably a gem. Unfortunately, I am neither. The exercises were simple and nothing that I haven't done on my own or in writing groups. I guess I was expecting something a little more advanced. If you're looking to improve your writing with different writing activities and consider yourself beyond a basic level, try Word Painting by Rebecca McClanahan. It's not an exercise book, per se, but, along with the suggestions for more descriptive writing, she also has a lot of activities that I found more challenging.

I've always wanted to have a writing practice, and this book finally inspired me to do it. I'm thinking of starting a group for beginning writers, and using the exercises in this book as our "curriculum." I actually love the examples, which have shown me that it's okay to relax, have fun, let the words flow without so much self-criticism. The Writer's Path has an air of awareness and kindness about it--I can't explain it, but I feel very nurtured by these authors. I don't know where my writing will take me, and I don't even care. It feels so good to finally begin expressing myself in this way.

The majority of "The Writer's Path" consists of exercises and examples, tied together by bits of wisdom, suggestions, and experiences the authors have had. There are plenty of suggestions for using these exercises in partner, class, or group writing, which makes them much more widely applicable than most other books. Also, when I read other books I often shrug at many of the exercises, finding them a little less than inspiring. Most of this book's exercises come with variations, suggested places to start, ways to take them further, and so on, and I found them more interesting.

The exercises range from "jump starts" (quick little things) to "letter forms" (exercises you can do with postcards and letters), "style" (exercises to help you work on your voice and style), "character" (things like biography data sheets, character explorations), and more. If you only read one chapter from this book, though, read the "story" chapter. The exercises in random story structures, abstract story structures, natural story structures, poetic outlines, and so on are intriguing, fun, and inspiring.

The examples are my only quibble with the book. They take up a lot of space, and I wasn't terribly interested in them. I do think they serve one important purpose, however. The writer who is afraid to just cut loose and allow herself to write something silly or even--heaven forfend--bad can see that it's okay to not write masterpieces here, and that can be fairly liberating.

This would be a particularly valuable book for writing teachers, I believe. The authors have done quite a bit of teaching, and they share many of the insights they've learned. So whether you're teaching creative writing to high schoolers or some of your adult neighbors, in a classroom setting or an informal writers' group, you could learn a lot from this book.

Everyone, anyone will benefit from this book--beginners and masters, productive and blocked writers, literary and technical writers. The authors' premise is that everyone can write, has a unique voice, and has something to write about. Instead of poking us in the eye with rules and have-to's and shoulds--like so many English teachers seem to--Walton and Toomay, both accomplished writers, draw us out, help us discover, and encourage us. They do this through exercises: some to do alone, some with a writing partner; some take a few minutes, some longer; some simple, some difficult. I found them all useful. Well, I haven't tried all of them--there are probably hundreds of them including all the variations.

A convenient feature of the format in "Writer's Path" is that you can wade into the book at any point and pick the exercise for whatever skill you want to work on, then come back later for a different exercise. Like Yoga, you don't need an elaborate set up; you can do an exercise jotting on an envelope while you wait for the bus or during a dull meeting. Some are simple enough to do in your head, although I've found it best to write--that's the point of the book--to have a record of what I've done and, at best, to see in time the progress I've made. Many exercises are like improvisational skits--as in Drew Carey's show, "Who's Line is it Anyway"--where rehearsed performance is replaced with on-the-fly invention. Creative--sometimes silly--exercises such as changing one word at a time or reordering sentences help loosen imagination and foster creativity even if the result of an exercise isn't a finished product. To help make the exercises work, they've provided examples of results of most of the exercises. But they don't hold up the examples as models, just as guides. One of the best aspects of this book is that it draws writing out of us rather than pushing us to fit a mold. In that respect, this book inspires and encourages, and may be especially good for people who consider themselves refugees from hypercritical English instruction. As Toomay points out, one of the differences between taditional instruction and "Writer's Path" is that the former focuses on the product of writing, and the latter focuses on the process of writing. Better process necessarily improves the product, yet avoids the necessity for criticism in favor of practice practice practice. (As in the old joke, how do you get to Carnegie Hall?)

Although the subtitle--"A Guidebook for Your Creative Journey"--suggests it's for fiction writers, the help "Writer's Path" provides is applicable to any kind of writing because Walton and Toomay show us how to master the thinking, ideas, and psychology underlying written work as well as the mechanics. It could just as well have been titled, "The Psychology of Writing" or "Writing as Experience."

Primarily a technical writer, I have found the exercises useful in finding new formats and approaches to old problems. While there are no characters or plots in my papers, the exercises on those elements have helped me to think of the usual analysis or reporting instead as storytelling, and, I hope, to understand better how readers can relate to my topics.

The Writers Path is a not just about writing. It is also about reflections, healing and connecting to oneself and others. It serves not only the seasoned and blossoming writer, but also those looking for a sensitive structure to explore personal insight and creativity through writing.

As one who teaches a college class about the creative process as well as being a creative arts therapist I have found invaluable tools in the Writers Path. The exercises, essays and examples help students and clients alike connect with their spirit, their story. We all have a story to tell. Creativity is a great healer. Having methods of tapping into it though writing has proved insightful and therapeutic for my students and clients who claim "they are not writers". They have explored some of the techniques in the Writers Path to create some profound and touching stories.

I was first attracted to the book because I wanted toexpand my writing skills. I was pleasantly surprised to find it so divers in its application. It should be on every creative writing class syllabus. Those looking for creative group process ideas will find them in this book. Walton and Toomay present a beautifully written guidebook for ones creative journey.

There are some interesting techniques illustrated in this step-by-step art manual, but there are frustrating holes in the book's how-to-do-it instruction, too. A lot of pages are devoted to rather stingy content. It seems the world is still waiting for a truly good book on the techniques of making abstract art. Maybe -- just maybe -- it's something that can't be learned from a book. In any case, you'll find a few nuggets of gold among the dross, and that's enough to merit buying this book. If you get a few useful ideas, it's worth the price.

The basic information in the book is pretty good, but as a beginer it's over my head. Still, it has some pretty interesting stuff and examples. Book deserves 5 stars, I just chose wrong one.

"Beyond Realism" by Brian Ryder combines inspiration and technique, helping artists to move from realistic forms of painting to the more inventive form of abstract art. This is no small step, as this kind of art requires the ability to express intangible ideas in visual form - while still keeping to the basic principles of good art. Ryder's book provides a great start in making this leap.

In the introduction, the author explains that abstract art is the artist's interpretation of reality (as opposed to reflecting it.) He discusses the work of some of his favourite abstract artists, and illustrates the text with accompanying photographs. After displaying a gallery of his own work, Ryder proceeds to give step by step demonstrations on ten different subjects. These demos vary in interpretation and style from an impressionistic landscape, to bold abstracts that develop the interplay of pure form, texture and colour. In other words, it shows there is an infinite variety in abstract art.

What I especially like about this book is that each example is accompanied by photographs taken as if the reader is looking over the artist's shoulder and watching him at work - the next best thing to a video. Ryder demonstrates "adventurous painting techniques" in acrylic and oil mediums, combining both with other mediums to create a range of textures and effects. In the accompanying text, he virtually thinks out loud as he develops the painting, giving his reasons for the choices he is making.

This book is not for the beginner, but it is great for any artist of some experience who wants to know how to "translate" ordinary everyday objects and scenes into an abstract painting. Ryder mentions that he often does a series of paintings on one subject in which he experiments with different treatments of it. If you have previously painted in a more realistic style, following his process can encourage you to be more exploratory in your own work.

To extend the ideas in this book, I particularly recommend "Painting the Spirit of Nature" by Maxine Masterfield as well as "Celebrate your Creative Self" by Mary Todd Beam, both of which show the development of abstract ideas.

I ordered this book because I've been stuck trying to do realistic art. I love to look at abstract art and believe this book is helping me make the transition from one to the other. It gives step by step instructions from the original vision to color studies to the finished piece of art.

I found this work very much to be on my wavelength. Some illustrations were more traditional than I had hoped but some will provide me with stimulation to be even more abstract in my approach to landscape.

I have to admit, I was pretty excited to read this. However, after finishing it, I am fairly neutral to the application of Fritz' theories. I was expecting a book on methods of relieving creative block and getting into the creative mindset. While the book does accomplish this to some extent, most of it takes you through many of Fritz' anti-philosophical/self-help theories. This is fine for a book about that sort of thing, and I agree with what he says (for the most part) but I fail to make the connections he is trying so hard to show the reader. Maybe I just need time to absorb, and test his theories in real life. Oh, and if he plugged his "Technologies for Creating" workshops (registered trademark) one more time, I was going to throw the book out of my car window. Anyway, I will re-review this book after I have some time to put into practice some of his theories. Who knows, maybe there is a connection between painting a picture and the Holocaust. (see section on identity)

This book sets out to demystify creating, to pragmatically assist the reader in learning ideas and processes that can be applied to creating works of art, craft, business, et cetera. It's well worth reading for that pragmatic purpose. The first chapter sample, available on "look inside" on this web site, gives a good sample of Fritz' approach, uncluttered by the flaws noted in later sections of the book. He emphasized some steps and aspects of process that I wasn't so starkly aware of. I've created effective cartoons, articles, essays, songs, clothing designs, gardens, et cetera, but this book could help in becoming much more productive.

Some sections of the book launch into an attack on cultural assumptions. Bravo. Most of it was valid in supporting his approach to creating. However, I was uncomfortable with some of his extreme statements about certain disciplines and cultural traditions. He seemed to dismiss all of psychotherapy, and take some cheap shots, for instance, rather than limiting his comments to self-indulgent and deluded approaches. He overgeneralized and thus misrepresented other cultural traditions, ideas, and disciplines. For example:

"While meditation and psychotherapy may have replaced tranquilizing and recreational drugs, all of them presume you are entitled to feel good, even if you need to dull your senses and color reality to find happiness, self-love and fulfillment." p122 Fawcett edition, 1991

On the contrary, I would argue, going through a course of therapy based on Alice Miller's (sample title: Thou Shalt Not be Aware) views might allow and traumatized individual to function in life without enduring constant shaming, flashbacks, and emotional paralysis. It can be important to examine emotions, and feel good at times. Also the meditation I have personal experience of, mindfulness and insight meditation, as described by Chogyam Trungpa (sample title: Meditation in Action) and others are not about brainwashing oneself or dulling the senses. In fact, mindfulness meditation is likely to lead to some of the same insights and awareness Fritz describes in his discussion of the mind, separation, and so on. Fritz would do better if he didn't dismiss everyone else's work. Yes, it's true that people can get too focused on transient emotions and fixing the self. However, meditation and psychotherapy do still have something to offer, keeping in mind the 80/20 rule -- most of everything is crap, so buyer beware.

Ironically, right after Fritz' section on the lack of necessity to choose a right worldview, he launches into what is obviously his worldview. Oh, he has a disclaimer, and he's not dogmatic at that particular moment, but still, throughout the book, he does argue for his views of how things work, what will be if you follow his process. My suggestion: just ignore his adamant, paternalistic ranting, see through it, and go for his basic ideas, which are useful even though he has an obnoxious personality and a bit of a ham-fisted way of throwing around generalizations.

If you want to create something, this book can challenge you in a useful way.

While some reviewers may have hoped for help on overcoming creative blocks, it seems they miss the point.

Robert Fritz makes a big distinction between creating and creativity. To create, you have to care about bringing something into reality that doesn't exist. As Fritz says, "Creating is in the realm of the noninevitable."

Creativity, in contrast, refers to the unusual and inventive, and Fritz argues that:

"Creating sometimes includes creativity, but most often it does not. As you master the creative process, the unusual becomes usual, and so it will seem less creative. You may be creating, then, and not have creativity. Likewise, you can have creativity but not be creating."

I had this discussion with a software engineer working on a major user interface introduction. Fritz would have him first determine what he loves enough to create, what are its qualities, and what is the "result" he wants to create. It's not about being infinitely creative, his engineers are already doing too much of that. It's about creating around a single design point versus maintaining too many open possibilities.

Another part of the book I really liked was "First Person/Third Person." Fritz makes the distinction between people who see their creations as part of their identity (meaning they are apt to "advocate a specific position") and those who remain separate from, while still passionate about, their creations (people "more apt to seek accuracy") as they encounter reality.

In "The Worldview," Fritz carries this theme further, quoting Robert Frost in saying: "The artist must not select a universal and then find particulars to fit it."

In the end, Fritz argues for pure emotion ("you want what you want") along with a rigorous process ("the creative process is made up of many steps in a particular sequence"). He believes that if you're frustrated in creating something, it's nothing more than not knowing what you want and/or inexperience in the creation process!

I bought this book because creating always felt like a white-hot, hit or miss, lightning flash, that also felt dangerous and fearful, like having to step off a cliff into thin air. Author of The Path of Least Resistance, Robert Fritz, in Creating, says thin air is good. And -- gulp -- he's right. For Fritz, creating is an ordinary and understandable skill we can learn -- and we can, he says, learn to do it better and more often. He's right about that, too. He says creating is getting the results we want in any area of our lives -- work projects, art work, career, relationships, community. It is a process with form and shape. It's not problem-solving, or reaching for the unusual, or about inventiveness or "creative ability." Anyone can do it. And he outlines nine stages of the process, from conception to living with what you create. Creating ranges far, around and through the subject, offering practical approaches and even a warm-up guide, and he deals with hindrances like the discrepancies between "Ideal-Belief-Reality" that get in the way. If this book helps you surface what he calls "invisible beliefs" that get in the way of what you want in life, it's worth three times the price. Fritz argues creating is not discovery. Some people take his seminar to discover what really matters to them, but as he says, that idea "presumes that what matters somehow already exists (p. 118)." Creating brings into existence something that did not exist before, makes something from nothing. This book is broader and deeper than the typical how-to-create book -- it doesn't talk about brainstorming or problem-solving or creativity. It describes how to become aware of the process and some of its pitfalls, and how to do it in a way that helps you get the results you want. I have no problem with a point of view that our ideas can help or hinder us in getting what we want. For those who do, this book may open their eyes.

I had to give it five stars because it did such a job stimulating me with its new ideas about creating. At times it's slow to pore over. You're excited at the stuff you're learning, but the prose feels a bit tedious, so it's like being chin-deep in water and wanting to race ashore for something great. But this book's concepts, about the structure of creating, are so mind-blowing to us "creatives" that it's a must to sit and take it a swallow at a time. Fritz's challenging ideas allowed me to expand my thinking about myself, to see myself not as a writer but as a creating person (one of whose creating modes is writing). My promotion of my written materials is an act of creating. So is the plan I'm putting together for my life. Wow!

This book reveals the we must not always follow societal norms. Nonsycophants will delight in this classic.

The issue addressed by Sternberg is never addressed adequately, because no one writing on the topic has enough creativity to provide an adequate account of the phenomenon. Virtually everyone who has written on it in the psychological field has brought a scientific bias; or they have brought a poor understanding of the phenomenon occasioned by the fact that their analyis is highly speculative (based on guess work); or it is an analysis compromised by a sheer lack of creativity. In other words, in order to write about creativity, it is best to have a lot of the phenomenon oneself. Sternberg is quite adequately equipped in this regard. From the perspective of one thus, who is himself a creative person, Sternberg makes the facts, interpretations, and prescriptions come alive in the treatment. This book is an example of an effort to match actual experiences with a social and a scientifically methodological agenda. Thus, I advise the book for anyone who wants wisdom in a pure sense, matched to a social agenda that takes its cues from scientific methods.

Certainly a good book, though somewhat lightweight. People truly interested in creativity will need to look further into Sternberg & Lubart's articles, and into the wider literature on creativity. Furthermore, it is worth noting that the above two reviews are either nonsensical, fanatical, or drivel. Science certainly involves creativity, and often tremendous amounts. Though one review talks about scientific bias, if you ask Sternberg which epistemology he bases his work on it will certainly be science. Don't be scared or dissuaded to try other books - Csikzentmihalyi's is a good intermediate one, and the Sternberg-edited Handbook of Creativity is a comprehensive text at a level both deeper and wider.

Robert Sternberg is one of my favorite psychologists. This man, who once admitted that, as a school child, he scored low on intelligence tests, later became one of the leading intelligence researchers and theorists in the world (if not THE leading one). He reached this status by applying highly original and unconventional ideas and research approaches (for instance, each day, on his way to work, he once interviewed laymen about how they defined intelligence!). The unbelievably productive Sternberg is probably most famous for his so-called triarchic theory of intelligence, but he also wrote about creativity, widom, love an other subjects in a highly original way.

Defying the crowd, written together with Todd Lubart, is about creativity. The book compares achieving creative success to achieving financial success as an investor. I think, the central idea of the book is reflected in the following quote: "In the realm of ideas, a person who buys low, metaphorically, is willing to generate and promote ideas that are novel and even strange and out of fashion. This is not necessarily easy to do. Other people react to the creative person the way they react to the investor who swims against the tide: 'What's the matter with you?'Others often see him or her as irrational or even stupid: if the investment or idea were any good, other people would already be using it, right?"

One of the reasons I like this book so much, is because Robert Sternberg is perhaps the most credible person to have (co-)written it, being a living example of achieving incredible success by defying the crowd.

The issue addressed by Sternberg is never addressed adequately, because no one writing on the topic has enough creativity to provide an adequate account of the phenomenon. Virtually everyone who has written on it in the psychological field has brought a scientific bias; or they have brought a poor understanding of the phenomenon occasioned by the fact that their analyis is highly speculative (based on guess work); or it is an analysis compromised by a sheer lack of creativity. In other words, in order to write about creativity, it is best to have a lot of the phenomenon oneself. Sternberg is quite adequately equipped in this regard. From the perspective of one thus, who is himself a creative person, Sternberg makes the facts, interpretations, and prescriptions come alive in the treatment. This book is an example of an effort to match actual experiences with a social and a scientifically methodological agenda. Thus, I advise the book for anyone who wants wisdom in a pure sense, matched to a social agenda that takes its cues from scientific methods.

The Fieldbook is an excellent companion book to The Disney Way, and gives tons of helpful hints and exercises for implementing new Disney Way methods of organizing or structuring your business culture, so to speak. As a trainer, I found it extremely helpful, and highly recommend it.

This engaging and enlightening book is as much fun to read as it is profitable to use. Structured like a theater script and written with a dramatic verve, it casts teamwork as human drama, and taps and energizes team members' innate will to succeed not just as individuals but as members of a group. This book, and its companion volume "The Disney Way," really stand out from the business book pack in their passion, good humor, and advice on creating the practical magic that makes a team even greater than the sum of its parts. Authors Capodagli and Jackson are really onto something with their "Dream, Believe, Dare, Do" guiding principles, and their business-wise and human-wise insights make their work essential reading for leaders of all types.

the first thought is ....WHAt is DREAM, BELIEVE, DARE, DO ?????????

Where is the mouse??? Then before long it pulls you in and you are hooked!

As a role playing book team approach, i think for private business the concepts are perfect for team building . need to look real close at a missing link that is EQ (Emotional Intelligence).

This part will go along with the 7 habits of highly effective People and should be showcased as well.

It is not a ONE item of management fits all here, rather a blend of different skill set that can be brought to the table for employers and employees to learn from and grow together while achieving a better understanding of how we can better work, live, and succeed together.

An extremely useful collection of tools. I'll use this book in my teaching and training and recommend it to others.

As a consultant myself that works with cross-functional teams, it is great to finally come across a book with proven activities that really work! This is a great tool to add to your repertoire. Individual activities are spelled out in terms of the benefits they provide, the materials required and specific guidelines on how to conduct them. This is a great contrast to the plethora of books on the market that promise great activities but provide nothing of value.

Mr.Sawyer does a very good job on presenting conclusions and approaches in research on creativity. It looks like he is very enthusiastic about the work of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. I would recommend readers interested in this fascinating field to look also for one of his books. I also recommend the Handbook of Creativity, that is a collection of articles on creativity. I learned some and enjoyed a lot reading Mr. Sawyer's book.

"Explaining Creativity" is one of the best introductions to the science of creativity. It develops a perspective on creativity---an approach known as the sociocultural model---and applies it to a striking range of areas. This sophisticated book requires an open mind. Readers looking for a treatise on the "healing power of the creative spirit" and related pop-psyc pseudoscience will not enjoy "Explaining Creativity," but readers curious to know scientific facts about creativity and innovation will get a lot out of it.

For a different perspective, see Robert Weisberg's fine book "Creativity."

Having been a fine artist(painter) my whole life, I felt that the author was talking about me personally! So many aspects of my creativity that I took for granted or didn't understand were clearly explained.

This book would also benefit others, who do not understand the life of an artist,comprehend the mind-set of creative people.

Many myths are "busted" and it comes down to what Thomas Edison and myself have always said....." 10% creativity and the rest is very hard work or a "labour" of love!

From the back cover of the book:

Dean Keith Simonton, author of ORIGINS OF GENIUS: "Without doubt EXPLAINING CREATIVITY is the most comprehensive single-volume presentation of what we know about the creative process, person, and product. Besides that, the book is extremely well written. It would be my first recommendation for anyone fascinated with creativity in all of its complexities and manifestations. There's simply nothing better out there for either specialist or general reader."

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of FLOW: "An extremely knowledgeable, wide-ranging, integrative summary of how the social sciences understand creativity. Keith Sawyer has again produced an intelligent and valuable contribution to knowledge. This is a volume that any scholar or lay-person interested in what creativity entails will want to have."

Howard S. Becker, author of ART WORLDS: "Sawyer has put together a mountain of research from a variety of fields to create a unified approach to understanding how people manage to do something different. His book is readable and learned, origninal, but mindful of its relation to all that other work, and well worth the attention of anyone who wants to think seriously about innovation in the arts and in social organizations."

This is a academically written treatise by "a self-proclaimed" expert on creativity who loves music and has read mostly only his own writing, it appears.

He begins highly critical of the massive research done in the creativity research rield from 1950 to 1980 then praises the work of his contemporaries and his own work.

I wrote more challenging notes in the margins of my copy then he wrote on most of the pages.

Often I found in correct statements about fields he seems to have only shallow knowledge of. This often lead me to doubt the value of his writing about fields I have minimal knowledge of.

If you are looking for an overview of creativity research and no other such books are available then you might read this one but be cautious of the extremelly restrictive biases often provided.

Finding Your Bipolar Muse left me on an incredible high. It's both motivational and practical, and the Toolkit really helped me crystalize my goals. The book covers it all, from taking care of yourself and your creative environment to setting priorities, de-stressing and improving productivity. This book is a must-have for people with bipolar disorder. It totally blew me away.

This second book by Lana Castle on bi-polar disease is even better than her first. She leads you gently through the steps to live successfully in the world. If you have a loved one in need of encouragement and support, help can be found in this book. I have recommended this book to several of my friends and have had good feedback.

Didn't really learn a thing from this, and its format is off-putting. The search for help with bi-polar continues.

Straight-forward, helpful and witty, I really enjoyed this book. Castle blends pieces of personal info., the experience of others, and factual information in a way that encouraged me to explore my own creative ideas. I, too, am bipolar, and thought that no long-term good could come out of my writing, but I feel inspired to give it a try! Her ideas and the way she relayed the wide scope of opportunities to use creativity helped me find a brighter perspective on it all.

Ms. Castle has written a really thoughtful handbook to understanding the artist in us all - not just for bi-polar people. Her style is easy to read, smart and functional with just the right amount of research provided as to not make it text-booky. We can all use the insights in this book to help us cultivate the successful artist inside. It was surprisingly warm and helpful. Thank you.

I am very happy with this book. It has introduced me to a lot of new things - the focus on expression (dynamics, percussion, right-hand technique, etc) has improved my playing. The exercises are well-tailored to the material. The 4 full-sized exercises would all make excellent additions to any modern-style acoustic player. I was looking for a book with some Hedges-style info, and this book has it, and it is well-presented.

It could have been better. The included CD has great interpretations of much of the material. Why not all? There are some typos in the tab. A couple of more tunes would have been nice, instead of much of the verbiage. The verbiage is fine, but not much different than you would get from picking up a typical guitar mag.

I agree with an above reviewer - the best books I have tried are the Mark Hanson books. I have finished those. This book has been a great follow-on for me.

Brian Gore has crafted a superb book for lessons in fingerstyle guitar. Holding the guitar, hand placement, tone production, dynamics, alternating right-hand fingers, harmonic convergence, composition, creativity, practice, and stage fright are all covered in depth using an intuitive approach that allows you to maximize your potential. I have attended many of Brian's International Guitar Night concerts and have taken lessons from Brian. His compositions are some of the finest gems to be created from the magical wood box with strings - "Michael's Theme", "These Days", and "Dutch Crunch" are all masterworks. As a bonus, the book also contains several tips and insights from other master guitarists as well - Pierre Bensusan, Laurence Juber, Peppino D'Agostino, and Don Ross to name a few. Brian's musical guidance is invaluable, and this book is highly recommended.

I have looked for many years for an instructional book that covered the percussive side of acoustic guitar, the same techniques used by the late Michael Hedges , Don Ross and Pino Forastiere to name a few...namely, tapping, slapping harmonics and other techniques that bring out the most in an acoustic guitar. This book takes you through all those and more in a very understandable and logical way...and it also has an excellent section on how to compose music on the guitar...which makes it possible for anyone regaurdless of playing level to compose songs. Anyone interested in gaining creative ideas and lessons on percussive techniques...this book is a must.

I've enjoyed and admired Brian Gore's music and technique for several years now so I was so glad to get his book on fingerstyle guitar technique. In the beginning chapters, he gives lots of insight into subjects a player wouldn't normally give a second thought to. But the surprise is, his analysis of things like holding styles, hand position, tone production and coloring, dynamics, control of accents and string stopping are just the things a guitarist should be looking at in detail to make better music. He uses excersises and several of his complete compositions to illustrate the subject he is discussing and they are also included on the accompanying cd. It's very helpful to hear as well as see what he is talking about. Brian covers the creative process of composing and gives some great tips on how to structure a new piece and make it come together. All the subjects are explained well and completely and the music presented in standard notation as well as tablature, in a format that is easy to read. Brian uses some different tunings throughout the lessons and completes the book with a chapter on building knowledge of the fingerboard in those altered tunings by using exercises and chord forms so you get a feel for where chords and scales are. I am looking forward to learning some of Brian's included tunes, most notably the new tune "Dutch Crunch", with it's great groove and percussive techniques. The chapter he devotes to stage fright, it's causes and how to manage it is very helpful. Brian includes several interviews on specific subjects with guitarists he plays with around the world, that are very insightful as well. Reading their different views on the same subject is very interesting. I love this book. It's well thought out and presented, it covers a lot, and it is easy to understand. And it includes some challenging tunes. Highly recommended!!

As the other reviewers have said, this covers a lot about the newer technics of Acoustic Guitar playing, but it is disappointing at the same time.

Once you get past all the "New Age" mumbo jumbo you will find that it is a book that is loaded with around 80% commons sense thoughts...Like after the chapter on posture it concludes with "...but you must find what is best for you...." As a matter of fact this whole book basically says this. The CD has only 7 examples of the TABS in the book. The interviews don't convey that much info. And the chapters that cover all the Pyro-Techniques (that main reason I bought the book) really lack from not having any thing on the CD.

You do get 3 tunes to work thru, and here is what gets me. I spend my hard earned money on a book - DVD - lessons to learn something, not to be "entertained". For $20 I expected lessons. But like a lot of books I have invested in over the last 2 years this is not the case. The playing is great, and Brian is a great player, but there is some major gaps that needed to be filled out, like examples of EVERY TAB in the book. And that would not have been hard, since there are not a lot of them compared to text.

The best teaching books I have found as in Lessons for your Money are the Mark Hanson series, tons of TAB and music notation, with examples of EVERYTHING at 2 speeds. His material is well worth the money....

This book is worth the $20 + S&H if you want to learn 3 tunes that you can add to your arsenal. Other than that I was highly disappointed!

Please realize, this book will be of limited interest to traditional memeticists. Levinson's use of the word "meme" is not a traditional one. Levinson defines a meme as a self-explanatory symbol, using words, action, sounds, or picture that communicates an entire idea. If you are a marketer, or interested in persuasion, this book is a great read.

At first, I disliked Levinsonýs repeated use of his new term Guerilla creativity, which also happens to be the name of his soon to be published book. I grew to recognize that for the purposes of his book, Levinson needed a new word. Creativity is a vast subject . Levinson needed a notion separate from the general word "creativity." "Guerilla Creativity" is intended to be persuasive. Levinson explains, "Creativity has often been defined as the combining of two or more elements that have never before been combined. Guerrilla creativity embraces this definition but carries it further to actually cause human beings to change their minds to the point where they want to purchase what you are offering to sell." This is the heart of what I try and do daily as a professional marketer.

I read a lot of business books. Most of the time, I hear a different perspective and have a couple nods of appreciation at how an author articulated a familiar scenario. Occasionally, I come across a book that empowers me to see structure where I hadnýt seen anything before. I was exhilarated reading Malcolm Gladwellýs The Tipping and have since adopted seeing certain targets as extraordinary consumers who also have the ability to serve as Mavens, Connectors or Salesmen. If you havenýt read Gladwell, you have a fascinating experience available to you. Some books have the capacity to unfurl new paradigms in readers. GUERILLA CREATIVITY is one such book. Levinson introduces the reader to the word "meme" and introduces the field of memetics as it relates to marketing communications.

This is a much-needed discourse. As opposed to pointing out all the elements Iýve enjoyed and appreciated in GUERILLA CREATIVITY suffice it to say that after reading the first 20 pages of Levinsonýs text, I was able to improve my business presentation on memetics. If you have read this far in my review, you should buy the book.

Okay so my friend gave me this book because she knew I wall like into starting my own web business but I like didn't know where to start and then I knew that I needed help but this book kinda sucked because it wasn't really relevant. So this other friend gave me this book Guerrilla PR Wired. Now, this was the book. It had everything I needed and it was so totally cool that I couldn't really figure out why no one else had read it yet. Like everyone is so missing out if they don't use this book because it has everything you need including how to do everything you want and not go broke.

I read this book and wrote this review from the creative POV.

If you happen to have read Jean-Marie Dru's Disruption, Ken Sacharin's Attention! and Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point, you should read this one too.

Jay is right. Many of the creative people working in advertising agencies are still living in dreams. They should wake up.

Although it says it's a marketing book, I think it's a perfect one and a must read for all advertising people, especially the so called creative.

All along we know how to find the USP, how to fix the positioning and how to differentiate, but most of the time we failed to manage what to communicate or what to achieve.
What worst is that, don't know why, we have the mentality of doing ads equal to having fun. We just are not business-minded or serious enough in this tough yet fastest changing business world!

Simply put, meme is great idea. It has the power to use the easiest understanding way to convey the most complicated message and leave a long lasting impact to change the consumer mind to love and buy your product or service. May it be a symbol, a slogan, a jingle or an action, it can be and have to be used through different disciplines. The ultimate benefit of meme is creating profits.

By reading this book we can learn what is meme, how to create it and conquer it.

To a certain extend, this book is indeed a meme in today marketing industry.

Marketing guru Levinson declares all-out guerilla warfare on cheesy, ineffective, downright bad advertising and marketing with this book on a marketing approach that could transform the marketplace.

While the "memes" concept has been around for some time, Levinson is one of the first to apply and evaluate the concept in the marketing arena. And, as the Godfather of guerilla marketing -- with it's emphasis on low- and no-cost techniques -- Levinson gives readers a well-thought, and reasonably documented analysis of how a single powerful meme can propel a business or product to the public eye, generating business (and more importantly, REVENUE) almost without effort.

He also provides many examples of memes that work, tells why they work, and then shows readers how they can get started creating their own memes.

An engaging, easily read book, GUERILLA CREATIVITY is one of Levinson's best yet with little fluff [a fun, but overlong comparison of marketing & seduction] and a ton of useful information [especially on generating and developing ideas]. This is a must-have book for anyone involved in marketing or business development.

There are two reasons to read Guerrilla Creativity. One is to become familiar with a term that will undoubtedly grow in importance during the coming years. Meme is a deceptively simple word that, when successfully employed, can jumpstart your business's visibility from obscurity to front-of-mind awareness. In his typical conversational writing fashion, Jay Conrad Levinson describes the steps you should take to create a meme for your business, one that will instantly communicate the essence of your business and the benefits it offers. Your understanding of the concept is enhanced by the numerous examples included.

Equally important, however, Guerrilla Creativity provides a context for using memes. So you not only learn how to create a meme, you learn how and when to put it to work in a variety of media.

If it's been a while since you've read Jay's Guerrilla Marketing, you'll find this book not only breaks new ground but provides a concise, highly accessible overview of the principle tenets of Guerrilla Marketing--the marketing that has contributed so much to so many businesses, small and large alike. In terms of immediate usability, few books offer as much immediately usable books as Jay Conrad Levinson's Guerrilla Marketing series. The series contains no short-lived CEO ego, just concise, useful informations that continues to be valid, decade after decade.

It wasnt bad... good reminder. I think all the descriptors were a bit over the top and the book didnt quiet hit that mark but it was a good skim.

This book has unbelievably information on how to have more energy in your life. I have read the calm energy section so many times to remind myself on how to have more energy. His recommendation on stretching BEFORE getting out of bed has helped me tremendously. I have found with my arthritis that this helps me be able to function better before I even get out of bed. It is chock full of info like this. More people need to try his suggestions to have more energy. This is not a cure all book, it is a book to improve what you do have. None of it is hard to do. The suggestions are simple things you can incorporate into your life. None of them harder than learning to stretch before getting out of bed.

As a stay-at-home mom of three young children, I'm constantly feeling depleted and am always looking for more energy. I was so glad this book lived up to it's name...it definitely includes many ideas to get more energy into your life in many different areas. I especially benefitted from the relaxation techniques, the high energy food/snack suggestions, and the exercise solutions. I have begun to get outside more, eat better, take more breaks, and move more, as Cooper suggests, and I feel better already! I would highly recommend this book to anyone needing an energy boost.

This book caught my attention from the discounted table in my local pharmacy. At first glance I thought "oh, right, just another book of hype on how to 'fix' your life".

Against what I thought to be my better judgement, I was compelled to buy it anyway anticipating disappointment when I got home to read it! I was wrong!

Despite its flashy, promotional front cover - Robert Cooper offers very profound (while at the same time common sense) realities on the ways in which we unconciously sap ourselves of the energy within. In a world where the majority of us are exhausted, tapped out and just trying to make it to the end of the day, Mr. Cooper's words ring clear with practical, simple, easy things we can each do for ourselves to regain our balance.

To my shear delight and utter surprise, this is one of the best books I have invested in. I find myself driven to share it with everyone I know - like the discovery of a treasure that was right in from of you all along!

This book is basically a collection of tips. From what to eat to how often to exercise, this book tells you what you can do to maximize your energy. A lot of it's common sense, but often we need someone to make the common sense explicit.