A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques

I loved the CRACKING CREATIVITY while THINKERTOYS was simply too much good for me. Soo many (great) tools i simply got lost. I need a few mental models that i can work with daily which CRACKING CREATIVITY did provide. This book provides soo many tools ... it's not for daily usability, at least not for me.

Thinkertoys mixes self-help dribble, dime-store psychology and money-making mantra to create an unsightly collage that fails to inspire. If you're into that sort of thing, this is definitely worth a read. However if you have even a shred of self-respect you may feel that the author is talking down to you. I know I did. It's as if he assumes that the readers are not creative at all, which is a shame. In my opinion a book that is designed to inspire should not belittle those reading it. Unfortunately, Thinkertoys takes the "knock 'em down to bring them back up" approach to instilling it's doctrine. Tactics like this are best reserved for bootcamp. I would prefer to have burned the $12.99 that I spent on this book rather than the bad taste that this book left in my mouth.

The author Michael Michalko is an absolute expert on creativity, so it comes without surprise that this book is considered a "classic" in the creativity book section with a very high reputation in the creative industry. As an artist I read many books on creativity, this one is different. I find the book absolutely remarkable and it definitely changed and improved my perception and way to look at things and think about things. From now on my approach to a challenge will be a completely different one.
One definitely helpful new approach is the following:
"To solve a problem, you have to believe that you already have the answer in your unconscious. It is as if you misplaced your watch somewhere in your house; if you keep searching, you will find it. This is a different perspective from, "Is there a watch anywhere in this house?" The knowledge that the watch is there will lead you in your search to find it. The theory behind intuitive techniques is that at some level you already know the answer to your challenge. Once you make this assumption, you need only know how and where to look for it. This is a different perspective from, "Is there a solution?

Just finished reading "The Mind of an Innovator: A Guide to Seeing Possibilities Where None Existed Before" and found it so usefull and inspiring that i decided to find a similar book to keep on exercising... I chose thinker toys for the reviews, but I was so disappointed I couldn't make it past the 15%.......

Do you need any new ideas for practical designs? How about when something is wrong with your business and you cannot put your finger on it? Did you ever need to brainstorm but not have anyone else around? Have you ever been stuck with writer's block and for the life of you could not get back to work? In other words, have you ever been stuck with any mental problem that you felt that you cannot solve? If this is the case I think you should have a look at Michael Michalko's latest book, Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques.

Thinkertoys is a great play on words - anyone who grew up in the United States playing with Tinker Toys would not have a hard time remembering the name of this book. But beyond the title, Michael Michalko has done better than a yeoman's job of cataloguing tried and true techniques and exercises that work individually and for groups. Not a left brained person you say? You don't need to be. Not a right brained person? Again, you don't need to be. These tools that Michael Michalko provides puts you in a position that the outcome will be the product of great creative thinking as long as you actually do the thinker work that goes along with the exercise. The entire book pushes the reader to think outside of his or her comfort zone when solving problems, creating ideas, etc. Some of these tools I have already been working on and implementing myself. Let me give you an example...

In addition to my other work I recently have become a monthly columnist with a magazine where I give advice based upon my knowledge and experience. But to be a columnist is very difficult in a way because you have to remain fresh - the material much be both focused and new every issue. Many regular columnists (and bloggers) use different methods to do this. For instance, Jack Welch actually goes on Twitter and asks followers to send him interesting questions or problems. As such I turned to Michalko's book and found an exercise that really helped to generate ideas for the column. (If you want to know specifically which tool this was contact me through my website and I will give a full explanation). Because of this tool though I not only found enough ideas, but rather more than enough ideas. I have now written several columns in advance for the magazine and am pretty much finished with the entire year's work. This is the kind of result you can get from sitting down and working with Thinkertoys - I can personally attest!

Also, Michael Michalko has a related product called Thinkpak: A Brainstorming Card Deck. I went out to my local bookstore and bought this card set. It is a great companion to Thinkertoys because each card is directly related to a principle or tool in Thinkertoys. So I carry this card deck with me now along with a list of issues I need to resolve when I travel. Sometimes I pull this book or these cards out because I have work to do and sometimes I do it because, dammit, it is just a good workout for the old noggin!

Michael Michalko's "Thinkertoys" is aimed at businesspeople who want to stretch their creative muscles and come up with new and better ideas. Writers who are used to very playful approaches in their creativity books might find some of the business-speak off-putting, but the exercises are as valid and useful for them as they are for businessfolk or anyone else looking for a creative solution to a problem.

What amazes me most about this book is the sheer volume of ideas, exercises, suggestions, and entertaining anecdotes. Certainly it stands as a testament to the validity of Michalko's work that he can come up with this many pages jam-packed full of idea-generating goodness.

Michalko believes we're best served by blending the linear and intuitive when stimulating creativity, so he provides a great many Thinkertoys in both the linear and intuitive sections of this book and suggests that we go back and forth in our use of them.

Each Thinkertoy comes with a basic explanation of how it works, a blueprint for applying it to a wide variety of issues, and examples showing it in use. Many of these examples are real-world historical items that can give you great insight into how to apply seemingly abstract techniques to very real problems. There are more than 15 linear toys, each one a complete blueprint for brainstorming everything you need to tackle a problem.

The intuitive section includes more than ten toys, ranging from relaxation techniques to analogies, hypnogogic imagery to psychosynthesis. These are the ones that might feel a bit funny to the dyed-in-the-wool businessperson, but they're well-formulated to walk you through the process and familiarize you with letting go.

The inclusion of both types of Thinkertoys is one of the things that makes this book truly stand out from others I've read. Most creativity books aimed at non-artistic types tend largely toward the linear exercises, while those aimed at artistic types tend largely toward the intuitive. It's very handy to have such a blend of both in one place, with tips on integrating them.

The book includes four chapters on brainstorming in a team-based approach, which is particularly useful in a business setting. These chapters include not only specific exercises, but also plenty of tips on getting folks to loosen up and produce their best work in these settings.

Finally, the book wraps up with some material to help you evaluate the ideas you've come up with.

I highly recommend reading the introductions to all of the major sections of the book, then skipping around to use various Thinkertoys as the mood suits you.

My only (very minor) quibble with the book was its occasional lack of clarity. Now and then Michalko off-handedly described something in a manner such that I really had no idea what he meant. Luckily this tended to occur in his examples, or in his instructions for viewing an optical illusion, not in the instructions for the actual Thinkertoys.

This is an incredibly handy book. The anecdotes are entertaining, the exercises are inspiring, and the wide variety will keep you busy for a very long time.

"Your future depends on great ideas, and to come up with consistently great ideas, you can't rely on chance."

Thinkertoys will Supercharge your Creativity. Ideas are the fuel for the new millennium. This book is a power tool that will help you tap into hidden resources inside your head.

No matter what you do for a living, this book will inspire you. For starters, it will open your mind to new ways of thinking. On average, we tap into so little of what the human mind is capable of. You can plod along inch by inch or you can create breakthrough ideas that will transform whatever you're doing.

Managers and aspiring entrepreneurs should grab this book today. Regardless of your industry, I know this - there's never a shortage of competitors. Creating a competitive advantage is all about creativity and innovation. Thinkertoys can help you shift your mental gears,

Thinkertoys is so jam-packed with ideas it's hard for me to say what's most inspiring. Here's a few that inspired me the most:

Chapter 3 - Challenges. "He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot will be victorious" - Sun Tzu. This is the essence of dealing with competitors. You must know their capabilities and your own. Michalko talks about creating a challenge, then how to stretch and squeeze the challenge.

Chapter 9 - Scamper. A collection of techniques for transforming any object, service, or process into something new.

S = Substitute?

C = Combine?

A = Adapt?

M = Modify? = Magnify?

P = Put to other uses?

E = Eliminate? or minify?

R = Reverse? = Rearrange?

All in all, Thinkertoys is awe-inspiring with such gems as "In what ways might I ...? Most people seem to spend their time trying to figure out why things don't work and why things can't be done. Michalko aims to put a stop to this way of thinking.

I'll leave you with this:

"The greatest waste in the world is the difference between what we are and what we could become." - Ben Herbster

------------------

Michael Davis, Editor - Byvation

"Business Success through Innovation"

"Thinkertoys" by Michael Michalko is a good challenge to anyone who wants to improve creative thinking or creativity in general.

The book consists of 39 chapters and is separated into 3 main sections:

1. Linear ways of applying creativity - add or make different structures to existing information.
2. Intuititve ways of applying creativity - generating new information using insight, imagination, and intuition.
3. Brainstorming for ideas

The book will definitely challenge you to look at solutions to problems from different angles and to not necessarily limit yourself to what you see and what the obvious solution could be.

There are at least 30 techniques you may use to improve your creativity and the author encourages you to apply each technique. "Thinkertoys" is definitely not the kind of book you will read once and put down, never to read again. Rather, you will need to periodically refer to the book to remind you of the many different ways to apply creative thinking.

Granted, I read this book mainly to get an idea of how to improve my creativity and did not painstakingly go through each chapter in detail. However, I have enough interest in the title to read it again sometime in the future.

Whatever your vocation - sales, management, ministry, homemaker, technician, lawyer, assembly-line worker, or whatever - "Thinkertoys" is a good and challenging read.

Recommended.

Cracking Creativity was the first book I read, and reviewed from Michael Michalko, and what a book! Thinkertoys is Michael's first book and my second read. I also own Thinkpack, a creative card deck. All spectacular!
In general, I would say that Thinkertoys is similar to Cracking Creativity, but Thinkertoys offers varied and many different creative techniques, "business creativity for the 90's." Michael explores artists, scientists, and numerous other creative thinkers to which seems the basis of his work. It's amazing the amount of material that was put into this book. Numerous quotes by Sun Tzu, there are also numerous diagrams and puzzles throughout this book. These mindbenders always seem to be related to the chapter, or the discussion at the time. These drawings, puzzles, and brainteasers really convey the message of what this whole book is about. That is what I like about this book is because it shows you, and you have to figure some things out.
The book is set up into 4 different parts. Part One: Linear Thinkertoys, Part Two: Intuitive Thinkertoys, Part three: Group Thinkertoys, Part Four: Endtoys. And in these areas there are numerous techniques, storylines, brainteasers, and flaming hot ideas. It's not hard to try most of the techniques. Most of them merely require a pencil, a piece of paper, a problem or an idea. Michael gives a "Blueprint" (i.e. summary) of every major technique that he covers in the chapters.
I have read other creativity books but Thinkertoys is very exceptional because it seems to me to be more proactive, I see the techniques and I immediately want to try them for myself. Thinkertoys is not just some dry language with endless paragraphs of explanation, as with some creativity books I have read. None of these other books will be mentioned here.
As I have used many of the techniques, I personally like SCAMPER. In addition, I also use "6 Questions" with SCAMPER, and I also use "In what ways might I?" I have set it up and I use like this: For example, I use SCAMPER first on a problem. If I'm stuck on SCAMPER, or the problem, I move to the "6 Questions." If I am still stuck, I then move and use "In what ways might I?" They are all interchangeable, and can be moved or reversed. See,
SCAMPER > 6 Questions > "In what ways might I?"
A powerful combination: SCAMPER
S = Substitute?
C = Create?
A = Add?
M = Modify
P = Put to other uses?
E = Eliminate?
R = Rearrange or Reverse?
6 Questions
Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
In what ways might I?
This is my own little way to use some of the techniques. There is a large amount of techniques in Thinkertoys and some critical analysis may be in order when reading this book for deciding on which techniques to use. Simply, I use what I like most.
Michael Michalko was interviewed one time and asked about the vast amount of techniques available, his response was: "What's important, I feel, is that readers and clients should not try to memorize specific techniques; rather, they should try to remember the basic principles around which my work in creativity is structured." He also responded, and in essence, I think this comment covers Thinkertoys in general, Michael also said: "Once the basic principles are understood, I always encourage my clients to invent their own creative-thinking techniques."
After using quite a few of the techniques in Michael's two books, I have found some of the techniques becoming easier and reflexive. I have found myself seeing ideas and problems very differently without even concentrating on them; also, I have come up with my own ways to use some of techniques.
This book is a special find. Period.

This book, together with my treasured Roger von Oech books, sit prominently on my bookshelf when working on a variety of problems - software development, film production, creative writing for scripts or novels, and developing opportunities in this mediacentric age. These books break open your mind from the restrictive fences imposed on our thinking by the conventional world that we are surrounded by. These fences need to be torn down. If you are an older person (probably older than 30!), then your thinking will become ossified. Just like using your muscles, you need to rework your brain and your thinking with effort to create opportunities and connections to emerging technologies and new developments.

As a learning solutions designer and trainer and as a targeted innovation facilitator, I have found this book of immense value for almost a decade. It provides step-by-step instructions for linear, lateral, and more intuitive thinking techniques--the closest thing to a step-by-step no-fail cookbook approach. The techniques are even organized (transparent to the non-professional user) to correspond with the KAI style-of-creativity scale. In other words, if you are left-brained OR if creativity means "make the thing BETTER", you will like the techniques at the front of the book. The more naturally "right-brained" you are (i.e. Improve = make it DIFFERENT), the farther toward the back of the book you might want to go. There are also great business examples in this book--they illustrate applied creativity to create value in business...no taint of tutus and crayons and "far out" ideas here...the stuff that alienates some business folk from valuing the relevance of creativity in the workplace.

The book is both a comprehensive and systematic evaluation of what creativity is and a practical workshop. It is like you have attended an intensive course on creativity enhancement. The techniques which are introduced are well written and you can exercise each and every one of them while you are actively reading the book: Not a second spent on off-the-topic subjects. The optical illusion illustrations that accompany the techniques are enjoyable and really tuned in with the subjects, and they are very well chosen. A must have for educators, entrepreneurs, students, and anyone minding any problem.

I rate Michael Michalko's book on creativity as a must read. Period. It will simply blow your mind. The book is organized in a very easy to digest format and every chapter focuses on one specific creativity technique. This book will definitely expand your level of thinking and you will see a problem with an entirely different perspective. As a companion guide I will also recommend buying a card deck by the same author. It's called Thinkpak.

I've always thought about writing a book about creativity that would make sense and encourage people to interpret their own experiences through their own eyes and not the eyes of others. This is the book I wish I had written. It has everything a book on creative thinking should have. I used the first edition in countless workshops with great success and am eagerly ready to start using some of the new brainstorming techniques in the second edition. The other book I highly recommend is Michael's "Cracking Creativity," which is, I think, the best book on creativity out there.

As a consultant, I am regularly engaged in combined sessions with clients. This book gives an excellent overview of the tools and techniques to use, but is more broad than deep. For me, it works fine. For someone who wants to do very specific creative activities, it doesn't give enough examples and practical application.

I've always thought of myself as highly creative, even iconoclastic (I have a background in avant-garde theater in New York City), so I was a bit miffed that there is a book containing most of the treasured techniques I thought I had invented. I can't say enough good things about this book, I had "Aha!" moments about every second page.

I definitely subscribe to the author's viewpoint that creativity is a talent that we are all born with, even if we don't all know it; further, that there are definable, learnable skills that can help anyone develop their creative faculties. This book is crammed full of thought experiments and exercises that do just that--help you become reliably, even systematically, creative.

This book is everything it's advertised to be. It's a creative thinking workshop in a book. I can't imagine how the author could have written a better or more useful book on creativity in business. Wonderful job, Michael!

Thinkertoys has proven to be an excellent resource guide and valuable addition to my library on creativity. Not only does it provide a variety of different brainstorming techniques, but it lays them out with an easy writing style. I have used this book in an applied creativity workshop taught to graduate management students and have found it to be very helpful.

If you have a problem channelling your creativity: buy this book! Loads of methods on generating as many ideas as possible, which is what you're ALWAYS looking for if your work involves communication in all its shapes and forms. I myself, as an interaction designer, have been able to make more use my own creativity. If you feel you're not creative, buy this book too! You'll feel differently after you've tried a few techniques that are in this book!

I am a copywriter at a leading advertising firm and sincerely think that this is the best book ever. It is a Toy. It is a Tool. Never before have i found so much wisdom packed in just a single book. Do not read this book cover to cover. It is not a textbook and will loose its purpose if anyone treats it as such. Work with it. Play with it. I highly recommend this one. A great addition to the bookshelf for any creative professional.

Thinkertoys brings creativity to the business world with highly productive problem solving applications. This is truly a breakthrough book! Unlike the dry,pedantic tomes that compete with or preceded Thinkertoys , Michalko's book brings hands-on creative thinking to today's corporate America. My office copy is always within arm reach because the book gives me the tools needed for productive problem solving; my competitve edge!

Most of the books I have read on creativity either take a few methods and explain them to death or stay very abstract and aren't very useful. There are only a few really worthwhile ones and Thinkertoys is at the top of the list.

The first time I encountered 'Thinkertoys' it was actually the first edition released during the early 90's, when it was also about the time I began to explore the various options with regard to my mid-life transition. In fact, I had initially spotted an interesting review in the Entrepreneur magazine.

I managed to trace the publisher & had immediately ordered the first 100 copies for my debut bookstore. It became the best seller in my store for many years. Then came 'Cracking Creativity' a few years later as well as the accompanying brainstorming card deck, Thinkpak, to 'Thinkertoys'.

What impressed me most is not so much the creativity tools outlined in both books. In fact, the most productive learning experiences I got out of both books are a few very important things, which I would like to share with readers.

Let's take a look at Thinkertoys. In the Introduction, the author started off with a visual puzzle: 'Can you identify the figure below?'

Only by shifting your focus, you can then see the hidden word within the figure.

In the author's own words, "...by changing your perspectives, you can expand your possibilities..."

Let's move to 'Cracking Creativity'. In the Introduction, the author introduced a simple arithmetic equation: What is half of thirteen?

The subsequent passages as outlined in Part I: Seeing What No One else in Seeing, & Strategy I: Knowing How to See, by the author revealed the secrets to getting many possible answers (or perspectives) to the above equation.

No creativity tool outlined in the above two books (or elsewhere in the world, for that matter) can help you to become more creative until you fully understand - & appreciate - what the author is trying to drive home in his two books.

In a nut shell, it basically boils down to one important thing: Use - & enhance - your power of vision! or power of observation!

The author may not be the first person to postulate this crucial aspect of creativity.

I would consider Leonardo da Vinci to be the first person to have understood & practised it religiously. He said, among a few other things, LEARN TO SEE THE WORLD. In fact, he put a lot of emphasis on using your senses, especially your sense of sight.

Edward de Bono had also broached this valuable concept in his groundbreaking series of lateral thinking books, starting with 'Mechanism of Mind' in the 70's.

I have always believed that you can't do things differently until you can see things differently.

Learning to see the world anew & from different perspectives is imperative if one wants to be more creative.

According to de Bono, creativity starts at the perceptual stage of thinking. He terms it, First Order Thinking. He added very beautifully: "This is where our perceptions & concepts are formed, & this is where they have to be changed. Most of the mistakes in thinking are inadequacies of perception rather than mistakes of logic."

The creativity tools, whether they are from the author's books or elsewhere, will then automaticlaly fall into place & make more sense when you have first exercised your power of vision or observation.

Using any tool is a piece of cake, but changing one's perception - & maintaining fluidity of perception as well as having multiple perceptions - takes concerted efforts.

It is also important to take note that when things (or tactics) don't seem to work out as planned, always remember to check out your observations of the world first. Simply ask:

- what do you CHOOSE to see?
- where do you DIRECT your attention?

The second most productive learning experience I got from the above two books is realising that all thoughts are simply feats of association &/or juxtapositions - & the crux of creativity (in fact, also learning) are making associations &/or juxtapositions. [Tom Peters, in his wonderful book, Liberation Management, drives home with this insightful nugget: "The essence of creation - in all endeavours - is chance connections between ideas and facts that are previously segregated. Entrepreneurship is the direct by-product of chance, of convoluted connections among ideas, needs and people." According to Leonardo da vinci, everything is connected to everything else. My question: CAN YOU SEE IT?] The creativity tools outlined by the author are specifically designed for this purpose.

The third most productive learning experience for me is understanding the differential between productive & reproductive thinking. To paraphrase the author: "...in productive thinking, one generates as many alternative approaches as one can, considering the least as well as the most likely approaches...in contrast, reproductive thinking fosters rigidity of thought..." More relevant aspects about the significance of & more specific strategies to develop productive thinking are excellently covered by the author in 'Cracking Creativity'.

To end this review, & in the light of what I have written, I would consider the author's two books as the dynamic duo...to be among the best in the genre!

This is my favorite book about creativity and creative thinking. I like it because it is very practical and is actually based on real cognitive science instead of fluff and nonsense. The author knows this field inside out after years of applying his techniques in the military, CIA and the corporate world.

I have about 400 books in my library and Thinkertoys (with Thinkpak) is the best book I've read so far. The book is full with creative tools and puzzles to play with. The book comes to me at the right time since I am about to start my own business and the book provides a lot of insight, ideas and techniques. Thank you Mr. Michalko for creating the "toys".

I'm a career officer in military intelligence and I've heard many stories about Michalko. He's a legend in the intelligence field. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that he's written books about his creative thinking techniques, so I rushed out to buy "Thinkertoys," which is everything I hoped. A magnificent book of tools on how to get ideas.

The first edition of this book became our bible for our brainstorming sessions which yielded incredibly profitable ideas for our company. We are true believers and are already reading and using copies of the new edition, though for the life of me I can't imagine how the book can be improved.

This is a must read. Great mind opening experience to say the very least. I have applied some of the great tips in this book to my present job and continue to reap the rewards. This book screams out to all walks of life, however, if you're in sales then you need to get your hands on a copy NOW!

Thank You,

John

I can't say enough positive things about this book. I purchased the book to get ideas for fostering creative thinking in groups that I work with. It has been a great tool for them and ME. I've recommend this book to almost everyone I know.

This book gives you a holistic approach to view a problem. It is a good resourceful book to make readers think and act differently. This book contains lots of creatives techniques. Though not everyone suit you, it is worth exploring new ways of looking things.

I have never seen anything quite like this book. It is a wondrous book that presents creative thinking techniques with depth, clarity, range, wit, and originality. I don't know if there is anything that comes close to this book on the market. If there is, I haven't seen it.

Wow. I just finished reading this book for a class on Imagination, Innovation and Creativity and I suffered through every single page of it. I knew I was in for a huge disappointment when all I could picture after reading the intro was a man with a horrible toupee shouting at the TV about how after reading this book you will make more money, you will start new businesses, you will be admired, you will get promotions, you will be successful...Not a joke, the book actually states these things at one point in time. The book is basically a poorly written self-help for those that think they can become a creative person and change the course of their lives by simply reading one book. This was all combined with the worst use of analogy I have ever seen, including my favorite, "You feel like a dead atheist all dressed up in your best suit with no place to go".

If you are interested in expanding your creativity I would suggest just about anything else but this. Go to a museum, read a biography on an innovative business leader or inventor, talk to a kid, draw a picture, sit in nature, look at things through a pair of binoculars, go experience something you have never done before. While this book may be for some it was definitely not for me.

Presents tired, antiquated concepts of how to take corporate cogs and change them into creative cogs that will produce ever more "creative" ideas to benefit the company and team.

This book offers overly simplistic questions that propose to stimulate a group's imagination. For example:

* In what ways is a cold, half-eaten pizza like the solution to the problem?
* How is the problem like a flashlight battery? How can the similarities spark new ideas?

Any truly creative person stuck in a meeting where they are forced to answer questions like this would find the "creative brainstorming process" that he recommends downright silly and outright insulting.

Not recommended for creative adults, although it may be applicable for grade school teachers in a classroom environment.

The adage, "consider the source" applies here: the author gained his knowledge of creativity from his research while he was in the Army...need I say more?

This book is one of most manufactured, uninspiring, and just useless pieces of crap I've had the displeasure to read. The Thinkertoy exercises are boring and tiresome, the book overall is poorly thought out and poorly researched. For example when going over various "What if?" scenarios for great minds the book says "Can you imagine a Vincent van Gogh bemoaning his failure to sell his paintings as evidence of his lack of talent?" Yes I can because that's exactly what happened! In addition this quote always bothers me, "If you feel it is not necessary to realize any personal benefits before you dedicate yourself to solving a challenge . . . just lean your head sideways and watch the sawdust pour out of your ear."
This book is bland, boring, and utterly useless. Don't buy it.