Creativity in Business

Rating:
Summary: Not structured, but nice bits & pieces
Review: A collection of thoughts, insights, anecdotes, exercises and real life examples of applying creativity to business. If this is a structured approach, as is implied by the authors, the structure is hard to detect. However, the exercises are intriguing and the anecdotes are inspiring. Nice section on destroying the Voice of Judgment that shoots down creativity.

Rating:
Summary: Not structured, but some nice pieces
Review: A collection of thoughts, insights, anecdotes, exercises and real life examples of applying creativity to business. If this is a structured approach, as the authors imply, the structure is hard to detect. However, the exercises are intriguing and the anecdotes are inspiring. Nice section on destroying the Voice of Judgment that shoots down creativity. I'm baffled by the other reviews that describe this as a "new age" or "occult" book. It is well-documented that creativity and intuition go hand-in-hand, but I guess this is just too esoteric an idea for most business people.

Rating:
Summary: Not structured, but nice bits & pieces
Review: A collection of thoughts, insights, anecdotes, exercises and real life examples of applying creativity to business. If this is a structured approach, as is implied by the authors, the structure is hard to detect. However, the exercises are intriguing and the anecdotes are inspiring. Nice section on destroying the Voice of Judgment that shoots down creativity.

Rating:
Summary: Not structured, but some nice pieces
Review: A collection of thoughts, insights, anecdotes, exercises and real life examples of applying creativity to business. If this is a structured approach, as the authors imply, the structure is hard to detect. However, the exercises are intriguing and the anecdotes are inspiring. Nice section on destroying the Voice of Judgment that shoots down creativity. I'm baffled by the other reviews that describe this as a "new age" or "occult" book. It is well-documented that creativity and intuition go hand-in-hand, but I guess this is just too esoteric an idea for most business people.

Rating:
Summary: Title Needs Revision
Review: Calling this book Creativity in Business is about as accurate as calling the New York Times something like Sportsweek. This was a great book but it basically encompassed WAY more than its promised subject. Most of this book is about eastern philosophy and western physics as it relates to business. I didn't expect to get a chapter on the universe and my cosmic place in it and how to meditate to tap into it. If you have read anything by Thich Naht Hanh or the Dalai Lama you can skip this one. Otherwise, it's probably worth a read.

Rating:
Summary: Little to do with creativity and much to do with religion.
Review: Heuristics such as "Ask dumb questions", do what is only "easy, effortless, and enjoyable" might sound simplistic and trite, but this book has lots of substance and interesting annecdotes by a list of very credible individuals. It is many cuts above "Do What You Want and The Money Will Follow". Based on the Stanford University course on the art of success that started in the 80's," Creativity in Business" is much more than new age thinking. No rah, rah's here, just a personal glimpse at the reflections of some very successful and interesting people. I have read this book several times, and unfortunately, didn't have the courage or conviction at a younger age to realize how important it is to total well being to enjoy one's work. It is never too late. Read this book. If you don't make great changes in your own life, at least you will enjoy reading about a group of successful innovative and creative thinkers. Much emphasis is put on intuition and instinct, the value of being naive, and forging onward without a definitive game plan. Passion and an instinctual trust in one's own abilitity to succeed, is a recurrent character trait of most of those interviewed.

Rating:
Summary: Best in Class
Review: I was surprised at how much was captured in CREATIVITY IN BUSINESS. In my position I am constantly trying to be creative, both to share information and perspectives internally and to explain our strategy to the outside world. I have read other books on creativity and found new ideas here. I like the mix of stress reduction with common sense suggestions, such as "sense and see what is around you" and "ask dumb questions" which I still feel I can only do the first time I meet someone. The exercises are also helpful. The Stated-Goal Exercise reminds me of the "stalls" described in THE 2,000 PERCENT SOLUTION by Mitchell, Coles, and Metz. "Stalls" hinder creativity. Here's how. The Communications Stall means we are working with unclear messages and incorrect interpretations. The Disbelief Stall suggests that many do not believe they can be creative. The Tradition Stall says that we just keep doing things the same way. The Bureaucratic Stall tells us that we must still spend time doing unproductive activities like filling out forms. The Misconception Stall says that we are operating under poor assumptions, and The Unattractiveness Stall means that if something looks unpleasant, we do not want to look any further. As a meditator and someone who believes you do best what you are passionate about, giving yourself the space to create always leads to success. These stories and ideas helped me create the space. In addition to CREATIVITY IN BUSINESS and THE 2,000 PERCENT SOLUTION, which I highly recommend, Mr. Ray and Ms. Meyers also suggest other books to read in this area. Go ahead, read and create!

Rating:
Summary: The Zen of Creativity
Review: When I picked up this book, I expected something more structured and similar to many of the other business books I've read. To my surprise, the authors have approached their subject by integrating Eastern philosophy into Western business. In my 25 years in business, I have experienced many of the concepts they mention, so it's reaffirming to understand some of the scientific explanations and similar experiences other successful business people have had. Business creativity requires this type of "out of the box" thinking. This is a terrific, mind-opening book - highly recommended.