- Paperback: 240 pages
- Publisher: Basic Books; Fourth Edition, Fourth Edition edition (Oct 9 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0738205370
- ISBN-13: 978-0738205373
- Product Dimensions: 22.8 x 15.3 x 1.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 340 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #200,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
Book Description
James Adams's unique approach to generating ideas and solving problems has captivated, inspired, and guided thousands of people from all walks of life. Now, twenty-five years after its original publication, Conceptual Blockbusting has never been more relevant, powerful, or fresh. Integrating insights from the worlds of psychology, engineering, management, art, and philosophy, Adams identifies the key blocks (perceptual, emotional, cultural, environmental, intellectual, and expressive) that prevent us from realizing the full potential of our fertile minds. Employing unconventional exercises and other interactive elements, Adams shows individuals, teams, and organizations how to overcome these blocks, embrace alternative ways of thinking about complex problems, and celebrate the joy of creativity. With new examples and contemporary references, Conceptual Blockbusting is guaranteed to introduce a new generation of readers to a world of new possibilities.
About the Author
James L. Adams is professor emeritus at Stanford University, where he has chaired several programs, taught courses on design and creativity, and participated in many executive programs. Trained as an engineer and artist, he has conducted corporate workshops around the world. He lives on the Stanford campus.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good introduction,
By
This review is from: Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide to Better Ideas, Fourth Edition (Paperback)
This is mostly a list of why people can't create. The book provides few techniques to boost creativity. However, the blocking mechanisms are clearly explained. Identifying the problems is the path to a solution....I will look around to find books that describe some methodology to create more effectively.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
3.9 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews) 20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cultivate Your Thinking!,
By S. Thomas - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide to Better Ideas, Fourth Edition (Paperback)
My dad gave me a copy of this book for Christmas in 1978 when I was a junior in college. I enjoyed reading it then, and I've read it numerous times since. I can say now with some length of perspective that in my opinion it's a definitive classic on this topic and I'd say it is probably the most influential single book in my engineering career. It's enabled me to think of things of that no one else does, and more often than not it's because of ideas I picked up here. The solutions are enduring too. The nine-dot problem, the ping-pong ball in the tube, the spacecraft panels opening without a damper are examples I think back to when faced with technical challenges that have no apparent easy answer.I cringe inside when people want and push for systematic and methodical ways to solve problems. It's almost a religon to some that the pretense of an imagined rigor akin to mathematical proof will always lead them to "correct" answers. It's not that those methods are wrong but they're quite incomplete and tend to only reinforce the mental blocks you already have. If you want to unconfine your thinking and leverage the power of both halves of your brain, then put this book in your cart, buy it, and read it. 39 of 43 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Eye and Mind Opening,
By Robert Alan Black - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide to Better Ideas (Paperback)
James Adams' classic book, Conceptual Blockbusting, is a definite read for people who want to expand and deepen their true creative thinking skills. Since reading it many years ago I have re-read it often, then referenced it and recommended it to others in general, workshop participants plus students. Managers will benefit greatly by reading and re-reading this book to discover how they are squelching, killing or sideswiping creative thinking in the people they are responsible for managing. All others can benefit by becoming more aware of the well-structured approach he has used to depict the many varied forms of creative blocks Adams discovered during his many years of teaching. No this is not a book for those who already think they are as creative as they can be, nor is any other book actually.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very helpful,
By A. S. Johnson "seeking change" - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide to Better Ideas, Fourth Edition (Paperback)
I found this book to be very helpful with expanding my abilities to think creatively. I think that, as we work our way through the school mill and then on in to jobs, a lot of our natural creativity is pushed to the background. We learn to get things right - whatever right is. Making mistakes becomes bad. This book helped me recognize my own unwillingness to have what might be considered bad ideas. It helped me become a little more exploratory in my thinking.
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