Creative thinking made easy

Malaysian Business, Dec 12, 2002

IdeaWise - How to Transform Your Ideas into Tomorrow's Innovations,

By Steve Rivkin & Fraser Seitel, Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc, Pages:

220, Price: RM87.80

WITH ITS catchy title and snazzy black cover, IdeaWise - How to Transform

Your Ideas into Tomorrow's Innovations will jump out from the shelves if

you're ever browsing through the self-improvement segment of a bookstore.

Most of us are probably looking for new ideas everyday, be it for work

purposes or to get away from work.

Authors Steve Rivkin and Fraser Seitel have come up with this fun book

that tackles the myths and misconceptions about ideas and their origins,

and how to get these ideas to work for you. Written to be refreshingly

irreverent, Rivkin and Seitel punctuate their narrative with jabs at real-

life people and situations that they do not fully agree with. Their

purpose? To dispel the notion that ideas and creativity are not just

reserved for those who can attend astronomically expensive workshops with

complicated formulas and methods, or for those with atmospheric IQs. The

truth is, the authors juxtapose, people are boxed-in and ineffective not

because they lack creativity but because they are paralysed by fear of

what others will think of outlandish (and God forbid, childish) ideas.

Even in this somewhat satirical setting, Rivkin and Seitel successfully

build their case and lead readers from one stage to another as the

chapters progress so that there is always a sense of purpose.

Using many examples from different scenarios, the authors show that

companies, organisations and individuals have succeeded in identifying and

harnessing new ideas for the betterment of their situations. Each section

is clearly delineated by non-conformist remarks (that serve as

subheadings), and captions highlighting the point at hand are added in for

each of these respective segments.

Refreshing in the midst of the economic turmoil that has plagued the

world's markets.

Books available at MPH Bookstores and other leading bookstores nationwide.