Creative Problem Solving

We solve countless problems - big and small - every day. With so much practice, why do we often have trouble making simple decisions - much less arriving at optimal solutions to important questions? Are we doomed to this muddle - or is there a practical way to learn to think more effectively and creatively? In this enlightening, entertaining, and inspiring book, Edward Burger tells us how we can become far better at solving real-world problems by learning creative puzzle-solving skills using simple, effective thinking techniques.

What do the Dyson vacuum cleaner, Starbucks, Instagram, GoPro, Facebook, and Lululemon yoga pants have in common? Every one of them was the result not of data-driven analytics or corporate brainstorming sessions but a hunch - the intuitive understanding of a deep unmet need. Anxiety over "being more innovative" leads entrepreneurs to create solutions in search of problems. But what if you could use your intuition to identify an existing problem that's begging for a solution?

We are terrible at managing creativity and innovation. But we're trying our best. Just beneath the ceiling of meeting rooms at night, everywhere around the world, from London to Lahore, Honolulu to Ho Chi Minh City, there is something sad happening. Above the long table and strewn chairs, amid the fluorescent light that has been left on despite the energy saving directive on the wall, there are a million little ideas just floating amongst the dust particles, drifting in the air.

Creativity is the #1 rising skill you need in the workplace. If you have left your creativity behind in the grind to success, thinking that hard work and analytical thinking was all you need? This book is your starting line. The world has changed, grasshopper. The good news about creativity? You snooze, you don't lose. You still have the creative thinking ingredients rattling around in your brain. To access them, you just need to reconnect with the habits you used as a child to explore and learn about the world, and imagine new possibilities. That's where this book will help.