Weird Ideas That Work


Book Description

Sutton is a sought-after consultant, speaker and Stanford professor. This book brings together 11 of his proven, counter intuitive ideas that work, from hiring people that make employers squirm to encouraging projects likely to fail.




Do Ideas Work ?


Book Description

It is the dream of many to give up the daily slog and branch out on their own. Unfortunately too often that is exactly all it is – a dream without any real foundation or substance. If you are seriously thinking about starting your own business you need to give deep consideration to a lot of factors before taking the plunge. A very high percentage of start-ups fail – often in a very short space of time. And the reasons for failure are numerous and wide-ranging. If you don’t give sufficient thought and planning to your new venture it is very likely that you will be among them. It is always helpful to know of other people’s experiences in these sort of areas. What they did – or didn’t do - can provide you with clear pointers as to how you should proceed. Many people have been down the road and many have failed. Their failures might contain the seeds of your success if you are able to understand where they went wrong and use that information to your benefit. Running your own business takes guts and stamina – among lots of other qualities. If you are thinking of taking the plunge you will need – and deserve – a lot of luck. Good hunting!




Everything Bad is Good for You


Book Description

From the New York Times bestselling author of How We Got To Now and Farsighted Forget everything you’ve ever read about the age of dumbed-down, instant-gratification culture. In this provocative, unfailingly intelligent, thoroughly researched, and surprisingly convincing big idea book, Steven Johnson draws from fields as diverse as neuroscience, economics, and media theory to argue that the pop culture we soak in every day—from Lord of the Rings to Grand Theft Auto to The Simpsons—has been growing more sophisticated with each passing year, and, far from rotting our brains, is actually posing new cognitive challenges that are actually making our minds measurably sharper. After reading Everything Bad is Good for You, you will never regard the glow of the video game or television screen the same way again. With a new afterword by the author.




The Art of Ideas


Book Description

Great ideas don’t just happen. Innovation springs from creative thinking—a method of the human mind that we can study and learn. In The Art of Ideas, William Duggan and Amy Murphy bring together business concepts with stories of creativity in art, politics, and history to provide a visual and accessible guide to the art and science of new and useful ideas. In chapters accompanied by charming and inviting illustrations, Duggan and Murphy detail how to spark your own ideas and what to do while waiting for inspiration to strike. They show that regardless of the field, innovations happen in the same way: examples from history, presence of mind, creative combination, and resolution to action. The Art of Ideas features case studies and exercises that explain how to break down problems, search for precedents, and creatively combine past models to form new ideas. It showcases how Picasso developed his painting style, how Gandhi became the man we know today, and how Netflix came to disrupt the movie-rental business. Lavishly illustrated in an appealing artistic style, The Art of Ideas helps readers unlock the secret to creativity in business and in life.




Feck Perfuction


Book Description

"James Victore is a dangerous man. His ideas on optimizing your creativity, doing wow work and building a life that inspires will devastate your limits. And show you how to win. Read this book fast." —Robin Sharma, #1 bestselling author of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari Begin before you're ready. Renowned designer and professional hell-raiser James Victore wants to drag you off your couch and throw you headfirst into a life of bold creativity. He'll guide you through all the twists, trials, and triumphs of starting your creative career, from finding your voice to picking the right moment to start a project (hint: It's now). Bring your biggest, craziest, most revolutionary ideas, and he will give you the kick in the pants you need to make them real. No matter what industry or medium you work in, this book will help you live, work, and create freely and fearlessly. Here are some dangerous ideas: • The things that made you weird as a kid make you great today. • Work is serious play. • Your ego can't dance. • The struggle is everything. • Freedom is something you take. • There ain't no rules. Take a risk. Try them out. Live dangerously. More praise for Feck Perfuction: "In James Victore's new book, he unequivocally proves why he is the master he is. In every chapter, he challenges and inspires the reader to reach for more, to try harder and to create our best selves. It is a magnificent and momentous experience. (All true)." —Debbie Millman, Host Design Matters "James Victore got famous creating tough posters that shook me to the core. He now does the same using the written word. To you." —Stefan Sagmeister, designer




The IDEATE Method


Book Description

Generating new ideas that create substantial value is at the very core of entrepreneurship. The IDEATE Method is an ideation method empirically proven to help students identify problems, develop creative solutions, and select the most innovate entrepreneurial idea. Authors Daniel Cohen, Gregory Pool, and Heidi Neck emphasize the importance of deliberate practice and repetition as they guide students through each phase of the method: Identify, Discover, Enhance, Anticipate, Target, and Evaluate. Goal-directed activities and self-reflection questions help students develop their entrepreneurial mindset and skillset.




Presentation Zen


Book Description

FOREWORD BY GUY KAWASAKI Presentation designer and internationally acclaimed communications expert Garr Reynolds, creator of the most popular Web site on presentation design and delivery on the Net — presentationzen.com — shares his experience in a provocative mix of illumination, inspiration, education, and guidance that will change the way you think about making presentations with PowerPoint or Keynote. Presentation Zen challenges the conventional wisdom of making "slide presentations" in today’s world and encourages you to think differently and more creatively about the preparation, design, and delivery of your presentations. Garr shares lessons and perspectives that draw upon practical advice from the fields of communication and business. Combining solid principles of design with the tenets of Zen simplicity, this book will help you along the path to simpler, more effective presentations.




Where Good Ideas Come from


Book Description

In this book, one of our most innovative, popular thinkers, Steven Johnson, takes on one of life's key questions: where do good ideas come from?




101 Business Ideas That Will Change the Way You Work


Book Description

101 Business Ideas That Will Change The Way You Work takes fascinating findings from world-class business research and shows you how to become cannier and more effective at work. Among other vital findings, discover: · When you should trust your gut instincts · Why being too agreeable could hold back your career progression · How to tell when your CEO is lying This illuminating book not only tells you what you need to know to stay one step ahead, but why you need it and how to do it.




The Great Mental Models, Volume 1


Book Description

Discover the essential thinking tools you’ve been missing with The Great Mental Models series by Shane Parrish, New York Times bestselling author and the mind behind the acclaimed Farnam Street blog and “The Knowledge Project” podcast. This first book in the series is your guide to learning the crucial thinking tools nobody ever taught you. Time and time again, great thinkers such as Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett have credited their success to mental models–representations of how something works that can scale onto other fields. Mastering a small number of mental models enables you to rapidly grasp new information, identify patterns others miss, and avoid the common mistakes that hold people back. The Great Mental Models: Volume 1, General Thinking Concepts shows you how making a few tiny changes in the way you think can deliver big results. Drawing on examples from history, business, art, and science, this book details nine of the most versatile, all-purpose mental models you can use right away to improve your decision making and productivity. This book will teach you how to: Avoid blind spots when looking at problems. Find non-obvious solutions. Anticipate and achieve desired outcomes. Play to your strengths, avoid your weaknesses, … and more. The Great Mental Models series demystifies once elusive concepts and illuminates rich knowledge that traditional education overlooks. This series is the most comprehensive and accessible guide on using mental models to better understand our world, solve problems, and gain an advantage.