Creativity


Book Description

____________________________ We can all be more creative. John Cleese shows us how. Creativity is usually regarded as a mysterious, rare gift that only a few possess. John Cleese begs to differ, and in this short, immensely practical and often very amusing guide he shows it's a skill that anyone can acquire. Drawing on his lifelong experience as a writer, he shares his insights into the nature of the creative process, and offers advice on how to get your own inventive juices flowing. ____________________________ 'Humorous and practical ... Whether you're hoping to write a novel or paint a masterpiece, you're sure to feel inspired' OK Magazine 'His candor is endearing ... An upbeat guide to the creative process' Kirkus 'A jovial romp ... Cleese fans will enjoy, and writers and other artists will breeze through, picking up a few nuggets of wisdom along the way' The Festival Review 'A sincere and thoughtful guide to creativity, and a very useful book' Graham Norton 'Wise words on the serious business of being silly' Sunday Business Post




Authoring a PhD


Book Description

This engaging and highly regarded book takes readers through the key stages of their PhD research journey, from the initial ideas through to successful completion and publication. It gives helpful guidance on forming research questions, organising ideas, pulling together a final draft, handling the viva and getting published. Each chapter contains a wealth of practical suggestions and tips for readers to try out and adapt to their own research needs and disciplinary style. This text will be essential reading for PhD students and their supervisors in humanities, arts, social sciences, business, law, health and related disciplines.




Be Creative on the Job


Book Description

Also in the 6th revised and improved edition, published by a government-funded publisher involved in EU programs and a partner of the Federal Ministry of Education, you receive the concentrated expertise of renowned experts (overview in the book preview), as well as tailored premium content and access to travel deals with discounts of up to 75%. At the same time, you do good and support sustainable projects. Because everyone talks about innovation and creativity, in practice many new ideas fail, especially in the implementation of projects, because of a lack of willingness to change, exaggerated fears or simply good will, but often also because of wrong or missing communication of the managers. This book shows how best to deal with one's own creativity in everyday professional life, how to solve problems and conflicts in a creative way and thus achieve one's own goals. With its "Info on Demand" concept, the publisher not only participated in an EU-funded program but was also awarded the Global Business Award as Publisher of the Year. Therefore, by purchasing this book, you are also doing good: The publisher is financially and personally involved in socially relevant projects such as tree planting campaigns, the establishment of scholarships, sustainable living arrangements, and many other innovative ideas. The goal of providing you with the best possible content on topics such as career, finance, management, recruiting, or psychology goes far beyond the static nature of traditional books: The interactive book not only imparts expert knowledge but also allows you to ask individual questions and receive personal advice. In doing so, expertise and technical innovation go hand in hand, as we take the responsibility of delivering well-researched and reliable content, as well as the trust you place in us, very seriously. Therefore, all texts are written by experts in their field. Only for better accessibility of information do we rely on AI-supported data analysis, which assists you in your search for knowledge. You also gain extensive premium services: Each book includes detailed explanations and examples, making it easier for you to successfully use the consultation services, freeky available only to book buyers. Additionally, you can download e-courses, work with workbooks, or engage with an active community. This way, you gain valuable resources that enhance your knowledge, stimulate creativity, and make your personal and professional goals achievable and successes tangible. That's why, as part of the reader community, you have the unique opportunity to make your journey to personal success even more unforgettable with travel deals of up to 75% off. Because we know that true success is not just a matter of the mind, but is primarily the result of personal impressions and experiences. Publisher and editor Simone Janson is also a bestselling author and one of the 10 most important German bloggers according to the Blogger Relevance Index. Additionally, she has been a columnist and author for renowned media such as WELT, Wirtschaftswoche, and ZEIT - you can learn more about her on Wikipedia.




On Doing Nothing


Book Description

In an age of obsessive productivity and stress, this illustrated ode to idleness invites you to explore the pleasures and possibilities of slowing down. Beloved author and illustrator Roman Muradov weaves together the words and stories of artists, writers, philosophers, and eccentrics who have pursued inspiration by doing less. He reveals that doing nothing is both easily achievable and essential to leading an enjoyable and creative life. Cultivating idleness can be as simple as taking a long walk without a destination or embracing chance in the creative process. Peppered with playful illustrations, this handsome volume is a refreshing and thought-provoking read. “Whimsical, clever, and companionable . . . On Doing Nothing provides a much-needed correction to our distracted, anxiety-ridden, and increasingly disembodied culture. Muradov has written and illustrated a kind of Situationist, Oulipian Ways of Seeing—a manual for clarity and presence, a book which issues a call to attention; a call to pay attention. The smart yet approachable philosophical reflections unfold like a leisurely stroll through a beautiful and unfamiliar city, provoking thoughtfulness and eliciting in the reader a spirit of discovery.” —Peter Mendelsund, author of What We See When We Read




The Creativity Challenge


Book Description

As seen on Inc.com Discover your "Aha" moment--right now! What's the best way to become more creative? Just change how you think! This book challenges you to go against your default ways of thinking in order to write, design, and build something extraordinary. Featuring more than 100 challenges, exercises, and prompts, each page guides you as you push past the way you normally see the world and uncover all-new possibilities and ideas. The Creativity Challenge teaches you that you already have immense creative potential in you--you just need to tap into it. Whether you're feeling stumped or uninspired, these creativity prompts will help you ditch typical thinking patterns and finally unleash the possibilities hidden within your mind.




Creative Selection


Book Description

* WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER * An insider's account of Apple's creative process during the golden years of Steve Jobs. Hundreds of millions of people use Apple products every day; several thousand work on Apple's campus in Cupertino, California; but only a handful sit at the drawing board. Creative Selection recounts the life of one of the few who worked behind the scenes, a highly-respected software engineer who worked in the final years of the Steve Jobs era—the Golden Age of Apple. Ken Kocienda offers an inside look at Apple’s creative process. For fifteen years, he was on the ground floor of the company as a specialist, directly responsible for experimenting with novel user interface concepts and writing powerful, easy-to-use software for products including the iPhone, the iPad, and the Safari web browser. His stories explain the symbiotic relationship between software and product development for those who have never dreamed of programming a computer, and reveal what it was like to work on the cutting edge of technology at one of the world's most admired companies. Kocienda shares moments of struggle and success, crisis and collaboration, illuminating each with lessons learned over his Apple career. He introduces the essential elements of innovation—inspiration, collaboration, craft, diligence, decisiveness, taste, and empathy—and uses these as a lens through which to understand productive work culture. An insider's tale of creativity and innovation at Apple, Creative Selection shows readers how a small group of people developed an evolutionary design model, and how they used this methodology to make groundbreaking and intuitive software which countless millions use every day.




Creative Ecologies


Book Description

The main question of our age is how we live our lives. As we struggle with this question, we face others. How do we handle ideas and knowledge, both our own and those of others? What relationship to ideas do we want? Whose ideas do we want to be surrounded by? Where do we want to think? Most choose, or have the choice made for them, according to what family, colleagues, and friends do and say and what we read about, and a more or less rational calculation of the odds. Modern ecology results from the shift in thinking generated by quantum physics and systems theory, from the old view based on reductionism, mechanics, and fixed quantities to a new view based on holistic systems where qualities are contingent on the observer and on each other. This perception changes how people treat ideas and facts, certainties and uncertainties, and affects both art and science. Worldwide it is part of the process of understanding the current crisis in the environment, and the balance of economy, creativity, and control required in our response. The book's starting point is the growing role that information has played in industrial economies since the 1800s and especially in the last thirty years. It is an attempt to identify ecology of thinking and learning. It is also based on the need to escape from old, industrial ways and become more attuned to how people actually borrow, develop, and share ideas. Throughout the book, Howkins asks questions and offers signposts. He gives no guarantee that creative ecologies will be sustainable, but shows what should be aimed for.




Making a Living Without a Job


Book Description

A guide to making money sans job offers insight-provoking interactive tests, self-evaluations, charts, and checklists, as well as numerous anecdotes about people who are successfully self-employed. “If you are ready to stretch your mind to the idea of making a living without a job, you’ll find plenty of encouragement and practical information here. Designing a lifestyle for yourself that nurtures and supports who you are and what you value won’t happen instantaneously, but this book will certainly make the process simpler and easier for you. Becoming joyfully jobless begins with a commitment to self-discovery, a curiosity about your potential, and a willingness to acquire the information and skills that will enhance your work. Your way will be unlike anyone else’s, although you will share a deep camaraderie with others on this path. Being your own boss is both heady and humbling, but it’s seldom boring.” —Barbara J. Winter, from the Introduction




Career Change


Book Description

Are you tired of asking "What should I do with my life?" Are you sick of your job? Don't worry, I know how you feel! I used to start every working week saying "I hate my job" and spend every Friday night drinking too much to drown my misery. I was a cubicle worker in large corporates, going to pointless meetings, writing endless documents no one would read, testing computer systems that would soon be obsolete. Every day, my soul and my creativity died a little. Maybe you feel the same? Well, life is too short to just exist on the edge of breakdown, and there is a better way of living. You need to discover what you love to do and then make that your job, your life's work. This book will take you through understanding the way you feel now as well as how to improve your current situation immediately so you can create enough space to work on breaking out and doing what you truly love. It also contains the career change process I used to go from management consultant to full-time author-entrepreneur. It's time to change your career and your life.




Creative Confidence


Book Description

IDEO founder and Stanford d.school creator David Kelley and his brother Tom Kelley, IDEO partner and the author of the bestselling The Art of Innovation, have written a powerful and compelling book on unleashing the creativity that lies within each and every one of us. Too often, companies and individuals assume that creativity and innovation are the domain of the "creative types." But two of the leading experts in innovation, design, and creativity on the planet show us that each and every one of us is creative. In an incredibly entertaining and inspiring narrative that draws on countless stories from their work at IDEO, the Stanford d.school, and with many of the world's top companies, David and Tom Kelley identify the principles and strategies that will allow us to tap into our creative potential in our work lives, and in our personal lives, and allow us to innovate in terms of how we approach and solve problems. It is a book that will help each of us be more productive and successful in our lives and in our careers.