A WHACK ON THE SIDE OF THE HEAD --- HOW TO UNLOCK YOUR MIND
FOR INNOVATION by Roger von Oech. Warner Books, 1983
FORWARD by Nolan Bushnell
INTRODUCTION (p3-18)
"In a time of great change, you are most in need of creativity and innovation!" by futurist John Naisbitt
Why be creative? The first reason is change and the second is that it is a lot of fun!
What is "creative" thinking?
Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different! However, mental locks, which are attitudes that "lock" your thinking into the status quo and keep you thinking "more of the same," are summarized in the ten chapters below:
How do you open "mental locks?"
Whacks force you to do something different and they open mental locks in one of two ways:
1) You need the ability to unlearn what you already "know."
2) Also, sometimes, nothing short of a "whack on the side of the head" can shake you out of routine patterns and force you to re-think your problems and stimulate you to ask new questions that may lead you to other answers!
1) "The right answer" (p19-26)
2) "That's not logical" (p27-42)
3) "Follow the rules" (p43-52)
4) "Be practical" (p53-62)
BREAKTIME (p63-74)
5) "Avoid ambiguity" (p75-86)
6) "To err is wrong" (p87-94)
7) "Play is frivolous" (p95-102)
8) "That's not my area" (p103-110)
9) "Don't be foolish" (p111-118)
10) "I'm not creative" (p119-126)
EXAMINATION (p127-131)
A FINAL WHACK (p132-135)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR (p136-137)
RECOMMENDED READING (p138-139)
INDEX OF PROPER NAMES (p140)