Tackle your thorniest problems using the Wise Fool’s savvy Strategies!
The Wise Fool is the archetypal contrarian known for his creativity, irreverence, and humor. He looks at life in unorthodox ways and pushes back against the status quo. Throughout history, powerful decision-makers (Egyptian pharaohs, Chinese emperors, Persian sultans, and European kings) consulted Wise Fools to question the assumptions that kept them mired in stale and obsolete solutions.
From the Inside Flap
If you don’t ask “why this?” often enough, somebody will ask “why you?”
The Creative Contrarian is for people who like to “think differently,” and also for those looking for ways to hone their creative edge.
If being innovative is part of your job—engineers, entrepreneurs, managers, programmers, designers, teachers, parents, coaches, artists, and students—then this book is for you!
Using a fun and engaging style, Roger von Oechpresents 20 “Wise Fool” Strategies to boost yourcreativity and curb groupthink.These include: “Use your forgettery,” “Flex your risk muscle,” “Drop what’s obsolete,” “Laugh at it,” and “Reverse your perspective.”
Jam-packed with innovation boosters for taking the initiative, this book provides practical tips to help you develop a “how-else-can-I-look-at-this?” attitude. Reading it will make you a little less dogmatic, and a lot more playful; less convinced you’ve already got the best answer, and more skeptical of “received truths.”
You can’t see the good ideas behind you by looking twice as hard at what’s in front of you.
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What readers are saying
Treasure
Perfect score for a great book, useful for consultation long after use
Taylor Floyd
Empowering and entertaining!
The Creative Contrarian is a fun and practical book that had me laughing out loud while learning tools and techniques to challenge my thinking, ignite my creativity and question the status quo. The book is packed with interesting examples and stories spanning from ancient times to current business and world events. The 20 "Wise Fool" Strategies may be consulted as an oracle or one selected as a daily mantra to assist you with problem-solving and idea generation. This has become a "go-to" book that resides on my desk, rather than the book case.
Mary Gospe, Principal kickstart alliance
Get your wise fool on
This book is a valuable tool for looking at old -- or even new -- situations in a completely different way. An intelligent, wise guide that almost all of us can use to get out of the groupthink rut. Especially appreciate the way von Oech applies his knowledge of great thinkers and philosophers to illustrate his points.
Bookish one
About the author
Roger von Oech is the founder and president of Creative Think, a California-based consulting firm that specializes in stimulating creativity and innovation. He has given seminars and presentations to corporations worldwide, including Coca-Cola, GE, Disney, Intel, MTV, Microsoft, NASA, Apple, Citigroup, and the United States Olympic Committee. He is the author of two previous creative-thinking books, A Whack on the Side of the Head and A Kick in the Seat of the Pants, as well as the popular Creative Whack Pack card deck. He lives with his wife and children in Atherton, California.
