M&C Saatchi: Krutě přímočaré myšlení

by Maurice Saatchi, Pavel Bakič (Translator)

Je snazší věci komplikovat než zjednodušovat.
Prosté myšlenky nás lépe zasáhnou a déle nám utkví v paměti.
Proto je krutě přímočaré myšlení bolestně nezbytné.

Takové slogany shrnují poselství celé knihy, která se jimi sama příkladně řídí: Žádné úmorné hnidopišské výklady, jen krátký břitký úvod a po něm rychlý sled vypovídajících příkladů toho, jak krutě přímočaré myšlení tvarovalo náš svět a přineslo úspěch těm, kdo se ho nezalekli. Čárové kódy, suchý zip i vynález nuly se pomocí čistě provedené ilustrace a několika přímočarých vět představují jako nečekaně prosté odpovědi na složité otázky.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Design, Philosophy, Cultural, Psychology, Art

60 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2011

Reviews

[Keen Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes this is certainly guilty of stating the obvious, but it still remains an enjoyable read. Perhaps not so much masters of the witty aphorisms as being able to source and employ other people’s witty aphorisms, a bit like in the art and advertising world where they made such a long and lucrative career out of promoting and exploiting other artists’ talent.

The Saatchis’ usually know what they’re up to, and tend to make for clever, fun and entertaining value, as long as you keep in mind that there’s usually some angle they’re working on and appear to be on a mission of permanent self-promotion, even when done under the guise of humour. This is why and how it works because it too, functions on brutal simplicity

[Seal Islas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best thing of the book; the simple, attractive and amazing design, art and structure that it contains. Editorial design at it’s best. The reading is like one of those Guinness’s World’s Records annual compilations, with a lot of general knowledge and curiosities, with a pinch of publicity and propaganda but in general is great for a half an hour reading session. Some of the chapters have way more “depth” than the others and that helps to keep reading when you’re getting tired with the less proficient ones.

[Zac Stojcevski · Rating 1 out of 5]

A pretty little book with micro missives encouraging awe, amazement and creativity in seemingly no logical order. Promises more than it delivers, but has tactile and visual appeal to make it an object of pop art.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best thing about this book is that I was able to read it in 10 minutes. The worst is what I would have felt had I paid the $12 hardbook price for this collection of mini-histories and aphorisms from the wealth marking firm.

Two favorite little factoids: the inventor of the teabag merely meant to send samples of his tea around in silk sachets, but people ended up dunking the whole packet in hot water; the IKEA revolution began after one of its employees had to take the legs off a table to get it in his car, and voila! The self assembly flat packing revolution began.

[Faz · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This book started life as a training manual for Saatchi employees.."

How apt. Everyone who is responsible to design any communication plan, nay - any communique, needs to read this book. Lesson learned: gorgeous ideas (and executions) begin with a fantastic insight that sparks great questions.

This book reminds that simplifying things is never about insulting the audience's intelligence. It's about clarity of thought.

[Nusret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitabı bitirdik. Şimdi okumayı başlatabiliriz.

'Basit' yapılması ve anlaşılması kolay olan...

Kitleleri harekete geçiren, propagandaların olmazsa olmazı basit sözcüklerin; Özgürlük, Eşitlik, Hak, Adalet vs. nin arkasındaki derinlik. Bir kelimenin yaratabileceği ve yol açabileceği yıkım ve değişim sonuçları. Kuşkusuz kitabın basitlik üzerine tüm dünyaya yayılmış etkilerini gözlemlemek mümkün.

Süslü, dolu dolu anlatımların daha az değer görmesindeki nedenlerden birinin de oturup düşünmek için zamandan tasarruf edemediğimiz sonucundayım. Basit olsun benim olsun sonra yaşama yayılsın ve etkisiyle zehirli bir yılanı kıskandırsın.

Son zamanlarda takip ettiğim BBC'nin 2002 yapımı ödüllü olan The Century of the Self belgeselinde Sigmund Freud'un yeğeni, modern propagandanın kurucusu ve halkla ilişkilerin babası Edward Bernays'ın birkaç basit adımla başlattırdığı siyasetten, tüketim alışkanlığına kadar varan birçok şeyin etkisinde ve kabullerinde değişime sebep olan 'reklam'ın ve tüketici toplumunun birbirini basit şeyler üzerinde birleştirmesinin ürkütücü basitliğinin düşündürücü sonuçlarını gözlemlemeye başladım.

Düşünüyorum, öyleyse varım'ın yerini tüketiyorum, öyleyse kendimi değerli hissediyorum'a evrilen bir dünyaya uyanmanın isteksizliği üzerimde. Gün gelir, tüketilenlerin tüketiciyi tüketeceğine olan inancım beni karamsarlığa sürüklüyor.

Stendhal'in bir mektubunda, 'Vaktim olmadığı için uzun yazıyorum,' diye özür dilemesi, kısa ve özlü yazmanın bir çaba hem de zorlu bir çaba işi olduğunu gösteriyor. Van Loon, İnsanlığın Kurtuluşu adlı eserinde şöyle der, haklı olarak; 'Hayat kısadır, söylevlerse uzun sürer. Yüz kelimeyle söylenemeyecek bir şeyin hiçbir zaman söylenmemesi daha iyidir.'

[My Nguyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and fascinating in the way it tells how creative ideas are derived from "brutally" simple approaches. Unsurprisingly, the book itself, from design to content, is also an example of simplicity, more or less simplism, which is suitable for relaxing reading and brain teasing but not much knowledge and information contained and thus requires minimum concentration and comprehension.

[Jonathan Rodrigues · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh

Both concept and premise of the book are great. Brutal simplicity matters and nothing has a bigger impact. That said, what this book provides is example.after example of when simplicity changed the course of human history and our condition. Too bad the authors didn't share principles to put that in practice, something to hold on to

[Andrew Zapotochnyi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's very good.

[Alanna Mercy-Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit pretentious but a good way to show simple copy conveying complex subjects

[Brian Abadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely not for people in a highly creative field.

[Cameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book to read when you have a spare minute, not super insightful

[Steven Kolber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Novel, brief and rather limited in its scope.

[Kevin Isaac · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE IT. TO THINK THAT IT WAS A MANUAL

[Rogue Male · Rating 3 out of 5]

5/10

[George Fouad Saad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply fascinating!

Simply brilliant. Visual. Brief. Insightful. Effective. Engaging. Enjoyable. Thought-provoking. Timeless. Essential. Clear. To the point. Universal in its application. Highly recommended.

[I-Chen Tsai · Rating 4 out of 5]

這是本字不多，但圖片與文字都讓人沈思的小書，就如附圖一樣，一個硬幣，一個問句，就能讓你發現，這裡頭蘊含的智慧，需要你去挖掘。
　
如何把牛裝進口袋裡？
　
表面的意思，是把牛的圖案，放進口袋，似乎有點取巧。但仔細一想，你口袋裡的錢，還真的可以換成牛。
　
也就是說，貨幣的出現，讓交易突破空間與時間的限制，有了錢，你今天要牛、明天要牛都可以，更可以在全世界各地買牛。
　
從「把牛裝進口袋」的具像意義，進入抽象層次，深思文明演變。一句話、一張圖，令人思考許久，重新活化腦細胞。
　
這樣的例子，還有 45 個，加上一篇精彩的序，說明言語之精鍊，還有作者如何萃練自己演講的手稿展示。
　
你可以一個晚上讀完，也可以每個題目都想一個晚上，上網 Google，給自己思考上的挑戰。
　
《極簡思考》：忙碌世界中，瞬間令人沈思的智慧。


https://www.facebook.com/ichentsai.md...

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first thing that struck me about this book was its design. I read through several pages in the body before buying it at our local library's second-hand sale. Only after I got it home did I read the introductory text - which I found to be quite useful and pertinent. I'd say even more than the rest of the book.

The book within its (mostly empty) pages, raises a simple question such as "How do you hear from the dead?" and "How do you rule half the world?" and outlines in a few words how it was answered or solved. While I didn't find most of the solutions simple (creation of velcro or the zipper, where all engineering problems innovatively solved or the French revolution) the book did serve the purpose for me, of asking the right questions - or pointing out folks asking some simple, often uncommon questions, resulted in real solutions. The earlier portion of the book that for instance highlighted Liberty, Equality and Fraternity as a simple slogan that changed the world, was more in keeping with the promise or premise of the book. Having said all that, I found every page to be thought provoking and as Roger Van Oech put it A Whack on the Side of the Head

I've already found myself going back to it repeatedly and thumbing through when taking breaks - so a definite keeper!

[Loy Machedo · Rating 3 out of 5]

On what seemingly appears to be a book written by the legendary founders of the most influential advertising agencies in UK history, sharpens itself invariably to be a signature work of the agency - M&C Saatchi.

So what’s this book about?

Thought provoking ideas encapsulated into a brilliant corporate brochure containing complicated simplicity with aesthetically creative singular images and lucid thoughts printed on a heavenly background of vast white nothingness.
Where the tendency inclines towards romancing this book with a quickie and respectfully bidding it goodbye on the shelves of your other one-time lovers, there is a profound undercurrent to this creative little work.

However, I will not serve your lustful curiosity and expose it all. This 30$ book of creative celebration is as small as a bikini and something like what Garrison Keillor quoted when he was asked to define one stating, “A girl in a bikini is like having a loaded pistol on your coffee table - There's nothing wrong with them, but it's hard to stop thinking about it.”

This book has the same effect.

Overall rating – 6.5 out of 10.

[Mimi Toure-Gorham · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reading a book in 20 minutes is something new. The cover, font and spaces, all contribute to the visual experience.I'm not used to a book doing this.


I didn't enjoy reading it and I found that the "eureka" moments were perception rather than fact. A great idea today is not always a great idea tomorrow, context and timeline contributed to these "inventions" being innovative.

I also felt that everything led up to the last message, which was silly to say the least and also deceiving. Books shouldn't do that.

[Rosťa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tato kniha pro mě byla hořkým zklamáním. Plně jsem podlehl dojmu z obálky a rázného názvu, jen abych následně otevřel několika stránkovou brožurku, kde je pouze několik obecných postulátů na téma "v jednoduchosti je síla".

Bohužel při koupi v elektronické verzi jsem byl bez možnosti zvětřit podraz za pomoci útlosti brožurky nebo prolistování. Kniha mi vůbec nic nedala a nestála ani za ten peníz, který jsem za ni dal.

[Alida · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book in a sitting. It's just that easy. But the examples are quite revealing. No wonder Saatchi has dominated the advertising market for so long.

My two favorites questions? - How do you make densely populated areas pleasant? and How do you make people behave? For the answers you have to read the book.

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an offshoot from a training manual used by Saatchi employees - within its pages are snippets elaborating the philosophy of distilled simplicity that has guided Saatchi over the years. While the point is clearly articulated and the examples often razor sharp, the ethos of 'simplification' seems to be taken to the extreme as some portions could've benefited with expanded context.

[Aziz Alkattan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the simplest, most amazing books ever written. If you are interested in marketing, or simply how the human mind works: this is the book for you! Don't worry, you can finish the entire thing in 15 minutes

[Sue Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read with some thoughtful insights. Can't say if the words were always the reason for something to happen but their boiled-down,bare-boned final sayings are usually what we remember or what we use as a slogan or an ad campaign.

Effective if it's seen or mouthed enough.

[Asma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. Fast but insightful. There were some things that I didn't quite get fast enough, but others I was simply blown by. Also, I LOVE the way this book was presented-- so visual!

[Kirti Vardhan Rathore · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you finding hard to finish your reading challenge for this year, this one up will be a cake walk. 20 minutes and done.

Although, it was a short read but had some deep insights. White space is brilliantly used with nice visuals. Overall it was an average read.

[John Seno · Rating 3 out of 5]

The power of simplicity, mankind's greatest moments & achievements have been carried out using very simple ideas that defy conventional logic.

[Mugren Ohaly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple, intriguing, and educational.

[Lihsian · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review of this book in The Star
http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story....