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The Creative Thinker's Toolkit
People are born creative geniuses, right? With a special gene that endows them with inventiveness the rest of us only wish we had?
According to the latest scientific research, that’s hardly the case at all. In turns out anyone can be creative. You just have to know how to think creatively.
In today’s hyperactive world—where bold new challenges can seem to bring about the same stale answers—creative thinking is more important than ever. And it’s about more than just writing a novel or composing a piece of music. Creative thinking involves taking a broader, more imaginative approach to analyzing and solving the everyday challenges we all face, whether in the office or at home.
Because creativity is a set of skills that anyone can improve, you can learn how to wield the same research-based tools and techniques that today’s creative people use in their own work. All you need is an open mind, a determination to succeed, and The Creative Thinker’s Toolkit. Award-winning Professor Gerard Puccio of Buffalo State–The State University of New York—an expert in creative thinking and a consultant to individual clients and large companies—has crafted 24 lectures that take you step-by-step through the creative-thinking process and that use real-world scenarios to show you this vital skill in action.
Whether you want to overcome writer’s block, look at your career with a fresh perspective, solve a complex business problem, introduce a new idea to the marketplace, or figure out the best way to resolve a tense argument, Professor Puccio’s course will give you everything you need so that when other people are dodging life’s challenges, you’re uncovering the potentially successful opportunities they’ll have missed.
According to the latest scientific research, that’s hardly the case at all. In turns out anyone can be creative. You just have to know how to think creatively.
In today’s hyperactive world—where bold new challenges can seem to bring about the same stale answers—creative thinking is more important than ever. And it’s about more than just writing a novel or composing a piece of music. Creative thinking involves taking a broader, more imaginative approach to analyzing and solving the everyday challenges we all face, whether in the office or at home.
Because creativity is a set of skills that anyone can improve, you can learn how to wield the same research-based tools and techniques that today’s creative people use in their own work. All you need is an open mind, a determination to succeed, and The Creative Thinker’s Toolkit. Award-winning Professor Gerard Puccio of Buffalo State–The State University of New York—an expert in creative thinking and a consultant to individual clients and large companies—has crafted 24 lectures that take you step-by-step through the creative-thinking process and that use real-world scenarios to show you this vital skill in action.
Whether you want to overcome writer’s block, look at your career with a fresh perspective, solve a complex business problem, introduce a new idea to the marketplace, or figure out the best way to resolve a tense argument, Professor Puccio’s course will give you everything you need so that when other people are dodging life’s challenges, you’re uncovering the potentially successful opportunities they’ll have missed.
13 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2014
45 people are currently reading
322 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
October 31, 2022
DNF- a few hours in, I realized this was not at all what I'd been hoping it would be and wasn't going to hit those topics by the time I reached the end. Additionally, the concepts here were nothing I've not come across numerous other times. The information can be found in leadership, management, and team building books.
I'd rate a G.
I'd rate a G.
January 25, 2018
Having never really focused much on my creative side that much, I was curious about the 'toolkit' aspect of this course. I've done a few Great Courses audiobooks (technically, audio lectures) and so I knew what to expect in terms of the format and the depth of the content. And I was quite pleased with the course overall. The lecturer goes through quite a few 'tools' to help in the creative process but also delves into a fair amount of theoretical work around the entire process, making sure you're able to recognize the various stages and what tools should be applied to them.
The lecturer wasn't the best I've heard from a Great Courses audiobook since he minced his words on quite a few occasions. Other than that though, he had a nice, clear voice, came across as very passionate about the subject matter and had well-structured lectures. There were a few lectures in the second half of the book that weren't as interesting as the others, but I blame that more on the rigid structure of the Great Courses format, where each lecture has to be around half an hour and they seem to enforce a multiple of 12 total lectures (24 in this case).
Some highlights for me were the number of easy exercises that pointed out certain biases and tendencies people have when trying to think creatively. Another was the lecture where he got a bunch of people to do an actual brainstorming session to show how it should work. I also enjoyed that the lecturer used a few of his personal experiences to describe how he used the various tools he talked about.
The course seemed to be aimed quite a bit at using creativity in a work setting, which might be something to consider if you are planning on doing this course. It also has a very structured approach to the 'tools', which people who want or like a more free-form way of going about their creativity might dislike. However, I would still recommend it regardless of what you want to get from it since it does teach you a number of useful approaches to creative thinking that literally anyone can benefit from.
The lecturer wasn't the best I've heard from a Great Courses audiobook since he minced his words on quite a few occasions. Other than that though, he had a nice, clear voice, came across as very passionate about the subject matter and had well-structured lectures. There were a few lectures in the second half of the book that weren't as interesting as the others, but I blame that more on the rigid structure of the Great Courses format, where each lecture has to be around half an hour and they seem to enforce a multiple of 12 total lectures (24 in this case).
Some highlights for me were the number of easy exercises that pointed out certain biases and tendencies people have when trying to think creatively. Another was the lecture where he got a bunch of people to do an actual brainstorming session to show how it should work. I also enjoyed that the lecturer used a few of his personal experiences to describe how he used the various tools he talked about.
The course seemed to be aimed quite a bit at using creativity in a work setting, which might be something to consider if you are planning on doing this course. It also has a very structured approach to the 'tools', which people who want or like a more free-form way of going about their creativity might dislike. However, I would still recommend it regardless of what you want to get from it since it does teach you a number of useful approaches to creative thinking that literally anyone can benefit from.
March 1, 2024
Really useful information presented in an accessible way.
September 25, 2019
4.25
This audiobook published by The Great Courses was a fascinating overview of the research into the field of creativity. The author also gives his listeners many tips, strategies and exercises, which are summarized in a 100+ page PDF that comes with the audiobook.
Gerard Puccio, the author and narrator / lecturer, is a Creative Studies professor at Buffalo State University of New York’s International Center for Studies in Creativity. You read that right—there is actually a field called Creative Studies! Puccio’s voice is clear and I liked his narration pretty well.
Although the main focus of the course is on applying the tools Puccio provides in a professional role, Puccio states that the techniques he teaches can be applied to careers outside “creative” fields as well as those within them, and that they can be used outside work contexts also.
Examples of those who exercised creative principles include people from many walks of life, including a motor company executive who believed cars should come in different colors, not just black, and had to convince his boss that he was right, and a groundskeeper who tends to tennis courts beautifully and creatively.
Many of the stories are interesting as well as instructive—for example, did you know that Frank Lloyd Wright had a fallow period that coincided with a time when he worked on his own, without assistants? I also loved Puccio’s personal stories about how he has applied these lessons within his own life and household.
I enjoyed this audiobook and learned a lot, so it gets 4.25 stars from me.
This audiobook published by The Great Courses was a fascinating overview of the research into the field of creativity. The author also gives his listeners many tips, strategies and exercises, which are summarized in a 100+ page PDF that comes with the audiobook.
Gerard Puccio, the author and narrator / lecturer, is a Creative Studies professor at Buffalo State University of New York’s International Center for Studies in Creativity. You read that right—there is actually a field called Creative Studies! Puccio’s voice is clear and I liked his narration pretty well.
Although the main focus of the course is on applying the tools Puccio provides in a professional role, Puccio states that the techniques he teaches can be applied to careers outside “creative” fields as well as those within them, and that they can be used outside work contexts also.
Examples of those who exercised creative principles include people from many walks of life, including a motor company executive who believed cars should come in different colors, not just black, and had to convince his boss that he was right, and a groundskeeper who tends to tennis courts beautifully and creatively.
Many of the stories are interesting as well as instructive—for example, did you know that Frank Lloyd Wright had a fallow period that coincided with a time when he worked on his own, without assistants? I also loved Puccio’s personal stories about how he has applied these lessons within his own life and household.
I enjoyed this audiobook and learned a lot, so it gets 4.25 stars from me.
June 24, 2018
This is a good course summarising many helpful and practical methods that would aid one's thinking process. While the book itself is unlikely to change anyone's life methods in one go forever, but reading books on "creativity" topics or listening to such a course every once in a while provides a good recurring cue to those committed to innovative thinking. There is nothing radical or novel in this course, and the course's utility lies in its uncomplicated simplicity.
This reviewer has a problem in the extremely broad definition of "creativity" employed to include almost every one and every thought/execution process that is not completely routine. As a result, the book never makes an effort to ferment completely extraordinary ideation/creation (regardless of whether this is successful or not) except in stating that if you think/implement "creatively" aka somewhat different often enough and with persistence, some of your output will be truly extraordinary. This is certainly true for most, but sobering to think that there is not much that can aid persistence. That said, there are many good examples and discussions that make the course a worthwhile exercise.
This reviewer has a problem in the extremely broad definition of "creativity" employed to include almost every one and every thought/execution process that is not completely routine. As a result, the book never makes an effort to ferment completely extraordinary ideation/creation (regardless of whether this is successful or not) except in stating that if you think/implement "creatively" aka somewhat different often enough and with persistence, some of your output will be truly extraordinary. This is certainly true for most, but sobering to think that there is not much that can aid persistence. That said, there are many good examples and discussions that make the course a worthwhile exercise.
May 23, 2020
I knew that creativity was not all about talents, but also included attitude. However, I was not completely correct. In this book "The Creative Thinker's Toolkit, Professor Gerard Puccio declared that creativity is also about deliberate practice with proper strategies. He was not only preaching. He structured the creative problem-solving skills into science, with principles revolving around the balance between divergence and convergence thinking.
In the first few chapters, he described four principles of deliberate practice to be more creative during problem-solving: including deferring judgment, going for quantity, making connections, and novelty. Afterward, he described 4 stages of creative problem solving and explained that each person could be more comfortable with one stage over the other, and each stage is equally important for creative thinking. He interleaved examples including anecdotes and facts of creative people from different fields to make the lecture more concrete and relatable. Since the book is about "toolkit", he did provide us tools to enhance certain aspects of creativity.
I really appreciate such an approach from a book and it could be game-changing. It does change my view of creativity. For example, previously I've always thought about creativity is just about brainstorming and generating ideas. However, a successful creator could also be strong in clarifying an idea, perfecting it, and implementing it. Moreover, an adaptor, who is able to build, improvise, and perfect ideas from pre-existing ones could be as well an efficient creator. Thanks to his strategies, I would be more conscious about generating ideas for my problems and hopefully to improve creativity, which is the highest level of thinking.
I also like the structure of the book, which is very clear and organized. However, sometimes the lecturer seems to mince his words which makes me zone out while listening. Also, some concepts are repetitive in certain chapters. Even though divergence/convergence is the main principle, the professor tends to overstate. Examples on how to use tools seem to be limited to the corporate scenarios. Therefore, sometimes I find it hard to extend it to other fields or even personal life.
In summary, the book may not be able to help you become a creative person, but it can definitely improve your creativity.
In the first few chapters, he described four principles of deliberate practice to be more creative during problem-solving: including deferring judgment, going for quantity, making connections, and novelty. Afterward, he described 4 stages of creative problem solving and explained that each person could be more comfortable with one stage over the other, and each stage is equally important for creative thinking. He interleaved examples including anecdotes and facts of creative people from different fields to make the lecture more concrete and relatable. Since the book is about "toolkit", he did provide us tools to enhance certain aspects of creativity.
I really appreciate such an approach from a book and it could be game-changing. It does change my view of creativity. For example, previously I've always thought about creativity is just about brainstorming and generating ideas. However, a successful creator could also be strong in clarifying an idea, perfecting it, and implementing it. Moreover, an adaptor, who is able to build, improvise, and perfect ideas from pre-existing ones could be as well an efficient creator. Thanks to his strategies, I would be more conscious about generating ideas for my problems and hopefully to improve creativity, which is the highest level of thinking.
I also like the structure of the book, which is very clear and organized. However, sometimes the lecturer seems to mince his words which makes me zone out while listening. Also, some concepts are repetitive in certain chapters. Even though divergence/convergence is the main principle, the professor tends to overstate. Examples on how to use tools seem to be limited to the corporate scenarios. Therefore, sometimes I find it hard to extend it to other fields or even personal life.
In summary, the book may not be able to help you become a creative person, but it can definitely improve your creativity.
February 3, 2020
Defer judgment. Go for quantity. Be open to ideas. Clarify the problem. “A problem clearly stated is already half solved.” Brainstorm with purpose and do not be harsh in the beginning stages of creation. Just try. Get feedback and work with others.
A useful workshop on how to live a more creative life, including how to be a creative leader with the knowledge that your job title doesn’t determine if you are allowed to lead. Be the change you wish to see in the world. Be a model for others and take pride in your passions.
The course is a little long but there’s gold to be mined here.
A useful workshop on how to live a more creative life, including how to be a creative leader with the knowledge that your job title doesn’t determine if you are allowed to lead. Be the change you wish to see in the world. Be a model for others and take pride in your passions.
The course is a little long but there’s gold to be mined here.
August 21, 2020
Great information, practical advise, a lot of review and proven data about how cretivity can be developed.
May 4, 2017
Actually not very bad. Pretty coherent approach to creativity with fun exercises and solid lessons
July 7, 2019
The examples and emphases in this book were geared sometimes a little too much towards the business world, but the tools can be applied anywhere, from the arts to family life and anywhere else you need creative thinking to tackle a quandary or decision. The speaker encourages cherry-picking through the cornucopia of methods and tips in order to gear it towards your own pursuits, and does take examples from every field of endeavor from fine art to science to parenthood to yes, business decisions from personnel problems to product innovation.
All the tools and concepts are well-tested in real-life settings and have empirical backing in the academic field of creative studies.
I plan to go back through the book again, applying some of the methods to my own writing project. It might help to take the book slow with a project already in mind, since the speaker asks you to step away from the book or pause the recording often to do exercises, which I didn't do much of the first time through.
All the tools and concepts are well-tested in real-life settings and have empirical backing in the academic field of creative studies.
I plan to go back through the book again, applying some of the methods to my own writing project. It might help to take the book slow with a project already in mind, since the speaker asks you to step away from the book or pause the recording often to do exercises, which I didn't do much of the first time through.
January 17, 2023
Overall, a very solid self-improvement read.
3.5 star rating, with a round up.
There's some really great/newly introduced concepts within this for me that really struck some positive nerves.
For example, I love the idea of having a "Reverse Meeting" ... where basically you gather the team and talk/strategize on how to fail. Then, you flip the energy and shift towards mission accomplishment in a positive light after the negative session to the left. This sounds super fun and absolutely fitting for creative thinking. I really want to try this with my team when the timing/mood is right and see how it pans out.
Other positive highlights for this include lots of exercises/hands-on activities throughout the lectures. If you take the time to actually participate, you have a lot to gain in this and makes this Great Course very interactive and fun.
For me however, at least ~50% of this was familiar concepts. For folks who haven't read as many self-help/psych books and are sailing into uncharted waters entirely... this would surely be bumped up to a 4/5 star rating.
3.5 star rating, with a round up.
There's some really great/newly introduced concepts within this for me that really struck some positive nerves.
For example, I love the idea of having a "Reverse Meeting" ... where basically you gather the team and talk/strategize on how to fail. Then, you flip the energy and shift towards mission accomplishment in a positive light after the negative session to the left. This sounds super fun and absolutely fitting for creative thinking. I really want to try this with my team when the timing/mood is right and see how it pans out.
Other positive highlights for this include lots of exercises/hands-on activities throughout the lectures. If you take the time to actually participate, you have a lot to gain in this and makes this Great Course very interactive and fun.
For me however, at least ~50% of this was familiar concepts. For folks who haven't read as many self-help/psych books and are sailing into uncharted waters entirely... this would surely be bumped up to a 4/5 star rating.
January 15, 2020
A wonderful course that changed the way I think about complex problems. Tons of tools are offered to you, each one in great detail. As I made my way through the course, I found some of the later chapters a bit more esoteric and less actionable for my specific situation. If you're in a decision making space in the corporate world, you'll likely find these chapters more in line with your needs.
Despite that, I found the early chapters so valuable that I've gone out of my way to recommend it to people I know. Even reading just one chapter at random will change the way you think about problem-solving.
Despite that, I found the early chapters so valuable that I've gone out of my way to recommend it to people I know. Even reading just one chapter at random will change the way you think about problem-solving.
April 14, 2024
Creativity is something that can be cultivated, practiced, and learned. Many things in this program feel like a natural fit to me because they are in line with the ways I process information. The biggest benefits of the book come from the number of techniques available and the step by step application for them. The places I will give extra attention to are the ones that describe our internal biases that limit our ability to process information and look at it objectively. This is a must read if you believe you’re not creative! Maybe more urgent if you’re a creative who is experiencing blockages right now!
February 18, 2018
Incredibly well done. Gerard takes us through great content in an engaging, well-researched, well-cited manner. Loved the section opening stories and his passion for the subject.
I was looking for something that discussed concepts I learned in Engineering Design by Pahl and Beitz in a more approachable fashion and this book was it, and had a lot of new content. Highly recommend the audiobook as it is the lectures by Puccio, it includes a downloadable PDF as well with the content. Great book for those interested in the subject.
I was looking for something that discussed concepts I learned in Engineering Design by Pahl and Beitz in a more approachable fashion and this book was it, and had a lot of new content. Highly recommend the audiobook as it is the lectures by Puccio, it includes a downloadable PDF as well with the content. Great book for those interested in the subject.
July 4, 2018
Quite possibly one of the most important books (well, audio book courses) that I've ever read. I've never really thought of myself as a creative person but Gerard Puccio did what I thought was impossible - break creativity down into a science. He broke down creativity into its various components and showed both when and how to use those components. I saw immediate benefits from this course and plan to continue using some of the exercises that he outlined a few times a week to continue building up my creative problem solving skills.
Can not recommend enough.
Can not recommend enough.
February 22, 2019
After listening to this book on Audible, my approach towards solving problems has completed changed. I understood the importance of the process-oriented methods, involving teams etc in creative thinking.
Its a game changer for me. The narration by the author was very clear.
I made a wonderful choice by buying this book.
My Recommendation: Everybody must read/listen to this book.
Its a game changer for me. The narration by the author was very clear.
I made a wonderful choice by buying this book.
My Recommendation: Everybody must read/listen to this book.
November 12, 2024
At times, I would get frustrated with some of the abstract quality of the content as well as when it felt more focused on project management and problem solving than the nuisance of creativity that I might have been expecting. That was there, too, however. As well as some interesting real-life examples. Just when I would think it was losing me, he would get me back.
April 24, 2018
Their are helpful nuggets throughout this course, but it seems to mechanize creativity with its programmatic in its approach. I believe it’s designed to add creativity to more left-brained corporate approaches rather than to deepen a more classically creative endeavor in any real way.
June 2, 2019
I took way too long to finish this.
the lesson model was a bit hard to follow sometimes, but the content and tips there presented already helped me a lot when feeling stuck.
if you are in the creative business I recommend this read
the lesson model was a bit hard to follow sometimes, but the content and tips there presented already helped me a lot when feeling stuck.
if you are in the creative business I recommend this read
January 30, 2024
Outstanding course -
have to admit - the first lecture was so-so - but after that - they are fantastic, including a fabulous last lecture on how to embrace a creative life!
Just great!
I suspect I will re-watch this at some time in the future!
have to admit - the first lecture was so-so - but after that - they are fantastic, including a fabulous last lecture on how to embrace a creative life!
Just great!
I suspect I will re-watch this at some time in the future!
October 18, 2017
Es un libro muy interesante con una estructura en lecciones, o clases, y es el primer libro que habla de creatividad en donde veo herramientas para el pensamiento convergente.
Muy recomendable.
Muy recomendable.
January 26, 2018
I need to listen to this one over and over again and take notes next time!
October 18, 2018
Great exercises and examples -- will refer to this one for long time.
May 14, 2019
Very practical information, handy tips and a step by step plan for your next brainstorm session.
July 8, 2019
Started off with interesting ideas, but disintegrated into something that felt completely academic, and not creative at all. I was very disappointed
September 24, 2019
Gives lots of ideas for thinking creatively.
November 7, 2019
Simply amazing. Lots of exercises, tools and explanations. I love this book and have reread certain chapters time and time again to solve problems at work. Great job.
January 24, 2020
I am rather disappointed by the materials. It makes me wonder again -- Can creativity be taught?
June 17, 2020
worth reading.
Ideation, incubation, etc..
covers a lot of track on creativity.
Ideation, incubation, etc..
covers a lot of track on creativity.
August 28, 2020
Solid into.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews