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Any Ideas?: Tips and Techniques to Help You Think Creatively
Every great creation starts with an idea, but where does that special spark come from? What do you do when your mind goes blank? And how do you recognise the ideas that are worth taking further?
This is a book about how to have ideas - on your own or with other people - and how to nurture them. Packed with tips, mind games and practical techniques, Rob Eastaway provides down-to-earth insights on how to think creatively and solve problems in your professional and personal life.
Find out how to: Solve problems more effectivelyEvaluate and build on ideasBrainstorm successfullyOvercome "idea killers"Turn ideas into actions
This is a book about how to have ideas - on your own or with other people - and how to nurture them. Packed with tips, mind games and practical techniques, Rob Eastaway provides down-to-earth insights on how to think creatively and solve problems in your professional and personal life.
Find out how to: Solve problems more effectivelyEvaluate and build on ideasBrainstorm successfullyOvercome "idea killers"Turn ideas into actions
- GenresNonfiction
160 pages, Paperback
Published March 21, 2017
9 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Rob Eastaway
47 books31 followersRobert Eastaway is an author who is active in the popularisation of mathematics. He is a former pupil of The King's School, Chester, England and has a degree in Engineering and Management Science from the University of Cambridge. He was President of the UK Mathematical Association for 2007/2008. Eastaway is a keen cricket player and was one of the originators of the International Rankings of Cricketers. He is also a former puzzle-writer for the New Scientist magazine and he has been involved in live mathematics shows on Virgin Radio (now Absolute Radio). He is the Director of Maths Inspiration, a national programme of maths lectures for teenagers which involves some of the UK’s leading maths speakers such as Simon Singh and Colin Wright.
Robert Eastaway's titles appear under the name "Rob Eastaway" in the UK and some other countries.
Robert Eastaway's titles appear under the name "Rob Eastaway" in the UK and some other countries.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 15, 2017
“A Man with A New Idea Is A Crank Until the Idea Succeeds” --Mark Twain
In his latest book, ANY IDEAS? Rob Eastaway provides an encouraging assortment of tips and techniques to improve your creativity.
One of Rob’s main suggestions is to “Nurture and protect silliness.” After all, many great ideas would have been thought ridiculous years ago. How about “Injecting a deadly toxin into your face to make you look younger (Botox)?” Sometimes you just have to “embrace more silliness.”
Over the years, we tend to all become “conforming individuals who look for right answers rather than interesting ones.”
It’s important to encourage, rather than discourage new ideas. If we’re not careful, unique ideas get “questioned, challenged, laughed at or just rejected out of hand.” So, be careful to create a nurturing atmosphere, where everyone feels free to contribute.
The author points out the difference between thinking creatively versus thinking laterally. Rob suggests that creative thinking is concocting novel ideas, whereas lateral thinking is “addressing a completely different question from the problem you’re presented with.”
Here’s another fun tip: Try framing the problem “in the extreme.” Ask yourself how you would solve it if money were no object, or if you needed to have it solved in one minute. What would you do then?
I’ve employed a similar principle as this “extreme” tactic. I ask myself, “Could I solve this problem if someone would actually DIE if I didn’t?” (I actually submitted this “deadly” idea to a magazine purporting to encourage creativity. The editor didn’t really like the idea, and remarked, “But no one will actually die.”)
All in all, I found ANY IDEAS? to be a fun, easy read. I found many of the ideas to be good ones, with practical use. Embracing silliness is a great concept. Perhaps my favorite section was on the idea of lateral thinking.
I started reading at the back of the book.
Advance Review Copy courtesy of the author.
For a more colorful, creative review, see Bassocantor.com
In his latest book, ANY IDEAS? Rob Eastaway provides an encouraging assortment of tips and techniques to improve your creativity.
One of Rob’s main suggestions is to “Nurture and protect silliness.” After all, many great ideas would have been thought ridiculous years ago. How about “Injecting a deadly toxin into your face to make you look younger (Botox)?” Sometimes you just have to “embrace more silliness.”
Over the years, we tend to all become “conforming individuals who look for right answers rather than interesting ones.”
It’s important to encourage, rather than discourage new ideas. If we’re not careful, unique ideas get “questioned, challenged, laughed at or just rejected out of hand.” So, be careful to create a nurturing atmosphere, where everyone feels free to contribute.
The author points out the difference between thinking creatively versus thinking laterally. Rob suggests that creative thinking is concocting novel ideas, whereas lateral thinking is “addressing a completely different question from the problem you’re presented with.”
Here’s another fun tip: Try framing the problem “in the extreme.” Ask yourself how you would solve it if money were no object, or if you needed to have it solved in one minute. What would you do then?
I’ve employed a similar principle as this “extreme” tactic. I ask myself, “Could I solve this problem if someone would actually DIE if I didn’t?” (I actually submitted this “deadly” idea to a magazine purporting to encourage creativity. The editor didn’t really like the idea, and remarked, “But no one will actually die.”)
All in all, I found ANY IDEAS? to be a fun, easy read. I found many of the ideas to be good ones, with practical use. Embracing silliness is a great concept. Perhaps my favorite section was on the idea of lateral thinking.
I started reading at the back of the book.
Advance Review Copy courtesy of the author.
For a more colorful, creative review, see Bassocantor.com
February 10, 2017
I found this book so fascinating and interesting. I wish I could express properly how this book helps you think up ideas in a more dynamic fashion.
The main theme of this book is about how to avoid killing off ideas.
I love how he uses examples of finding solutions using a solutions based approach (what he calls the lateral thinking approach).
He gives pointers on how you can better develop ideas and processes you can include in your day to day activities to have better outcomes.
Favourite Quote: “Evaluation is important, but premature evaluation doesn’t just snuff out someone else’s creative spark: it can also also prevent you from seeing new possibilities. Learn to pause whenever you hear a new idea, and take time to think about it and look for its good points first.
Rating: 4.5/5
The main theme of this book is about how to avoid killing off ideas.
I love how he uses examples of finding solutions using a solutions based approach (what he calls the lateral thinking approach).
He gives pointers on how you can better develop ideas and processes you can include in your day to day activities to have better outcomes.
Favourite Quote: “Evaluation is important, but premature evaluation doesn’t just snuff out someone else’s creative spark: it can also also prevent you from seeing new possibilities. Learn to pause whenever you hear a new idea, and take time to think about it and look for its good points first.
Rating: 4.5/5
May 21, 2017
I absolutely love this book. It's well written, humourous and really does give some very useful suggestions to help prompt creative thinking. There are a number of puzzles - at the start of chapters - that force you to think outside the box and look at things from a different angle. One of the ideas that I found most useful is to write down every idea that occurs and keep them in a folder that can be referred back to at any time. An idea may seems silly or just not feasible when you initially think of it, but in the future it may just come good.
It's one of those books that you can read through from start to finish, but works equally well if you just want to dip in and out. This isn't a book that is going to bog you down in huge chapters full of tiny writing (let's face it, even the most avid reader can give up on books like that), but rather a book with short, snappy chapters, tips boxes and the aforementioned puzzles (answers at the back of the book - but try not to cheat!)
If you're looking for help with improving your creativity - whatever it is you need that for - then I really do recommend having a read of this book. It's worth it. I only wish this book had been written years ago.
*Received from a Goodreads giveaway, which has not affected my opinion at all*
It's one of those books that you can read through from start to finish, but works equally well if you just want to dip in and out. This isn't a book that is going to bog you down in huge chapters full of tiny writing (let's face it, even the most avid reader can give up on books like that), but rather a book with short, snappy chapters, tips boxes and the aforementioned puzzles (answers at the back of the book - but try not to cheat!)
If you're looking for help with improving your creativity - whatever it is you need that for - then I really do recommend having a read of this book. It's worth it. I only wish this book had been written years ago.
*Received from a Goodreads giveaway, which has not affected my opinion at all*
September 20, 2017
I love this book. The creative tips are practical and I had many 'aha' moments when reading it. The chapters and sub-chapters are arranged systematically, written smartly and straight to the point. Nice!!
July 29, 2019
An active read with quick puzzles and exercises to try out. Really enjoyed the brilliant simplicity of this book and will be incorporating some of the tools into my coaching work.
July 3, 2022
It’s important to regard a new idea with encouragement rather than discouraging it. After all, every great creation starts with an idea, but where does that special spark comes from? This is question that Rob Eastaway, author of Any Ideas: Tips and Techniques to Help You Think Creatively tries to address in the book by providing an miscellaneous collection of tips to develop your ideas for better outcomes in day to day.
How do we come up with ideas?
Eastaway, to answer the aforementioned question, suggests by avoid killing ideas at the early stage and to start recognising good ideas. He argues that every one of us have ideas streaming every time and it’s just a myth that some people have more ideas than others. He suggests to take a positive approach on it by not discontinuing the stream of ideas as they tend to boost anyone, whether they are stuck in their 9 to 5 jobs or having a career change.
When we feel a particular incident to be different from the current situation, an idea can occur at that time. This idea, Eastaway, proves, is an offspring from our frustration.
Process of generating ideas comes from making collaborating with others. Working on a project with different set of people having a completely different range of experiences can have broad or a narrow effect on the project depending on their experience. This can lead up to difficulties as the fixed type of mindset might settle in between rather than embracing this specific effort. He provides some techniques to work around this type of mindset in organisation/groups to identify an idea that might be beneficial and drive forward with it without wasting time and other resources.
In this book, he emphasis more on working on an idea together to solve problems rather than just an individual’s ability to do the same. He calls working in a team around an idea, indispensable.
This book does revolves around a fantastic, curiosity arousing concept. It takes a pragmatic approach by presenting exemplary situations which you might find yourself in. I really like the whole idea behind the book but the writing seem too dry for me.
Nevertheless, I would say go and read this one. It won’t take much of your time.
3 out of 5!
How do we come up with ideas?
Eastaway, to answer the aforementioned question, suggests by avoid killing ideas at the early stage and to start recognising good ideas. He argues that every one of us have ideas streaming every time and it’s just a myth that some people have more ideas than others. He suggests to take a positive approach on it by not discontinuing the stream of ideas as they tend to boost anyone, whether they are stuck in their 9 to 5 jobs or having a career change.
When we feel a particular incident to be different from the current situation, an idea can occur at that time. This idea, Eastaway, proves, is an offspring from our frustration.
Process of generating ideas comes from making collaborating with others. Working on a project with different set of people having a completely different range of experiences can have broad or a narrow effect on the project depending on their experience. This can lead up to difficulties as the fixed type of mindset might settle in between rather than embracing this specific effort. He provides some techniques to work around this type of mindset in organisation/groups to identify an idea that might be beneficial and drive forward with it without wasting time and other resources.
In this book, he emphasis more on working on an idea together to solve problems rather than just an individual’s ability to do the same. He calls working in a team around an idea, indispensable.
This book does revolves around a fantastic, curiosity arousing concept. It takes a pragmatic approach by presenting exemplary situations which you might find yourself in. I really like the whole idea behind the book but the writing seem too dry for me.
Nevertheless, I would say go and read this one. It won’t take much of your time.
3 out of 5!
January 13, 2018
Any Ideas is a ‘how to’ on generating, recording and acting on ideas.
Very well written, in a way that kept me engaged and entertained throughout. I particularly enjoyed the puzzles and activities designed to promote creative thinking.
For me there was nothing new and groundbreaking, but a great way to get your juices flowing.
Thank you to the author and publisher for this Goodreads Giveaway.
Very well written, in a way that kept me engaged and entertained throughout. I particularly enjoyed the puzzles and activities designed to promote creative thinking.
For me there was nothing new and groundbreaking, but a great way to get your juices flowing.
Thank you to the author and publisher for this Goodreads Giveaway.
May 19, 2021
Kind of fun book to read. A lot of tricks to make your brain more creative which I can't think of it. Nice...
August 19, 2023
It seems helpful
June 24, 2024
Easy read, entertaining and presenting several good tips for boosting your creativity.
April 9, 2017
It’s important to regard a new idea with encouragement rather than discouraging it. After all, every great creation starts with an idea, but where does that special spark comes from? This is question that Rob Eastaway, author of Any Ideas: Tips and Techniques to Help You Think Creatively tries to address in the book by providing an miscellaneous collection of tips to develop your ideas for better outcomes in day to day.
How do we come up with ideas?
Eastaway, to answer the aforementioned question, suggests by avoid killing ideas at the early stage and to start recognising good ideas. He argues that every one of us have ideas streaming every time and it’s just a myth that some people have more ideas than others. He suggests to take a positive approach on it by not discontinuing the stream of ideas as they tend to boost anyone, whether they are stuck in their 9 to 5 jobs or having a career change.
When we feel a particular incident to be different from the current situation, an idea can occur at that time. This idea, Eastaway, proves, is an offspring from our frustration.
Process of generating ideas comes from making collaborating with others. Working on a project with different set of people having a completely different range of experiences can have broad or a narrow effect on the project depending on their experience. This can lead up to difficulties as the fixed type of mindset might settle in between rather than embracing this specific effort. He provides some techniques to work around this type of mindset in organisation/groups to identify an idea that might be beneficial and drive forward with it without wasting time and other resources.
In this book, he emphasis more on working on an idea together to solve problems rather than just an individual’s ability to do the same. He calls working in a team around an idea, indispensable.
This book does revolves around a fantastic, curiosity arousing concept. It takes a pragmatic approach by presenting exemplary situations which you might find yourself in. I really like the whole idea behind the book but the writing seem too dry for me.
Nevertheless, I would say go and read this one. It won’t take much of your time.
3 out of 5!
How do we come up with ideas?
Eastaway, to answer the aforementioned question, suggests by avoid killing ideas at the early stage and to start recognising good ideas. He argues that every one of us have ideas streaming every time and it’s just a myth that some people have more ideas than others. He suggests to take a positive approach on it by not discontinuing the stream of ideas as they tend to boost anyone, whether they are stuck in their 9 to 5 jobs or having a career change.
When we feel a particular incident to be different from the current situation, an idea can occur at that time. This idea, Eastaway, proves, is an offspring from our frustration.
Process of generating ideas comes from making collaborating with others. Working on a project with different set of people having a completely different range of experiences can have broad or a narrow effect on the project depending on their experience. This can lead up to difficulties as the fixed type of mindset might settle in between rather than embracing this specific effort. He provides some techniques to work around this type of mindset in organisation/groups to identify an idea that might be beneficial and drive forward with it without wasting time and other resources.
In this book, he emphasis more on working on an idea together to solve problems rather than just an individual’s ability to do the same. He calls working in a team around an idea, indispensable.
This book does revolves around a fantastic, curiosity arousing concept. It takes a pragmatic approach by presenting exemplary situations which you might find yourself in. I really like the whole idea behind the book but the writing seem too dry for me.
Nevertheless, I would say go and read this one. It won’t take much of your time.
3 out of 5!
April 16, 2017
I won the book recently in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
This book is not what I would normally read, but did find it interesting. It was well written and It certainly it gave me a few things to think about.
This book is not what I would normally read, but did find it interesting. It was well written and It certainly it gave me a few things to think about.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews