The Art of Making Sh!t Up: Using the Principles of Improv to Become an Unstoppable Powerhouse

by Norm LaViolette, Bob Melley

Work together to up your chances of business success

The Art of Making Sh!t Up combines the lessons learned from a personal journey with the teachings derived from years of honing valuable skills through performing and presenting to thousands of people to demonstrate how working together has helped others found and grow several multimillion-dollar companies.

By focusing on topics that serve as pain points and detailing the tools and techniques of improv, this book helps people and organizations utilize new skill sets to be more productive, more accepting, and more all in to create a stronger teammate and team.

Remove the fear of failure Recognize when and how to trust your instincts Celebrate and embrace the ideas of others Listen effectively--to both people and your environment Thinking is hard. Listening is easy--and is most often the springboard to huge ideas. Find out how it can work for you with The Art of Making Sh!t Up.

Genres: Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published May 7, 2019

Reviews

[Arash Farzaneh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, if you can get past the swearing ; )

Personally, I am a big fan of Improv both watching it live and on television. I also had the fortune of trying it out for myself in my college years, and it has greatly benefited my teaching skills, which I shall elaborate more upon in the book review on my blog.

However, Norm shows us that Improv is not only about being funny or being entertained by others but that its philosophy and mindset could be applied to daily life and could be especially useful and productive for businesses and companies. Whether you are starting your own business, are a business manager or are an employee in a company, the tips and advice that Norm provides are extremely valuable and helpful.

His ideas on creating diversity and a productive culture in your work environment as well as on how to get started and going while doing your own thing in your professional life and career will certainly motivate many readers. It all starts off by listening to others and hearing them out and not just thinking what we thought we heard them say to us.

But don't just listen to me and get this book because I cannot help but recommend this book - swearing and all!

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

With this catchy title, I didn't know what to expect but found this book informative and authentic. There is a lot of good advice presented in this book from how to actively listen to how to be positive and build on what's being said. There is also sound advice for dispersing the nay-sayers. It's a different business approach which is far more fun than the many approaches I've read and seen over the years. The author uses a lot of real life examples while being clear that he can only relate his own experiences which have served him well. It almost makes me sad that I've retired. However, I can imagine the amount of resistance some of this would spark. I can use this in my personal life and future pursuits. I'm into actively being curious and doing er....stuff anyway. I rate this at 4 stars for I think this has far more depth and practicality than the title implies. It's not 5 stars for me because the language, although I recognize it as true and accurate, won't be tolerated by everyone who would and could benefit from the improv approach.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

> Listening to Richard Prior majestically unleash “motherfucker” after “motherfucker” was like listening to Pavarotti hitting the highest of high notes.

Monkey boy just doesn't get it. Prior wasn't doing a swear show. And some basic culture would have helped as Murphy had made it clear back in the 80s: you can't have a swear show.

> Thinking is also a deeply internal activity.

Chapter 1 was memory crap.
Chapter 2 is navel gazing crap.

> Listening is done passively all the time.

Wrong monkey boy. Heading is passive. Listening is active.

> Curiosity has been one of the main reasons that I have been fortunate enough to live such an interesting and creative life.

Many words to say nothing.

[Sassafras · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book because it was tauntingly displayed on a featured shelf at the public library. I’m so glad I did. The combination of the bright blue cover and the title sporting a word I can’t use in front of my son or students caught my attention!

If you are a creator, a thinker, or a doer, read this book! If you have caught yourself saying, “I’d (fill in the blank) if only (fill in the blank). Seriously, read this book.

You’ll laugh. You’ll be inspired. Just. Do. It.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The only person whose opinion truly matters in regards to what you are creating is your own. At least in the initial phases. Sure, at some point, if you've created material for public consumption, other people's opinions will matter in the moment. But even then, whether they deem what you created is good or bad, they will look at each other and say, 'Hey, you want to go grab some drinks?'"

[Vianne Rocher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Given the title, I didn't have high expectations for this book, but I still wished for more than just a generic success manual with a bunch of swear words. I guess I was let down by the lack of focus on the main topic.

[Spike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the interesting perspective from the point of view of comedy and improve.

[Tavo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I expected to learn about improv but ended up reading an autobiography of Norm and a lecture on "how to be successful".

Thankfully it was a short read.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

A meandering read about life, improv, and how to treat others. I didn't get much out of this, but it was an entertaining read and is short enough to recommend without reservations.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite its insufferable presentation, this book has some decent essays that could be worth reading for those interested in the intersection of improv comedy, business, and self-help.

[Elliott Schubert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book to get better at sales. Had some insightful stuff but nothing crazy.

Will maybe look back at notes, but probably won’t re-read.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and simple read. Good use of the author's experience in Improv and how it could be applied to daily life