Sparks of Genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World's Most Creative People

by Michele Root-Bernstein, Robert Root-Bernstein

Sparks of Genius is "a fascinating study of creativie thinking—mankind's greatest attribute" (Desmond Morris, author of The Naked Ape ).

Creativity isn't born, it's cultivated—and this innovative guide distills the work of extraordinary artists and thinkers to show you how. All the imagination needs to be fruitful is exercise. Robert and Michèle Root-Bernstein identify the thinking tools employed by history's greatest creative minds—from Albert Einstein and Jane Goodall to Amadeus Mozart and Virginia Woolf—so that anyone with the right mix of inspiration and drive can set their own genius in motion.

With engaging narratives and ample illustrations, Robert and Michèle investigate cognitive tools as diverse as observing, imaging, recognizing patterns, modeling, playing, and more to provide "a clever, detailed and demanding fitness program for the creative mind" ( Kirkus Reviews ).

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help, Education, Business, Personal Development, Design

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 12, 2000

About the author

Michele Root-Bernstein received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1975 and a Ph.D. in History from Princeton University in 1981. She has taught history, writing and creativity studies. She is currently a member of an interdisciplinary research group at Michigan State University interested in cultural creativity. As part of that team she received a Faculty Incentive Grant in 2008 for the research project, Art Class and the High-Tech Entrepreneur: Is There a Connection? Other current research and writing focuses on the invention of imaginary worlds in childhood and adulthood.

Reviews

[Beth A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creativity requires a certain amount of flexibility in thinking. The ability to take things apart and change how you see them. Also, to put everything together and see the full picture. And, to use analogies or a different discipline to see something in a new way.

This describe many different ways this thinking can happen, using historical examples of people who have made significant discoveries and contributions.

This book asserts that these thinking abilities can and should be taught. That you can improve your own ability to think by practicing these different techniques.

It should be completely fascinating. I love to learn about this kind of stuff. But to be honest, I fell asleep nearly every time I tried to read it. I'm actually -jokingly- considering purchasing it to help me when I can't sleep.

I think it would be more appreciated by someone who knows more about the historical figures mentioned than I do.

And, I would have liked more information about how to implement these ideas, both in a personal and classroom situation. They mentioned a few goals, but were pretty short on examples of application.

The concepts they covered were:

Observing
Imaging
Abstracting
Recognizing Patterns
Forming Patterns
Analogizing
Body Thinking
Empathizing
Dimensional Thinking
Modeling
Playing
Transforming
Synthesizing

Their recommendations:

First, we must emphasize the teaching of universal processes of invention in addition to the acquisition of disciplinary products of knowledge.

Second, it follows that we must teach the intuitive and imaginative skills necessary to inventive processes.

Third, we must implement a multidisciplinary education that places the arts on an equal footing with the sciences.

Fourth, we must integrate the curriculum by using a common descriptive language for innovation.

Fifth, we must emphasize the transdisciplinary lessons of disciplinary learning.

Sixth, we must use the experiences of people who have successfully bridged disciplines as exemplars of creative activity within our curricula.

Seventh, to reach the widest range of minds, ideas in every discipline should be presented in many forms.

Finally, we must forge a pioneering education, whose purpose is to produce the imaginative generalists who can take us into the uncharted future.

[Marla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am completely a nerd when it comes to reading about creativity and thinking. I would have rated it a 5 if it had more multi ethnic individuals represented. That being said, this book will stay in my mind for a long time and has already helped to shape my practice (teaching) of both children and adults. Lucky me, I got to spend a day with the authors at a seminar on Creativity this summer, and they were generous, brilliant and down to earth. Worth reading if you teach or are in education or have an interest in the subject, great for conversation too!

[Eli Sebastian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly a fascinating book that builds the bridge between the arts and stem. Started to completely restructure how I approach learning to a way that has guided me through my first semester of college.
Although I’m probably not gonna read this book again cause of how dense it was, these are tools that will forever be with me no matter what I do.

[규태 · Rating 4 out of 5]

결국에는 빳빳한 자가 필요한 게 아니라, 유연하게 구부러지는 줄이 필요하다는 걸 알려줬다. 그중에서 중요한 것은 그 유연한 줄이 가르키는 방향과 관찰이 지속적으로 시야를 확보해야 한다. 뱃사람들이 집에 가는 길을 잊어버리면 죽음에 다다른다. 그래서 선장은 직접 고된 일을 하지 않더라도, 오히려 더 무겁고 책임감 있는 로드맵을 그려야 한다. 틀리면 죽는다는 부담감을 껴앉은 채. 여기나오는 12가지 정도의 요소들을 마음에 잘 담아두었다가 선원들을 잘 먹여 살릴 수 있는 선장이 되어야겠다.

[Sarah Brousseau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2/100: Sparks of Genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World's Most Creative People by Michele Root-Bernstein, Robert Root-Bernstein. Super interesting take on how creativity can be found in all sorts of everyday usage, from science and mathematics to music, writing and all shapes and forms of art. Everything is related and it's a wonder to me that the education system doesn't combine these subjects in school; they are so separated, it's no surprise young ones in this generation cannot make the distinction in real life applications. Highly recommend for the thinker in the world, the teachers and people who just want to hone on some skills and enrich their thinking habits. A tool for every person

[Catalina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great support for the idea that science and art are not completely disconnected. Creativity is something that anyone can build, if using the right tools. It's a "must read" especially in academic circles because it can be a great tool for changing the classic perception that art and science people are different. Science has often found its inspiration in art, while art has often found grounds in science. The text provides surprising examples like Albert Einstein and Virginia Woolf, who found sources of inspiration in completely opposite fields. The set of tools provided in this book can be extremely helpful to apply at just about any workplace. Keeping an open mind to finding the solution can be extremely refreshing. Solutions to problems can be found if searching in other areas, and not only looking through solutions that have been already developed by others. I agree with the authors that creativity is a subconscious act, but we need to be aware of how to combine instinct with reason, without neglecting them. I recommend this to anyone who wants to learn, regardless of their field of work.

[Ray Savarda · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the end, a cry for education to resist a narrow-focus on specialties in education, and mandate that all STEM majors also have to include classes on art and literature, more of the "arts".
Lots and Lots of examples of geniuses over the years where having cross-functional education had unexpected side-effects, "synthesizing" better / unusual crossovers from art and literature into other realms like math and physics and chemistry.
Rather dry reading, they make the basic point and then show over and over how different Geniuses from the past used / applied these techniques.
I guess it was some good basic material, but more of a slog to read than an enjoyable experience. Maybe it was just me...

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting ideas about creativity, artistry, and thinking tools (patterns, abstraction, analogies, etc). Tends towards the New Age, using phrases like "finding the essence of abstraction" and "no 'right' answers". I discovered some paintings because of the book, and I always like discussions about patterns, so I wasn't unhappy with the book... but it was really long and I often found myself forcing my brain to read.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book taught me a lot about thinking and creativity. I will certainly use many of the tactics. I felt that the book rambled a bit, however, and some of the later techniques seemed to be very similar to earlier ones. Overall, though, I'm glad I read it. Very helpful if you want to increase your mental capacity and your ability to think creatively.

[Sang Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read to rethink about our ways of thinking. I found the Body Thinking insightful in that our early training to translate our imaginative feelings into descriptive words may hinder us from understanding how clearly the body speaks.

[Loree · Rating 3 out of 5]

good for teaching method considerations...

[Kira · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm reading this because someone I really respect recommended it. But I am skeptical.

[Mohamed Bendary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe the writer has gone too far into analyzing patterns and creating patterns that the reader might have lost the pearls of the book!

[#DÏ4B7Ø Chinnamasta-Bhairav]

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[Kevin Dufresne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi, 

I hope all is progressing well. 

Due to inquiring of a student about a book for a class, I learn about Sparks of Genius: The 13 Thinking Tools of the World's Most Creative People by Robert and Michèle Root-Bernstein, a text engaging purposes of creative processes, and imagination. As a creative, I appreciate the text as a form of affirmation (not in a validation seeking sense) since I am properly tending my creative responsibilities. The text offers exemplar methods that may help one creatively, and theoretically expounds creativity. I find the text is a good reminder to all to respect creative processing with, at least, more grace—patience, since each creative process can be quite different from person to person. I find the text enjoyable and very insightful.

Onward and Upward,
Kevin Dufresne
www.Piatures.com
IG: @Dufreshest

[Carlos Javier · Rating 3 out of 5]

With anticipation, you may know many things explained in this book, as they are part of our mental process to think, and in a daily basis we may use many of the tools, nevertheless, it's really valuable to have this knowledge not in its tacit representation, but to have explicit descriptions.

[Spoiler Alert]

I found great insights on the final chapters, about the profound relations a scientist and an artist have, I myself enjoy programming computers, and solving math puzzles, learning about history and I really love to play my guitar, sometimes I have thought I lack focus to be specialist in one area, but the "polymath" term made me reflect on this. Now I would even try to learn how to play a new instrument, I would read about business and financial topics, and maybe I'll start to write poems again...

[沈沈 · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first read the table of contents for this book I was quite excited. It was the first time in all the books I have read where I saw the tools I and others actually use in the act of creating objects (and of course ideas, but for me it is mostly objects). All I could think of is, "This is cool. These people have boiled it down to the essence." I don't necessarily think this book will make anyone a genius, but it sure will go a long way in providing a set of thirteen basic tools for the act of creating. The thirteen are described quite well with interesting examples of each. Apply them as you create and you can't help but improve your creative skillset.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not completely the book I was looking for, but if you're an educator I think it could be more useful—it was very anecdotal, which was interesting, just not what I wanted.

Chapters on Abstraction and Analogizing I thought were particularly strong—I understood them as part of the artistic process in a way that I hadn't previously. The same could be said for all the processes described here. In some ways, the books genius was in making its concepts land as though they had always been perfectly obvious.

[Jumana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting concepts in a dense book. If you can wade through the academic writing style, you are likely to find thought provoking ideas and new ways of looking at the world. I agree with an earlier comment that nearly all the examples are from European/Western traditions and this book would benefit from more analysis that includes multi-cultural perspectives. Overall, worth a read to broaden your mindset and understand the world in a different way.

[Milan · Rating 5 out of 5]

dobra knjiga koja inspirise na kreaciju i na igru i na ponavljanje i modelovanje sve je povezano i sve je u stomaku i van njega sve je igra reci i manipulaciija ritmova i transformacija znanja i obrnuto
sve sto znamo je u nasem nastupu
Da bi nesto naucio radi to
vezbaj da vidis masivne trougle
apstrakuj stvari u svoj glavi pravi metafore
nalazi slicne stvari koje ces da kombinujes
bavi se kuvanje crtanjem muzikom i naukom pisanjem poezije i resavanjem ukrstenih reci
pravi origami
bavi se modelovanjem practise the art

[Andrea De santis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is interesting, although some of the chapters may not be much, it gives you full and well detailed examples on how the " sparks " have been used throughout history by the best minds of the human kind. Taking notes of those examples will definitely improve your life.

[Tom Hunter · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning was good but then this book became extremely obvious. It gave me the impression of a college term paper, where examples from other authors were just stitched together.

Full disclosure: I did not finish the last three chapters. It just became repetitive and lacked any sort of depth.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal read, full of ideas that were both insightful and thought-provoking. Education must incorporate creativity and cross-curricular thinking in order to produce the future innovators of our world.

[EMP · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the info was interesting, but not well organized somehow. Wouldn't recommend it.

[Max Thien]

Read for Creative Minds; Winter 2021

[Pete Wung · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent study of the 13 tools employed by extraordinary people who does extraordinary things.


https://polymathtobe.blogspot.com/202...

[Readings n' Musings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly informative and intelligent.

[Driss MEZGHOUTI · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the best books i've read on intelligence types.

[Bella Meincke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for school. It had some interesting parts and was written very well.

[Gry Ranfelt · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book contains a bunch of wonderful information about the brain, how we learn, different ways to use our brains, how to solve problems and become more creative. The information is solid ... if only it was easier to extract.
You'd think it was easy to construct a book with thirteen thinking tools. Maybe put a page at the end of each chapter summarizing the tasks? No. Let's sprinkle them across the chapter so that, if you didn't have the foresight to highlight them in your first read, you'll have to reread to find them.
Also, let's have an entire chapter with no obvious tasks and write at the end "you can use any of the methods mentioned in this chapter to enhance this skill".

It was not well structured, and though there was a lot of great information I felt like a lot of it was info-dump, like the authors just really wanted to share one more story, one more proof of how knowledgeable they are in all the fields.
Mostly it felt like a good chunk of butter was spread out on a very, very, VERY large bread, and, sorry, but I like a thicker layer of butter on my bread.

I recommend reading it, but I recommend even more finding a good summary of it. (Now off to make my own summary with all the highlights.)