The SQUEEZE: Stimulating creativity in millions of readers has been an active goal for Roger von Oech, who gives seminars and workshops on the subject of unlocking your mind and opening the door to creative thinking. In A Whack on the Head, Roger von Oech offers thought-provoking suggestions for mind-stretching, defining examples of ten mental locks. Von Oech suggests that in school we are rewarded for getting the right answer; this is generally accurate for mathematics and the sciences. However, in liberal arts disciplines, there are many possible answers; it is the process of exploring multiple options that von Oech suggests is a step in the right direction towards creative thinking. Von Oech further suggests that it is not always “creative” to look at a series of problems that need to be solved; instead, he suggests looking at the problems as opportunities for creative thinking. A Whack on the Head is ideal reading for multiple disciplines.

Notable Endorsement: None.

Common Q’s Answered by this Book:

• How would creative thinking create an opportunity for mind-stretching?
• What would be the result of using the ten mental locks within the sciences and the liberal arts? What would be the differences?
• What is the process of exploring multiple options of arriving at the answer to a problem?

About the Author: Roger von Oech is the president of Creative Think, a consulting firm based in California. Von Oech has conducted creativity seminars for American Express, Apple Computer, CBS, IBM, and NASA, to name a few. Recent titles of his work include: Expect the Unexpected, Creative Whack Pack, and Innovative Whack Pack. Vo Oech completed doctoral studies from Stanford University and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Ohio State. For more information, visit: www.creativethink.com.

Book Vitals:

Publisher: Business Plus (May 2008)