3 Books
That Will Get Your Creative Juices Flowing
The curator
for business, history, and social sciences at The New York Public Library
shares his favorite reads for boosting creativity.
While necessity is said to be the
mother of invention, innovation is the engine driving personal growth, creativity, and startup success. While some people are quick to
innovate, creativity and out-of-the-box thinking are skill sets that can be cultivated
and taught.
If you are
looking for good reads on the subject, you can crowdsource recommendations by
checking out Amazon's bestseller list and best-rated titles. Among the books featured are Harvard Business Review's 10 Must Reads on Innovation by Peter F. Drucker; The
Innovator's Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of
Creativity by George Couros; and Innovation Tools: The Most Successful Techniques to
Innovate Cheaply and Effectively, by Evan
Shellshear.
Another option
is asking a single person for recommendations. What better expert to suggest
books on a topic than a professional librarian. I reached out to John Balow,
who is curator for business, history and social science at The New York Public Library, for his top three picks for people who want to boost their creativity
and create a mindset and environment that bolsters innovation. Here is what he
shared, along with some thoughts on what makes these his "top shelf"
picks.
1. Sprint: How to Solve Big
Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days by Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky and Branden
Kowitz
Sprint is co-authored by three partners at
Google Ventures -- Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky, and Braden Kowitz. The book
prescribes a five-day process for testing ideas and solving problems. It is
divided into five main sections, each one detailing a day in the five-day
process. One of the things Balow likes best about this book is its universal
application. "The practical steps can be applied to companies of any size
or intention, from startups, to large, established corporations, to
nonprofits," he explains. He also praised the book's voice, which is
extremely accessible. "The brisk, lighthearted tone perfectly matches the
subject matter, as does the format."
2. Happiness Track: How to Apply
the Science of Happiness to Accelerate Your Business by Emma Seppälä
One would not
necessarily associate happiness with innovation, but there is a reason Balow
includes it in his top-three picks. "Drawing upon cognitive psychology and
neuroscience, Seppälä, who is science director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and
Education at Stanford University, disputes
commonly held notions of success as both outdated and counterproductive. She
offers practical advice to increase happiness, and in turn, bolster
professional satisfaction," Balow explains. Backed by scientific
research, Happiness Track offers insights for changing the way
we approach our work and non-work lives. "It teaches the reader how to
thrive professionally without sacrificing authenticity and moral values."
This focus helps build an emotional environment conducive to true innovation
driven by satisfaction and camaraderie.
3. Small Data: The Tiny Clues That
Uncover Huge Trends by Martin Lindstrom
Balow describes this book as "Part
Margaret Mead, part Sherlock Holmes, part Woodward and Bernstein" adding:
"It is a truly singular business book." To write this book, Lindstrom
spends 300 nights in strangers' homes observing their every action to discern
what motivates them, and ultimately consider what these data mean in the
marketplace. Balow likes this book because "Lindstrom's methodology is
disrupting market research and getting to the details usually missed by big
data analysis." The book is filled with examples of how observed human
behavior led to revolutionary redesigns and product launches. For example, the
author explains how a worn out sneaker changed LEGO, and how a teddy bear
changed the design of 1,000 retail stores worldwide. "By uncovering the unexpected
experiences and connections that have caused some of the most successful brands
in the world to innovate and adapt, the author leaves readers looking at the
world around them with much more appreciation for their own small inspirations
and epiphanies."
When it comes to innovation, making new
connections, thinking about things differently, and being exposed to new ideas
gets the juices flowing. Who knows? Perhaps your next big idea lies just beyond
the pages of one of these fascinating books.
BY KATE
L. HARRISON
http://www.inc.com/kate-l-harrison/want-to-boost-innovation-here-are-the-3-books-you-need-to-read-next.html?cid=em01020week34a
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