The art of creative thinking
89 ways to see things differently
"An inspiration-sparking look at creativity, featuring brief examples of artists, writers, and innovators who have broken the mold. In succinct and engaging entries, Rod Judkins, a lecturer at the world-famous Central Saint Martin's College of Art, collects inspiring examples of creative thinkers throughout history, showing how we can all learn from them to improve our lives and our work. The Art of Creative Thinking presents an extraordinary array of examples, from the Dada Manifesto and Andy Warhol's Factory to the films of Ed Wood and the catwalks of Alexander McQueen, along with many others. Readers will learn about the most successful class in educational history (in which every student won a Nobel Prize), how frozen peas were invented, and why 95 percent of Apocalypse Now ended up on the cutting-room floor. Takeaways include: - Be stubborn about compromise. - Plan to have more accidents. - Be mature enough to be childish. - Contradict yourself more often"--
Beyond its central premise, the book can be read through the connected lenses of Self-Help. Those themes offer useful points of attention as the characters, ideas, or world develop, especially where the book complicates the expectations of its primary category.
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What the reading experience may hold
A fuller profile for choosing with more confidence—not just another copy of the preview.
Self-Help
Use these as starting points rather than limits; the most memorable books often stretch beyond their catalog labels.
Catalog signals suggest warfare and conflict. These notes may not be complete; consult a publisher or reader-supplied guide when detailed warnings matter.
These notes are inferred from available catalog information and may not be complete. Check a publisher or reader-supplied guide if you need comprehensive warnings.
Dark tone · Measured pace
Works well for a focused weekend or a few concentrated sittings.
A good fit if…
Readers who want a thoughtful experience and enjoy noticing the connections beneath a book’s surface story.
This book's DNA
A visual estimate based on this edition's categories, description, and length. Select a star to explore the signals.
This signal is descriptive, not a rating. It helps compare the kind of reading experience this edition may offer.
Spoiler-Free Emotional Arc
A broad estimate of the book’s emotional rhythm, shown without story events or outcomes.
This visualization is an interpretive estimate based on catalog description, categories, tone, pace, and content signals. It does not describe specific scenes.
A quick reading snapshot
Edition facts and catalog signals to help you decide whether this book fits what you want to read next.
- ISBN-13
- 978-0-3991-7683-8
- Language
- English
- Edition record
- OL27205313M
A more thoughtful way into this book
This guide uses the edition details and category signals above to help you choose deliberately. It does not replace the author's work or a full review.
Works well for a focused weekend or a few concentrated sittings.
Begin with its place in Self-Help, then notice where the book resists that label.
Read for connection, not completion.
Mark one passage that sharpens the book's central concern and one that complicates it. That tension often reveals more than a quick summary.
Three questions to carry with you
- Which ideas feel usable in your actual circumstances—not only persuasive on the page?
- Where does the author distinguish evidence, experience, and opinion?
- What would a small, humane experiment with one idea look like?
Editorial framework by Wesley Bryan, BookenDeX Founder and Editor.
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Why it fits: shares Self-Help, a similar reading length, a similar publication era.