Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques Book

This book is great. It can help people with knowing that they have the opportunity to be creative, even when sometimes it looks like not everyone has it. And it gives a framework and ideas of how to make it happen, actually so many different ways that I'm quite sure that each person can find something in there worth trying.

The author suggests many ways for intuitive thinkers (with really cool names) from Chilling Out (relaxation), Stone Soup (fantasy questions) to Rattlesnakes and Roses (analogies). And also offers help and insights on more common ideas such as Brainstorming. Maybe the best thing about it is it's being so thorough and comprehensive.

I really liked this small story that gives a bit of insights on human nature: You can catch a monkey by burying a narrow-mouthed jar of nuts in the ground. A monkey comes along, puts his paw into the jar, and grabs a handful of nuts. But the mouth of the jar is too narrow to let him withdraw his clenched fist. The monkey is unwilling to let go of the nuts and so is trapped. You too can be trapped by not letting go'of your beliefs, opinions, worries, and anxieties. But the book is full of examples and stories that make it fun and interesting.

The book is also applicable to any domain and not limited to just specific areas.
I really did like that he emphasized how important it is to keep the problem in focus. The problem is visible and, thus, will be on the minds of all interested people. It sounds very straightforward, but working in Tech companies, I saw that many times the problem is not actually a real one, sometimes people find solutions to a not-top-priority problem just because this solution is possible.

I also loved that he reminds and specifies requirements and advice for brainstorming, maybe they are supposed to be going without saying, but they are not:
avoid making negative or judgmental statements about ideas, such as:
It's against all our combined logic.
It can't be done.
Someone must have already tried it.
You're on the wrong track.
The market is not ready yet.
Not enough return on investment
These are supposed to be intuitive ideas to us, but many people actually forget about them, and maybe especially Invite people from diverse areas.

I also liked that he shows actual ideas as examples, such as:
Combining "bagel" with "slicer" became a bagel slicer with plastic sides designed to hold the bagel and prevent rotation when slicing.
"Bathtub" and "hammock" combined to make a baby tub. It's a simple hammock in the tub with a headrest to hold the baby's head securely, leaving the parent's hands free to do the washing.
"Suntan lotion" and "insect repellent" combined to form a lotion that protects against both the sun and insects.
"Coffeemaker" and "sculpture" combined to form a coffeemaker with a top that resembles a sculpture of the top of the volcano Mount Vesuvius. When the coffee is done, the top glows red.
"Doormat" and "vacuum cleaner" combined to form a doormat with built-in suction. When you step on the doormat, the doormat sucks the dirt and debris from the bottom of your shoes.
"Cell phone" and "soda can" inspired the idea of utilizing cell phones as devices that, with sensors, would enable users to dispense soda and other products from vending machines with the expense charged back to the vendor via the carrier.

Really great book, 4+ stars. And let's remind everyone that creativity is inside all of us. We just need to encourage it to get out to the world, and stop criticizing our ideas to the point of suppressing this skill.