A Technique for Producing Ideas

by James Webb Young

Book Overview

A step-by-step technique for sparking breakthrough creativity in advertising--or any field

Since its publication in 1965, A Technique for Producing Ideas has helped thousands of advertising copywriters smash through internal barriers to unleash their creativity. Professionals from poets and painters to scientists and engineers have also used the techniques in this concise, powerful book to generate exciting ideas on demand,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0071410945
• ISBN13: 9780071410946
• Release Date: February 2003
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
• Length: 64 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.0" x 7.2"

Customer Reviews

Practical, Insightful, and Worth Each of the Six-Hundred Ninety Five Pennies that it Costs

I am not an advertising professional but in the profession of scientific research. Yet this book (which was written in the 1940s for advertising people) is just as relevant to my work as it is to anyone else who is a knowledge worker. This little book is one of the simplest summaries of commonsense---and articulating common sense is this book's greatest virtue. The book lays out a five step process for generating novel and not-so-novel ideas, articulating them, and giving them a life of their own. There are no examples, no case studies, just crisply articulated common-sense that you can put to immediate use. Everything that he says is stuff that you likely already know, so this is not one of those books that talks the lofty talk about "retraining your mind" and such obscure, undoable things. The idea in this book that most resonated with me was his comment that novel ideas are simply unusual connections among things that already exist and you might already know. The book takes about an hour to read from cover to cover (and I'm not even a fast reader). Although Mr. Bernbach probably never intended this book for consumers like me in the scientific research profession, I'd bet my money that this little gem might be just as "duh" or "aha"-evoking to people in any other knowledge-intensive line of white-collar work. The only note of caution: This book was originally written in the 1940s and the gender bias ("the creative man," "he") is pervasive throughout its 48 pages. If you are in a profession where your "wealth" is measured in intellectual output, this is some of the best seven dollars you can invest in your education. Highly recommended for anyone whose profession requires novelty, new ideas, and creativity. Buy---don't borrow--read, reread, and dog ear this little gem!

One of the few

I have a small collection of books that I consider "private stock". These are books that I never lend and I read over and over. This book is a private stock favorite. James Young has created one of the best books I have ever read on the process of creative thinking. The technique is simple and it works. I have applied this technique to a variety of situations when I needed "outside the box" solutions and it has never failed me. "A Technique for Producing Ideas" is an extraordinary book. It is a book that will make you wonder about the power of the mind and the nature of consciousness itself.

a secret treasure you should only share with closest friends

without giving too much away, the "technique" is so darn commonsensical you will no doubt whack yourself on the head at the simplicity of it alli have tried his technique and shared it with close friends and it has become (so far) a fail proof way of striking creative oil. won us a fair amount of new business.another plus is the book so small and concise it fits in most purses and can be read cover-to-cover during your morning latte.

"A must have for any educational institution"

Very often I notice that the execution of an ad is translated as "Creativity." James Webb Young reminds us in his small book that ideas are the soul of any good ad. This book is a critical tool for any teacher who wishes to instruct his or her students in the same principle.

not just for advertising, but for all kind of creation

spend 2 hours to read the book and enjoy your life-time in creative journey. james webb young defines creative into 5 processes, which is the core idea behind all things