Review: A Great Resource of Techniques and Strategies For Improving Both Your Business And Personal Life
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 1, 2013
Creativity by Dr. Andrew M. Goodman is a wonderful book for anyone who wants to enact real change in their own life.  The exercises included are proven ways to quickly and easily begin moving in a positive direction.  One can begin immediately using the techniques taught in the book, as all are easily accessible to the reader.  Unlike similar books that often recommend purchasing extra materials, the mental exercises highlighted in this book require no more than perhaps a pencil and a piece of paper in order for the person to begin.  That isn't to say that they're any less effective than those more expensive exercises.  In fact, they work amazingly well, although each one has a specific purpose.  Some are purely motivational  exercises, while others serve to boost creativity or self reflection.  Regardless of whether you're looking to simply become happier or to develop the right mindset for success in business, much can be learned from this short yet engaging read.What I enjoyed most about Creativity was how it transcended the genre by offering concrete strategies that people can readily pursue.  So many motivational books and texts similar to this one preach the power of positive thinking, but don't go the extra step of actually providing exercises that people are supposed to use in order to maintain and benefit from such thinking.  It isn't enough to simply tell people to think more positively, when they are often burdened by negative emotions and bad thoughts.  In Creativity, however, Dr Goodman teaches us how to diminish the fears and anxieties that often build up to act against our own interests.  We're shown how to do this a number of different ways including more effectively brainstorming for solutions to our problems, keeping negative thoughts at bay by using the power of internal dialogue, and improving mental health through better control of our environment.Another thing that I was struck by was the originality of these exercises.  I've read dozens of books on self-help, motivation, and creativity.  I've never seen many of the ideas contained within this book.  Some of them are very intriguing and you'll want to try them immediately just to see the results.  For example, my favorite was the use of Baroque style music in order to boost creativity.  I write fiction occasionally as a hobby of mine and have always found the creative process particularly interesting.  So when I read  about this exercise, I just had to try it right then and there.  After following through, I really saw a difference in my creative output and the quality of ideas that were generated during my subsequent writing sessions.Simply put, if just one of the sixty three brilliant ideas contained within this book can truly help improve your life by making you more creative, successful, or happier, then it will have definitely been worth the meager price they're asking for it.  I'm now able to have better control over certain aspects of my life partially due to utilizing the exercises from this book.  I know that they work and that they'll work for you too if you're willing to give them an honest try.  Creativity is definitely five-star material that will one day be a classic in the self-help genre.