The Creative Contrarian

<p><b>Tackle&nbsp;your thorniest problems using the Wise Fool&rsquo;s&nbsp;savvy Strategies!&nbsp;</b></p> <p>The Wise Fool is the archetypal contrarian known for his creativity, irreverence, and humor. He looks at life in&nbsp;unorthodox&nbsp;ways and pushes back against the status quo. Throughout history, powerful decision-makers (Egyptian pharaohs, Chinese emperors, Persian sultans, and European kings) consulted Wise Fools to question the assumptions that kept them mired in stale and obsolete solutions.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>In&nbsp;<i>The Creative Contrarian</i>,&nbsp;best-selling author (A Whack on the Side of the Head), speaker, and toy designer (Ball of Whacks) Dr. Roger von Oech provides readers with a fully-illustrated &ldquo;Wise Fool Guide&rdquo; to challenge established procedures and engage in creative thinking.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>Roger shows how to gain the confidence to speak up in &ldquo;groupthink&rdquo; situations &mdash; and boldly present a different perspective. From laughing at your most beloved ideas to test their validity to adding constraints to problems to reveal new solutions, he offers a framework for creativity that works in business, design, education, and anywhere new ideas are required &mdash; and appreciated!&nbsp;</p> <p>Employing a wealth of stories and examples,&nbsp;<i>The Creative Contrarian</i>&nbsp;presents 20 Wise Fool Strategies:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Some offer ideas to enhance your creativity (&ldquo;Reverse Your Perspective,&rdquo; &ldquo;Look for Ambiguity,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Kiss a Favorite Idea Goodbye&rdquo;)&nbsp;&nbsp;</li> <li>Some provide tips on how to break away from the herd (&ldquo;Buck the Crowd,&rdquo; &ldquo;Flex Your Risk Muscle,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Seek Other Right Answers&rdquo;)&nbsp;</li> <li>And still others convey prudent warnings in an unpredictable world (&ldquo;Exercise Humility,&rdquo; &ldquo;Imagine Unintended Outcomes,&rdquo; and &ldquo;Develop a Thick Skin&rdquo;)&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>Together, these jewels of insight will help you see things from the Wise Fool&rsquo;s perspective! As the Wise Fool puts it: &ldquo;Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it&rsquo;s the only one you have&rdquo;; and &ldquo;Every &lsquo;right&rsquo; idea eventually becomes the &lsquo;wrong&rsquo; one.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p> <p><i>The Creative Contrarian: 20&nbsp;&ldquo;Wise Fool&rdquo;&nbsp;Strategies to Boost Creativity and Curb Group </i>think&nbsp;is an indispensable resource for anyone seeking fresh solutions to common problems at the office, in the classroom, or at home.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>