Inside the Box - by Drew Boyd & Jacob Goldenberg (Paperback)

About the Book

"This counterintuitive and powerfully effective approach to creativity demonstrates how every corporation and organization can develop an innovative culture. The traditional attitude toward creativity in the American business world is to 'think outside the box'-- to brainstorm without restraint in hopes of coming up with a breakthrough idea, often in moments of crisis. Sometimes it works, but it's a problem-specific solution that does nothing to engender creative thinking more generally. 'Inside the Box' demonstrates Systematic Inventive Thinking (SIT), which systemizes creativity as part of the corporate culture."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

"The 'inside-the-box approach' can reveal key opportunities for innovation that are hiding in plain sight" (Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive).

The traditional attitude toward creativity in the American business world is to "think outside the box"--to brainstorm without restraint in hopes of coming up with a breakthrough idea, often in moments of crisis. Sometimes it works, but it's a problem-specific solution that does nothing to engender creative thinking more generally. Inside the Box demonstrates Systematic Inventive Thinking (SIT), which systemizes creativity as part of the corporate culture. This counterintuitive and powerfully effective approach to creativity requires thinking inside the box, working in one's familiar world to create new ideas independent of specific problems. SIT's techniques and principles have instilled creative thinking into such companies as Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, and other industry leaders. Inside the Box shows how corporations have successfully used SIT in business settings as diverse as medicine, technology, new product development, and food packaging.

Dozens of books discuss how to make creative thinking part of a corporate culture, but none takes the innovative and unconventional approach of Inside the Box. With "inside the box" thinking, companies of any size can become sufficiently creative to solve problems even before they develop and to innovate on an ongoing basis. It's a system that works!

"Boyd and Goldenberg explain the basic building blocks for creativity and by doing so help all of us better express our potential" (Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational).

Review Quotes

"Inside the Box is a 'how to' manual for innovation. . . . I commend this book to you if you regularly face tricky problems, you'd like a source of new and better ideas, and you're willing to invest energy in learning a different approach."--Charlie Dawson "Management Today"

"Among the few ideas that have fundamentally changed how I look at life is the idea that creativity can be simple and systematic. In this book Boyd and Goldenberg explain the basic building blocks for creativity and by doing so help all of us better express our potential."--Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational

"In this absorbing book, Drew Boyd and Jacob Goldenberg persuasively refute the idea that innovation relies solely on the adult equivalent of coloring outside the lines."-- "Success"

"Innovation means a lot of things to a lot of people. Unfortunately, this can make it difficult to actually innovate--especially for big, established companies. Inside the Box uses very practical methods to take the mystery out of innovation and provides a roadmap for getting real results."--David Butler, Vice President, Innovation, The Coca-Cola Company

"Many books are written on the topic of stimulating creativity, but the practical examples provided here make Boyd and Goldenberg's advice stand out from the crowd. A captivating and fun read that adds insight to product design."-- "Library Journal"

"What's Inside the Box? In this case, a remarkably original way of thinking about and implementing creativity in the workplace. If you're interested in gaining a competitive edge over your rivals, open this package (of truly impressive insights) first."--Robert B. Cialdini, author of Influence: Science and Practice and Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University

"Why wait for a brilliant idea to hit like a bolt from the blue? You can increase the odds of a creative lightning strike just by learning and applying a few simple tools--ones that have proven their effectiveness time and again. The 'inside-the-box approach' described by Drew Boyd and Jacob Goldenberg can reveal key opportunities for innovation that are hiding in plain sight. It's hard to imagine a real-world problem that wouldn't be amenable to their approach."--Daniel H. Pink, author of To Sell is Human and Drive

About the Author

Drew Boyd is assistant professor of marketing and innovation at the University of Cincinnati. He trains and consults in the fields of innovation, marketing, persuasion, and social media. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Jacob Goldenberg is a marketing professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He studies creativity, new product development, innovation, market dynamics, and the effects of social networks. He lives in Jerusalem, Israel.