The Art of Invention Book Review and Giveaway- Ends 7/1/11

How often have you had a great idea about a product you would love to see on the market but have dismissed it because let’s face it: how in the heck do you even get started on inventing something?  I know after all the great baby event giveaways we hosted over the last month, I said many times that I couldn’t believe I didn’t think of the exact product I was reviewing!  There are just so many ideas that make all our lives easier, whether it be in parenting or house cleaning or lawn work or any other task that we conquer in today’s world.  All of us probably have enough creativity to come up with one great product that we have yet to see in stores, but we just need to set our minds to it to be able to discover the idea!

If you are someone who has ever had an interest in being an inventor or have actually thought of a product to invent but don’t know how to go about it, I recommend you read Steven J. Paley’s book, The Art of Invention.  In this 206-page book, you will learn about the creative process of becoming an inventor.  There are five simple tips the author suggests to discover your hidden creative genius:

1.  Have courage: Many inventors give up not realizing how close they actually are to success. The courage to push on with your idea – against all odds – is the hardest and most important attribute you can have as an inventor.
2. Be actively aware: keep your eyes open and be on the lookout for new things and experiences which, when viewed in a different context, can create a new solution to an old problem.
3. Daydream: we have programmed ourselves to walk a narrow path, and therefore we often don’t notice the “hidden obvious” that might be right in front of us. Daydreaming can open up the mind to new possibilities.
4. See the problem, and then let it go: If you’re stuck on a problem, stop thinking about it and let your subconscious go to work. When you least expect it, the perfect non-obvious solution will arrive.
5. Don’t fall in love with your ideas: Even if your idea seems great, work it around in your mind for a while. Let it percolate while trying out different permutations. Falling in love with an idea makes it go from fluid to frozen, a trap into which all inventors fall from time to time.

There is also information on how the business of invention works and the struggles and challenges of getting your idea out there.  Paley, being a successful inventor and entrepreneur, uses his many years of experience to give full insights and practical guidance about how you too can succeed in becoming an inventor.

MY REVIEW:
I’ll be honest- this is not the book you take on your beach vacation to read while relaxing on the beach with a fun beverage.  That is, unless you plan on not letting your brain go on vacation. This book is full of great insight and information on each page, and I found myself having to read it in small increments to be able to take in all the useful information being provided on each page.  That being said, I think this book is a great book for anyone with interest.  It was very informative and had a lot of information, but it was also easy to understand and comprehend what the author was explaining.  It wasn’t one of those technical books that you really have to be in the field to understand what is being talked about.  I loved that the author, while very successful in the business of invention and as an enterpreneur, was able to step back and really give some great advice to those of us that may want to venture toward his path but are not anywhere near knowing how.  Now I just need to step back and become a successful mommy inventor!    (Okay, maybe I’ll at least wait until I am not being woken up every few hours by an infant!)

Win it!

Prize:  The Art of Invention: the creative process of discovery and design Book by Steven J. Paley

Number of Winners: 1

Giveaway End Date: July 1, 2011 at 11:59:59 PM ET

Random Selection:One winner will randomly be chosen by the WordPress plugin “and the winner is…” and will be notified via email. Those winners will have 48 hours to respond to that email or another winner will be chosen.

Mandatory Entry!

Visit The Art of Invention website and leave us a comment telling us something you learned about the book or author from the site.

Additional Entries: (just in case you want them)

(Complete the Mandatory Entry and the Additional Entries for five total entries and five total comments. The mandatory entry must be completed before the optional entries count).

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Disclaimer: I received a free product sample for the purpose of the review in this post.  Opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation. The sponsor of this giveaway is responsible for prize fulfillment

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