Review by Monie_raey -- Invent, Innovate & Prosper
-
Monie_raey
- Posts: 24
- Joined: 19 May 2018, 20:17
- Currently Reading: Longthroat Memoirs
- Bookshelf Size: 15
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-monie-raey.html
- Latest Review: Junk Justice by Gerry Rising
Review by Monie_raey -- Invent, Innovate & Prosper
[Following is a volunteer review of "Invent, Innovate & Prosper" by Michael G. Colburn.]
Invent, innovate and prosper by Michael Colburn is nothing short of a manual in many regards. It was a very eye-opening experience reading it, as I saw myself challenged and encouraged simultaneously to explore and develop the creative little inventor in me, with the added advantage of having 'almost' all the needed information and resources that is so required to embark on the journey of making my sparks of ideas into a bigger masterpiece of innovation.
I must say that the writer left no stone unturned in addressing all the pertinent topics he so expounded on. If it is anything, considering my limited understanding and exposure to the inventive space and industry, I think I could refer to this book as something inspirational. No kidding. I appreciate the writer's deep experiential knowledge in the field of inventing and innovation, his passion for sharing them with the next generation, his love for the 'profession' and his honesty and attention to detail, evident in every subtopic so sequentially presented.
One thing I deeply appreciate with Invent, Innovate and Prosper by Mr. Colburn is that he really did not use too much 'superfluous' words and industry-specific registers. I will say the book will require a bit of more attention than most, as it's structuring and contents are more of those found in a manual, as earlier stated, I think it would make for a fantastic read for anyone who might not even have fancied themselves inventors prior. I believe though, that with the amount of information and resources you will be exposed to here, you could see yourself jolly well becoming one.
I like a few of the things Mr. Colburn talked on- say, for instance his take on how, before logical and linear thinking was once so appreciated in the past but is now being relegated for the more exciting, albeit more abstract conceptual method of thinking, upon which, I believe, many inventive ideas have ridden on and many industries, built. His excitement, evident in his discourse on the future of artificial intelligence and his historical perspective of and on the implication of this very disruptive technology, is also quite contagious. His emphasis on the need to be a lot more open-minded and present even in daily life has been helpful personally. I must say that it has not been a very easy thing adapting this method of living and thinking, but being an inventor is not a day's job, and this fact, Mr. Michael was not remiss in pointing out.
The methods explained in this book really follows scientific principles of which he justified it's use, by citing examples from many an inventor and industry experts before him, and of course his own sterling results over the years. It really helps to approach inventing from this standpoint. From the stage of idea conceptualization and problem statements to patenting and commercialization, the writer painstakingly takes us through the flurry of activities needed to get your idea from the recesses of your mind to the hands of your target consumer. I like his realistic approach in telling very clearly what a prospective inventor should expect in his journey. The good, the bad, the ugly- this book has it spelled out, but this gets even better. It gives detailed steps a fellow can take in moving his dreams to the next level! Reading this book, I must say, I felt almost overwhelmed with the level of information I got. And I appreciate that.
One more thing I appreciate is how he structured the book. Categorizing his thoughts under very concise topics and subtopics, made and will make it easy to find what you want, when you want. Very ideal for using as a textbook, but that is not my prerogative now, is it? The kernel of invention sections were quite helpful, giving the added push to really see all these concepts he so enunciated spring to life in the lives of his many case studies. I like that there was no added fluff (not that it was needed, the stories were poignant enough) and no unnecessary repetitions. I used to look forward to them, every time.
I have never read the famous detective series of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson's very intriguing lifestyle but, I must say that now, especially after reading this piece of literature, I might have just as well. I like how Mr. Colburn added it here and there in the book in buttressing his points and landing in more insights. I absolutely enjoyed it as each piece of excerpt from Arthur's book resonated deeply with me. I say this on good authority- if you like Sherlock Holmes, you like Mr. Colburn. Mr Colburn was not ashamed to say that he is not the first to in fact make the correlation of invention with Sherlock Holmes methods as he so often asserted in the book, and he indeed did mention the name of the fellow, which is one more thing I really appreciate the writer for. I find the bibliography and citations very thorough and quite good. I also like that he did not allow all this crowd out his personality and knowledge base in his writing.
I think the only thing I fault in this book is the way he did not adequately define and differentiate the right-brain and the mind... Of which I also do think, is not really the soul. So, you see, Mr. Colburn did go down that road of spirituality and 'mind-manipulation' which of course I am not really for. I do not blame him, for Mr Colburn knew this might cause a little bit of a problem for many people who have firm beliefs on what they should and should not do with their minds. The way he used a verse from the Bible too was quite unsettling but very understandable. It is not a theology book or spiritual self-help material, so I will not say much. Only that I did not like what I saw (regardless of the results and the experience of the author), and that the method will not be applied anytime soon from these quarters. So heads up!
What can I say? I rate Invent, Innovate and Prosper a 4 out of 4 stars. The fault identified above was equally identified by the writer and being that this judgement is coming from very personal beliefs and convictions, I do not think it should reflect in my rating of it. The book would be perfect for many research students, avid lovers of Sherlock Holmes, creatives and simple people like me. The book was edited perfectly but the contents, even more. Like I said, the book was more of a manual which I am sure, will be in my use for a long time and yes, I quite agree with the author on the matter that being an inventor should be seen as a profession. I want in on that. The lifestyle, the thought processes, the energy, the novelty, the persistence and the creativity. All thanks to Mr. Colburn. I hope you like what you will find there!
Feel free to comment if you want to talk more about the book. Let's get the discussion started!
******
Invent, Innovate & Prosper
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Invent, innovate and prosper by Michael Colburn is nothing short of a manual in many regards. It was a very eye-opening experience reading it, as I saw myself challenged and encouraged simultaneously to explore and develop the creative little inventor in me, with the added advantage of having 'almost' all the needed information and resources that is so required to embark on the journey of making my sparks of ideas into a bigger masterpiece of innovation.
I must say that the writer left no stone unturned in addressing all the pertinent topics he so expounded on. If it is anything, considering my limited understanding and exposure to the inventive space and industry, I think I could refer to this book as something inspirational. No kidding. I appreciate the writer's deep experiential knowledge in the field of inventing and innovation, his passion for sharing them with the next generation, his love for the 'profession' and his honesty and attention to detail, evident in every subtopic so sequentially presented.
One thing I deeply appreciate with Invent, Innovate and Prosper by Mr. Colburn is that he really did not use too much 'superfluous' words and industry-specific registers. I will say the book will require a bit of more attention than most, as it's structuring and contents are more of those found in a manual, as earlier stated, I think it would make for a fantastic read for anyone who might not even have fancied themselves inventors prior. I believe though, that with the amount of information and resources you will be exposed to here, you could see yourself jolly well becoming one.
I like a few of the things Mr. Colburn talked on- say, for instance his take on how, before logical and linear thinking was once so appreciated in the past but is now being relegated for the more exciting, albeit more abstract conceptual method of thinking, upon which, I believe, many inventive ideas have ridden on and many industries, built. His excitement, evident in his discourse on the future of artificial intelligence and his historical perspective of and on the implication of this very disruptive technology, is also quite contagious. His emphasis on the need to be a lot more open-minded and present even in daily life has been helpful personally. I must say that it has not been a very easy thing adapting this method of living and thinking, but being an inventor is not a day's job, and this fact, Mr. Michael was not remiss in pointing out.
The methods explained in this book really follows scientific principles of which he justified it's use, by citing examples from many an inventor and industry experts before him, and of course his own sterling results over the years. It really helps to approach inventing from this standpoint. From the stage of idea conceptualization and problem statements to patenting and commercialization, the writer painstakingly takes us through the flurry of activities needed to get your idea from the recesses of your mind to the hands of your target consumer. I like his realistic approach in telling very clearly what a prospective inventor should expect in his journey. The good, the bad, the ugly- this book has it spelled out, but this gets even better. It gives detailed steps a fellow can take in moving his dreams to the next level! Reading this book, I must say, I felt almost overwhelmed with the level of information I got. And I appreciate that.
One more thing I appreciate is how he structured the book. Categorizing his thoughts under very concise topics and subtopics, made and will make it easy to find what you want, when you want. Very ideal for using as a textbook, but that is not my prerogative now, is it? The kernel of invention sections were quite helpful, giving the added push to really see all these concepts he so enunciated spring to life in the lives of his many case studies. I like that there was no added fluff (not that it was needed, the stories were poignant enough) and no unnecessary repetitions. I used to look forward to them, every time.
I have never read the famous detective series of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson's very intriguing lifestyle but, I must say that now, especially after reading this piece of literature, I might have just as well. I like how Mr. Colburn added it here and there in the book in buttressing his points and landing in more insights. I absolutely enjoyed it as each piece of excerpt from Arthur's book resonated deeply with me. I say this on good authority- if you like Sherlock Holmes, you like Mr. Colburn. Mr Colburn was not ashamed to say that he is not the first to in fact make the correlation of invention with Sherlock Holmes methods as he so often asserted in the book, and he indeed did mention the name of the fellow, which is one more thing I really appreciate the writer for. I find the bibliography and citations very thorough and quite good. I also like that he did not allow all this crowd out his personality and knowledge base in his writing.
I think the only thing I fault in this book is the way he did not adequately define and differentiate the right-brain and the mind... Of which I also do think, is not really the soul. So, you see, Mr. Colburn did go down that road of spirituality and 'mind-manipulation' which of course I am not really for. I do not blame him, for Mr Colburn knew this might cause a little bit of a problem for many people who have firm beliefs on what they should and should not do with their minds. The way he used a verse from the Bible too was quite unsettling but very understandable. It is not a theology book or spiritual self-help material, so I will not say much. Only that I did not like what I saw (regardless of the results and the experience of the author), and that the method will not be applied anytime soon from these quarters. So heads up!
What can I say? I rate Invent, Innovate and Prosper a 4 out of 4 stars. The fault identified above was equally identified by the writer and being that this judgement is coming from very personal beliefs and convictions, I do not think it should reflect in my rating of it. The book would be perfect for many research students, avid lovers of Sherlock Holmes, creatives and simple people like me. The book was edited perfectly but the contents, even more. Like I said, the book was more of a manual which I am sure, will be in my use for a long time and yes, I quite agree with the author on the matter that being an inventor should be seen as a profession. I want in on that. The lifestyle, the thought processes, the energy, the novelty, the persistence and the creativity. All thanks to Mr. Colburn. I hope you like what you will find there!
Feel free to comment if you want to talk more about the book. Let's get the discussion started!
******
Invent, Innovate & Prosper
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
That which can kill, can save
Latest Review: Junk Justice by Gerry Rising
