What do comedian Chris Rock, Apple CEO Steve Jobs, architect Frank Gehry, and the Army Chief of Strategic Plans all have in common? Peter Sims shows that they have all unleashed the power of our innate creativity by breaking away from the rigid constraints of planning, linear problem-solving and analytical skills we’ve all been taught and overcoming the fear of failure and perfectionism that so often thwart us. Based on deep and extensive research, including more than 200 interviews, Sims has discovered that expert creative thinkers and doers practice a set of simple but ingenious methods for taking experimental but highly purposeful and strategic small steps that both free our minds and provide the vital information we need to discover unexpected, extraordinary outcomes.

In a light and engaging storytelling style, he introduces a fascinating range of research, from the psychology of creative blocks to the cutting-edge field of design thinking, and tells illuminating stories, ranging from Pixar’s movie-making to Beethoven’s composing and Apple’s endlessly inventive prototyping, to illustrate the specific methods—such as failing fast to learn quickly; trying imperfect ideas; focusing on finding problems rather than solving them; and practicing highly immersed observation—that allow us to tap into our fundamental human desire to tinker, grow, and discover and harness our creative potential. Little Bets is a fascinating and thought-provoking must-read for all those seeking to adapt to the increasing demands for productive creative thinking in our ever-more fast-changing world.  less