Rating: 
Summary: An easily readable book that inspires better problem-solving
Review: I manage programmers. I need people who think on their feet and who know how to cut through the B.S. (no, not Bachelor of Science) and get to the real issues, then solve them. That's why I'm buying everyone on my staff a copy of this book, now that I've managed to find a vendor who can get it. Published originally in the 1970's, this book focuses on a number of creative approaches to solving seemingly intractable problems. Not a cookbook with recipes for specific problems, _Are_Your_Lights_On?_ inspires every reader to develop her own approaches to problems by emphasizing how many different ways there really are to skin a cat. The book tells a number of stories that present sticky problems and then concludes the stories with how those problems were solved. The style of the writing is extremely informal and amusing while never patronizing. Entertaining pen and ink sketches illustrate the stories and the reader just keeps going because it's fun. But never mistake the seriousness of the book's purpose. One fantasizes about sending copies to Benjamin Netanyahu and Yassir Arafat with the cover note, "Read this and then try again."
Rating: 
Summary: Amusing but not helpful
Review: A second language/computer science student stopped me in the hallway asked me if I had this book because he knew I was interested in critical and creative thinking. He asked if it would be good for his English and for learning about thinking. I told him I was not aware of the book, but would check it out. I ordered the book and read it. Not only was the book delightfully written in English that second language learners could access, it was crafted with just the right balance of story telling and psychology for anyone. Indeed, it was written to help those of us who jump to conclusions, who suffer from myopia, or who never knew about the other angles, let alone trying to see things from a different perspective. It does help turn the lights on! I bet both Gause and Weinberg were storytellers in their former lives, and luckily for us, there was some transfer. They don't tell you how to solve problems; they illustrate some effective strategies and throw in lots of memorable stories that imprint their insights. Though this book is recommended for engineers and computer programs, it easily be applied to all occupations. I immediately told my family about it at the dining room table, my colleagues know about it, and I am incorporating it into my English classroom on writing and thinking. I was so impressed with this little book that I immediately went and read Weinberg's book on the Psychology of Computer Programming.
You will reap far more than you invest for this little nugget. This is what I told my student friend, who borrowed my copy. It truly is one of those pass around books. I hope he returns it or passes it on to others.
Rating:
Summary: Best introduction to problem definition
Review: As a technical manager, I look for useful guide to improve my team's productivity. I bought this title one month ago and read 3 times. Then I lend it to my team members. This book describes the problem definition and solving method, which is very suitable for software engineer. We software engineer sometimes dig too deep into technical detail. Sometimes we forget to clearify the problem scope and defintion. This book guide us to make requirement more clear. It also teached us how to resolve some problem in non-techincal solution. According to the statistic, management driver affect the system development cost by 64%. I agreed that. 60% of my projects failed because high level management changed their mind. After read this book, I got some idea to resolve this 'problem'. If you are a engineer who devote yourself into technical detail, I recommend you buy this book. It will help you put more effort in 'right' problem and improve your performance. If you are a manager, like me, it could help you to clearify your situation. And let you have more idea to interact with your customers.
Rating: 
Summary: Polya meets Dr Seuss
Review: Highly readable and filled with humorous stories and illustrations, this classic provides some interesting and funny perspectives on how to approach problems in life. Although this book was first published over 10 years ago, the contents are still highly applicable to us. Many of our problems are left unresolved because we don't know what the problem is. Even when we know what the problem is, we don't know who the problem belongs to. And even when the problem belongs to us, we don't know where the problem is coming from. And even when we know where the problem is coming from, are we sure we want to solve the problem? Do you have problems and not know what to do with them?
Read this book. You might find that your problem does not exist at all. From the viewpoint of a `problematic' software engineer in Singapore.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring
Review: I couldn't finish reading this book. It bored the hell out of me, so I tossed it.
Rating:
Summary: This book is a keeper.....
Review: I manage a team of business systems analysts whose job it is to solve problems. No, not the problem as stated by the user, but the underlying problem that is often unseen. And to find the solution that was never obvious. That's where this book excels. It does not teach problem solving, it is not a heavy read, it offers no formal methodology. Instead, it uses many humorous and thoughtful examples to involve the reader in thinking about the real, unstated, problem or opportunity. This is one of those rare books that you can read again and again.
Rating:
Summary: As light or as deep as you want to perceive it
Review: I've seen most of the reviews, and would agree that the book has a certain depth to itself, as well as concede that problems here exposed are barely trivial and simple.
However, and this is the most important thing: the book is exactly what you want to see in it. Its ideas are as deep and abstract, or as light and simplistic as you want, or are able, to perceive them.
I've taken a lot of the ideas here exposed further, and have discovered amazing concepts which I've found extremely useful in other unrelated areas.
If you are willing to give it some thought, abstract some of the ideas and recombine them, the book is extremely worthy of reading, at least twice.
If, on the other hand, you want quick answers and practical excercises, you will find yourself frustrated and, indeed, the book would only then be unworthy of your time and money.
Rating:
Summary: See the forest not the trees
Review: If you understand the title of this review, then you don't need to read the book. The book is organized around chasing one silly solution after another to a problem that is finally solved by saying someone else should have fixed it in the first place. The implication being that had you been smart enough to make a phone call to the repair man, lots of grief would have been saved. Very simplistic and certainly not worth my time or money.
Rating:
Summary: See the forest not the trees
Review: If you understand the title of this review, then you don't need to read the book. The book is organized around chasing one silly solution after another to a problem that is finally solved by saying someone else should have fixed it in the first place. The implication being that had you been smart enough to make a phone call to the repair man, lots of grief would have been saved. Very simplistic and certainly not worth my time or money.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun Book to Read with Profoundly Simple Bits
Review: This book brings you back to the first principles of problem solving in a way that is easy and fun. As someone who deals with extremely complex problems daily, I've already benefited from its simplification and clarification tips.
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