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Rating: 
Summary: Wow, this truly is breakthrough.
Review: I had this book on my shelf since last August, but began reading just recently and I was stunned at the concepts displayed in this book. It truly is breakthrough thinking and has caused me to change the way I approach and solve problems in every aspect of my life. I haven't even delved extensively into the principles yet, but I must say It's already worth my time. Very ingenius and I would recommend to anyone with a desire to improve their life, their relationships with their co-workers and family, and of course their ability to effectively and creatively solve problems.
Rating:
Summary: Wow, this truly is breakthrough.
Review: I had this book on my shelf since last August, but began reading just recently and I was stunned at the concepts displayed in this book. It truly is breakthrough thinking and has caused me to change the way I approach and solve problems in every aspect of my life. I haven't even delved extensively into the principles yet, but I must say It's already worth my time. Very ingenius and I would recommend to anyone with a desire to improve their life, their relationships with their co-workers and family, and of course their ability to effectively and creatively solve problems.
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing new!
Review: I'd have to agree with the majority of other reviews here: this book is definitely a "reader and keeper." Yes, it is somewhat hard to get through; the writing style isn't easy, but it changed the way I thought about projects in my business. The seven principles have broad applicability in solving life's problems. I first read this book in 1991 and I've re-read it a couple of times since to refresh myself on the concepts.
Rating:
Summary: Thinking @ work, @home, @church ... Yes You can!
Review: In spite of what CNN and Washington DC would have us to believe; we can think for ourselves.Are you facing seemingly insurmountable odds in business ? or at home, or at church ? Instead of collapsing and surrending to the dumbing down syndrome ... Turn off the TV and radio, cancel your newspaper and READ THIS BOOK! You can achieve EXCELLENCE in all areas of your life, but it comes with a cost ... Breakthrough Thinking! Stop waiting for CNN or the government to solve your problems, and don't wait for the "expert" to arrive at your workplace ... you can define and implement your own solution.
Rating: 
Summary: It's Not All There Is
Review: In this book, Nadler and Hibino provide a very useful adjunct to problem solving and group problem solving literature. But it's not as all-inclusive as they would like us to believe. Their breakthrough thinking process, when used with groups, is very much akin to the action research process, where a group of actors in a situation agree to work together to understand the problem, devise solutions, implement them together, evaluate whether they're working, and if not try something else. _Breakthrough Thinking_ provides a rich level of detail on some of the techniques of action research, including who should be the actors, how to find the solution you're going to try, and how to hang on to the ones you don't try in case you need them later. But there is a lot more to action research than breakthrough thinking, and the authors, in typical American enthusiasm for having found The Answer (an attitude they decry as being anti-breakthrough) propose Breakthrough Thinking as the be-all and end-all of group decision making. The book would be better if they would also provide some pointers to or glimmers of other issues in action research or group dynamics. The book is also ponderously written, with way too many examples and case studies and saying the same thing over and over in different ways. A book about half this size would be much better.
Rating:
Summary: It's Not All There Is
Review: In this book, Nadler and Hibino provide a very useful adjunct to problem solving and group problem solving literature. But it's not as all-inclusive as they would like us to believe. Their breakthrough thinking process, when used with groups, is very much akin to the action research process, where a group of actors in a situation agree to work together to understand the problem, devise solutions, implement them together, evaluate whether they're working, and if not try something else. _Breakthrough Thinking_ provides a rich level of detail on some of the techniques of action research, including who should be the actors, how to find the solution you're going to try, and how to hang on to the ones you don't try in case you need them later. But there is a lot more to action research than breakthrough thinking, and the authors, in typical American enthusiasm for having found The Answer (an attitude they decry as being anti-breakthrough) propose Breakthrough Thinking as the be-all and end-all of group decision making. The book would be better if they would also provide some pointers to or glimmers of other issues in action research or group dynamics. The book is also ponderously written, with way too many examples and case studies and saying the same thing over and over in different ways. A book about half this size would be much better.
Rating: 
Summary: Not quite a breakthrough
Review: It's fair to say that the breakthrough touted by the authors occured quite some time back - I don't think that any of the 7 principles suggested could be said to be new or even that they are brought together in a new framework.
Regardless, if you haven't used these principles before then it is likely to be something of a breakthrough. The authors present a remarkably well planned overview of the steps needed to come to creative solutions to problems.
Many readers are likely to find hints of De Bono, Senge and even some NLP in the reading. That shouldn't detract from the book though - it brings some rather disparate structures together to achieve an extremely beneficial approach to thinking and problem solving.
4 stars because it could have been edited down by 50 pages without detracting from the message.
Rating:
Summary: A Book Every Problem Solver and Decision Maker Should Read
Review: Stephen Covey observed the main problem we face often is not the problem itself but how we see it. Breakthrough Thinking, like Why Didn't I Think of That? - Think the Unthinkable, changes the way you approach problems by challenging your old perspectives and giving you new tools for obtaining deeper, clearer insights into problems and decisions at hand. This ia a book to place on the shelf where you keep your most prized works, the ones you reread over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding principles
Review: This book rambles in places, and is poorly edited, and is often tedious to read. Nonetheless, in twenty years of reading in this area, the ideas in this book still stand out for me as the most powerful guide to breakthrough thinking that I've encountered. Despite the poor writing, this book is outstanding.
Rating:
Summary: Many thanks to Professors Nadler and Hibino
Review: This is an excellent book. It is well written. The authors have excellent credentials and convincingly outline the seven principles of creative problem solving in the most lucid terms. Readers will find that many of the individual ideas, concepts, considerations and perspectives are familiar. However, as Proust stated, the real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes. Professors Nadler and Hibino show that you, and any group that you are part of, can significantly increase your chances of achieving breakthroughs if you adopt a certain approach to solving problems and making decisions. It is a purpose-directed approach. The focus is on the solution, not the problem. They proceed to outline this approach in some detail. It includes a holistic set of steps to guide your use of the seven principles. They also describe a number of optional tools. When adapted to your own style and circumstances, and used in context, these tools really do maximise your chances of achieving breakthroughs e.g. · 'Exploration and expansion of purposes' enables you to creatively find the right problem to work on · 'Solution after next' helps to unfetter the team's creativity, to rise above current limitations, wrong assumptions and misconceptions - whether conscious or subconscious - and to ensure that today's solution is future-oriented and innovative · 'System matrix' facilitates a comprehensive consideration of all aspects of a solution thus maximising the chances of successful implementation The thinking skills outlined in this book and ensuing practice can serve you well for the rest of your life. These skills are so fundamental, they can be beneficially applied in countless ways and in countless situations - both business and personal. I first read this book six months ago and have no hesitation in recommending it.
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