(Book Review) Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World, 1st Edition


Overview

Review Published: November, 2018.

From organizational psychologist and Wharton professor Adam Grant comes an in-depth examination of generating, recognizing, and sharing revolutionary ideas.

From increasing your output of great ideas to effectively sharing and advocating for them, this book offers a clear overview of these concepts as well as concrete methods for acting on them.


Rating:

5 / 5

Five out of five.

(Incredible Content, Presentation is Entertaining)

What does this score mean?

Difficulty:

Beginner (No prior experience required).


Length:

321 pages.


Where to Buy It:

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What's Good

  • Presents practical strategies for generating, evaluating, and sharing great ideas; from recognizing strategic realities and how ideas can potentially change them, to building “creative coalitions” and using different methods of engagement to find common creative ground, the author provides a very detailed examination of getting original ideas off the ground in otherwise stagnant organizations/marketplaces.
  • Thoroughly researched and sourced; while a lot of books about creativity and originality tend to advocate techniques based on isolated examples, this book goes a step further by explaining how and why those examples are relevant by tying them into a wide body of previously conducted research.
  • Accessible & easy-to-read; the author introduces concepts through relatable stories and examples that make this a very enjoyable read, and then boils each concept down with supporting research for easy reference.

What Can Be Improved

  • N/A.

The Bottom Line

  • A “must read” for UX strategists & product designers; while it’s common for UX designers to get caught up in the implementation of project specifics, this book offers a succinct and powerful array of insights and techniques for broadening our role into helping determine successful strategy.
  • For UX professionals looking to take that “next step”; if you’ve worked in the UX design field for several years, and are looking to broaden your role into promoting your own successful initiatives/ideas, this book is for you.
  • A great value for original thinkers & entrepreneurs; I leaf through and reference this book often (and think you will too), and for the reasonable cost of $25 (approx.) it is definitely worthwhile to add this to your UX library.