Review: Problem Solving 101

I love books.

So much that my father gave me a warning to stop buying books in order for him not to go bankrupt. I kid you not. Second hand bookstores were my haven, and occasionally I find myself going weak at the knees when I get to go to a bookstore to bring home a book that I was waiting for. I didn’t go for tuition when kids all around me were ferried around by parents to the next class that promises to make them a whiz. I tell my parents to let me buy my own revision books and leave me at that. And I thank them till this day for letting me do my own thing.

So I’d like to try a little something on Pikaland. I’m going to try my best to review a few books a month and present my thoughts to you, my dear readers. They aren’t necessarily all illustration related (haha!), but they’ll be a mix of topics ranging from business/entrepreneurship, creativity and guidebooks that I think might be of use and interest to Pikaland’s readers.

This week, I’ll be reviewing Problem Solving 101: A Simple Book for Smart People by Ken Watanabe.

This nifty hardcover book started out as a guide to teach critical thinking skills for Japanese schoolchildren, and is also being picked up by adults quickly due to its easy to understand concepts and problem solving methods.

I confess that the front cover of the book was what made me pick it up initially. Illustrated by Allan Sanders, it’s not hard to see why I was drawn to it. Among the sea of boring business books, this one made an impression on me – the hand-drawn lettering, the quirky background and a quick leaf through the book (and a lot of illustrations were in there too, yay!) had convinced me that I had to have this book.

The topic of problem-solving and critical thinking are two of my favorite subject to read. It isn’t easy to find books that are simple enough to follow and yet is effective, so finding Problem Solving 101 to me was like finding a needle in a haystack.

Each day, millions of people make choices. They solve each problem that comes their way – some rely on intuition, some reply on mathematics and probability and some do it by logic. Problem Solving 101 guides you to do so by weighing all the options, listing probable solutions, testing your theory and finally, to apply your solution to the problem at hand.

The book starts out with an introduction into the process of problem solving, and quickly moves on to three small chapters illustrating how different concepts and methods can be applied to solve any sort of problems you may have.

While the characters in the book are mostly children, don’t be fooled into thinking that this book is purely for kids. There’s charts, diagrams, and graphs to illustrate the process; which is broken down into manageable chunks. Ken does a wonderful job of explaining his concepts in a clear and concise manner – taking readers step by step through a scenario to arrive at the best probable choice. He demostrates this via several problem-solving toolboxes: Logic Tree, Yes/No Tree, Problem Solving Design Plan, Hypothesis Pyramid; and through Pros/Cons, Criteria and Evaluation.

Once I read the book (it took one to two hours tops if you’re a fast reader), I immediately went to work. I grabbed a piece of paper and began to collect data and to use the principles that Ken outlined in his book. It made me think out of the box, and to stretch my brain further, and organized my thoughts so that I could arrive at the best outcome for the problem at hand.

Who is this book for?
Entrepreneurs, artists, parents, and virtually anyone who is interested to find out more about problem solving in a clear, no fuss manner. From finding a job, to increasing sales of your product; everything can be solved if you learn how.

Who wouldn’t want to read it?
Those who aren’t interested in methodology-driven books. Or maybe those who don’t like cutesy book covers.

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Happy weekend and happy problem solving dear readers!

A side note: The links to the books you find here will lead you to Amazon (the place where I go to for book shopping as well), and I will be earning a small fee if you do decide to purchase the book, which in turn helps me acquire more books to share! I have used their service since 2004 to manage my wish lists, purchases and research; and love how organized everything is. Being an affiliate of their program does not reflect my choice of books nor the reviews I post.