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There are more than 1,600 books in the ‘For Dummies’ series, from Learn the Ukulele to Quantum Physics. The latest is Triz for Dummies, by Lilly Haines-Gadd, managing director of Oxford Creativity.
Triz is a system for problem-solving and inventive thinking, used mainly by engineers. Any discussion of the system needs to relate its origins, and the book’s introduction nods to Russian engineer Genrich Altshuller, who proposed his Theory of Inventive Problem-Solving in 1946.
Since then, Triz has been massively developed and extended. This ‘For Dummies’ book is a sign that it has matured to a stage where the theory can be readily applied outside engineering – that it is becoming more mainstream.
Triz tries to encourage people to think clearly and creatively to solve problems. At a fundamental level, the system requires a willingness to change the way you think. The first 30 pages are concerned with its philosophical aspects, with sections such as ‘Learning to think functionally’ and ‘Cultivating the motivation for innovation’. At worst the book can feel a bit ‘culty’ here, and at best revelatory.
By chapter three, though, the reader is into the real meat of Triz – lists, flow charts and diagrams. The first, the ‘40 inventive principles’, is likely to be where engineers will first feel the pragmatic appeal of the theory, as the principles relate easily to technical problems and product development. This and Triz’s other tools, such as ‘the trends of technical evolution’, are comprehensively explained in the following 300 pages.
As the book progresses, the concepts, diagrams and examples become more complex. But it’s written and structured in such a way that the reader can dip in and out at their whim. The book is entertaining and engaging, and reading it may be the first step to changing the way you approach problems forever.
Triz for Dummies, from John Wiley and Sons, is priced at £21.99