Not since Strunk and White€s ELEMENTS OF STYLE has a book compressed so many insights into so few pages. With his trademark simplicity and wit, Marty Neumeier has written and illustrated a concise guide that can be read quickly over a lunch break or savored slowly over a lifetime.
Part 1, €œHow can I innovate?€ offers insightful guidance such as €œFeel before you think,€ €œSee what€s not there,€ and €œAsk a bigger question.€ Rule #1 gives the paradoxical advice: €œBreak the rules.€Â
Part 2, €œHow should I work?€ offers down-to-earth tips on craft: €œUse a linear process for static elements,€ and €œExpress related elements in a similar manner.€ The reader is also reminded: €œDon€t be boring!€Â
In Part 3, €œHow can I learn?€ contains practical advice including €œDo your own projects,€ €œInvest in your originality,€ and €œDevelop an authentic style.€Â
Finally, Part 4, €œHow can I matter?€ deals with the deeper questions of a career in creativity, such as €œOvercommit to a mission,€ €œBuild support methodically,€ and €œBecome who you are.€Â
THE 46 RULES OF GENIUS is a reassuring lighthouse against the swirling tides of innovation. Geniuses from every discipline will want to keep it in sight.
(Educators: Those who recommend this book to students may also be interested its deeply researched precursor, METASKILLS, from which the rules were drawn.)
From the back cover:
There€s no such thing as an accidental genius. Anyone who€s reached that exalted state has arrived there by design. But simply wanting to get there is not enough. A would-be genius also needs a theoretical framework, a basic compass, a set of principles to guide the way forward.
Marty Neumeier, acclaimed author of The Brand Gap and Metaskills, has compressed the wisdom of the ages into the first €œquick start guide€ for genius€"46 glittering gems that will light your path to creative brilliance. This is THE essential handbook for designers, entrepreneurs, marketers, educators, artists, scientists, innovators, and future leaders in every field.
