Idea Mapping: How to Access Your Hidden Brain Power, Learn Faster, Remember More, and Achieve Success in Business [With CDROM]

This is a most accessible book. Almost by stealth, it introduces people to a very powerful personal and business tool. Idea mapping can help put the fun and creativity back into work - and open your mind to a technique to access ideas you didn't know you had. The book takes an evolutionary approach to teaching mapping. Concepts and rules are introduced, examples given and lessons reinforced - then on to the next concept. Happily it's in plain English, with no business consultant-speak, and is easy to read and comprehend. Rules are introduced at the beginning to help the novice get started - later on these are overturned as experts are encouraged to be flexible and take account of the situations they are in and the purpose of their maps. The focus is very much on business applications of the tool. Guidance is given on how to approach creativity, strategy definition, planning, preparation for presentations, planning and drafting articles and papers, organising your schedule and even 1-1 meetings with staff. One of the most powerful applications of idea mapping is in learning and memorising information, books and manuals - whether simply to help retain more for day-day application or for passing professional exams or achieving certification. Maps provide visual clues to aid memory and readers are encouraged to embelish their maps with colour and images to enhance retention and recall. What really makes the difference here is the inclusion of many real life examples. These are not dusty academic references but actual maps produced by real people to help them achieve more in real life business situations. More examples can be found on the author's website - extending the value of the book. One of the recurring themes throughout is to consider the purpose of a map before you start it. Often maps will be fast and furious scribbles by way of an instant brainstorm, such as last minute preparation for an imminent meeting. At other times they will be developed with care, full of colour and images, as an aid to learning and recall. Jamie Nast also introduces us to situations where maps need to be refined, developed and shared - and for which mapping software is a must. Advice is given on how to choose your software, the benefits and concerns and when and how to use. Elsewhere in the book Jamie also explains how teams can use mapping collaboratively. A software tool is invaluable for such work. As a professional facilitator, I use software idea mapping with my groups. The map is projected onto a wall and ideas are captured, reviewed, restructured and so on interactively until the group are happy. Because the map is captured electronically it can be distributed immediately after the session as a map or exported into a text file, presentation or project plan. Jamie also gives us a tool to help with group brainstorming. If you have caught the increasing number of articles on 'why brainstorming does not work', you'll know that getting

I love this book. It has helped me with my to do lists, teaching classes, taking notes on lectures and with helping my children to study. In my teaching; it has allowed me to keep my notes on one page and then to see the transitions more clearly. When questions are asked I can quickly find my place and give precise answers without flipping through pages of notes. My oldest daughter was struggling with science, but with idea mapping techniques she is able to use her creativeness to map out her study notes and has had more success with her testing. When taking notes on a lecture, I find that I can remember the speaker's points much better than the traditional outline method because it's mapped out in pictures and words. I really enjoyed the book because the author has the reader participate in each chapter, so by the end of the book you are able to make good idea maps and rarely have to review the book. What I have learned is a life enhancing skill that I use at work (fleshing out new projects or by doing my performance reviews)and my personal life (helping my children study, teaching, studying my Bible or by mapping "to do" lists). The book is great; if you participate you will learn. I use idea mapping every day and I believe I am even more creative because of it. Although I do not use the software suggested in the book, one day I may give it a try when drawing my own idea maps becomes a little tiring or less useful. But that may be well into the future because for now I'm having the best time drawing them out myself.

I have been using mapping for a number of years, and have found it to be an incredibly powerful tool for business and personal use. Jamie Nast writes her book in a down-to-earth and businesslike manner, capitalizing on her long experience teaching the process. She gives a very thorough explanation of "how-to" while explaining the multitude of benefits for using this approach in business and personal settings, either as an individual or in a team. She presents realistic recommendations of when and how to break the rules to maximize creative ingenuity. The numerous examples of idea maps that Nast provides, accompanied by the background of each, are very useful to further understand the process and give the reader a "springboard" for their own maps. There is a chapter on how to effectively use software to create maps, if hand-drawing is not possible, and examples of maps created that way. Bottom line: I highly recommend this book to those who are beginners, intermediates or advanced in the technique. No doubt the book would be most valuable to those who also attend an idea mapping seminar, but it can be used in the meantime to get a "leg up" on this powerful process. Well worth the investment!

The author has done an excellent job of laying out the Idea (Mind) Mapping logic and concepts. It is obvious that the book was written by someone who actually uses this process on a day to day basis. The book also includes a ton of examples from others that use that use it in a variety of situations. I have used this process regularly for about 15 years. It is really a fantastic tool and has helped me through some tough projects. It is now my "default" starting point. Jamie makes it simple to understand and do.

Finally, a comprehensive book on the art (and proven science) of idea mapping. Nast captures the core of how to best motivate, stimulate and organize your brain to bring out your hidden power. I have followed Jamie's teachings and encountered a mind altering event. Great productivity improvement for both left and right brained people. This technique and learning is not just for adults. I have shared the instructions with my children, and know of schools that have done the same. Test scores have increased and all attributed to Idea Mapping. Nast has shown that you can improve your productivity, start to master your brain power, and grow in your life learnings to be creative as well!