Why Didn't I Think of That?: Think the Unthinkable and Achieve Creative Greatness

I really enjoyed this book. It's a publication that sits somewhere between the likes of Gelb, Buzan and co - nothing really taxing, no great epiphanies but some simple, experiental advice on how we can all avoid some of the most common thinking problems.What I always enjoy is providing some solid examples of each type of thinking as an introduction to each theme. Mr McCoy does just that and they serve as solid real life examples (a blessed relief from 'out of the box' thinking puzzles.)There aren't too many books on this topic that I find 'hard to put down.' But this one was close - fun, educational and stimulating. Bingo!

As a trial lawyer, my success depends on the quality of my thinking. Judge McCoy has tried lots of cases, and done lots of thinking. His engaging book enriched my thinking, and thus adds to my litigation arsenal. I am a Winston Churchill enthusiast, and I especially enjoyed the book's fresh insights into how Churchill, and many other great thinkers from Albert Einstein to Mahatma Gandhi, achieved the extraordinary successes we now admire. This book will help all its readers emerge as better thinkers in many ways -- clearer, more accurate perceptions of people and their motives; more focused concentration under pressure; a deeper appreciation of intuition and its vital contribution to sound thinking, to name a few. The insights on intuition were particularly inspiring. I enthusiastically recommend "Why Didn't I Think of That?" to people in all walks of life, from professionals to managers, teachers to students, homebuilders to homemakers, lawyers to, yes, even judges -- everyone who realizes the indispensability of top-quality thinking for achieving real success in today's highly competitive, fast-changing world.

As a trial lawyer, my success depends on the quality of my thinking. Judge McCoy has tried lots of cases, and done lots of thinking. His engaging book enriched my thinking, and thus adds to my litigation arsenal. As a Winston Churchill enthusiast, I especially enjoyed the book's fresh insights into how Churchill, and many other great thinkers from Albert Einstein to Mahatma Gandhi, achieved the extraordinary successes we now admire. This book will help all its readers emerge as better thinkers in many ways -- clearer, more accurate perceptions of people and their motives; more focused concentration under pressure; a deeper appreciation of intuition and its vital contribution to sound thinking, to name a few. The insights on intuition were particularly inspiring. I enthusiastically recommend "Why Didn't I Think of That?" to people in all walks of life, from professionals to managers, teachers to students, homebuilders to homemakers, lawyers to, yes, even judges -- everyone who realizes the indispensability of top-quality thinking for achieving real success in today's highly competitive, fast-changing world.

Page after page in this book bristles with anecdotal evidence of the obvious: that critical thinking pays, while uncritical thinking bodes disaster. But who ever would have guessed that a book on critical thinking could be, not just cerebrally challenging, but pleasurable as well? From law to business, from the Bible to the checkered history of war, there is sheer joy in eavesdropping on the best and worst of human thinking. I confess I found myself too mentally lazy and impatient to solve the scores of brain-twisters and visual conundrums generously provided throughout the book (lending embarrassing support to McCoy's basic thesis), but I was clearly inspired to use my mental capabilities and intuition in far more productive ways than in the past. The key word being inspired. McCoy has that gift. Which is why he wrote the book, and-ruefully-I didn't. As an author myself, page after page I kept saying to myself enviously, "This book was a great idea. Why didn't I think of that!"F. LaGard SmithScholar in Residence for Christian StudiesLipscomb University, Nashville, TN