Review by AlexandraA16 -- Invent, Innovate & Prosper

AlexandraA16 · Post by **AlexandraA16** » 22 Jul 2019, 00:06

[Following is a volunteer review of "Invent, Innovate & Prosper" by Michael G. Colburn.]

2 out of 4 stars

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With Invent, Innovate & Prosper, Michael G. Colburn seeks to give practical solutions to obstacles of creativity such as how to open your mind to new ideas, foster your curiosity, and practice observation skills by learning how to look. Colburn even discusses how to come up with ideas by using mind maps, sketching, and other techniques involving the “whole brain.”

I would recommend this book to readers searching for inspiration or ways to become more creative in their hobbies, work, or day-to-day life. Invent, Innovate & Prosper details a unique process for coming up with new ideas, refining those ideas, and creating a problem-solving invention. Included is how to conduct research, find patents, and protect an inventor’s work. The book discusses the histories of many inventions and their creators, so may not be a suitable topic for someone interested in reading fiction.

The author stresses that the inventive process he describes is his own creation after years of experience in the field of solving problems. He provides many examples of his own successes. Colburn also illustrates his creative process with short stories of other famous inventors, from Nikola Tesla to recent Shark Tank host Lori Greiner. The author discusses some of the technical aspects of inventing such as how to write a purpose statement, assess markets, and test prototypes.

Although the manual to creativity could have been more concise, I did feel inspired after reading this book. I find myself adhering to the steps of Michael's process, and am excited to do so. I did not like the redundancy of some of the passages. Also, many commas were missing, causing run-along sentences and confusion on my part. I found myself wandering off while reading, thinking about my own creative endeavors rather than the words in front of me. Because I think a lot of text could be trimmed from this book, I give it a rating of 2 out of 4.

However, Colburn did deliver on his promise to “sprinkle in” visits from the famed literary detective Sherlock Holmes, who is an excellent example of many of the steps in Colburn’s inventive process. What I found more inspiring were the quotes included at the beginning of some of the chapters. Equally compelling were the short stories the author included about the inventors. My favorite was the story about the creation of the computer mouse, an example that clearly demonstrates how easily an inventor might create a protype of their idea.

Doing, conducting research, and learning from the mistakes of others are all important aspects of Invent, Innovate & Prosper, an effective first step for any budding inventor or creator. I, myself, am now looking about for a problem to solve, and may follow this guide’s advice to the next big invention.

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Invent, Innovate & Prosper
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Erin Painter Baker · Post by **Erin Painter Baker** » 23 Jul 2019, 17:00

Well, even if the book had poor editing and quite a bit of text that could have been cut, it sounds like it still found it's mark by inspiring you to be more creative and follow the author's process.

unamilagra · Post by **unamilagra** » 24 Jul 2019, 16:15

This sounds like a topic that could be helpful to many, and I like the idea of using Sherlock Holmes as a repeated example. It's too bad the book wasn't better executed. Great review!

allbooked+ · Post by **allbooked+** » 24 Jul 2019, 19:25

Sounds like the author needed some inspiration with finding an editor! ha Otherwise, I do know a lot of people who have tons of great ideas but can't seem to launch. This might help them do just that!

Post by **Kibet Hillary** » 12 Aug 2019, 06:45

I also enjoy quotes in books and I am glad that you liked the ones that were included in the book. I'd like to read this but I hate a lot of repetitiveness. Thanks for the review.