Geniuses have more good ideas than most people. They also have a lot more bad ideas than the average person. This is the basic principle that entrepreneur Samuel Sanders applies in YOUR NEXT BIG IDEA. By following his methods, he asserts that the reader will be able to generate over 100 ideas per week. Except, according to Sanders, nearly all of them will be good. “I have founded multiple companies in my career, and these tactics for generating more ideals have been especially helpful in my professional life,” he writes. Once the reader does the exercises in the book, they will be able to master the skills of innovation, problem-solving and creativity. “Whether it’s small issues such as do-it-yourself projects, long-term issues such as building relationships, and one-off situations such as ethical dilemmas and family emergencies, these skills are vital.”

Sanders argues that anyone can learn to generate many ideas through brain training. He provides extensive and thorough guidelines, including detailed exercises to do in the book itself, that will supposedly change how you think. He explains to readers how to identify problems (look for the phrase “I hate that…”), needs (when you say “I have to…”), and wants (Want “I wish…”.). At certain points he gets too detailed, such as advising readers that, to become creative, they should get to bed before 12 a.m. (in fact, research shows that most creative persons are night owls). But, once you distinguish what works for him isn’t necessarily right for you, Sanders’ book is still full of useful information. He advises questioning everything (using the journalist’s criteria Who, what, when, where, why, and how?) and research different topics, such as, How does your body know when to burp and How does a vacuum work? While he does not say how one can identify bad ideas from good ideas – the other trait that separates geniuses and successful innovators from the rest of us – he does note that you must consider whether there’s a market for your idea, whether it’s feasible, and whether the time is right. In line with this, Sanders switches gears and provides a blow-by-blow guide to starting a business in terms of getting partners, investors, and resources.

Following entrepreneur Samuel Sanders’ comprehensive guidelines in YOUR NEXT BIG IDEA takes a lot of time and work, but anyone willing to make such a Herculean effort is already halfway to success.

~Kevin Baldeosingh for IndieReader