This book showed up in my Newsweek last week, and my Fast Company this week.
From the synopsis:
Used properly, a simple drawing on a humble napkin is more powerful than Excel or PowerPoint. It can help crystallize ideas, think outside the box, and communicate in a way that people simply "get". In this book Dan Roam argues that everyone is born with a talent for visual thinking, even those who swear they can’t draw.
This strikes me as one of those crazy-idea-that-just-might-work books that come and go in a year or so, but I’m close to ordering it if, for no other reason, than to find some way to justify more cartoon usage.
Aw heck, it’s a write-off. I’m ordering.
Technorati Tags: andertoons, books, cartoon, cartooning, cartoonist, cartoons
Dude, I cannot wait for your review of the book. Actually, I can wait. And I will wait. haha.
I'm thinking I'm going to write my review on a wet nap, just to challenge myself.
Consider the book a business expense and write it off — I wrote off most of the two years it took to write it and its worked so far for me. (which reminds me I haven't finished my taxes yet… I wonder if the IRS will accept my 1040 on a napkin??)
Seriously, I hope you enjoy the book. I'm curious to know what you think of it.
Dan Roam
author, The Back of the Napkin
OH! Hi Dan!
(Yikes! I feel like a kid who got caught passing notes in class…)
I just got the book (oddly enough immediately before I noticed your comment) and I'm looking forward to digging in.
BTW, did you notice that the same issue of FC that raved about your book: (http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/124/the-napkin-sketch.html), had an article on the back page poking fun at the business best seller: (http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/124/library-of-the-living-dead.html).
I'm hoping yours is really good, because I'd love to point to it and say "See?! Thinking with little drawings is the new thing! Who wants to buy a cartoon?"
Yes, I saw the "business books make you stupid" commentary at the back of the FC mag. Which is ironic given the number of articles about, by, and for business authors.
Dan
I agree.
BTW, I started The Back of the Napkin this afternoon:
http://andertoons.typepad.com/cartoon_blog/2008/04/the-back-of-the.html