[[blog/video-the-scaling-dilemma-mary-poppendieck.md|Video_ The Scaling Dilemma - Mary Poppendieck]] Want to Read Rate this book 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull, Amy Wallace 4.20 · https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18077903-creativity-inc?from_search=true#https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18077903-creativity-inc?from_search=true# https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18077903-creativity-inc?from_search=true# Rating details · 49,108 ratings · 3,358 reviews “What does it mean to manage well?” From Ed Catmull, co-founder (with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter) of Pixar Animation Studios, comes an incisive book about creativity in business—sure to appeal to readers of Daniel Pink, Tom Peters, and Chip and Dan Heath. Creativity, Inc. is a book for managers who want to lead their employees to new heights, a manual for anyone who strives for originality, and the first-ever, all-access trip into the nerve center of Pixar Animation—into the meetings, postmortems, and “Braintrust” sessions where some of the most successful films in history are made. It is, at heart, a book about how to build a creative culture—but it is also, as Pixar co-founder and president Ed Catmull writes, “an expression of the ideas that I believe make the best in us possible.” For nearly twenty years, Pixar has dominated the world of animation, producing such beloved films as the Toy Story trilogy, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Up, and WALL-E, which have gone on to set box-office records and garner thirty Academy Awards. The joyousness of the storytelling, the inventive plots, the emotional authenticity: In some ways, Pixar movies are an object lesson in what creativity really is. Here, in this book, Catmull reveals the ideals and techniques that have made Pixar so widely admired—and so profitable. As a young man, Ed Catmull had a dream: to make the first computer-animated movie. He nurtured that dream as a Ph.D. student at the University of Utah, where many computer science pioneers got their start, and then forged a partnership with George Lucas that led, indirectly, to his founding Pixar with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter in 1986. Nine years later, Toy Story was released, changing animation forever. The essential ingredient in that movie’s success—and in the thirteen movies that followed—was the unique environment that Catmull and his colleagues built at Pixar, based on philosophies that protect the creative process and defy convention, such as: • Give a good idea to a mediocre team, and they will screw it up. But give a mediocre idea to a great team, and they will either fix it or come up with something better. • If you don’t strive to uncover what is unseen and understand its nature, you will be ill prepared to lead. • It’s not the manager’s job to prevent risks. It’s the manager’s job to make it safe for others to take them. • The cost of preventing errors is often far greater than the cost of fixing them. • A company’s communication structure should not mirror its organizational structure. Everybody should be able to talk to anybody. • Do not assume that general agreement will lead to change—it takes substantial energy to move a group, even when all are on board. (less) Get A Copy AmazonOnline Stores ▾Book Links ▾ Hardcover, 340 pages Published April 8th 2014 by Random House (first published July 24th 2009) Original Title Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration . ISBN 0812993012 (ISBN13: 9780812993011) . Edition Language English . Literary Awards Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Nominee for Shortlist (2014), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Business Books (2014) . Other Editions (2) All Editions | Add a New Edition | Combine …Less Detail edit details Friend Reviews (8) 3.50 average rating Jun 01, 2017 Erik Talboom rated it really liked it 1 like · Like · comment Jun 29, 2017 Gien Verschatse rated it liked it Shelves: audio, non-fiction, social-behavior, 2017 flag Like · comment Mar 25, 2019 Gert marked it as to-read Like · comment Mar 23, 2019 Thomas marked it as to-read Like · comment Jun 30, 2017 Koen Metsu marked it as to-read Like · comment Jun 02, 2017 Jo marked it as to-read Shelves: self-learning flag Like · comment Aug 17, 2016 Sandro Mancuso marked it as to-read Like · comment Jan 25, 2016 Joris added it Like · comment Recommend This Book… . Reader Q&A Ask the Goodreads community a question about Creativity, Inc. ![[./resources/book-creativity-inc.-ed-catmull.resources/30721486.ux100_cr00100100.jpg]] Popular Answered Questions What is the most useful thing you learned from this book? 3 likes · like · 3 years ago · See all 8 answers Jean If you’re hearing the truth in hallways, not meetings, you’ve got a problem. flag Dear fellow readers, Is there anybody who can recommend a book with a similar perspective as this one: Leadership in a creative environment? 4 likes · like · 4 years ago · See all 10 answers Joab John How Google Works By Eric Schmidt flag See all 10 questions about Creativity, Inc.… . Lists with This Book Books on Creativity 147 books — 116 voters Silicon Valley History 201 books — 434 voters More lists with this book… . Community Reviews Showing 1-30 4.20 · https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18077903-creativity-inc?from_search=true# Rating details · 49,108 ratings · 3,358 reviews ![[./resources/book-creativity-inc.-ed-catmull.resources/loading-45f04d682f1e9151cf1e6fb18a1bde21.gif]] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18077903-creativity-inc?from_search=true#More filters | https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18077903-creativity-inc?from_search=true#Sort order . Apr 18, 2014 Ross Blocher rated it it was amazing For those unfamiliar with Ed Catmull, he is best known as the president of both Pixar and Disney Animation Studios. Full disclosure: I work for the latter. Before I came to work at Disney, I knew of Ed Catmull as a technological innovator in the field of computer graphics and animation. He was essential in the development of the alpha channel, z-buffer, texture mapping, and a number of other technologies that make digital animation possible. After years of problem solving in the technical space, he found himself in charge of a thriving company (Pixar) and devoted his problem solving acumen to management and the problem of keeping creativity alive. This book is a record of that effort, his successes, his failures, and the lessons he learned along the way. I haven’t read much in the way of management books, so it’s hard for me to compare Creativity, Inc. with others in that field, but Catmull has a particular advantage when it comes to credentials and credibility. Pixar has released 14 animated features; every single one of them a box office phenomenon, and Pixar enjoys the most consistent critical success of any studio. Similarly, Disney Animation has seen a resurgence under Ed’s and John Lasseter’s leadership, with an ever-improving slate of hits. What makes those statistics so impressive is that creativity is a legendarily fickle beast: success often leads to complacency, what-worked-before is encoded as rule and takes away the flexibility to innovate, population and budgets get blown out of proportion until the constraints that provided inspiration disappear, and as a result creative streaks tend to be frustratingly unsustainable. Ed Catmull shares the story of his early days in computer graphics and his uncertain transition into management, giving specific examples of things that worked and did not work. There are numerous anecdotes about his interactions with Steve Jobs and the various directors at Pixar, and deep reflection on the roles of personality, pride, bias, objectivity, failure, success, teamwork and the various permutations thereof. Eventually Pixar is acquired by Disney, with the unusual result of Ed and John being placed in charge of Disney Animation. This provides a test bed to try Pixar’s management philosophy out on a new population of talented but struggling filmmakers. The conclusion is that there are no easy answers or set rules for keeping creativity alive. Anything that can be stated as a maxim is already half-way obsolete as the repeated words become divorced from the reality of the situation. Instead, creativity requires constant vigilance: searching oneself for biases, trying things in new ways, picking talented people and allowing them to have a voice, keeping your communications open and independent of your organizational structure, knowing when to cut your losses in the interest of pursuing excellence, failing often and not seeing failure as something to be protected against, and so on. I can’t summarize all the insights, and their explanations are helpful - so read the book! I’ll sum up by saying Creativity, Inc. should be of interest to managers of all stripes - even in businesses that aren’t traditionally seen as creative - as well as to anyone who follows the history of technology or animation. Ed Catmull is an extremely smart person, and it’s nice to see someone with his perspicacity and concern for others in such a prominent position. The book won’t win any awards for flowery prose, but it was a quick read, and Ed Catmull has a very pragmatic, introspective, and unclouded approach to problem solving that will benefit everyone. (less) flag 124 likes · Like · 11 comments · see review Apr 06, 2014 Tim Adler rated it it was ok This book is so disappointing. I had hoped it would take one behind the scenes of such storytelling genius as UP and TOY STORY. Instead, it’s a bunch of platitudes which could be bullet pointed in a few pages, which indeed they are at the end. Most of it is common sense: rigid pyramid structures in organisations are bad; everybody should feel free to contribute; and, get this, if you’re planning to write a feature film, it’s good to do some research. Like, duh. At one point, Catmull – who, to his credit, comes across as a regular, self-deprecatory guy – even suggests doing Zen-style meditation to contemplate the inner mysteries of management. At this point, I felt like marching round to the back of his head and snipping off his pony tail. Fine if you’re a pampered West Coast animator whose facility has a swimming pool, pottery and ballet classes, etc. Try telling that to the average British company, whose idea of a worker’s perk is a new beige computer every four years and grudgingly providing instant coffee. (less) flag 73 likes · Like · 19 comments · see review Aug 29, 2018 da AL rated it really liked it · review of another edition Shelves: audio-books, non-fiction People first, story second: great advice for managing a business. Interesting to hear Pixar’s history told first-hand, as was Catmull’s interactions with Steve Jobs. Audiobook narrator is super good! flag 63 likes · Like · 2 comments · see review Jan 17, 2019 Brandice rated it really liked it Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration is by Ed Catmull, the founder of Pixar. As his career progressed and Pixar continued to grow, Ed learned the type of leader he wanted to be and how to foster a culture that perpetually promotes and encourages creativity. He shares many characteristics of such a culture in this book. Ed knew early on he wanted to work in computer animation and make a movie by doing so. He was enthralled with Walt Disney as a kid. In college he was tasked with pitching a type of employee exchange program to Disney, with the University of Utah. Disney wasn’t interested but attempted to hire Catmull to be part of Disney Imagineering, the division that builds Disney’s theme parks. Ed refused the offer immediately as this wasn’t what he wanted to do. While Disney Imagineering sounds cool in theory, this story, shared very early on in Creativity, Inc. resonated with me, and only enhanced my respect for Ed. So many times when I was finishing up grad school or a new grad shortly after, looking for a job, people would say “Just take whatever they give you; it’s good to just get in the door., etc.” and while sometimes this may be true for people, I resisted - hard. I knew what I wanted to do. There was no indecisiveness or uncertainty. Ed appears to have felt the same way and I admire people who stick to their vision. Ed worked for George Lucas at Lucasfilm before going on to create Pixar, which struggled initially, and was saved by Steve Jobs purchasing it and pumping in tons of money to keep it afloat. Ed and Steve’s mutual respect for each other is apparent throughout the book. Pixar’s first movie, a total hit, was Toy Story - One of my personal favorite movies from childhood. I really enjoyed reading about the creation and development of many wonderful movies Pixar has created, as well as the lessons learned along the way. In addition to Toy Story, other personal favorites are Up and Inside Out. There are lots of great takeaways from the book, and a few that I appreciated in particular include: - ”We must acknowledge the random events that went our way, because acknowledging our good fortune — and not telling ourselves that everything we did was some stroke of genius — let’s us make more realistic assessments and decisions. The existence of luck also reminds us that our activities are less repeatable. Since change is inevitable, the question is: Do you act to stop it and try to protect yourself from it, or do you become the master of change by accepting it and being open to it? My view, of course, is that working with change is what creativity is all about.” - Artists are often taught ways to see more by training their minds’ to turn off the tendency to jump to conclusions. For example, instead of getting frustrated by perfecting the task of drawing a chair, the artist may be asked to draw the negative space(s) surrounding the chair. You can teach your brain to observe other things without letting preconceptions interfere. - Look at various viewpoints being offered as additive, rather than competitive. A competitive approach measures other ideas against your own, creating a debate to be won or lost. An additive approach starts with acknowledging that each participant contributes something, even if it’s an idea that ultimately doesn’t work, but fuels the discussion. - Failure is often used as a weapon instead of an agent of learning. The politics surrounding failure can frequently impede progress. ”Being open about problems is the first step toward learning from them.” Fear can’t be completely driven out in a high stakes game, but we should loosen its grip. You do not need to work in animation, design, or a traditionally creative industry to grasp the concepts and takeaways Ed describes in Creativity, Inc.. There is something to be gained for everyone from this book, which is a great source on how to reframe an idea, consider alternate perspectives and think differently about a concept, and embrace change. I enjoyed the book and it’s likely one I’ll come back to from time to time as a refresher on some of the key points it made. (less) flag 43 likes · Like · 15 comments · see review Aug 29, 2014 Otis Chandler rated it it was amazing · review of another edition Shelves: business, leadership, nonfiction, audio 9 notes & 71 highlights Recommend this highly for anyone who works in a technology or creative field. Pixars track records is unparalleled - 14 movies and all of them have been massive hits. I had two important takeaways from this book: how to build a great, lasting culture, and how to build a creative company. Catmull’s philosophy both around creating movies and managing his company, is to be relentless about remembering that he doesn’t know what he doesn’t know. In creating a movie, you don’t know what it will be when you start. In creating a company, you similarly don’t know what it will be, especially at first. But equally importantly when you are scaling it, you don’t know the dynamics of what is happening throughout the company - you will have a filtered view based on the (always) incomplete picture you can see. So you have to relentlessly have the mindset to remember that there are dynamics at play that you don’t know, and look for them. “From that day on, I resolved to bring as many hidden problems as possible to light, a process that would require what might seem like an uncommon commitment to self-assessment.” “I believe the best managers acknowledge and make room for what they do not know—not just because humility is a virtue but because until one adopts that mindset, the most striking breakthroughs cannot occur.” So how did Pixar build 14 hits in a row? They created a highly leveraged feedback loop. They created a culture of open feedback, and encourage anyone in the room - regardless of rank - to have an equal voice. They have lots of ways to get feedback on the film and iterate on it: from daily standup every morning to review scenes, up to braintrust meetings with all the best directors and creative minds to review the story. They spend a lot of time - years - iterating on and nailing the story before putting it into production - and even then they keep iterating. Nothing trumps good story. “Braintrust meetings require giving candid notes, but they do a great deal more than that. The most productive creative sessions allow for the exploration of myriad trains of thought.” “The first step is to teach them that everyone at Pixar shows incomplete work, and everyone is free to make suggestions. When they realize this, the embarrassment goes away—and when the embarrassment goes away, people become more creative.” “in Japanese Zen, that idea of not being constrained by what we already know is called “beginner’s mind.” And people practice for years to recapture and keep ahold of it.” I loved the concept of “the beast” - which is the trap of needing to continue to succeed a higher and higher levels. “It is one of life’s cruel ironies that when it comes to feeding the Beast, success only creates more pressure to hurry up and succeed again.” An important point to this was that feeding the beast means bigger and better, and taking less risks. To create something new, you have to have the right leadership to shelter the seed and let it grow. The stories about Steve Jobs were great. Made you respect him even more. For taking a huge financial risk to spin Pixar out of Lucasfilms and then personally float it for a long time, taking even more risk. I loved hearing about how much foresight he had with regards to Disney and negotiating that deal. I also loved the story about the wide screen - basically how Steve responds to passion, and pushes people until he finds where it is. This quote explains it well: His method for taking the measure of a room was saying something definitive and outrageous—“These charts are bullshit!” or “This deal is crap!”—and watching people react. If you were brave enough to come back at him, he often respected it—poking at you, then registering your response, was his way of deducing what you thought and whether you had the guts to champion it." (less) flag 38 likes · Like · 4 comments · see review Jan 15, 2015 Amanda rated it it was amazing Shelves: nonfiction, business, writing I read this because I’m an artist, but I loved it because I’m a manager. Whether you’re a computer science history buff, a fan of Pixar or Disney, an aspiring animator, an entrepreneur, an artist, or manager, you’ll get something great out of this book. One of the best business books I’ve read in a long time. flag 32 likes · Like · see review Dec 29, 2016 Peter rated it really liked it Shelves: business, personal-development Pixar Creativity is the story of Pixar and its founders Steve Jobs, John Lasseter and Ed Catmull and how they managed to establish Pixar as a thriving business. The road to business success is never straightforward, with twists, turns and mountains to climb. The fate of Pixar and their first film Toy Story, are inseparable. The story tracks the creation of Toy Story - the world’s first computer-generated animation film. Following the first showing, their hearts dropped. They had achieved a wonderful feat of technical advances and graphical breakthroughs but there was one vital piece missing. There was no story! There were no characters that viewers could empathise with, laugh with, cry with or root for. They recognised their failing - they needed a storyteller! The pressure and financial needs to finish the project must have been immense. Toy Story, however, became a huge success and then the next era begins!!! How do we do it again? It’s always interesting to appreciate the challenges and highlights entrepreneurs face in establishing new companies. What is insightful in this book is to explore what happens after success, in terms of motivation, pressures to deliver again and renewed creativity challenges. How teams react to stepping up into the fray again. Are you a one trick pony? This book looks at those often forgotten issues, but they are crucially important. It’s very interesting to consider that the people that brought you to the point of initial success - are they the best ones to take you forward? It is also very interesting to explore how technical capability meets the art of story-telling. A very interesting read and a unique perspective from a unique company. I would recommend reading this book not just from a business story but the trials and tribulations of creating an animated movie that we all know. (less) flag 28 likes · Like · 2 comments · see review Feb 01, 2016 Jenny (Reading Envy) rated it really liked it Shelves: read2016, librarianship, creativity I was reading this more for the creativity angle than the story-of-a-company angle, so I definitely skimmed some of the Pixar story. I read bits of this to the group of library faculty and staff that I supervise, and we had a great conversation about our current and upcoming “ugly babies.” “Originality is fragile. And, in its first moments, it’s often far from pretty. This is why I call early mock-ups of our films “ugly babies. They are not beautiful, miniature versions of the adults they will grow up to be. They are truly ugly: awkward and unformed, vulnerable and incomplete. They need nurturing - in the form of time and patience - in order to grow. … Our job is to protect our babies from being judged too quickly. Our job is to protect the new.” “Managers of creative enterprises must hold lightly to goals and firmly to intentions.” “The goal is to place one foot on either side of the door - one grounded in what we know, what wer are confident about, our areas of expertise, the people and processes we can count on - and the other in the unknown, where things are murky, unseen, or uncreated.” “Give a good idea to a mediocre team, and they will screw it up. Give a mediocre idea to a great team, and they will either fix it or come up with something better. If you get the team right, chances are that they’ll get the ideas right.” “If there are people in your organization who feel they are not free to suggest ideas, you lose. Do not discount ideas from unexpected sources. Inspiration can, and does, come from anywhere.” “It isn’t enough merely to be open to ideas from others. Engaging the collective brainpower of the people you work with is an active, ongoing process.” “It is not the manager’s job to prevent risks. It is the manager’s job to make it safe to take them.” (less) flag 22 likes · Like · 2 comments · see review Mar 13, 2014 Fred rated it liked it This book was equal parts “Management Theory Text” and “Memoirs of an Unconventional CEO” with a healthy dose of “My Business Relationship with Steve Jobs” and while that may sound a bit scattered or even dry, this work is neither. Catmull manages to sprinkle the above seasonings into the broth in precisely the correct measurements to create an insightful and enjoyable stew. Often mentioned in the text is his continued education, often through trial and error, about effectively managing creative …more flag 21 likes · Like · 2 comments · see review Oct 07, 2014 Po Po rated it liked it What this book is: a managerial how-to on fostering creativity, productivity and work/ life balance in the office. What this book is not: a guidebook of creative inspiration for regular everyday DIYers who work alone. * * * The ideas are cut and dry and pretty simplistic for being, ostensibly, a manager’s book on creativity. Although this book isn’t a memoir, there is a very brief gloss-over on Ed Catmull’s family, childhood and education. There are interesting details on Pixar’s promising yet rocky …more flag 18 likes · Like · comment · see review Nov 03, 2014 Gergana rated it it was amazing Shelves: to-buy, business-leadership-and-finance, self-improvement A wonderful and insightful story, loved everything about this book and I am definitely buying a hard back copy so I can underline some of the lessons. Ed is a great story teller and a pretty good psychologist. Many business books are straight to the point :“Take risks!” “Believe in yourself” etc., but Creative, Inc. dives even deeper into the true meaning of “leadership”. flag 16 likes · Like · comment · see review May 12, 2014 Suzanne rated it it was amazing This is one of this books that you find yourself referencing in conversations on a regular basis. It’s a mistake to think of this as a book for managing a workforce that needs to be creative, or a way to make your company more creative. For me, it was more about that messy business of leading and managing people. It’s messy due to the different personalities and the mixed perspectives each person has. Add in that there is so much information which is naturally hidden to each person and the situa …more flag 12 likes · Like · comment · see review Jun 30, 2017 Heino Colyn rated it really liked it · review of another edition 3 notes & 7 highlights I’ve always liked Pixar, what they do and how they go about doing it, so I was pretty excited to read this book. It contains a lot of valuable information, but I think the best thing about it is the way that it conveys this information. The majority of the things I keep thinking about after finishing the book were actually just casually mentioned as part of an interaction. Love that. Also, the sections on the Braintrust and Notes Day were especially interesting, not to mention Ed showing a diffe …more flag 12 likes · Like · 3 comments · see review May 31, 2018 Jaclyn Woods rated it really liked it · review of another edition Look Heino, I finally finished the book! flag 9 likes · Like · 5 comments · see review Mar 05, 2014 Jay rated it really liked it Shelves: first-reads, business, media In trying to come up with descriptions of how this book is written, I keep thinking of the word “earnest”. Ed Catmull, the president of Pixar and Disney Animation, comes across as an earnest guy trying to do the best job he can. And as part of his earnest approach to running an animation company, he and his team came up with a number of ways to try to ensure his employees didn’t lose their mojo, their creativity, their inspiration. This book is a description of the things they tried. What this b …more flag 8 likes · Like · comment · see review Sep 27, 2018 Tangled in Text rated it it was amazing I want a manager like Ed Catmull. His way of looking at the full picture is mesmerizing. He does not just look at a single problem or a mistake, but all the pieces that lead to it. He’ll change an entire process of creating before he blames the one person who made the mistake to guarantee it won’t happen again. I loved the simple changes he made of not assigning seats because it made those in the back of a conference room feel less important and therefore were less likely to share their ideas. H …more flag 8 likes · Like · 1 comment · see review Mar 23, 2015 Donna rated it really liked it Shelves: non-fiction This book wasn’t what I expected but it worked. I really liked this. The author, co-founder of Pixar, is extremely passionate about animation and he lets you know the huge role he played in the way computer animation has changed the old way of doing things. I found it funny that the old guys at Disney didn’t even want to give computer animation and also computer editing, a courtesy nod, because they knew their craft (the old way) and didn’t want to change. I think they completely missed the boat …more flag 8 likes · Like · comment · see review Aug 15, 2017 MichelleG rated it it was amazing Shelves: 2017-books-read Reading this book was like sitting down and talking with a beloved father/ mentor. I feel like I’ve been through such an incredible journey. I’ve learnt so much, not just about Pixar and the ingenious creative process, but also about human dynamics, how to think about and treat people who work with and for you, and also the reasons behind all of those things … and why they are so important, from a business perspective, but also from the human perspective! I feel like I have taken away so much f …more flag 8 likes · Like · 2 comments · see review Feb 17, 2018 NaTasha Clever rated it really liked it · review of another edition It starts off slowly, but this book turned out to be one of the most fascinating reads. Besides the incredibly interesting process behind Pixar’s evolution and the creation of animated films, the amazing way that this company cultivated a culture of communication and creativity is inspiring. I’d love to see some of these strategies applied with education. flag 8 likes · Like · comment · see review Mar 25, 2016 RitaSkeeter rated it it was amazing Shelves: 2016, non-fiction Stimulating. Thought provoking. Inspiring. I started reading this book on a whim this morning, and couldn’t put it down. I had borrowed an e-book from the library, but I’ve just bought a paperback and intend to re-read when it arrives. A fuller review to come after that. flag 8 likes · Like · see review Aug 25, 2014 Jurgen Appelo rated it it was amazing Shelves: business-management, _startups Inspiring story of an amazing company. Read it! flag 8 likes · Like · comment · see review Aug 30, 2017 William Girdler rated it it was amazing I have a deep bias for Pixar so I don’t know if I can do this review fairly. This book was written by Ed Catmull, one of the founders and president of Pixar Animation Studios. First off the book is very businessminded. It talks about how to lead others and how to create a situation that in turn fosters creativity. Pixar is known for its special mindset concerning treatment of employees and how to make everyone feel special and important. That stuff is great, but that’s not why I read this. If on …more flag 7 likes · Like · 2 comments · see review Feb 22, 2016 Daniel (Attack of the Books!) Burton rated it really liked it Shelves: need-to-know, self-help, on-art, non-fiction I can’t tell if Creativity, Inc: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration belongs more in management, inspiration, self-help, or fodder for fans. What I can say, though, is that I loved reading it. Though he was born in West Virginia, Ed Catmull moved to Utah as a child and was raised in neighborhoods near my own. Despite interests in animation, during college at the University of Utah, he became pursued at talent in math and studied physics and computer science. Eve …more flag 7 likes · Like · comment · see review Mar 15, 2014 Paul added it The book is presented as a “how to” on inspiring a creative culture and doing away with anything that hinders the creative process. While giving a great behind-the-scenes look at the production steps that went into favorite animated films, it also provides some valuable tidbits of advice for leaders. Whether you work in a creative company or one where creativity is valued, you’ll find detailed discussions around the following topics useful: * Encourage all employees to express themselves freely w …more flag 7 likes · Like · comment · see review Jan 03, 2017 Grace rated it really liked it Shelves: nonfiction, 2017 My first book of 2017 is done!! This was a great book to kick this year off. By the end I was getting quite emotional. (The final chapter of the book is a tribute to Steve Jobs and all he did for Pixar.) It’s such a breath of fresh air to hear stories from such an amazing leader. How Ed fostered creativity and created a safe haven for honesty was truly revolutionary. I loved hearing the stories behind some of the movies. All in all, a fantastic book about what it means to lead and learn. flag 7 likes · Like · 1 comment · see review Apr 25, 2014 Shehab Hamad rated it liked it Fun (if obvious) insights into the Pixar story including a few entertaining Steve Jobs cameos! Main take-aways for me were the bits on candor and the “brain trust”. flag 7 likes · Like · 1 comment · see review May 24, 2017 Paola Quiros rated it really liked it Great book, helps you think HUGE !!! flag 6 likes · Like · 1 comment · see review Apr 17, 2014 Jeff rated it it was amazing Shelves: 2014-book-list Like many of you, I’ve been a big fan of Pixar. The way they have built a staff culture that pushes against the status quo allowing them to pursue new and innovative ideas is inspiring. This book helps unlock the secret to how they achieve this and how they empower leaders to accomplish it. I highly recommend this book to any person currently breathing. Here are a few of my takeaways from Ed Catmull, CEO of Pixar, the author of Creativity, Inc. On Leadership: * In big organizations there are adva …more flag 6 likes · Like · comment · see review Apr 14, 2018 C.J. Darlington rated it really liked it Shelves: non-fiction I wasn’t sure what this book was about when I first picked it up, and it turns out it’s many things. On one hand it’s a manual for creative types on how to foster that in our lives. It’s also a look inside the inner workings and beginnings of Pixar. Third, it’s a general treatise for those wanting to lead better in their companies and businesses. Through the pitfalls and joys of Pixar’s history Catmull shares what he’s learned in the hopes that others will benefit from his wisdom. I did. The big …more flag 6 likes · Like · comment · see review Jun 02, 2018 Jeffrey rated it really liked it Shelves: non-fiction Really enjoying this peak into the creative collaborative process, along with some interesting stories from the history of Pixar and the long road to making their animated films. The only thing missing is some more drama and intrigue, maybe some emotional stakes. Where’s the evil villain that Pixar has to conquer, the hidden nefarious forces secretly working against them? It’s a testament to Ed Catmull and the Pixar team that even when they face adversity, they take it in stride, and just keep w …more flag 6 likes · Like · comment · see review « previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next » . new topic Discuss This Book topics started by posts views last activity Creativity, Inc., by Ed Catmull Manda 1 (1 new) 18 Jun 28, 2016 12:59PM Ed Catmull: “Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming The Unseen Forces That Stand In The Way Of True Inspiration” Kirsten “Ghos… 1 (1 new) 10 Jan 01, 2015 05:57AM More topics… .