Content
Freshness
Usefulness
If you've been searching for a way to stop feeling like your life is just one step forward, two steps back, and want to take control of it, then this book will be perfect for you.
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How many times have you thought about your life and realized that it’s time to make a change? Big Little Breakthroughs: How Small, Everyday Innovations Drive Oversized Results by Josh Linkner is a book for people who want to take back control of their lives. This book will help inspire you to rethink your priorities, work smarter, and develop innovative ideas. Read this book if:
- You’ve been stuck or stopped by a challenge that seems overwhelming.
- You need some motivation or inspiration in your life.
- You just want to read a good book.
What Are Big Little Breakthroughs?
You could call them “hacks”, I suppose. Linkner describes big little breakthroughs as “small creative acts that unlock rewards over time. They are sparks that fuse into a raging fire. Sometimes microscopic and invisible to the naked eye, they are the molecules that bind together to solve our trickiest problems and unlock our biggest opportunities.”
With an introduction like that, how can you not want to keep reading?
A Visual and Entertaining Read
Reading through “Big Little Breakthroughs” was like watching a movie and recognizing an actor, but not being able to remember where you’ve seen them before.
As you can see from the quote I picked, the writing style is visually descriptive and engaging. Personally, it is a mix of Malcolm Gladwell, Freakonomics authors Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, and a dash of Chip and Dan Heath.
Josh Linkner has a way of looking at the world that makes it all seem like one big opportunity waiting to be seized. This is why this book is perfect for entrepreneurs!
Linkner’s tips are in simple language with an easy tone – they don’t come off as preachy or presumptuous.
About Josh Linkner
He calls himself a creative troublemaker. Josh Linkner has been the founder and CEO of five tech companies that sold for a combined value of $200 million. He is the author of four books including the New York Times bestsellers Disciplined, Dreaming, and the Road to Reinvention. He’s helped launch over 100 startups and was the founding partner of Detroit Venture Partners.
Taking a Bite out of Big Little Breakthroughs
Since it’s such a tasty read, let me share some of the best bites from the book.
It’s written in two parts; Part 1 delves deep into understanding human creativity and Part 2 provides the framework for inventive thinking.
Get ready for lots and lots (did I say lots) of stories. Because Linkner uses parables of everyday people to illustrate his point that little breakthroughs can be the catalyst for big ones. He explains how to use our natural curiosity and creativity in practical ways so we can create innovative ideas on demand – “a process of creative thinking used by all inventors.”
The meat of the book is Part 2 “The Eight Obsessions of Everyday Innovators”. I think you’ll really like this because you’ll be able to see yourself in each one of them.
Here’s a list:
- Fall in love with the problem
- Start before you’re ready
- Open a test kitchen
- Break it to fix it
- Reach for weird
- Use every drop of toothpaste
- Don’t forget the dinner mint
- Fall seven times, stand eight
- Your Shot
Usually, I would go into more detail about each chapter. But in this case, I’m going to just leave these here for you to ponder.
In fact, that’s the main purpose of the book — to get you to stop and take a fresh look around so that you can see the problems you want to solve and maybe find some solutions in the process.
Do You Need a Big Little Breakthrough?
Maybe another question is “Am I ready for a big little breakthrough?” I’m going to venture to say yes. And this is why.
You want to “seriously unstuck yourself”: Did you see what I did there? That little creative bit of wordplay doesn’t come close to describing the frustration that comes with that hamster-wheel feeling of doing the same thing over and over and not being able to see a way out.
You’re ready to be open and vulnerable: It takes a level of confidence and courage to have one of those a-ha moments. You have to let go of your ego and any trash talk that’s happening in your head and open yourself up to see what’s in front of you.
You want to swap out your frustration with fun: Big Little Breakthroughs is as much about mindset as it is about a method for seeing opportunities. Every example Linkner gives has an element of curiosity and fun in it. You’ll find yourself saying “I want to try that!”
Ready. Set. Read
I would definitely recommend picking up a copy of Big Little Breakthroughs it’s not only an enjoyable read, there are really great and “doable” ideas inside.
If you’ve been searching for a way to stop feeling like your life is just one step forward, two steps back, and want to take control of it, then this book will be perfect for you. It would also make a great gift!
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