Jump Start Your Business Brain: Win More, Lose Less and Make More Money With Your Sales, Marketing and Business Development by Doug Hall and Jeffrey Stamp Ph.D. (2002, Paperback)

Doug Hall"s "Jumpstart Your Brain" presents a variety of techniques for re-booting what he calls your "Brain Operating System," or "B.O.S." Writing under the pseudonym Richard Saunders, Benjamin Franklin's pen name, Hall gives a list of wacky ideas and case studies that might seem a bit juvenile, but, when applied, turn out to be remarkably productive.

Frequently quoting Benjamin Franklin and his five-year-old daughter Kristyn, the author makes a concerted effort to transform readers into "Trained Brains." The premise is that as the reader becomes adventurous- having dinner at the fourteenth restaurant listed in the yellow pages, believing in magic, consciously practicing self-analysis, and relaxing his or her dress style- fresh environments that will generate a host of creative ideas.

Sprinkled throughout are a number of exclamation marks, big type, and silly clip art which highlight Hall's core idea: to be creative, you need to excite your brain with external stimuli, ranging from dime-store toys to Sears & Roebuck-like catalogues. He clearly maps a psychological rationale for his creative approach, using 36 brain-transforming programs- the actual techniques used to "undrain the brain."

"Jumpstart Your Brain" uses veiled case histories and national publicity as evidence for his theory- the "right way" to train brains. Corporate executives might prefer a tamer version, something that Hall argues inhibits creativity, but his substance and his presuppositions are on target. Some readers are likely to find the toys in this playpen too distracting to move on to the problem-solving phase, but for those willing to "think outside the box," the book has infinite transformative potential.

This is a great book for anyone who thinks that they would like to start or improve their small business. Sometimes the simplest concepts go right by us and we never get to the core of what makes something work or fail. I would recommend this book very highly. There are links to other resources and the exercises to refine your ideas are both useful and practical.