The power of Creative Intelligence by Tony Buzan

I was excited to read a book written by Tony Buzan who is the creator of Mind Maps and the holder of the world record for highest Creative I.Q. Each of the ten chapters of the book combines creative concepts, games, and exercises. I am just listing few ideas that fascinated me.

Buzan recommends Reverse Thinking to enhance creativity. He discusses the experience of Dick Fosbury, a high-jumper who wanted to scale greater heights. The regular high-jump posture was diving over the bar with face and chest down. Fosbury used reverse thinking and discovered that when he reversed the regular posture and landed on the ground with his back he was able to break high-jump records. Thus the world famous “Fosbury Flop” posture came into being.


Maria Montessori a doctor by qualification questions the orderly school system. And then she evolves the modern Montessori education system with its flexible and childlike playful surroundings.


Connecting unrelated events and ideas also lead to creativity. For example, Newton was wondering why the apple fell from the tree but the moon does not fall from its position!! This comparison led Newton to discover earth’s gravitational force.

Buzan claims that though creativity is an inborn quality it can be developed by painstaking efforts and applying laws of science. Buzan asks you to become ambidextrous to enhance creative skills. So, if you are a right-hander, you should draw pictures or write with your left hand.


Buzan suggests using the Mind mapping tool with colors, pictures, and curved lines to increase thinking skills. Buzan asks us to be original, put us in other persons’ shoes (even in the shoes of a thermometer for instance), and form associations.

Mind Map for Joe who is retiring from work: