Amy Wallace (1955–2013)

Ed Catmull's "Creativity, Inc." is one part company history, one part memoir, and one part leadership lesson. Normally that might be a recipe for disaster, but when the author is a founder and president of Pixar Animation the results are an insightful look at how to organize and manage in such a way as to unlock people's creativity, energy, and passion.

Catmull is unflinchingly honest about both the successes and failures of Pixar. This lends great credibility to his management insights since show more they are born of real-world experience and the pain of experimentation and discovery. Catmull is adamant that failure is not necessarily a setback and, coupled with an expectation of honesty and candor when working with peers, this conviction serves as the backbone of how he has run Pixar.

A special note should be made of the epilogue in which Catmull reminisces about his years of collaboration with Steve Jobs. Catmull paints a moving and personal picture of the legendary CEO -- one that is at odds with the public perception of a cold, calculating leader. It's a wonderful tribute that also underscores the advice he gives in the book.

"Creativity, Inc." is a great read for managers and leaders, especially in fields that require agility and creativity, and would benefit anyone looking for ways to lead with integrity.

Disclaimer: I received a free pre-publication copy of this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program. show less

A delightful surprise. As I started reading, I thought it would be typical management-speak. But I found myself jotting down little notes, ideas, phrases on many pages. Even though the author says he hates little sound bite aphorisms, he creates them constantly: "People who take on complicated projects become lost at some point in the process." and "Essential to creativity: a culture that protects the new." He also admits how managing a business and culture is hard - and answers aren't found show more in the aphorisms. I found that refreshing, as did I find his approach - that he's always on the lookout for the next crisis. This is a book that will benefit a re-reader. show less

The first "Book of Lists" became an instant favourite of mine when I first read it, back in the dim, dark ages of the 1980s. At the time I was too young to understand many of the people or events referenced but "The Book of Lists" fired my desire to know what the hell these people were talking about and so helped me become the uncrowned King of obscure trivia.

Even if great wads of cash fell out of the book the first time I opened it, nothing could match the impact the first "Book of Lists" show more had on me, so naturally no. 3 was going to pale in comparison. Of course, this should not take away from "The Book of Lists 3", because where else could you find, for example, a list of "14 persons who suffered from severe depression", followed immediately by "Rating 36 home-grown vegetables"? show less

Ed Catmull offers insight into Pixar, how it started, and how they keep creativity alive. It examines their acquisition by Disney, and how they ensured this corporate giant did not stifle their inventive methods. One of the primary lessons is that fear is the biggest inhibitor of creativity. It also includes fascinating anecdotes about how some of their movies transformed, often significantly, between concept and release.

It includes a brief history of the quality movement, going back in time show more to Deming. Some of these ideas will be familiar, especially to management consultants or those involved in change management; however, there is enough unique material to be worth reading. As a side note, Steve Jobs played a key role in initiating Pixar, and Catmull offers a different perspective on Jobs, almost attempting to redeem him as a likeable, or at least more understandable, guy. show less