Out of Our Minds

Learning to Be Creative

By: Ken Robinson

Narrated by: John Lee

Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

There is a paradox. As children, most of us think we are highly creative; as adults many of us think we are not. What changes as children grow up? Organizations across the globe are competing in a world that is changing faster than ever. They say they need people who can think creatively, who are flexible and quick to adapt. Too often they can't find them. Why not? In this provocative and inspiring book, Ken Robinson addresses three vital questions:

• Why is it essential to promote creativity? Business leaders, politicians and educators emphasize the vital importance of promoting creativity and innovation. Why does this matter so much?
• What is the problem? Why do so many people think they're not creative? Young children are buzzing with ideas. What happens as we grow up and go through school to make us think we are not creative?
• What can be done about it? What is creativity? What can companies, schools and organizations do to develop creativity and innovation in a deliberate and systematic way?

In this extensively revised and updated version of his best-selling classic, Ken Robinson offers a groundbreaking approach to understanding creativity in education and in business. He argues that people and organizations everywhere are dealing with problems that originate in schools and universities and that many people leave education with no idea at all of their real creative abilities. Out of Our Minds is a passionate and powerful call for radically different approaches to leadership, teaching and professional development to help us all to meet the extraordinary challenges of living and working in the 21st century.

©2011 Ken Robinson (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Ken Robinson writes brilliantly about the different ways in which creativity is undervalued and ignored . . . especially in our educational systems." (John Cleese)

A comprehensive guide to education and creativity

A comprehensive guide to education and creativity that aims to serve us in a practical and professional manner

Great idea, but it stumbles and rambles a lot

Would you try another book from Ken Robinson and/or John Lee?

I find Ken Robinson's TED talks absolutely fascinating. Hoping his books would be the same, I picked up "Out of Our Minds". After some stumbling and a lot of duplicated information in the beginning, it picks up into the meat of the subject about an hour in. I will certainly be listening to more of Robinson, though I hope it gets more streamlined as time goes on.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The narrator completely misses the sense of timing and cadence of speech that makes Ken Robinson so pleasing to listen to. Jokes are recognizable as "supposed to be" funny, but fall completely flat. To his credit, John Lee enunciates well and doesn't let his accent obscure any words.

Was Out of Our Minds worth the listening time?

There is a *lot* of duplication in the first hour or so, and quite a bit of rambling after that. I'm currently about 3 hours in, and feel like I've only gotten about 30 minutes of actual content. If there is ever an abridged version, I would recommend starting there.

Info was interesting. Narration was annoying.

Would you try another book from Ken Robinson and/or John Lee?

Info in the book was interesting but I had trouble paying attention because the narration was distracting/annoying. Very choppy, up and down intonation that pulled me away from the content.

How could the performance have been better?

Different narrator.

Amazing insights and a must for new parents

this book has given me the confidence on how can I educate my children so as to release their abilities for leading a wonderful life and make this world a sustainable place to live

doesn't live up to it's title.

What would have made Out of Our Minds better?

This book deals more with how education trains students to fear creativity rather than how to actually be creative. I think most readers understand that traditional education teaches more conformity than creativity and this book tends to just reinforce this topic over and over.

Any additional comments?

I was more impressed with "Beyond the Obvious" and how they actually explored real ways to challenge and change your normal process of thinking and creativity.

Terrible narration. Unlistenable.

What would have made Out of Our Minds better?

If the reader read the words with an emphasis that enforced their meaning instead of contradicting it.

What was most disappointing about Ken Robinson’s story?

I'm sure this book is great - I'm a fan of Robinson - but I found it impossible to concentrate on this because it was so badly read.

Would you be willing to try another one of John Lee’s performances?

Absolutely not.

What character would you cut from Out of Our Minds?

N/A

Any additional comments?

My first purchase on Audible and extremely disappointing.

Education system based

The Book focuses on how the education system should change. Rather than focusing on exercises that an adult could do to be more creative. I will definitely be a better parent because of this. But not what I was expecting based on the title.

Not as creative as expected

I already knew that schools and other institutions discourage creativity. I bought this audiobook to get a better understanding of how this phenomenum works.
His definition of creativiy is not original, and his points can all be found in other books with better explanations to them.
It's OK to listen to this if you have nothing else. He does provide a few jokes and interesting stories.

Oh, and I should mention that I've stopped listening to it an hour from the end.

You can't bore people into creativity

After Sir Ken's Ted talk I had high hopes. Hopes that were dashed by a dull, staccato delivery and bloated content.

Philosophy on the need for creativity in learning

Very philosophical and long drawn out argument about why education should consider creativity. The title is misleading, as an individual, I didn't learn anything. The book should be called: creativity in learning and its importance.