It Only Takes One: How to Create the Right Idea–and Then Make It Happen Paperback – October 8, 2016
by John Emmerling (Author)
“A lively and informative account of the creative process and how it works by someone who obviously knows.” —George Plimpton, editor of The Paris Review
“Finally, a GPS for finding your great ideas.” —Mike Slosberg, cofounder of Digitas
The ability to turn a good idea into a great reality is a vital ingredient in achieving success. In It Only Takes One, John Emmerling offers an innovative, exciting, and proven method for taking your idea from a first faint flash to a fabulous finish. In this remarkable book, filled with exercises, charming cartoons, and quizzes, Emmerling explains the six steps of his incredible effective S.T.R.I.K.E. process. With chapters on salesmanship, enthusiasm, chutzpah, and much more, It Only Takes One provides you with the creative power you need to strike it big on the road to success.
Review
“John Emmerling is a one-man idea factory. He sparks ideas, he writes and illustrates his ideas, and he understands what it takes to make ideas happen.”
(Kenneth Roman, former CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide)
“Emmerling’s six-step process is a six-ring circus of idea making.”
(Paul Binder, founder of Big Apple Circus)
“Ideas—original, salable, stimulating, amusing ideas—seem simply to pour out of John Emmerling’s head. He has captured the essence of how he works in this new book, and you don’t need a Harvard MBA to benefit from it.”
(Gael Greene, restaurant critic)
“John Emmerling suggests that you S.T.R.I.K.E. a creative blow at your competitors. His idea-making system may turn out to be the business world equivalent of a Stealth bomber.” (Jerry Della Femina, founder of Della Femina Advertising)
About the Author
In college John Emmerling studied architecture, drew cartoons for the campus humor magazine, and sold freelance gag lines to Hallmark. This odd mix of skills led to advertising, where he became an award-winning copywriter at Young & Rubicam.
He moved on to be a creative director, then founded his own ad agency. Today, John—always a student of the elusive creative process—is an innovation and branding consultant, author, cartoonist, actor, and speaker. IBM borrowed his longtime mantra, “Innovation is creativity with a job to do,” for an IBM THINK poster—and Advertising Age picked John as a representative “Real Mad Man” for an online video profile. In conclusion, John’s dog Max begs you to check out his master’s latest book, WoofiLeaks—Your Dog’s Secrets Revealed. (Max is coauthor.) John lives in Manhattan.
Product Details
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; Reprint edition (October 8, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1501158732
ISBN-13: 978-1501158735
Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.7 x 8.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,042,327 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Biography
JOHN EMMERLING
At the University of Michigan John studied architecture, drew cartoons for the campus humor magazine, and wrote freelance gag lines for Hallmark Cards. After graduation this odd mix of skills led to advertising where he became an award-winning copywriter at Young & Rubicam. Moving on, he founded his own ad agency and ran it successfully for many years. John has always loved the shape-shifting world of ideas. This passion led to his Simon & Schuster book, “It Only Takes One: How To Create the Right Idea—And Then Make it Happen.” AUTHOR’S PROMISE: these pages can jumpstart anyone’s ability to spark ideas. For more, check out the short video on this page.
John’s latest book, “WoofiLeaks—Your Dog’s Secrets Revealed,” was inspired by carefully watching (and communicating with) Max, a wise old standard poodle. In this tell-all Max breaks the Canine Code of Silence and spills dogdom’s long-held secrets. Written and illustrated by John—with co-author Max at his elbow—it’s available as paperback and eBook. Among Max’s many fans are singer/songwriter Rosanne Cash, New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast, actor John Lithgow, cartoonist/author Jules Feiffer, novelist Warren Adler, and cartoonist Mike Peters, creator of “Mother Goose & Grimm.” John lives in Manhattan.
Enjoyed the succinct suggestions accompanied by amusing illustrations eg
By MFon October 11, 2016
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
My copy of It Only Takes One arrived after lunch and was finished by dinner. I flunked the first (SPY) test thanks to my left brain. The two examples of corporate underlings changing the future of big brands e.g. IBM and FORD with their active right brains was riveting. If I had known about ‘Short & Sweet’ I’d have saved money, time & nerves. Enjoyed the succinct suggestions accompanied by amusing illustrations eg. Plan Ahead with blank ‘steps’ leading up a ziggurat. Laced with humor this luddite has found the guide to becoming creative at last.
