The Back of the Napkin by Dan Roam

The Back of the Napkin

Solving Problems and Selling Ideas With Pictures

Dan Roam

Penguin Publishing Group · Print & ebook · February 26, 2013

The acclaimed bestseller about visual problem solving-now bigger and better "There is no more powerful way to prove that we know something well than to draw a simple picture of it.

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Who it’s for
A simple sketch can clarify problems and make ideas easier to share.
Themes
Visual problem-solving, Communicating ideas with pictures, Developing new ideas
Genres
Decision-Making & Problem Solving, Meetings & Presentations, Unlocking Creativity

About this book

The acclaimed bestseller about visual problem solving-now bigger and better "There is no more powerful way to prove that we know something well than to draw a simple picture of it. And there is no more powerful way to see hidden solutions than to pick up a pen and draw out the pieces of our problem."

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So writes Dan Roam in The Back of the Napkin, the international bestseller that proves that a simple drawing on a humble napkin can be more powerful than the slickest PowerPoint presentation. Drawing on twenty years of experience and the latest discoveries in vision science, Roam teaches readers how to clarify any problem or sell any idea using a simple set of tools. He reveals that everyone is born with a talent for visual thinking, even those who swear they can't draw. And he shows how thinking with pictures can help you discover and develop new ideas, solve problems in unexpected ways, and dramatically improve your ability to share your insights. Take Herb Kelleher and Rollin King, who figured out how to beat the traditional hub-and-spoke airlines with a bar napkin and a pen. Three dots to represent Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Three arrows to show direct flights. Problem solved, and the picture made it easy to sell Southwest Airlines to investors and customers. Now with more color, bigger pictures, and additional content, this new edition does an even better job of helping you literally see the world in a new way. Join the teachers, project managers, doctors, engineers, assembly-line workers, pilots, football coaches, marine drill instructors, financial analysts, students, parents, and lawyers who have discovered the power of solving problems with pictures.

Think in Pictures

A simple sketch can clarify problems and make ideas easier to share.

Come here for

  • Visual thinking, even if you don’t consider yourself an artist
  • Ways to clarify problems and communicate ideas with pictures

Expect

  • Simple drawings treated as practical problem-solving tools
  • Examples of pictures helping make an idea easier to explain

Where it sits

Decision-Making & Problem Solving83%
Unlocking Creativity45%
Meetings & Presentations37%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Meetings & Presentations
  • Language Arts
  • Unlocking Creativity
Authors
Dan Roam
Publisher
Penguin Publishing Group
Published
February 26, 2013
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Visual problem-solving · Communicating ideas with pictures · Developing new ideas
Reading lane
Meetings & Presentations