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Are Your Lights On?: How to Figure Out What the Problem Really is
by
Partial Contents
Part 1: What is The Problem?
1. A Problem
2. Peter Pigeonhole Prepared A Petition
3. What's Your Problem?
Part 2: What is The Problem?
4. Billy Brighteyes Bests The Bidders
5. Billy Bites His Tongue
6. Billy Back To The Bidders
Part 3: What is The Problem Really?
7. The Endless Chain
8. Missing The Misfit
9. Landing On The Level
10. Mind Your Meaning
Part 4: Whose Probl ...more
Part 1: What is The Problem?
1. A Problem
2. Peter Pigeonhole Prepared A Petition
3. What's Your Problem?
Part 2: What is The Problem?
4. Billy Brighteyes Bests The Bidders
5. Billy Bites His Tongue
6. Billy Back To The Bidders
Part 3: What is The Problem Really?
7. The Endless Chain
8. Missing The Misfit
9. Landing On The Level
10. Mind Your Meaning
Part 4: Whose Probl ...more
Paperback, 156 pages
Published
January 1st 1990
by Dorset House Publishing Company, Incorporated
(first published 1982)
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Start your review of Are Your Lights On?: How to Figure Out What the Problem Really is
Written with obvious and playful humour, a short book on problem solving. "A problem is a difference between things as desired, and things as perceived" - and this book goes on to arm you with a number of problem solving techniques, from the venerable "ignore the problem" to understanding just what the problem is, whether the solution is desirable, whether people will believe you've solved the problem, who's problem it actually is, and defining problems well.
Some funny lines too: "Once the rumor ...more
Some funny lines too: "Once the rumor ...more
I like the point of the book, but it gets repetitive and most the examples are (purposely?) contrived.
It's been a while since I read it, but I think some of my takeaways were:
- who's problem is it (who cares)? that will usually give you a clue on how to get it solved
- should you be the one solving it?
- if you cannot solve it, then make it a problem for the person who can (make that person care)
- does it needs to be solved / is it a real problem?
- don't jump to a solution / blindly go along with ...more
It's been a while since I read it, but I think some of my takeaways were:
- who's problem is it (who cares)? that will usually give you a clue on how to get it solved
- should you be the one solving it?
- if you cannot solve it, then make it a problem for the person who can (make that person care)
- does it needs to be solved / is it a real problem?
- don't jump to a solution / blindly go along with ...more
Fantastic start of the year. What a book!
I have read some chapters thrice already. The contrived examples draw chuckles at how real they are and how you have been solving problems without knowing you are solving one. There are 23 key lessons but I loved three specific takes:
Find out, whose problem is it.
1. We never have time to do it right, but we always have time to do it over
2. People seldom know what they want until you give them what the ask for
3. Find out, whose problem it is i.e. WHO has ...more
I have read some chapters thrice already. The contrived examples draw chuckles at how real they are and how you have been solving problems without knowing you are solving one. There are 23 key lessons but I loved three specific takes:
Find out, whose problem is it.
1. We never have time to do it right, but we always have time to do it over
2. People seldom know what they want until you give them what the ask for
3. Find out, whose problem it is i.e. WHO has ...more
Jan 29, 2018
John MacIntyre
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
bus-process,
tech-software-dev-process
This book is such an easy read it catches you off gaurd, then walks you through a series of fictional short stories, each teaching a certain lesson.
An engineering classic delivers vignettes from the world of 1960's computers, academia, society, and business to model problems where the solution (and the problem) isn't what it first appeared to be.
Pleasure to read. ...more
Pleasure to read. ...more
Dec 27, 2012
Rob
marked it as to-read
Some nice tales, but not a great eye-opening book.
As a book on general problem solving, it was pretty entertaining. It was thought provoking, but I didn't learn anything too dramatic.
...more
A nice way to re-frame your approaches to solving problems. Written in the style a book from 1982 could only produce.
Several anecdotes about solving problems.
It shows several more ways to think about the problems.
One of my favourite points in this book is - "EACH SOLUTION
IS THE SOURCE OF THE NEXT PROBLEM".
...more
It shows several more ways to think about the problems.
One of my favourite points in this book is - "EACH SOLUTION
IS THE SOURCE OF THE NEXT PROBLEM".
...more
The book is about problem-solving.
There's a series of situations presented, in each of them the problem evolves in terms of complexity. In some of the situations presented certainty is peeled off from the problem statement and the solution. So in the end it turns out that neither the problem statement was correct, nor the solution was correct, even though the process starts with one "solution" and then iterates through more and more failed "solutions" (some of them borderline absurd), none of wh ...more
There's a series of situations presented, in each of them the problem evolves in terms of complexity. In some of the situations presented certainty is peeled off from the problem statement and the solution. So in the end it turns out that neither the problem statement was correct, nor the solution was correct, even though the process starts with one "solution" and then iterates through more and more failed "solutions" (some of them borderline absurd), none of wh ...more
The first half is pure genius; the second half is merely intelligent. Overall a rather fascinating read.
1) A problem is the gap between a perceived state and desired state.
2) The trickiest part of certain problems is just recognizing their existence.
3) If you can’t think of at least three things that might be wrong with your understanding of the problem, you don’t understand the problem.
4) Don't Solve other people’s problems when they can solve them perfectly well themselves. ...more
1) A problem is the gap between a perceived state and desired state.
2) The trickiest part of certain problems is just recognizing their existence.
3) If you can’t think of at least three things that might be wrong with your understanding of the problem, you don’t understand the problem.
4) Don't Solve other people’s problems when they can solve them perfectly well themselves. ...more
Very nice book. Often I ask some questions about what is the nature of the problem that I am solving with. I think this book sheds some light in this dilema by explicitly asking you: What the problem really is? Who the problem is affecting? This is a problem for everybody involved? All this questions are often not considered and many "solutions" only creates different problems (often harder than the original one). I am re-reading it in the next year for sure.
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Short and sweet - surprisingly entertaining and fun. Not quite what I was expecting (in a good way) and also does provide some thought provoking ideas, particularly on considering "who really has the problem".
...more
Some valuable insights, so-so delivery.
I found some good takeaways in this book, and I liked some of its chapters.
Unfortunately, most of the chapters were too verbose for my taste and I quickly skimmed through them.
I found some good takeaways in this book, and I liked some of its chapters.
Unfortunately, most of the chapters were too verbose for my taste and I quickly skimmed through them.
An interesting read. You don't often ask myself whose problem it really is but you should. Is it really your problem or is someone (your boss, spouse, kids) transferring their problem to your problem?
...more
The problem is not always what you think. Keep thinking. Very good book.
Characterisation of the classic 'have you tried restarting your computer' use case. Good for high school freshmen. Disliked the narrative format.
...more
Nothing too earth shattering
An easy short read on a problem solving but compared to other works by the same author didn't get as much as I had hoped.
...more
Provisional three star. Lots of mildly witty stories, but hard to mine the practical advice inside on the first attempt.
Will update if I try it again.
Will update if I try it again.
Could stand to be updated for sure. And some editing with a vision for the finished product. It *could* be really useful if it had some love. But I do not see that happening.
Sep 09, 2019
Marcus Autenrieth
added it
Insightful, funny, inspiring. Lot's of stories from the trenches to learn from, garnished with some theoretical background. Co-authored by the brilliant Jerry Weinberg.
...more
Dec 18, 2019
Paul
added it
Easy, breezy, interesting.
I'd you're trying to understand problem dillema then grab that book and rethink that.
It's in a nutshell, looks like a great place to start. ...more
It's in a nutshell, looks like a great place to start. ...more
A book about what is your problem and is it really your problem and are you sure that you have a correct definition of the problem? And... of course, if you solve it too fast no one will actually believe you that it's solved - and tons of other stuff related to problem solving.
In the beginning I thought it's not gonna be useful to even finish reading it, but it was entertaining and now that I finished it, I have to admit it was also enlightening.
I can only recommend you to read it if you didn't ...more
In the beginning I thought it's not gonna be useful to even finish reading it, but it was entertaining and now that I finished it, I have to admit it was also enlightening.
I can only recommend you to read it if you didn't ...more
Discusses problem-solving in the abstract, with various flippant/goofy parables and images. Seems somewhat intended for a business audience, but I found it way too general to be useful.
Some quotes I liked:
- “designers — special people whose job it is to solve problems, in advance, for other people”
- “to get a fresh point of view, we can call upon almost anybody as our ‘consultant’”
But overall just couldn't get into it. Gave up a little over halfway through.
...more
Some quotes I liked:
- “designers — special people whose job it is to solve problems, in advance, for other people”
- “to get a fresh point of view, we can call upon almost anybody as our ‘consultant’”
But overall just couldn't get into it. Gave up a little over halfway through.
...more
One particular thing to keep in mind when solving a problem: If you can't think of at least two other problems that the solution will cause, then you probably do not understand the problem well enough. Sure, you create other problems with the solution, but hopefully they are smaller, more tolerable, or easier to solve.
...more
This is a book anyone who is ever asked to solve a problem should read. It's a quick read, entertaining, and disarmingly insightful. Too many people go about addressing the issues they are presented with and not actually solving core problems, and this book is a good start to thinking about how to change that.
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“There's two kinds of people in the world, those that do work and those who take credit. Keep in the first group—there's much less competition there.”
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