Are Your Lights On?: How to Figure Out What the Problem Really is

by Gerald M. Weinberg and Donald C. Gause

Book Overview

Are Your Lights On?: How To Figure Out What The Problem Really Is This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0932633161
• ISBN13: 9780932633163
• Release Date: March 1990
• Publisher: Dorset House Publishing Company, Incorporated
• Length: 156 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

What's the problem? A witty primer for finding the answer.

This little book is a quick read that's worth every minute. Rather than approaching problem-solving with a focus on the 'solving', it teaches the reader how to ask smart questions about the problem itself. --An essential read for beginning consultants--An important read for anyone in (or supervising people in) a problem-solving function--A worthwhile read for experienced consultantsThe page layout of the book is odd and occasionally irritating, but the information layout has no such flaws. Easy both to read and use.

Educational humor at its' best

The best and most difficult humor to write is that which is also educational. Most of the problems we handle in our professional lives are serious, complex and very difficult to define. Furthermore, the solution of one problem generally results in a few moments of pleasure and relief before you realize that it simply masked another that is probably as difficult as the one just defeated. This complex backdrop is the premise of this book, namely how do you figure out what is really wrong, and also what is just as important, what solutions are viable options. Loaded with many giggle generators, some of which are not as tongue in cheek as they sound, the problem statements lead you to do what is most important, namely thinking about the problem from all angles. Sometimes a viable solution is to do next to nothing disguised as a major alteration. My favorite was the advice concerning how to deal with people whose job description seems to be the creation of work with little to no useful purpose. Disguising your true feelings behind an apparent willingness to tackle the "problem" is a true interpersonal art form which is sorely needed by anyone who deals with someone superior in position. This is one of the funniest, yet helpful books in print. The authors do a great job in making difficulties into anecdotes while providing helpful and valuable advice. They don't think outside the box, they simply turn it into one where amusing solutions pop out if you crank it the right way.

You will wear this book out...

I am buying my second copy of this book as I literally wore out my first - bought about 15 years ago. I have copied and quoted from it since it was first published and loaned it out. In my opinion, it is the best available book on problem solving. I have used it to teach members of my staff effective problem solving and it is universal - I am not in systems development. You will love the story that is the basis for the title.

Best introduction to problem identification available.

Deceptively simple and effortless to read with an enormous payback! Simply the best book on problem definition. Forces you to think about what the problem is before you decide to tackle it. Should be read often. Promotes common sense.

An easily readable book that inspires better problem-solving

I manage programmers. I need people who think on their feet and who know how to cut through the B.S. (no, not Bachelor of Science) and get to the real issues, then solve them. That's why I'm buying everyone on my staff a copy of this book, now that I've managed to find a vendor who can get it. Published originally in the 1970's, this book focuses on a number of creative approaches to solving seemingly intractable problems. Not a cookbook with recipes for specific problems, _Are_Your_Lights_On?_ inspires every reader to develop her own approaches to problems by emphasizing how many different ways there really are to skin a cat. The book tells a number of stories that present sticky problems and then concludes the stories with how those problems were solved. The style of the writing is extremely informal and amusing while never patronizing. Entertaining pen and ink sketches illustrate the stories and the reader just keeps going because it's fun. But never mistake the seriousness of the book's purpose. One fantasizes about sending copies to Benjamin Netanyahu and Yassir Arafat with the cover note, "Read this and then try again."